Apparatus for applying coatings to lenses and curing the coatings

An apparatus for curing a coating on a lens, comprising:

• a curing chamber;
• means for projecting ultraviolet radiation, said ultraviolet radiation means including a reflector for reflecting the ultraviolet radiation along an axis;
• a lens carrier for positioning the lens within said curing chamber, said lens carrier including a holder for supporting the lens, said holder having a center;
• means for spinning said holder and the lens held thereon about said holder center;
• said curing chamber having a wall disposed intermediate said ultraviolet radiation means and said lens carrier, said wall defining an aperture coincident with said axis of reflection, said wall and said aperture being disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to said axis of reflection;
• said aperture permitting projection of the ultraviolet radiation therethrough and defining a zone of maximum ultraviolet radiation intensity extending outward from said reflector and said aperture along said axis of reflection;
• and
• said holder being positioned so that a predetermined portion of the lens supported thereby is within said zone of maximum intensity and said center of said holder is offset from and outside of said zone of maximum intensity.

An apparatus for coating a plurality of lenses and curing the coatings on the lenses, comprising:

• a housing having first walls defining a coating chamber with an opening in one of said first walls, and said housing having second walls defining a curing chamber with an opening in one of said second walls;
• a plurality of lens carriers, each said lens carrier including a hollow spindle having an end and a central longitudinal axis, and a vacuum cup mounted on said spindle end, each said vacuum cup having a central opening communicating with the interior of said hollow spindle;
• means for applying negative pressure through each of said hollow spindles and said cup openings for gripping and holding a lens;
• means for spinning each of said spindles about its said axis;
• said coating chamber opening and said curing chamber opening being disposed in offset relation with respect to each other;
• a lens tray for receiving a plurality of lenses thereon, said lens tray being slidably mounted for movement between a lens receiving position outside said housing and a lens gripping position inside said housing at which the lenses received on said tray are gripped by said lens carriers;
• a plurality of coating nozzles disposed in said coating chamber for applying coatings to the lenses;
• an ultraviolet radiation lamp and a reflector for projecting ultraviolet radiation along an axis of reflection;
• said curing chamber defining an aperture aligned with said reflector and said axis of reflection;
• a shutter cooperating with said aperture and being selectively moveable between an open position for permitting projection of ultraviolet radiation through said aperture to cure the coatings on the lenses, and a closed position for closing said aperture to block the ultraviolet radiation from passing into said curing chamber;
• and
• a carriage supporting said lens carriers, said carriage being pivotally mounted within said housing for pivotal movement between a coating position in which said lens carriers are aligned with said coating chamber opening and a curing position in which said lens carriers are aligned with said curing chamber opening, and said carriage having reciprocating means for extending said lens carriers and the lenses held thereon into said coating chamber at said coating position at which said lenses are coated, and for extending said lens carriers and the lenses held thereon into said curing chamber at said curing position at which said lenses are cured by the ultraviolet radiation.

An apparatus for coating a lens and curing the coating on the lens, comprising:

• a lens carrier for gripping and holding the lens;
• a housing having first walls defining a coating chamber with an opening in one of said first walls, and said housing having second walls defining a curing chamber with an opening in one of said second walls;
• means for applying a coating to the lens within said coating chamber;
• means for projecting ultraviolet radiation within said curing chamber for curing the coating on the lens;
• means for selectively blocking the ultraviolet radiation from passing into said coating chamber;
• and
• a carriage for supporting said lens carrier and the lens held thereby and moving said lens carrier and the lens along a predetermined path of motion within said housing, said path of motion moving said lens carrier and the lens from a first position within said coating chamber at which the lens is supported in an inverted disposition during coating of the lens by said means for coating, to a second position in said curing chamber at which the lens is in a vertically oriented disposition during curing of the coating on the lens by the ultraviolet radiation.