Patent · US Active

Fixtures for the cleaning of lenses

US8293026B1 · kind B1 · utility

22Cited by
3References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 27, 2010
Grant dateOct 23, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 4, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02C13/008
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An apparatus and method of supporting a large number of optical lenses having opposed lens surfaces and an outer peripheral area including a rotatable holder for supporting and retaining the lenses and a drive device coupled to the holder for rotatably driving the holder to centrifugally force a liquid from the surface of the lenses. The method includes positioning the lenses within the holder and retaining the rod lenses in a manner allowing all of the surfaces to be cleaned and dried without contacting the opposed lens surfaces to the holder, applying a liquid to the exposed surface of the lenses, and spinning the lenses at a high rate of speed to clean and dry them. To increase the effectiveness of the apparatus, the drive device can include ultrasonic transducers for ultrasonically cleaning the rod lenses while they are held within the holder.

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