Device for suspending lenses intended more particularly to optical lenses processing

Abstract

A glass holder device for treatment of optical glasses (4, 4′) or other substrates horizontally supports an elongated bar (1) with evenly spaced notches (10) on a frame and suspends glass holder grips (2) in parallel side-by-side vertical relation. The glass holder grip (2) comprises an axially elongated rod (20), that forms the body of the grip, and holding means (3, 31, 31′) connected to the grip body (20) for clutching the outer periphery (40, 40′) of the optical glass (4, 4′) and holding the glass generally parallel with the lower end portion of and adjacent to a stop (36) bent outwardly from the body (20) for supporting the glass. The upper end portion of the rod (20) includes hanging means (21, 22, 25) for removably connecting the grip to the bar (1) and locking means (11, 23, 12, 25) for preventing free rotation of the grip (2) around the bar (1).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages and characteristics of this invention will stand out more clearly from the description and the attached drawings, which represent a non-restrictive method of its implementation.

FIG. 1 is a perspective partial view of two glass holder devices positioned relative to a horizontally disposed cylindrical bar, in accordance with this invention, with one and the other of the holder devices, respectively, being shown removably connected to and in position for connection to the bar.

FIG. 2 is a side-view of the glass holder grip carrying an optical glass.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, according to this invention, a glass holder device 100 comprises an axially elongated cylindrical bar 1 for suspending glass holder grips 2. The bar 1 is disposed horizontally and adapted to be supported on a frame (not shown). A series of evenly spaced notches 10 are cut in the bar 1. The glass holder grips 2 are joined to the bar on the positions marked by the notches 10 and evenly spaced along the bar 1 in vertical side-by-side relation.

The glass holder grips 2 are configured to hold an optical glass 4, 4′ (see FIG. 2) or another substrate in a protective manner to obviate damage while subjected to various cleaning treatments or liquid application.

A glass holder grip 2 comprises an axially elongated metal center rod 20, forming the body of the grip and having upper and lower end portions, and a glass holder 3 for holding and positioning the optical glass relative to the center rod. The upper end portion of the rod 20 is bent to form a an inverted downwardly open hook 21 in U shape and the lower end portion of the rod is bent at right angles to the body to form a stop 36 that extends outwardly from the body. The hook 21 is configured to include a pair of laterally spaced branches 23 and 24 that define a slot or space 22, with the hook being adapted to receive and engage a notch 10 and connect the glass holder grip 2 to the bar by ratcheting the bent end or hook 21 downwardly and into engagement with the notch 10.

As seen in FIG. 1, the glass holder grip 2 (to the left) is connected to the bar 1 and the glass holder grip 2 (to the right) is positioned for downward movement, in the direction of the arrow, for engagement with a notch 10. Further, a notch at the right end of the bar is available for mounting another glass holder grip 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the glass holder 3 is configured to enable clutching and tightening about the outer peripheral edge 40, 40′ of the optical glass 4, 4′. The glass holder 3 pinches about the peripheral edge to hold the glass and orient the optical glass on the holder grip 2 in a manner to be substantially parallel to the rod axis 20.

According to this invention, the notch 10 includes a bottom 11, which is rectilinear, and the branch 23 of the U-shaped hook 21 includes a notch engaging portion 12 that is rectilinear.

The U-shaped hook 21 is adapted to receive the bar 1 in the space 22 formed between the branches 23, 24. The bar 1 is clutched between a part of the branches 23, 24 of which branch 23 is inserted in the notch 10 and the two rectilinear surfaces 12 and 11, respectively, formed on the branch 23 and the bottom 11 of the notch 10 engage one another to prevent the center rod 20 from turning freely around the bar 1 and from falling, especially during transportation of the support or during the evolution of the support in a sequence of treatments.

As can be seen from the drawings, the depth of space 22 intended to receive bar 1 between the branches 23, 24 is defined by a transverse stop 25 provided in the branch 23, the stop 25 being interiorly of the space 22 and extending towards the opposite branch 24.

Thus, glass holder grips 2 can be easily assembled to or dismounted from the bar 1 by the simple latching of the hook 21 in one of the notches 10, and then it is possible to maintain control over the optical glass 4, 4′ without touching it directly with the fingers when dismounting the glass holder grip 2 correspondingly from the frame.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the glass holder 3 for clutching and maintaining a tight grip about the outer periphery of the optical glass is generally V-shaped and formed by a very thin metal rod 30 that is folded in the middle to form two lever arms 31, 31′ and a medially shaped apex. The apex of the V-shaped glass holder 3 is folded in a manner to form a U-shaped recess or cavity sized to fit about and be retained by a rivet 41 secured to the body 20 of the glass holder grip 2, the rivet defining a common swivel axis 42 for the two lever arms 31, 31′ of the glass holder 3. The lever arms 31, 31′, respectively, terminate in a free end 32, 32′ that is provided with a contact piece 33, 33′ for engaging the optical glass 4, 4′. The arms 31, 31′ are flexibly recalled one towards the other which allows the gripping on the optical glass 4, 4′ between the two ends 32, 32′ which are free from the arms 31, 31′ by the mean of a contact piece 33, 33′, as can be seen in FIG. 2.

The contact piece 33, 33′ is a metal part in the shape of blade, having at the end and intended to be in contact with the optical glass 4, 4′ a curved cut 34, 34′ allowing holding optical glasses 4, 4′ of various thicknesses.

Curved cuts 34, 34′ correspondingly reveal each of the two points 35, 35′ making it possible to hold a very thick optical glass 4′ by arranging the peripheral edge 40 of the optical glass 4 between the points 35, 35′ which in effect, especially after varnish or other liquids application, not to be altered because of the reduced contact surface.

Very thin optical glasses 4′ are held by arranging their peripheral edge 40′ between the two points 35, 35′ corresponding to each cut 34, 34′.

The grips, thus obtained, allow avoiding significant liquid or varnish consumption after soaking in opposition to the current grips. In addition, according to this invention, the glass holder device allows an easy dismantling of the grips while keeping the fixed position of the grips once suspended on the bar of the frame even in case of reversal where the grips and the glasses remain in the position without falling.

Claims

1) A glass holder device for the treatment of optical glasses (4, 4′) or other substrates and of the kind which includes glass holder grips, an axially elongated bar (1) of cylindrical cross-section for supporting the glass holder grips, and a frame for supporting the bar horizontally, is characterized by said bar (1) including a series of evenly spaced positioning notches (10) for removably mounting a respective plurality of glass holder grips to the bar and next to one another,said glass holder grip (2) comprisingan axially elongated body (20) having opposite upper and lower end portions, said upper end portion including hanging means (21, 22, 25) for joining the holder grip in a removable way to a respective notch (10) in the bar (1) and locking means (11, 23, 12, 25) for preventing free rotation of the holder grip (2) relative to the bar (1), andholding means (3) for holding the glass (4, 4′) in substantially vertical relation and parallel to the axis of the body (20).

2) The glass holder device according to claim 1, characterized by the upper end portion of the body (20) being bent to form an inverted U-shaped hook (21) that is downwardly open for receiving the bar and, at least in part, adapted to be received in the positioning notch (10) cut in the bar (1).

3) The glass holder device according to claim 2, characterized by the positioning notch including, at least in part, a first rectilinear surface disposed vertically, and the hook (21) including two branches (23, 24) that define therebetween a space (22) sized to receive the bar (1), the bar being fitted between and clutched by the branches (23, 24) with one of said branches being inserted into the notch (10) and including a second rectilinear surface that engages the first rectilinear surface thereof to prevent the holder grip (2) from turning freely around the bar (1).

4) The glass holder device according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the optical glass has a peripheral outer edge (40, 40′),the lower end portion of said body (20) is formed to include a support stop (36), the stop projecting perpendicularly outwardly from the body (20) and the outer edge of the optical glass being adapted to be supported on the stop (36) and positioned relative to said holding means (3), andsaid holding means (3) comprises a V-shaped holder formed by two lever arms (31, 31′) that are joined to one another at a common apex, the apex forming a mountable end and the lever arms extending from the mountable end and terminating in deflectable free ends (32, 32′) that are adapted to expand to receive and contract to form a tight clutching gripping engagement with the outer edge of the optical glass (4, 4′), the mountable end being mounted to the upper end portion of the body for relative rotation about a swivel axis (42), the free ends (32, 32′) of the lever arms (31, 31′) and the stop (36) positioning the optical glass (4, 4′) relative to the body (20).

5) The glass holder device according to claim 4, characterized by the lever arms (31, 31′) being provided at their free end (32, 32′) with a contact piece (33, 33′) in the shape of a blade intended to be in contact with the peripheral outer edge (40, 40′) of the glass (4, 4′), the blade shaped to include a round and curved cut (34, 34′) defined by two points (35, 35′)

6) The glass holder device according to claim 4, characterized by a fastener mounted to the body (20), andthe V-shaped holder being bent into the V-shape from one-piece and the mountable end thereof being formed by respective end portions of the lever arms (41. 41′) being folded in a manner to form a U shaped chamber sized to connect to the fastener and pin the V-shaped holder to the body (20) for relative rotation thereto.

7) The glass holder device according to claim 5, characterized by a fastener mounted to the body (20), andthe V-shaped holder being bent into the V-shape from one-piece and the mountable end thereof being formed by respective end portions of the lever arms (41. 41′) being folded in a manner to form a U shaped chamber sized to connect to the fastener and pin the V-shaped holder to the body (20) for relative rotation thereto.