Back to results
US 8,894,471 B2Granted
Optical quality surfacing tool
AssigneeEssilor International (Compagnie Generale d'Optique)
InventorsAlain Batard, Jean-Etienne Lepage
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical-grade surfacing tool (101) is provided with a resilient return element (115) including a plurality of resiliently flexible strips (118) that transversely project from a rigid central mounting (104), each strip (118) having a distal portion (144) that engages by bearing directly upon a petal (134) of a flexible flange (131) that surrounds the rigid mounting (104). The distal portion is curved along a round loop such that the end (145) of each the strip (118) is rotated toward the rigid mounting (104).
Claims19
An optical quality surfacing tool comprising:
- a base including a flexible collar subdivided into petals, and a rigid support surrounded by the collar, the rigid support having a transverse end surface;
- an elastically compressible interface connected to the base, the interface including a central part located in line with the end surface of the rigid support and a peripheral part located transversely beyond the end surface of the rigid support, the elastically compressible interface being applied against and covering an end surface of the collar situated on the same side as the end surface of the rigid support;
- a flexible buffer configured to be applied against a surface to work, the flexible buffer being connected to the interface on the opposite side to the rigid support, the flexible buffer including a central part located in line with the end surface of the rigid support, and a peripheral part located transversely beyond the end surface of the rigid support;
- and
- elastic return means disposed between the rigid support and the peripheral part of the interface, the combination of the peripheral part of the buffer, the peripheral part of the interface and the elastic return means forming a means for stabilizing the tool during the surfacing, the tool being configured to perform surfacing substantially at the central part of the buffer, the elastic return means including a plurality of elastically flexible strips which project transversely from the rigid support, each strip having a distal portion in direct bearing cooperation with one of the petals, the distal portion being curved in a rounded curl such that an end of each strip is turned towards the rigid support.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.