System and method for conformal cooling during a lens manufacturing process
AssigneeEssilor International
InventorsParesh Kitchloo, Nathan Payne, Severine Tisne
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosed embodiments include a system and method for manufacturing a lens. In one embodiment, the system includes a lens mold. According to the embodiment, the lens mold contains a part cavity and a material flow path fluidly coupled to the part cavity and a lens material inlet. The system also includes a heat transfer insert. According to the embodiment, the heat transfer insert includes an insert surface positioned adjacent to a part surface of the cavity, a sealed fluid inlet, a sealed fluid outlet, and a conformal fluid conduit that extends from the sealed fluid inlet to the sealed fluid outlet.
Claims18
A method for manufacturing a lens, the method comprising:
- heating a lens material to a temperature above its glass transition temperature;
- delivering the heated lens material to a material flow path having a lens material inlet and a lens material outlet fluidly coupled to a cavity of a mold, the cavity defining a lens, the cavity including a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness;
- flowing the lens material through the material flow path into the cavity;
- dissipating heat from the lens material through a heat transfer insert that forms a part surface of the cavity, the heat transfer insert comprising
- at least one conformal fluid conduit comprising
- a first conformal fluid conduit overlying the first portion, and
- a second conformal fluid conduit overlying the second portion,
- a first heating element proximate to the first conformal fluid conduit, and
- a second heating element proximate to the second conformal fluid conduit;
- and
- retrieving a solidified lens from the cavity after solidification of the lens material.
A lens manufacturing system comprising:
- a mold having at least one part cavity and a material flow path, the material flow path being fluidly coupled to the at least one part cavity and a lens material inlet, the at least one part cavity comprising a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness;
- and
- at least one heat transfer insert having an insert surface that forms a part surface of the at least one part cavity, the at least one heat transfer insert comprising
- a sealed fluid inlet,
- a sealed fluid outlet,
- at least one conformal fluid conduit extending from the sealed fluid inlet to the sealed fluid outlet, the at least one conformal fluid conduit comprising
- a first conformal fluid conduit overlying the first portion, and
- a second conformal fluid conduit overlying the second portion,
- a first heating element proximate to the first conformal fluid conduit, and
- a second heating element proximate to the second conformal fluid conduit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.