Back to results
US 12,186,917 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for calibrating ophthalmic lens grippers
AssigneeAlcon Inc.
InventorsFelix Brinckmann, Nils Schweizer, Jens Wolfstaedter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeAlcon Inc.
InventorsFelix Brinckmann, Nils Schweizer, Jens Wolfstaedter
Estimating the term…
A method for calibrating lens grippers prior to use of the grippers in a lens manufacturing line includes providing a remote gripper calibration tool having an assembly plate and a Z-directional position sensor; providing a master gripper having a length dimension terminating in a tip, the length dimension being predetermined to match a desired final extension length of a lens gripper; mounting the master gripper to the assembly plate; measuring the Z-directional position of the tip of the master gripper with the Z-directional position sensor; unmounting the master gripper from the assembly plate; mounting a lens gripper to be calibrated to the assembly plate, the lens gripper having a tip, and calibrating the lens gripper by adjusting the final extension length of the tip of the lens gripper to a predetermined position relative to the measured Z-directional position of the tip of the master gripper.
A method for calibrating lens grippers (40) for contact lenses, prior to use of the lens grippers (40) in a lens manufacturing line, the method comprising the steps of:
An apparatus for calibrating lens grippers (40) for contact lenses, prior to use of the lens grippers (40) in a lens manufacturing line, the apparatus comprising a remote gripper calibration tool (1) comprising an assembly plate (10) and a Z-directional position sensor (12) configured to measure a predetermined range of Z-directional positions, and further comprising a master gripper (30) configured to be mounted to the assembly plate (10), the master gripper (30) having a length dimension terminating in a tip (32), the length dimension being predetermined to match a desired final extension length of a lens gripper (40) to be calibrated, wherein the Z-directional position sensor (12) is arranged relative to the assembly plate (10) at a location at which the tip (32) of the master gripper (30) mounted to the assembly plate (10) is arranged at a Z-directional tip position within the predetermined range of Z-directional positions of the Z-directional position sensor, the Z-directional tip position being spaced by at least 300 microns from an upper end as well as from a lower end of the predetermined range of Z-directional positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.