KR20200069424A - Method for manufacturing contact lenses using ink-jet - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a contact lens manufacturing method using inkjet, which comprises the steps of: providing a pre-formed contact lens; and printing a color or image on at least one of front or rear surfaces of the contact lens. In the steps of printing the color or image on at least one of the front or rear surfaces of the contact lens, the color or image may be printed by non-contact inkjet printing.

Description

METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING CONTACT LENSES USING INK-JET

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet, and more specifically, by using an inkjet printing to manufacture a contact lens, the process can be reduced, the manufacturing cost can be improved, and an inkjet capable of realizing multi-species is used. It relates to a method of manufacturing a contact lens.

In general, a contact lens is a small lens that is inserted into the inside of the eyelid and attached to the retina to correct astigmatism or myopia, and is classified into a hard lens and a soft lens according to its material.

As these contact lenses are manufactured and sold in the form of transparent lenses simply for the purpose of correcting vision, wearers with different eyesight of the left and right eyes have difficulty in distinguishing between the left and right lenses, and when there are multiple lens wearers in a family, each other Confusion also occurred.

In addition, in recent years, as interest in beauty has been heightened, various shapes are printed along the periphery of the pupil to make the pupil look more beautiful. Lenses and the like have been developed and widely used.

A color contact lens is manufactured by printing a pattern with ink of various colors on a general contact lens. Due to the characteristics of a contact lens having a spherical surface, it is difficult to print various patterns or images on the surface of the contact lens. The process is complicated and various images are generated as the ink is first printed on a separate printing plate or film by using a method such as transfer printing, and then the printing film or the like is pressed onto the contact lens to transfer the ink. There was a limitation that it was difficult to manufacture this printed lens.

In particular, a high-viscosity ink is injected into an etching plate (sometimes referred to as a "corrosion plate") in which a pattern or image to be printed on a contact lens (hereinafter referred to as "image") is engraved at an angle. In the process of picking up and transferring the image to a silicon pad and printing the image on the contact lens, there is a problem in that material (ink) is lost in the process of putting ink into the intaglio portion.

In addition, the intaglio portion of the etching plate is damaged by the pigment (damage caused by polishing the steel etching plate by ceramic), and after a certain use, the amount transferred is changed, and there is also the inconvenience of re-creating the etching plate. If the process of uniform positioning of the photo mask, uniform concentration of the etchant solution, etc. is not uniformly maintained during plate production, there is a problem in that it is impossible to satisfy the requirements for the production of the etching plate of various images.

The etching plate mainly produces an image (pattern) through laser and solution etching. It is necessary to make an intaglio of uniform thickness on the etching plate, which requires a high cost. The depth of the engraving is very fine, in the order of tens of micrometers, and the method of filling the intaglio portion of the etching plate and transferring it back is not an efficient process. In particular, the ink filling the flat plate may remain fine in the intaglio and harden or the intaglio portion may be damaged by the pigment, which in turn causes a thickness deviation of the intaglio, and the ink also finely corrodes and damages the pattern of the intaglio portion. In many cases, it cannot be used for a day because it cannot be used for a long time, and it needs to be replaced with a new etching plate.

As described above, in a method of printing an image on a contact lens in a contact manner, the uniformity of the print expression is reduced over time due to wear of the silicon pad, which is a medium for transferring the etching plate and the transfer, resulting in a change in printing characteristics and various color variations. And when implementing a new print design, a printing method of 1 degree or more is required. Since each color is implemented through transfer, transfer of several different colors and designs can cause transfer problems, such as the image transferred to the previous 1 degree being torn or crushed. In addition, there is a limitation that it is impossible to actively respond to the needs of users who require various designs or various colors.

In order to solve the above problems, the applicant has proposed the present invention.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2006-0058210 (2006.05.30.)

The present invention has been proposed to solve the above problems, and provides a method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet that can omit the existing transfer process.

In addition, the present invention provides a contact lens manufacturing method using inkjet that can eliminate the problem of wear and deterioration of printing characteristics of the intaglio portion without the need for an etching plate with an intaglio portion formed by non-contact printing.

In addition, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet that can easily implement various colors from the basic colors of CMYK and simplify the process.

In addition, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet that can eliminate the transfer process and simplify the process by directly printing a color or image on the contact lens.

A method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above-described problems includes providing a pre-formed contact lens; And printing a color or image on the surface of at least one of the front or rear surface of the contact lens. In the step of printing a color or image on the surface of at least one of the front or rear surface of the contact lens, a non-contact inkjet The color or image can be printed by printing.

In the step of printing a color or image on at least one of the front or rear surfaces of the contact lens, the position on the surface of the contact lens on which the color or image is printed may be aligned with the inkjet head or nozzle of the inkjet system.

The step of printing a color or image on the surface of at least one of the front or rear surface of the contact lens, provides a reference surface on which the color or image to be printed on the contact lens is printed, or accurately aligns the position of the contact lens with a position to be printed. To do; Placing a contact lens on the reference surface; And printing a color or image on the surface of at least one of the front or rear surface of the contact lens at a position coinciding with the color or image of the reference plane projected on the contact lens.

In the step of printing a color or image on at least one surface of the front or rear surface of the contact lens, a solvent type ink or a photocuring ink may be used.

In the step of printing a color or image on at least one surface of the front or rear surface of the contact lens, the drying speed of the ink may be controlled or cured by applying heat or irradiating light while being printed on the surface of the contact lens. .

In the step of printing a color or image on at least one surface of the front or rear surface of the contact lens, the ink containing the substance serving as the background color is first printed, and then the ink representing the color is printed, or after the ink representing the color is printed. Finally, it is possible to print an ink containing a substance serving as a background color.

The material serving as the background color may include talc, lysophone, silica, titanium dioxide or kaolin clay.

The position at which the ink containing the substance serving as the background color is printed and the position at which the ink representing the color is printed may coincide.

In the step of printing a color or image on the surface of at least one of the front or rear surface of the contact lens, it is possible to print using a mixture of ink containing a substance serving as a background color and ink representing a color.

And forming a coating layer protecting the printed color or image on the surface of the contact lens.

In the step of forming the coating layer, a fine spray may be formed using an electric field to form a coating layer.

In the step of forming the coating layer, the coating layer may be printed using inkjet on a portion of the surface of the contact lens on which color or image is printed, which requires protection.

The method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet according to the present invention can prevent ink from being wasted because the etching plate in which the image is engraved is not used.

In the method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet according to the present invention, since a color or image is directly printed on the contact lens, a transfer process is not required and thus the process can be simplified.

The contact lens manufacturing method using inkjet according to the present invention can easily implement various colors using the basic colors of CMYK, and can also implement various images.

The method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet according to the present invention can prevent the existing image from being crushed while implementing various colors or images.

In the method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet according to the present invention, an image printed on a contact lens can be repeatedly printed in a state in which identity and accuracy are maintained to control the color density.

In the case of using the contact lens manufacturing method using inkjet according to the present invention, when printing an image on a mold using transfer, it is possible to reduce defective elements due to lens liquid during mold casting and to produce small quantities of multiple kinds Therefore, after manufacturing the contact lens, the contact lens can be manufactured according to a desired design or color such as a desired diopter or standard. In addition, by contactless inkjet printing, it is possible to solve the problems of PAD, color deviation caused by etching plate and uniformity of products during the existing contact, and it is possible to produce multiple colors and designs without complicated processes, so it is active in the necessary designs and colors. Can respond.

1 is a view schematically showing a main part of an inkjet system for manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view schematically showing a main part of an inkjet system for manufacturing a contact lens according to another embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a view for explaining a process of manufacturing a contact lens using the inkjet system according to FIG. 1.
4 to 6 are pictures for explaining a method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a view schematically showing a main part of an inkjet system for manufacturing a contact lens according to another embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a view schematically showing a modification of the inkjet system for manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a view schematically showing another modification of the inkjet system for manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a view schematically showing the configuration of an inkjet system for manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited or limited by the embodiments. The same reference numerals in each drawing denote the same members.

1 is a view schematically showing a main part of an inkjet system for manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a main part of an inkjet system for manufacturing a contact lens according to another embodiment of the present invention , Figure 3 is a view for explaining the process of manufacturing a contact lens using the inkjet system according to Figure 1, Figures 4 to 6 are for explaining a method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet according to an embodiment of the present invention Photo, FIG. 7 schematically shows a main part of an inkjet system for manufacturing a contact lens according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 schematically illustrates a modification of the inkjet system for manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention 9 is a diagram schematically showing another modification of the inkjet system for manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a configuration of an inkjet system for manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention It is a diagram schematically showing.

The method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet according to the present invention described below (hereinafter referred to as a “contact lens manufacturing method”) can be applied to color contact lenses used for cosmetic purposes as well as contact lenses for vision correction.

In the method of manufacturing a contact lens according to the present invention, various colors or images may be printed on the contact lens by using inkjet printing. Hereinafter, the expression "image" is a concept including various patterns or patterns printed on a color contact lens.

The inkjet system used in the manufacture of the contact lens according to the present invention is an inkjet head for printing ink, a three-axis stage for moving the inkjet head in the XYZ axis direction or a two-axis stage and stage driving unit for moving in the XY axis direction, to be printed The substrate may include a plate on which a contact lens or the like is placed, or a convex lens holder, a drop watcher for jetting evaluation and visualization of ink, and the like.

1 schematically illustrates a main part of an inkjet system 100 for manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the inkjet system 100 for manufacturing a contact lens is connected to the ink cartridge 110 in which the ink 116 is filled, and the ink cartridge 110 is delivered to eject or jet the ink 116 The ink jet head 120, the pneumatic tube 130 connected to the ink jet head 120 to supply air pressure necessary for jetting of the ink 116, is provided under the ink jet head 120 and is a printing object (M2) It may include a plate 190 or a lens holder (not shown) of various shapes.

The inkjet system 100 according to the present invention may print or print the desired image on the printing object M2 by jetting or ejecting the ink in the cartridge 110 toward the printing object M2 in an inkjet manner. Here, the method of jetting the ink, the control of the jetted ink droplet (Drop), the pressure waveform control in the inkjet head 120, etc. are the same or similar to those used in the inkjet printing method, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. For example, the inkjet system and method disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1103284 of the applicant (invention name: liquid droplet ejection method) can be applied to the present invention.

Since the inkjet system 100 according to the present invention prints an image by an inkjet method, the inkjet head 120 jets ink in a state separated from the printing object M2. That is, the inkjet head 120 may print the image P on the printing object M2 in a non-contact manner while being separated from the printing object M2 by a predetermined distance G.

At least one nozzle (not shown) may be formed in the inkjet head 120, and the printing object M2 is a contact lens that has been formed, that is, has been formed. In the case shown in FIG. 1, the printing object M2 is a lens shape in a dry state after polymerizing and molding contact lens chemicals, and fixing the shape to a fixing part 192 formed on the plate 190 to dry the lens. The above is to print the color or image (P) by inkjet printing.

The inkjet head 120 may move relative to the printing object M2 in a 3-axis direction or a 2-axis direction.

2 schematically illustrates a main part of an inkjet system 200 for manufacturing a contact lens according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The inkjet system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a structure in which the cartridge 110 containing the ink 116 is used in connection with the inkjet head 120, while the inkjet system 200 shown in FIG. 2 uses ink ( The difference is that the ink container 210 containing the 216 and the inkjet head 220 are connected to each other by the ink supply pipe 230 and used. By applying the air pressure (A) to the ink container 210 and controlling the applied air pressure (A) to control the negative pressure in the inkjet head 220, the meniscus at the nozzle can be stabilized to obtain uniform discharge characteristics.

The printing object M2 is placed on the fixing portion 292 formed on the plate 290 or the lens holder (not shown), and the inkjet head 220 and the printing object M2 are separated by a predetermined distance G In the inkjet is performed.

Since the contact lens manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention uses the inkjet systems 100 and 200 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a precise amount of ink can be accurately ejected in a non-contact manner.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a contact lens using the inkjet systems 100 and 200 described above will be described with reference to the drawings.

A method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet according to an embodiment of the present invention includes providing a pre-formed contact lens; And printing a color or image on the surface of at least one of the front or rear surface of the contact lens. In the step of printing a color or image on the surface of at least one of the front or rear surface of the contact lens, a non-contact inkjet The color or image can be printed by printing. That is, the color or image may be printed on the contact lens in a non-contact state in which the contact lens and the inkjet head 120 are separated using the inkjet system 100 described above.

Although FIG. 3 shows that a contact lens is manufactured using the inkjet system 100 as shown in FIG. 1, the contact lens can also be manufactured using the inkjet system 200 shown in FIG. 2. In addition, contact lenses can also be manufactured using the inkjet systems 300, 400, and 500 described later. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, a description will be given of manufacturing a contact lens using the inkjet system 100 shown in FIG. 1.

First, in the step of providing the pre-formed contact lens, the dry lens is placed on the plate 190 as the contact lens DL. That is, the contact lens may include a dry lens. Hereinafter, the contact lens DL is a concept including a dry lens.

The inkjet manufacturing method according to the present invention can manufacture a contact lens by printing directly on the surface of the curved contact lens DL placed on the plate 190 using the inkjet system 100.

Here, in order to accurately print on the surface of a contact lens having a curved surface, it is preferable to first perform accurate alignment with respect to the printing position due to the mechanical (mechanical) characteristics of the inkjet system 100.

Accordingly, in the step of printing a color or image on at least one surface of the front or rear surface of the contact lens DL, the position of the color or image on the surface of the contact lens DL to be printed and the inkjet system 100 The inkjet head 120 or the nozzle may be aligned.

As shown in (a) and (b) of Figure 3, the step of printing a color or image on the surface of at least one of the front or rear of the contact lens (DL), it should be printed on the contact lens (DL) Providing a reference surface 170 on which the color or image is printed, or precisely aligning the position of the contact lens DL with the position to be printed; Placing a contact lens (DL) on the reference surface (170); And printing a color or image on the surface of at least one of the front or rear surface of the contact lens DL at a position coinciding with the color or image of the reference surface 170 projected on the contact lens DL. have.

Here, in the step of precisely aligning the position of the contact lens DL with the position to be printed, the shape of the reference surface 170 can accurately position the contact lens DL, and accordingly, the position of the printing and the contact lens DL You can arrange the position of

In the step of providing the reference surface 170 on which the color or image to be printed is printed on the contact lens DL, the contact lens DL is directly placed on the plate 190 and the contact lens is used using the inkjet system 100. Rather than printing the color or image P on (DS), the reference surface 170 is first placed on the plate 190, as shown in FIG. 3(a).

Here, when the reference color or image SP is printed on the surface, the reference surface 170 is preferably formed of white paper or the like to clearly distinguish and recognize the color or image SP.

In the step of providing the reference surface 170 on which the color or image to be printed on the contact lens DL is printed, the reference color or image SP is applied to the surface of the reference surface 170 using the inkjet system 100. First, print by inkjet method. Here, the reference color or image SP is the same form as the color or image P to be printed on the contact lens DL. However, since the color or image P printed on the contact lens DL is printed on the curved surface and the reference color or image SP printed on the reference surface 170 is printed on a plane, the reference color or image SP is colored. Or it does not perfectly match the image (P).

After the reference color or image SP is printed on the reference surface 170, the contact lens DL is positioned on the reference surface 170. Since the contact lens DL is transparent, the reference color or image SP of the reference surface 170 can be confirmed by passing through the contact lens DL.

With the contact lens DL placed on the reference surface 170, the inkjet system 100 moves the at least one nozzle formed on the inkjet head 120 or the inkjet head 120 to reference the inkjet head 120 or the nozzle. Color or image (SP) will be aligned.

As shown in (b) of FIG. 3, the inkjet system 100 is positioned on the front surface of the contact lens DL at a position coinciding with the color SP or the image SP of the reference surface 170 projected on the contact lens DL. Alternatively, a step of printing a color or image P on at least one of the back surfaces may be performed. In this state, the reference color or image SP of the reference surface 170 and the color or image P of the contact lens DL should be formed at the same position or overlapped when viewed from above.

As described above, in the method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet according to an embodiment of the present invention, a reference color or image (SP) having the same shape as the color or image P printed on the contact lens 170 on a reference surface 170 such as white paper ) First and aligning the inkjet system 100 and the contact lens DL using the same, thereby increasing printing accuracy.

However, the shape of the polymerized dry lens is designed to improve the fit and quality. When the designed part of the lens is settled on a flat plate, the edge part of the lens is damaged, which may cause defects or affect quality. Therefore, in the case of actually manufacturing a contact lens, instead of using a flat printing plate as described above, the contact lens is similar to the shape of a contact lens but not a flat shape so that the contact lens can be easily positioned at a corresponding printing position. It is desirable to have a structure in which the lens holder is installed so that it can be positioned well, and a method of precisely aligning the position of the lens holder with the printing position can be used.

On the other hand, the method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet according to an embodiment of the present invention directly prints a color or image (P) using the inkjet system 100 on a contact lens (DL) having a convex curved surface. 116) may flow from the surface of the contact lens DL. In order to prevent the printed ink from flowing on the surface of the curved contact lens (DL), when designing the printed ink, it must be prevented from flowing through at the right drying speed or rapid curing. For this, when using a solvent type ink, the ink printed on the surface of the contact lens DL by heating the plate 190 or the lens holder needs to quickly form a dry film. Therefore, the inkjet system 100 according to the present invention may further include a heater (not shown) provided on the inside or one side of the plate 190 or the lens holder.

Here, it is necessary to heat at a temperature that considers evaporation of the solvent and minimizes deformation of the contact lens DL, and it is preferable to heat the ink in a temperature range of 30°C or more and 80°C or less.

In addition, when using a photocuring ink that is cured by light (light), such as ultraviolet (UV) or infrared (IR), immediately after printing (immediately), a dry coating is formed through a light source source (501, see FIG. 9). By minimizing evaporation, it is possible to prevent the ink from flowing down. The description of FIG. 9 will be described later.

Therefore, in the step of printing a color or image on at least one of the front or rear surfaces of the contact lens DL, the drying speed of the ink is controlled or the ink surface is opened while being printed on the surface of the contact lens DL. Or it can be cured by exposure to a light source.

It is also possible to use low-viscosity (20 cPs or less) ink to prevent dripping. However, even when a low-viscosity ink is used, the nozzle of the inkjet head 120 may be blocked due to evaporation of ink at the nozzle surface, so that jetting may not be performed. Therefore, in the case of a solvent type ink, it is preferable to use an ink having a high boiling point in order to prevent the nozzle from clogging due to ink evaporation.

Therefore, in the step of printing a color or image on at least one surface of the front or rear surface of the contact lens DL, the viscosity of the ink may be lowered to 20 cPs or less, or the viscosity of the ink may be lowered through heating of the inkjet head.

As mentioned above, since the surface of the contact lens DL on which the color or image P is printed is a curved surface, the distance from the center to the edge of the lens increases with the inkjet head 120. As such, when the distance from the inkjet head 120 increases, the jetting precision may deteriorate. Therefore, in order to improve the jetting precision, it is necessary to increase the jetting speed of the ink to at least 5 m/s or more, and to improve the printing precision through jetting control. Improvement of jetting precision through jetting speed control or the like may be performed by a control unit (not shown) described below.

On the other hand, the method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet according to an embodiment of the present invention, by using the inkjet system 100 to print a color or image (P) on the contact lens (DL) overlapping to improve the color density can do.

FIG. 4(a) is a photograph showing a contact lens printed with a color or image using magenta ink (Magenta ink). The right side of FIG. 4(a) is a photograph of a contact lens that has been superimposed 5 times, and the right side of FIG. 4(a) is a photograph of a contact lens that has been superimposed 10 times. It can be seen that the magenta color is clearer in the case of 10 times of overlapping printing than in the case of 5 times of printing. If ink having a slow drying characteristic is used, printed ink may flow from the contact lens, and heating of the plate 190 may be necessary to prevent the printed ink from flowing down. This allows quick drying of the ink on the contact lens. Although there is a problem of ink flowing out of the plate, ink with slow drying has a small nozzle clogging effect and thus has an advantage in terms of jetting.

FIG. 4(b) is a photograph showing a contact lens printed with a color or image using cyan ink. The right side of FIG. 4(b) is a photograph of a contact lens that has been superimposed 5 times, and the right side of FIG. 4(b) is a photograph of a contact lens that has been superimposed 10 times. As in the case of magenta ink, it can be seen that the magenta color is sharper than the case in which 10 overlapping printing is performed 5 times. Since the used cyan ink was a relatively fast evaporation ink, it is less likely to flow out of the contact lens, and heating of the plate 190 or the lens holder is not required. On the other hand, the cyan ink has a fast drying speed, so the nozzle may be clogged.

As shown in Fig. 4, the color density of the image printed on the contact lens can be improved through superimposed printing. The inkjet system 100 according to the present invention and a method of manufacturing a contact lens using the same need to control the drying speed of the ink by developing an optimal ink.

Since the above-mentioned magenta ink and cyan ink are solvent type inks, it is preferable that the inkjet system 100 according to the present invention includes a heater (not shown) provided inside or on one side of the plate 190 for controlling the drying speed. .

In addition, in the case of using a photo-curing ink, the flow of the printed ink can be prevented from flowing through curing using a light source source instead of a drying mechanism using a heater.

On the other hand, the contact lens manufacturing method using the inkjet 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can express a variety of shapes and colors by digital printing because it uses inkjet. Through CMYK (Cyan Magenta Yellow and Black) colors, it is possible to realize the desired color and image in a raster format, thereby realizing requirements such as density through image formation and software alone. However, the image printed or formed on the contact lens worn on the eyeball is covered with the iris color of the human eye on the background, so when the color of the iris is masked as much as possible and the desired color effect is achieved, the contact lens may be more productive. have.

In other words, there are two types of color expressions: the color we see by emitting light and the color we can see due to reflection of light. At this time, since the image printed or formed on the contact lens worn on the eyeball is a color that is reflected by light, it may be difficult to see without mixing the background color. Therefore, in order to be able to see the color of the image on a black background, a color that can cover the background color is required. In the case of the present invention, it can be implemented by using an ink containing a substance serving as a background color. Materials used as a background color for this purpose may include talc, lithopone, silica, titanium dioxide (TiO ₂ ), kaolin clay, and the like.

5 is a photograph showing a result to be printed according to a method of manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5(a) is a photograph of a lens that is implemented using an inkjet system but does not color a substance serving as a background color, and FIG. 5(b) is a photograph of a lens that is currently commercially available. According to FIG. 5, when a color implemented on a black background is placed, it can be seen that a desired color is not implemented.

On the other hand, Figure 6 is a photograph showing the results to be printed according to the method of manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 (a) according to the present invention using an ink mixed with a substance that is a background color This is a photograph of a contact lens manufactured with an inkjet system, and FIG. 6(b) is a photograph of a lens currently commercially available. According to FIG. 6, it can be seen that a mixed ink containing a substance serving as a background color can express a color without inferiority compared to a commercial product.

As described above, in the step of printing a color or image on at least one surface of the front or rear surface of the contact lens, ink or ink may be printed on the color or image using ink containing a substance serving as a background color.

However, ink mixed with a substance that becomes a background color including talc, lysopone, silica, titanium dioxide (TiO ₂ ), kaolin clay, etc. has a dispersion stability that is different from that of colored pigments, and thus it is difficult to secure storage stability. It is possible. Therefore, in the method of manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention, a method of printing a substance that is a background color with mixed ink at once or separately printing a substance that is a background color without mixing with other colored pigments can be applied. have.

First, in the step of printing a color or an image on at least one surface of the front or rear surface of the contact lens, an ink containing a substance serving as a background color may be printed first, and then an ink representing the color may be printed.

As described above, in the case of separating the ink containing the substance serving as the background color and the ink representing the color and printing separately, a separate process exists and different ink must be used, so a separate head is required for each color and each printing process is performed. Correct alignment can be important. If the alignment (alignment) is not correct, the correct color may not be expressed in the contact lens.

On the other hand, it is preferable to first print the ink containing the substance serving as the background color, and then print the ink showing the color. At this time, it is necessary to make the position where the ink containing the substance serving as the background color is printed coincide with the position where the ink representing the color is printed.

In another method, in the step of printing a color or image on at least one surface of the front or rear surface of the contact lens, it is possible to print using a mixture of ink containing a substance serving as a background color and ink representing a color. have. In the case of using an ink containing a material that is a background color and a color ink, the alignment of the ink that contains a material that is a background color and the ink that is a color does not require an ink that contains a material that is a background color. The advantage is that no additional process is required, which requires additional printing.

When printing an ink containing a substance that is a background color separately or when printing an ink that is a mixture of ink that contains a substance that is a background color, colors can be expressed by jetting two or more separate inks to print various colors. have. For example, it is also possible to express a desired color by combining colors such as CMY (cyan magenta, yellow) to include all colors.

Since the method of manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention prints a color or an image on the surface of the contact lens using an inkjet system, a plurality of colors or images to be formed on the contact lens are printed on the contact lens. It is possible to print multiple colors at once through an inkjet head.

In order to print a plurality of colors, an inkjet system 300 as shown in FIG. 7 may be used. The inkjet system 300 illustrated in FIG. 7 may include two inkjet heads 320. By supplying inks of different colors to each of the two inkjet heads 320, a plurality of colors or images P1 and P2 may be printed on the printing object M2 at once. In FIG. 7, reference numeral “324” is a head holder, “322” is a fixing screw, “330” is an ink supply pipe, “380” is a flat plate, “382” is a fixing portion, and “390” is a plate.

Although the printing object M2 is respectively disposed under the two inkjet heads 320 in FIG. 7, the same printing object M2 may be placed under the two inkjet heads 320. For example, in FIG. 7, after the printing object M2 is printed under the left inkjet head 320, the first color image P1 is printed, and then, under the right inkjet head 320, the second color image is moved. (P2) can be printed. As described above, when the inkjet system 300 having at least two inkjet heads 320 is used, various colors may be printed on one printing object M2. The printing object M2 in FIG. 7 may be a contact lens or a dry lens.

On the other hand, since the contact lens manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention directly prints a color or image P on the surface of the contact lens DL using the inkjet system 100, the surface of the contact lens DL In color or image (P) should not melt or fall easily. If the color or image (P) falls or melts while worn on the eye, it may cause discomfort to the wearer or damage the eye.

To prevent this problem, a method for manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention may include forming a coating layer protecting a printed color or image on the surface of the contact lens. 8 schematically shows an inkjet system 400 according to the present invention capable of forming a coating layer on the surface of a contact lens.

Referring to FIG. 8, the inkjet system 400 may form a coating layer on the surface of a contact lens by an electric spray method. To this end, the inkjet system 400 is connected to the raw material supply unit 410 for storing and supplying ink or coating liquid, the raw material supply unit 410, and supports the holder 422, the holder 422, to which the nozzle 420 is mounted. The support unit 421 may include a voltage applying unit 430 for applying a DC voltage to the nozzle 420, and a contact lens DL placed on the plate 470.

The ink for printing a color or image may be stored in the raw material supply unit 410 or a coating solution for forming a coating layer protecting the color or image may be stored. In order to print the color, it is necessary to solve this problem through coating to increase stability since the thickness of a few micrometers or more can cause a foreign body feeling when wearing a contact lens and the color or image may be washed away by tears. .

Spray coating can be considered as one of the methods of such coating. Air spraying is also possible, but for a more uniform pattern it is desirable to use an electro-spray.

Since the DC voltage is applied to the nozzle 420, the inkjet system 400 illustrated in FIG. 8 may spray (spray, S) the coating liquid from the nozzle 420 using an electric field. The thickness of the coating layer may be controlled by adjusting the distance D between the nozzle 420 and the contact lens DL. Since spray coating uses fine droplets, evaporation is fast, so it can be coated well on a circular surface without flowing down. After coating, a protective layer that is not washed off by tears or the like can be made through thermal curing or photo-curing.

It is also possible to print the coating liquid using inkjet instead of spray and cure it using light such as infrared rays or ultraviolet rays. The coating using inkjet can also coat the entire contact lens, but has the advantage of not affecting the curvature or the like of the contact lens by coating only a portion of the contact lens.

As described above, in the method of manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention, in the step of forming the coating layer, a fine spray is formed using an electric field to form a coating layer, or inkjet can be used to print the coating solution at a required position. . Here, after ink-jetting using a photo-curing ink, a protective layer (coating layer) may be formed by applying a coating solution around the entire surface or the printed surface. Spray coating is applied to the entire surface of the contact lens, but inkjet has the advantage of being coated only in a part of the corresponding area.

In the case of using a photo-curing ink, in the step of printing a color or image on at least one surface of the front or rear surface of the contact lens, ink or ink-printing the color or image using the photo-curing ink, and irradiating the light The method may further include curing the photo-curing ink.

In the method of manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention, spreading of the image P may be minimized and transfer characteristics may be improved by using the inkjet system 500 as illustrated in FIG. 9.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, the inkjet system 500 may further include a light source source 501 such as an ultraviolet lamp provided on one side of the ink cartridge 110. Here, it is preferable that the light source source 501 is installed in the vicinity of the inkjet head so as to be movable with the inkjet head so that the ink hardens immediately after printing.

First, as shown in (a) of FIG. 9, the printing object M2 provided on the plate 190, that is, the color or image P is jetted onto the contact lens, wherein the ink cartridge 110 has photo-curing ink. It contains.

Next, as shown in (b) and (c) of FIG. 9, light (light) is irradiated to the printing object M2 by moving the light source source 501 over the printing object M2. At this time, it is necessary to determine the amount, intensity, time, etc. of the irradiated light so as to minimize spreading.

The intensity or amount of light can also be determined by the distance between the light source source 501 and the printing object M2. When irradiating ultraviolet light, the irradiation distance is preferably about 3 to 4 centimeters.

By using the inkjet system 500 as shown in FIG. 9, when using a photo-curing ink, it is possible to minimize spreading and reduce bunching of the ink by irradiating a suitable light.

The inkjet system 500 illustrated in FIG. 9 can simultaneously perform light curing and printing for the printing object M2 and prevent agglomeration of colors or images P printed on the printing object M2 such as a contact lens. can do.

Meanwhile, FIG. 10 schematically shows a configuration of an inkjet system for manufacturing a contact lens according to an embodiment of the present invention. The inkjet system shown in FIG. 10 has two inkjet heads (see Nozzle 1 and 2 in FIG. 10). Accordingly, two head drivers for controlling ink jetting at the inkjet head or nozzle are also provided and are respectively connected to the inkjet head. The head driver sends a jetting signal to each inkjet head.

The inkjet system shown in FIG. 10 may include a drop watcher for observing ink drops jetted from a nozzle of the inkjet head. The drop watcher may include an LED and a camera. The LED is turned on/off by receiving the LED signal from the LED driver, and the LED driver is connected to the DAQ so that the LED is turned on/off in conjunction with the jetting in the inkjet head, and the DAQ is the control unit (U-Data ) Can receive a Jetting Trigger signal.

Also, the control unit transmits jetting signal data to the head driver. The control unit and the camera may be connected to a host computer (PC). The image of the ink drop photographed by the camera is transferred to the host computer, and the host computer is transferred to the control unit to control the operation state of the inkjet head and the operation state of the LED.

In addition, the control unit may also transmit or input bitmap information for a color or image to be printed on a printing object, information about characteristics of the ink used, information about driving of a light source, and the like.

As described above, in one embodiment of the present invention, it has been described by specific matters such as specific components and the like, and limited embodiments and drawings, which are provided only to help the overall understanding of the present invention, and the present invention It is not limited, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications and variations from these descriptions. Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and should not be determined, and all claims that are equivalent to or equivalent to the claims, as well as the claims described below, will fall within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

100,200,300,400, 500: inkjet system
110: ink cartridge 116,216: ink
120, 220, 320: inkjet head 130: pneumatic tube
170: Reference plane 190,290,390,470: Plate
210: ink container 420: nozzle
501: light source

Claims (12)

Providing a pre-formed contact lens; And
And printing a color or image on at least one surface of the front or rear surface of the contact lens.
In the step of printing a color or image on the surface of at least one of the front or rear surface of the contact lens, the contact lens manufacturing method using inkjet, characterized in that the color or image is printed by non-contact inkjet printing.
According to claim 1,
In the step of printing a color or image on at least one of the front or rear surfaces of the contact lens, the color or image is aligned with the position on the surface of the contact lens on which the inkjet head or nozzle of the inkjet system is aligned. Method for manufacturing contact lenses using inkjet.
According to claim 2,
The step of printing a color or image on at least one surface of the front or rear of the contact lens,
Providing a reference surface on which a color or image to be printed on the contact lens is printed, or precisely aligning the position of the contact lens with the position to be printed;
Placing a contact lens on the reference surface; And
And printing a color or image on at least one surface of the front or rear surface of the contact lens at a position coinciding with the color or image of the reference plane projected on the contact lens. .
According to claim 2,
In the step of printing the color or image on the surface of at least one of the front or back of the contact lens, a method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet, characterized in that using a solvent type ink or photo-curing ink.
According to claim 2,
In the step of printing a color or image on at least one surface of the front or rear surface of the contact lens, it is characterized in that it cures by controlling the drying speed of the ink or applying heat or irradiating light while being printed on the surface of the contact lens. Contact lens manufacturing method using inkjet.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
In the step of printing a color or image on at least one surface of the front or rear surface of the contact lens, the ink containing the substance serving as the background color is first printed, and then the ink representing the color is printed, or after the ink representing the color is printed. Finally, a method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet, characterized in that the ink containing a substance serving as a background color is printed.
The method of claim 6,
The material that becomes the background color is a method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet, characterized in that it comprises talc, lysophone, silica, titanium dioxide or kaolin clay.
The method of claim 6,
A method of manufacturing a contact lens using inkjet, wherein the position where the ink containing the substance serving as the background color is printed matches the position where the ink representing the color is printed.
The method of claim 7,
In the step of printing a color or image on the surface of at least one of the front or rear surface of the contact lens, the inkjet is characterized in that the ink containing the substance that is the background color and the ink in which the color is mixed are used to print. Method of manufacturing a used contact lens.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
And forming a coating layer to protect the printed color or image on the surface of the contact lens.
The method of claim 10,
In the step of forming the coating layer, a contact lens manufacturing method using inkjet, characterized in that to form a coating layer by making a fine spray using an electric field.
The method of claim 10,
In the step of forming the coating layer, a contact lens manufacturing method using inkjet, characterized in that the coating layer is printed using inkjet on a portion of the surface of the contact lens on which color or image is printed, which requires protection.

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