Apparatus for assembling a lens-forming device
AssigneeTechnology Resources International Corporation
InventorsKai C. Su, Jack C. White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for assembling a lens-forming structure, the structure having a front mold, a rear mold, and a gasket defining an axially extending bore, including a collet for supporting the gasket so that at least one of the front mold or the rear mold are insertable into the bore thereof, a robotic arm for inserting the front mold into the bore of the gasket, and a piston for inserting the rear mold into the bore of the gasket. The piston axially moves within the bore of the gasket a selected one of the front mold or the rear mold relative to the other mold to a desired one of a plurality of axial separation distances between the molds. Alternatively, the robotic arm can move the selected mold relative to the other mold.
Claims18
An apparatus for assembling a lens-forming structure, the structure having a front mold, a rear mold, and a gasket, wherein the gasket has a first end and a second end, a body portion joining the first end and the second end and having an outer surface, a bore extending axially through the body portion for receiving the front mold and the rear mold, the bore having a longitudinal axis, and at least one port formed intermediate the outer surface of the body portion and the bore, the port being separated from the ambient air by the outer surface of the body portion and being in fluid communication with the bore, comprising:
- a. means for supporting the gasket so that at least one of the front mold or the rear mold are insertable into the bore thereof;
- b. means for inserting the front mold into the bore of the gasket;
- c. means for inserting the rear mold into the bore of the gasket;
- and
- d. means for axially moving within the bore of the gasket a selected one of the front mold or the rear mold relative to the other mold to a desired one of a plurality of axial separation distances between the molds to provide a different molding cavity intermediate the front and rear molds for each separation distance, the molding cavity being in fluid communication with the port.
An apparatus for assembling a lens-forming structure, the structure having a front mold, a rear mold, and a gasket, wherein the gasket has a first end and a second end, a body portion joining the first end and the second end and having an outer surface, a bore extending axially through the body portion for receiving the front mold and the rear mold, the bore having a longitudinal axis, and at least one port formed intermediate the outer surface of the body portion and the bore, the port being separated from the ambient air by the outer surface of the body portion and being in fluid communication with the bore, comprising:
- a. means for supporting the gasket so that both molds are insertable into the bore thereof;
- b. means for inserting the front mold into the bore of the gasket;
- c. means for inserting the rear mold into the bore of the gasket;
- and
- d. means for rotating relative to the longitudinal axis of the gasket a selected one of the front mold, the rear mold, or the gasket so that the two molds, when inserted within the bore of the gasket, are at one of a plurality of selected rotational orientations relative to each other to provide a different molding cavity intermediate the front and rear molds for each separation distance, the molding cavity being in fluid communication with the port.
An apparatus for assembling a lens-forming structure, the structure having a front mold, a rear mold, and a gasket, wherein the gasket has a first end and a second end, a body portion joining the first end and the second end and having an outer surface, a bore extending axially through the body portion for receiving the front mold and the rear mold, the bore having a longitudinal axis, and at least one port formed intermediate the outer surface of the body portion and the bore, the port being separated from the ambient air by the outer surface of the body portion and being in fluid communication with the bore, comprising:
- a. a gasket support to support the lens-forming structure;
- b. a robotic arm adapted to detachably engage a portion of the front mold and insert the front mold into the bore of the gasket;
- and
- c. a movable piston adapted to detachably engage a portion of the rear mold and insert the rear mold into the bore of the gasket, wherein at least one of the robotic arm or the piston axially moves the respective engaged front mold or rear mold within the bore of the gasket relative to the other mold to a desired one of a plurality of axial separation positions, in which the separation distance between the molds in the bore of the gasket is different for each desired axial separation position to provide a different molding cavity intermediate the front and rear molds for each separation distance, the molding cavity being in fluid communication with the port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.