Apparatus and method of filling a mold for manufacturing an ophthalmic lens
AssigneeTechnology Resource International Corporation
InventorKai C. Su
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for filling a mold for casting optical lens. Two molding shells and a closure member form a mold with a molding cavity. To fill the mold a fluid lens-forming material is introduced into the molding cavity through a casting opening formed in the closure member. Air is venting out during the filling process through a venting opening also formed in the closure member. Both the casting opening and the venting opening are located in the upper portion of the molding cavity but spaced apart from each other at an acute angle.
Claims35
A method for molding an optical lens, comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a mold having two molding shells disposed on edge and substantially vertically oriented, and an annular closure member having an outer surface disposed at the periphery of the molding shells cooperating with the two molding shells to define a molding cavity having a center, a vertical axis and a horizontal axis perpendicular thereto, both axes passing through the center to thereby divide the mold into an upper portion and a lower portion, a venting opening and a casting port disposed at the upper portion of the mold and spaced apart from each other at an acute angle, wherein the venting opening is in fluid communication with the ambient air and the molding cavity, and the casting port is separated from the ambient air by the outer surface of the closure member and in fluid communication with the molding cavity;
- b. introducing a fluid lens-forming material into the molding cavity through the casting port;
- c. curing the fluid lens-forming material so that the fluid lens-forming material is hardened to form the optical lens;
- and
- d. removing the optical lens from the molding cavity.
A method for molding an optical lens, comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a mold having two molding shells disposed on edge and substantially vertically oriented, and an annular closure member disposed at the periphery cooperating with the two molding shells to define a molding cavity which has a center, a vertical axis and a horizontal axis perpendicular to each other, both axes passing through the center to thereby divide the mold into an upper portion and a lower portion, a venting opening disposed at the upper portion of the mold and communicating with the molding cavity;
- b. injecting a fluid lens-forming material into the molding cavity through a port at a position at the upper portion of the mold but apart from the location of the venting opening at acute angle, wherein the port is separated from the ambient air by the outer surface of the closure member;
- c. curing the fluid lens-forming material so that the fluid lens-forming material is hardened to form the optical lens;
- and
- d. removing the optical lens from the molding cavity.
A method for molding an optical lens, comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a mold having two molding shells disposed on edge and substantially vertically oriented, and an annular closure member having an outer surface disposed at the periphery cooperating with the two molding shells defining a molding cavity with a center and having a vertical axis and a horizontal axis perpendicular to each other, both axes passing through the center thereby dividing the mold into an upper portion and a lower portion, a venting opening and a plurality of casting openings disposed at the upper portion of the mold and spaced apart from each other, the venting opening and each of the casting openings forming an acute angle between them, the venting opening and the plurality of casting openings communicating with the molding cavity, wherein at least one of the plurality of casting openings is a port being separated from the ambient air by the outer surface of the closure member;
- b. introducing a fluid lens-forming material into the molding cavity through a casting opening;
- c. curing the fluid lens-forming material so that the fluid lens-forming material is hardened to form the optical lens;
- and
- d. removing the optical lens from the molding cavity.
An apparatus for molding an optical lens, comprising:
- a. a front mold and a back mold;
- and
- b. a closure member having an outer surface and cooperating with the front mold and the back mold to form a molding cavity therebetween for molding the optical lens, wherein the closure member has at least one venting opening and at least one casting port spaced apart from each other at an acute angle at an upper portion of the molding cavity, the venting opening being in fluid communication with the molding cavity and the ambient air and the casting port being in fluid communication with the molding cavity and separated from the ambient air by the outer surface of the closure member.
An improvement in an apparatus for molding an optical lens of the type having a pair of opposed molding shells disposed on edge and substantially vertically oriented and which form a molding cavity therebetween with a closure member having an outer surface, the molding cavity having a center, a vertical axis and a horizontal axis perpendicular to each other, a casting port being separated from the ambient air and communicating with the cavity for the introduction therethrough into the cavity a fluid lens-forming material and a venting opening communicating into the cavity, the improvement comprising:
- the venting opening being disposed at the upper most point of the molding cavity, where the vertical axis intersects the closure member, the venting opening and the casting port forming an acute angle therebetween at an upper portion of the molding cavity.
An apparatus for molding an optical lens, comprising:
- a. a front mold and a back mold;
- and
- b. a closure member having an inner surface and an outer surface and cooperating with the front mold and the back mold to form a molding cavity therebetween for molding the optical lens, wherein the closure member has at least one venting opening and at least one casting port spaced apart from each other at an acute angle at an upper portion of the molding cavity, the venting opening and the casting port being connected by a recess channel located at the inner surface.
A sleeve for molding a lens in cooperation with a front mold and a back mold, comprising:
- a. a body portion having a first end and a second end, an inner surface and an opposed outer surface, a bore extending from the first end to the second end axially;
- b. a venting port formed through the body portion to interconnect the inner portion and the outer portion;
- c. a casting port formed on the body portion and positioned apart from the venting port;
- and
- d. a recess channel formed on the inner surface connecting the venting port and the casting port.
A sleeve for molding a lens in cooperation with a front mold and a back mold, comprising:
- a. a body portion having a first end and a second end, an inner surface and an opposed outer surface, a bore extending from the first end to the second end axially and sized to receive a front mold and a back mold to define a molding cavity;
- b. a venting port formed on the body portion;
- c. a casting port formed on the body portion and positioned apart from the venting port;
- and
- d. a recess channel formed on the inner surface connecting the venting port and the casting port,
- wherein the casting port is formed intermediate the outer surface of the body portion and the bore such that the casting port is separated from the ambient air by the outer surface of the body portion and is in fluid communication with the molding cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.