Patent · US Expired

Post-hydration method and apparatus for transporting, inspecting and packaging contact lenses

US5649410A · kind A · utility

51Cited by
21References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 1, 1995
Grant dateJul 22, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 1, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S134/901
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

The present invention, which relates to post hydration processing of contact lenses and the packages into which the lenses are placed, includes several assemblies which are ideally suited to performing the various steps which are associated with post hydration processing. These several assemblies include: a deionizing water injection assembly which fills the packaging elements prior to the lenses being inserted therein; a lens transfer and insertion assembly which removes contact lenses from hydration pallets, alters their spatial distribution, and deposits them into the packaging elements; a buffering station, which includes segregator and integrator devices, and which provides a location for temporarily holding a group of lens-packaging pallets during interruption of subsequent assemblies; a low vibration lens-package transport and inspection assembly which removes the pallets from a conveyor line, inserts them onto low vibration inspection assembly conveyor line, and inspects the lenses to determine which are optically correct; a deionized water extraction assembly which removes the deionized water from the lens-packaging elements; a first rotating lens-package transfer assembly…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.