JP4718692B2 - Contact lens holder - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a contact lens holding holder in which two lens holders are provided in the same cap.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a contact lens storage case composed of a container body and a cap, generally, the means for holding is different between a case where the contact lens is a hard system and a case of a soft system. In the case of hard lenses, the material is hard, so it is common to hold a part of the periphery of the lens with a groove-like holder, but in the case of soft lenses, the material is soft so In general, the lens cannot be held stably. In general, the entire lens is held by a mesh-shaped holder (of course, the holder may not be used at all and may be immersed in a container together with a storage solution). A hard-type holder usually consists of a single cap with a lens holder attached to the tip of a support rod protruding from the inner surface, and the cap is screwed into a cylindrical cylindrical container having both ends open. Is stored. As such a lens holder, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-123915 has a U-shaped lens storage portion at the tip of a support rod protruding from the center of the inner surface of each cap in a container body having storage cylinder portions at the top and bottom. Things are shown and this is common. In addition, the publication further extends a knob that can widen the U-shaped opening interval to reduce the stress on the lens when the lens is taken out, and pushes the knob in the direction of each other. A lens holder is disclosed. However, since this lens holder is basically fixed to one cap, one lens holder usually uses two lenses for both eyes, that is, two caps. Assumption. Then, it is necessary to always turn the two caps when taking out or storing the lens. Furthermore, since it is necessary to pour a solution for preserving the lens into the container body, for example, if there is no partition in the middle of the cylindrical container opened at both ends, the cap itself will also close the container. In that case, the procedure of always tightening one cap and then filling the container with the preservation solution and then screwing the pair of caps is followed. If this procedure is mistaken, troubles such as spilling the storage solution from the container or forgetting to put the storage solution and putting both caps may occur. In addition, when a partition wall is provided in the middle as described in the publication, the preservation solution must be filled separately, and the operation becomes complicated, which is not satisfactory for the lens wearer.
[0003]
By the way, there is, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-61124 as one having two holders in one cap. In this publication, a stay fixed to a cap is provided, a connecting rod is pivotally supported at the tip of the stay, and a U-shaped lens holder is provided at both ends of the connecting rod to removably hold a contact lens. It is a feature. From this publication, the complexity of operability such as tightening the cap twice and filling the solution twice has been eliminated, but how to fix the rotatable lens holder when taking out the contact lens In addition, the length of the stay and the connecting rod is increased, so that the volume of the case is increased and a large amount of the storage solution must be filled.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Here, the present invention has been made in the background of the above-mentioned circumstances, and the problem to be solved is that the contact lens can be easily taken out or stored, filled with a preservative solution, An object of the present invention is to provide a contact lens holder that can be easily screwed and released.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following contact lens holder. That is, the inner surface of the cap to be screwed into the opening of the bottomed cylindrical container body is formed by holding two support rods side by side, and holding members each provided with a contact lens holder at the tip of the support rod, Each of the support bars is formed to be rotatable within a range of a maximum of 180 ° with respect to a fixed point on the inner surface of the cap. The lens holder opens on the opposite side of the support bar and holds the periphery of the contact lens on the inner surface. with the groove is provided an arc shape, a circular arc-shaped extending therefrom shape the claw portion to the support rod direction on at least one side surface, arc-shaped lens by pressing the claw portion to the support rod direction Provided is a contact lens holder characterized in that the holder can be elastically deformed to widen the opening interval at the tip of the holder. In a lens holder with such a structure, there is no excessive stress acting on the contact lens when the lens is stored and taken out, and both lenses are held in one cap, so the cap can be screwed and released. Once is good. Caps can be placed in a stable position when they are turned upside down with their holders facing up, and each lens can be fixed at a position where it can be easily removed by rotating each holder in the opposite direction. Note that the pivotable angle is possible until the support rod or the arc-shaped lens holder comes into contact with the peripheral wall of the cap, and is 180 ° or less, preferably within the range of 60 ° or 120 ° from the vertical axis to the left and right. . If the holder is fixed at the peripheral wall of the cap when the holder is tilted down, a fixed state can always be maintained. Furthermore, since the length of the support rod fixed to the cap is about the same as when one lens is fixed to one conventional cap, the overall length of the container body is also short and compact. .
[0006]
The arc-shaped lens holder has a claw portion extending so as to reduce the stress applied to the periphery of the lens from the holder opening by pressing and deforming the holder when taking out the lens on one side surface thereof. This nail | claw part is useful also when it falls down in the opposite direction each support bar which piled up side by side. That is, by extending one claw on the side of each holder to the position opposite to each other, pressing the claw separates each side-by-side holder and tilts it to the opposite side. There is also an effect of facilitating removal or storage. As described above, the claw portion is also used to increase the distance between the openings of the arc-shaped storage portion when taking out the lens. However, the contact lens of the arc-shaped holder can be expanded more easily in the operation. It is desirable that a notch for facilitating pressure deformation is formed on the holding part side (inner side) and on the support bar side rather than the claw part extending to the side surface. Moreover, durability can be improved with respect to the repeated deformation | transformation of a holder part by forming the depth end of this notch part in circular arc shape.
[0007]
The holder is made of a flexible material such as silicon resin or urethane resin, and has a concave groove that sandwiches the periphery of the lens. The cross-sectional shape of this groove can be various shapes such as U-shape and V-shape. Can be taken. Since this part of the holder is in direct contact with the lens, it is necessary to have a structure that is sufficiently soft and can hold the lens appropriately so as not to damage the lens surface. The support bar to which the holder is attached may be formed integrally with the holder, or the support bar may be molded using another hard resin and the holder may be bonded to the tip later.
[0008]
Each support bar is juxtaposed around the center of the cap inner surface with a fixed point as a support shaft. This fixing point is formed of, for example, a T-shaped fixing shaft attached to the inner surface of the cap. The vertical axis of the T-shaped fixed shaft is fixed to the inner surface of the cap, and the upper horizontal axis is attached as a cylindrical shape. On the other hand, an annular hole-less recess is formed on the cap fixing side of the support rod, and the support rod is fixed rotatably by fitting this hole-less recess to the cylinder of the horizontal axis. The Rukoto. If the length of the T-shaped vertical axis is set higher than that of the peripheral wall portion of the cap, the range of the pivotable angle of the support bar is increased, and if the length is set lower, the range is decreased. Therefore, when the support rods are tilted linearly in the opposite directions, the maximum possible rotation angle is 180 °, and the formation angle between the support rods is 120 ° in terms of ease of lens removal and storage. Is most desirable. Of course, it is possible to make the structure rotated to an angle of 180 ° or more. However, since the lens is handled with the cap inner surface facing upward, the lens tends to be difficult to take out. There is a tendency to mix up the left and right lenses.
[0009]
According to the contact lens holder according to the present invention as described above, when the lens is used or stored, the two lenses can be sequentially handled by opening and closing the cap once, and the storage liquid can be filled with respect to one storage tank. As a result, it is sufficient to use only a conventional lens holder and case.
[0010]
Since the contact lens holder according to the present invention holds the left and right lenses at substantially the same position, the letters R and L are engraved on the support rod or the holder portion so that the identification is easy and reliable. By performing or color-coding, it is possible to make it easy for the user to distinguish.
[0011]
Further, as another aspect of the present invention, in order to regulate the rotation angle of each lens holder, a portion projecting toward the side surface of the support rod is provided on the side surface of the support rod, and one lens holder is provided by the portion. The rotation may be made to contact the support rod of the other lens holder so that the rotation in that direction is restricted and only the rotation in the opposite direction is allowed. After the lens is stored in the holder, the holder is placed side by side and standing vertically with respect to the cap, and then stored in the container body. At this time, if each lens holder and the support bar are at different angles, the container body In order to prevent a situation where the support rod or the like comes into contact with the open end and hinders the screwing of the cap, or the lens in the holder touches the open end, the lens is damaged. It is necessary to keep. In such a case, the protrusion is effective in maintaining a constant angle between the support bar and the cap.
[0012]
Furthermore, if the lens holder according to the present invention is used, the number of the storage liquid in the storage container body can be reduced because there is only one cap as compared with the conventional method, which can advantageously reduce the manufacturing cost. On the other hand, it is possible for the user to save a necessary amount of storage solution. In addition, when removing protein from the lens, it was necessary to drop the enzyme solution in each container in the case of a conventional container. Simplification can be achieved over a wide range. Even in the case of the conventional case and holder described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-123915, if the intermediate partition in the case is removed, the dropping of the enzyme solution and the filling of the storage solution can be performed once. In this case, as described above, unless one of the caps is first filled and then filled, it is necessary for the liquid to be spilled, which is difficult for the user to use.
[0013]
By the way, although it is assumed that the outer shape of the container main body and the cap used in the present invention is basically cylindrical, it is easy to fit or screw the container main body and the cap, or the like. From the viewpoint, a polygonal column such as a quadrangular column may be used in one direction.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, in order to clarify the present invention more specifically, the contact lens holder according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the structural drawing of the container.
[0015]
First, FIG. 1 shows an example of a state in which a cap having a contact lens holder according to the present invention is housed in a container body. As is clear from FIG. 1, the lens case 1 of the present invention includes a container body 2 filled with a storage solution and the like, a cap 3 and a lens holder 4 arranged side by side. The material of the container body 2 and the cap 3 shown in FIG. 1 is appropriately selected from, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, propylene copolymer, polystyrene, nylon, etc. by general injection molding or heat compression molding so as to be inexpensive and easy to handle. Made of thermoplastics. The container main body 2 shown in the drawing is made of a transparent material so that it can be confirmed whether or not the lens or storage solution to be contained is contained, but this may be a colored transparent material or a colored opaque material. Further, an appropriate design, letters, symbols, etc. may be attached to the container body. Similarly, the cap can be variously changed such as transparent and colored. The cap 3 and the container main body 2 may be connected to each other by screwing each having a threaded portion or by fitting the cap to the container main body. The volume of the container body only needs to be able to accommodate two holders. For example, when the cap is connected by fitting, the container body has a quadrangular columnar shape, even if it is not cylindrical as shown in the figure. It may have a shape that reduces the amount of the preservative solution by using the minimum necessary storage section.
[0016]
In FIG. 2, a fixed shaft 5 is fixed at a substantially central portion of the cap 3, and a holder portion 7 that opens upward is attached to the tip of the support rod 6. The fixed shaft 5 has a T-shaped vertical axis 8 connected to the inner surface of the cap 3, and the horizontal axis 9 has a rotatable connection with the support bar 6. The vertical axis 8 of the fixed shaft 5 is fixed with its lower end fitted into a recess provided in the center of the cap 3, but it may be screwed with screws or bonded with an adhesive. FIG. 3 shows the lens holder as viewed from the side. A circular hole 10 is opened below the support bar 6 for connection with the horizontal shaft 9, and this portion is fitted into the horizontal shaft 9, and the lens holder 4 is rotated using this portion as a support shaft. Can do. The lens holder 4 is shown such that the support rod 6 and the holder portion 7 are made of an integral resin. However, as described above, the lens holder 4 may be made of different materials. The holder portion 7 is formed with a concave groove in a circumferential shape so that the lens can be accommodated and sandwiched. Since this concave groove is a U-shaped or V-shaped cross section and is a part that comes into contact with the lens to be housed, it is desirable that the molding surface be a smooth surface with no irregularities, and that the holder part be The constituent resin is preferably selected from silicon-based or urethane-based soft materials. Of course, it may be made of polystyrene resin or polyethylene resin, but in that case, it should be thin and flexible.
[0017]
A claw portion 11 is further provided on the side surface of the holder portion 7 so as to protrude toward the support rod. The claw portion 11 exhibits the effect of reducing the stress applied to the lens by expanding the distance 13 between the openings of the holder portion 7 by taking out the lens housed in the holder portion 7 or pressing it when housing the lens. . In order to make the holder portion easier to expand, a cut portion 12 is formed on the holder portion lens storage side. The cut portion 12 plays an important role in order to increase the distance between the openings without difficulty during the above-described claw pressing operation. Even if this notch is not provided, it is possible to increase the distance between the openings, but in this case, the resistance from the holder configured as a concave groove is large, and the bent portion and the peripheral concave groove side wall are the periphery of the storage lens. Since stress may be applied to the surface of the portion, the lens surface may be damaged, or deterioration due to frequent use of the storage portion may be accelerated. Accordingly, the cut portion 12 is formed at a position closer to the support rod than the protruding portion corresponding to the claw portion 11 shown in FIG. As for the formation position, there is no point in forming the upper portion of the claw portion by pressing the claw portion 11 to deform the holder portion 7, and the holder that is not on the holder side where the claw portion is formed. Even if it is formed on the side, it is meaningless as described above. Preferably, it is desirable to be formed at a position slightly lower than the protruding position of the claw portion (closer to the support bar). The cut portion 12 is formed on the contact lens holding portion side (inner side) of the arc-shaped holder, but its depth end is formed in an arc shape. Since this portion is repeatedly deformed by the pressing of the claw portion, it is desirable to form an arc shape in order to improve durability and prevent breakage.
[0018]
Although not particularly shown in FIG. 3, for example, a display portion that indicates the left and right of the lens accommodated on the surface of the support rod 6 may be formed, and the entire lens holder 4 or the support rod 6 and the holder portion 7 may be connected to the other. It is preferable to color-code the lens holder so that the user can identify which (left or right) eye lens is stored.
[0019]
FIG. 4 shows a state in which the lens holders 4 and 4 ′ are rotated and the support rods are tilted at an angle of 120 °. There is no particular reason for this angle, and it may be, for example, an angle of 180 °. In order to be able to be tilted to an angle of 180 ° or more, it is possible to increase the length of the longitudinal axis 8 of the T-shaped fixed shaft or reduce the height of the peripheral wall of the cap 3. However, if this angle is 180 ° or more, when the lens is taken out or stored, the lens must be moved laterally or obliquely downward, and the lens becomes difficult to handle. Further, if the angle is too small, the holder portions of each other interfere with handling the lens, and the right and left lenses may be mixed, so it is desirable to fix at an angle of about 120 °. The lens holder may be fixed by adjusting the height of the peripheral wall of the cap so that the lens holder can be tilted until it comes into contact with the lens holder.
[0020]
Next, FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention in which a protrusion 13 is provided on a support rod. As shown in FIG. 6, the protruding portion 13 is accommodated in the container body by restricting the rotation direction of the support rods and standing upright with respect to the cap when the two lens holders are juxtaposed. When the lens holder is tilted, it has an effect of restricting the lens holders from falling in the same direction. This protrusion is not particularly necessary in the present invention, but it is effective when it becomes difficult to stand the lens holder only by the frictional force between the horizontal shaft 9 of the fixed shaft and the circular hole 10 of the support rod. Is expected.
[0021]
The specific configuration of the present invention has been described above, but this is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited by the above description.
[0022]
For example, the holder part has an arc shape but has a hole in a part of the side wall, a U-shape that has a hole in the side wall so that the lens is sandwiched between the holes, an arc-shaped opening part It goes without saying that the shape (shape like a tulip flower) that makes it easier to store the lens by opening the lens to the outside is appropriately changed.
[0023]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the contact lens holder according to the present invention can be easily taken out or stored, especially when handling a hard contact lens, and can be easily filled with a preserving solution and screwed / opened with a cap. I was able to provide
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cap and a lens holder.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a lens holder.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing that the lens holders are tilted and fixed at appropriate positions.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing another embodiment of the lens holder of the present invention.
6 is a perspective view showing the lens holder shown in FIG. 5 in a side-by-side state and a tilted state. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lens case 2 Container body 3 Cap 4 Lens holder 5 Fixed shaft 6 Support rod 7 Holder part 8 Vertical axis 9 Horizontal axis 11 Claw part 12 Notch part 13 Distance between openings

Claims (4)

The inner surface of the cap to be screwed into the opening of the bottomed cylindrical container body, two support rods juxtaposed and holding members each provided with a contact lens holder at the tip of the support rod, The support rod is formed so as to be rotatable within a maximum of 180 ° with respect to the fixing point on the inner surface of the cap, and the lens holder opens to the opposite side of the support rod and the concave groove for holding the peripheral portion of the contact lens on the inner surface with the provided arc shape, a circular arc-shaped extending claws to the supporting rod direction on at least one side surface, the arc-shaped lens holder by pressing the claw portion to the support rod direction A contact lens holder characterized in that it can be elastically deformed to widen the opening interval at the tip of the holder.     The contact lens holder according to claim 1, wherein a rotation angle of the support rod is within 120 °.     3. The contact lens for a contact lens according to claim 1, wherein the number of claw portions extending to the side surface of the arcuate holder is one for each holder, and the claw portions are extended to positions opposite to each other. holder.     A notch for facilitating pressure deformation is formed on the contact lens holding part side (inner side) of the arcuate holder closer to the support rod side than the claw part extending to the side surface, and the depth end of the notch part The contact lens holder according to claim 1, wherein the contact lens is formed in an arc shape.

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