Method and apparatus for making optical devices

A method for the manufacture of a vision correcting optical device comprising the steps of:

• A. providing a mold which is comprised of
• (a) a cylindrical male mold portion having a base around a first end thereof, an exterior molding surface capable of forming a first optical surface on a second end thereof and a first principal longitudinal axis;
• (b) a female mold portion having a hollow shell, a support surrounding a top end of said shell, an interior molding surface at the bottom end of said shell and together with said shell defining a receptacle for receiving said male mold portion and a second principal longitudinal axis;
• B. providing a mold alignment device comprised of
• (a) a male mold support having a first planar surface with vacuum attaching means thereon, said vacuum attaching means having (i) a first cavity in said first planar surface, (ii) a cylindrical body in said first cavity and projecting therefrom, (iii) a flange surrounding said cylindrical body, and (iv) a passageway therethrough for connection to a vacuum pump;
• (b) a female mold support having a second planar surface parallel to said first parallel surface, said second planar surface having locating means thereon which have (i) a second cavity in said second planar surface, (ii) an outer sleeve in said second cavity, (iii) an inner sleeve in said outer sleeve with an end of said inner sleeve projecting above said second planar surface, and (iv) a shoulder portion on said end of said inner sleeve;
• C. inserting said male mold portion into said receptacle of said female mold portion to form a mold assembly with said interior and exterior molding surfaces in confronting relationship to form a molding cavity;
• D. placing said female mold portion of said assembly on said shoulder of said locating means of said female mold support;
• E. moving said first planar surface of said male mold support into contact with said male mold portion and securing said male mold portion thereto via said vacuum attaching means while maintaining said first and second planar surfaces in a parallel relationship to each other;
• F. urging said top and bottom planar surfaces toward one another a sufficient distance so as to position said first and second longitudinal axes at right angles to said planar surfaces and place said axes in coincident alignment with each other;
• G. opening said molding cavity by vertically removing said male mold portion from said female mold portion while said male mold portion remains attached to said first planar surface in said coincident alignment;
• H. charging a quantity of reactive material to said female portion;
• I. closing said molding cavity by inserting said male mold portion into said female mold portion with said male mold portion secured to said first planar surface in said coincident alignment;
• J. reacting said reactive material;
• and
• K. recovering said optical device from said mold.

A method of molding vision correcting devices placed on or in the eye, said method utilizing reactive components and a mold having male and female mold portions adapted to form a molding cavity each of said mold portions having a longitudinal axis, said method comprising the steps of

• A. vertically positioning said mold on a female mold support, said female mold portion being slidably positioned thereon,
• B. attaching said male mold portion to a vacuum attaching means of a male mold support and vertically urging said male and female mold portions toward one another a sufficient distance so as to insert said male mold portoin into said female mold portion, and position the longitudinal axes of said male and female mold portions into coincident alignment with each other,
• C. maintaining said coincident alignment while vertically separating said mold portions, said male portion remaining secured to said male support and said female portion remaining positioned to said female support,
• D. charging said reactive material to said female portion while said mold portions are separated and in coincident alignment,
• E. maintaining said coincident alignment while vertically inserting said male portion in said female portion to form a pool of unreacted reactive material having the configuration of the desired optical device, said male portion remaining secured to said male support and said female portion remaining positioned to said female support,
• F. reacting said reactive material.

An apparatus for molding optical devices comprising

• a top mold support which
• has a first planar surface, a vacuum attachment means on said first planar surface comprising (i) a first cavity in said first planar surface, (ii) a cylindrical body in said first cavity having a portion projecting therefrom, (iii) a flange around said projecting portion, and (iv) a passageway therethrough for connection to a vacuum pump;
• a bottom mold support which has a second planar surface parallel to said first planar surface, a locating means on said second planar surface comprising (i) a second cavity in said second planar surface, (ii) an outer sleeve in said second cavity, (iii) an inner sleeve in said outer sleeve having a portion that projects above said second planar surface, and (iv) a shoulder portion on said projecting portion,
• a frame having guide means thereon, said guide means passing through said top and bottom supports for permitting vertical movement of said top and bottom supports with respect to each other while maintaining said first and second planar surfaces parallel to each other.