APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING CONTACT LENSES THROUGH DIPPING BATHS

• Main Authors: BIEL, ROGER, LORENZ, KATRIN SYLKE, WOODWARD, ADRIAN MICHAEL, FLECK, STEPHEN GEORGE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 27.11.2014
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PROCESSES FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCESIN A PLASTIC STATE; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

There is described an apparatus and method for transporting contact lenses through dipping baths (2, 3, 4) for e.g. rinsing, extraction, coating or loading purposes. The lenses are individually accommodated in respective containers (5) which are capable of enabling a flow of treatment fluid (S) into and out of the container (5). During their automatic transport through the dipping baths (2, 3, 4) the containers (5) are held in carriers (6). Lifters (9) are provided for automatically lowering and raising the carriers (6) in a reciprocating manner along their travel through the dipping bath (2, 3, 4). The reciprocating lowering and raising of the containers (5) is accomplished such, that a portion of each container which accommodates a contact lens remains immersed in the treatment fluid (S) which is contained in the dipping bath (2, 3, 4) while the container (5) suspended from the carrier (6) is advanced through the dipping bath (2, 3, 4) from a starting end to a leaving end thereof.