Patent Application
20080065255
The present invention is directed to a machine programmed to edge a lens blank. As known in the art, a lens blank may be ground to fit a particular eyeglass frame. As best shown in
Suitable edger devices are available from National Optronics of Charlottesville, Va., such as the 7E Patternless Edger machine. Edger device 10 may include a router tool for processing the lens blank, such as a combination grooving and drilling router tool as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,029,378, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, edger device 10 may include a grooving wheel, as known in the art, having a cutting edge for forming the groove, as well as a drill tool having a blade for drilling the hole(s).
A central processing unit, or “CPU”, (not shown) is provided, preferably as an internal component of edger device 10. However, the CPU may also be external to edger device 10. The CPU is operably associated with edger device 10 and controls operation thereof. The CPU includes a storage medium. A computer program is stored on the medium and in communication with the CPU. The computer program includes a set of processing instructions for controlling operation of edger device 10. The CPU transmits the processing instructions to edger device 10, thereby controlling the edging process according to specified processing steps.
A technician may select processing parameters based on trace data for a particular lens blank L to be processed. Trace data is input to the CPU to ensure proper formation of groove 14 and hole(s) 16, including the horizontal and vertical coordinates, lens base curve, frame wrap, and other data relating to the optical and geometrical parameters of the finished lens.
As shown in
Controls 22 may be provided as a touch screen including a plurality of touch keys and input fields displayed thereon. Alternatively, a conventional keypad or other input device may be provided. Alternatively, an external input device operably associated with edger 10 may be provided, such as a tablet or keypad. Edger device 10 may also include a display 24 for displaying input fields, trace data, and other information corresponding to the selected processing parameters. As shown in
In addition to processing parameters relating to groove 14 and hole(s) 16, other processing parameters may be selected by the technician, such as wet and/or dry polishing, bevel type, etc. For example, the touch screen may include an input field for “polish” with the technician prompted to an input field in which “yes” or “no” may be selected. With respect to processing parameters for groove 14, an input field may be provided wherein the technician specifies its position about peripheral edge 12 and its depth. Input fields for hole(s) may include width, location and number. Hole(s) 16 may be located and drilled based upon their location relative to peripheral edge 12 (for example, up 10 mm from the geometric center, and in 5 mm from a corresponding edge). Thus, input fields may prompt the technician to enter numerical data corresponding to hole location. A second hole 16 may also be located and drilled based upon its location relative to the first drilled hole (for example, 2 mm in and 2 mm down from the first drilled hole 16), with input fields corresponding thereto. As such, controls 22 may include various input fields in addition to processing parameters for groove 14 and hole(s) 16. Further, such input fields and the selected processing parameters may be displayed on display 24.
While trace data may be manually entered via controls 22, such data may also be downloaded to the CPU via an associated serial port, particularly if such data is electronically available from the frame manufacturer. Such data is sometimes accessible by the frame manufacturer's model number and size information, and may be easily downloaded to the CPU. Trace data may be stored on the associated storage medium and recalled by the CPU when needed. Accordingly, the technician may request particular stored or downloaded trace data via an associated input field with controls 22.
Processing steps of the processing instructions will be described with reference to
Then, processing parameters relating to groove 14 and hole(s) 16 may be selected by the technician and input into edger device 10 via controls 22 at S2. The position, depth, and width of groove 14 may be selected by the technician. For example, the front to back placement of groove 14 in peripheral edge 12 may be selected by the technician. Groove 14 may be centered on peripheral edge 12, closer to the front of lens blank L, or closer to the back of lens blank L, or any position therebetween. Additionally, the position of groove 14 on peripheral edge 12 may vary depending on its location around lens blank L. For example, groove 14 may be closer to the front of lens blank L at one point, and closer to the back of lens blank L at another point. In addition, the position, width, and number of holes 16 may be selected by the technician at S2. The desired parameters of groove 14 and hole(s) 16 may also be downloaded to the CPU, if such information is available.
The CPU then transmits an instruction set for initiating the edging process at S3, causing edger device 10 to grind peripheral edge 12 of lens blank L to a desired size and shape according to the recalled trace data. Preferably, lens blank L is edged to a size slightly larger than the desired final size of the resulting lens if additional lens blank material will be removed from peripheral edge 12 when forming groove 14. Additional grinding of peripheral edge 12 may also occur if an additional “clean finish” step is employed, wherein any debris that accumulates in groove 14 is removed with the associated router or grooving wheel during a final pass about peripheral edge 12. The clean finish step for removing lens material debris from groove 14 is described more fully in applicant's co-pending application titled “Method Of Controlling An Edger Device, Machine Programmed To Edge An Ophthalmic Lens Blank, And Computer Program”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by referenced. As such, the edging process at S3 should account for any additional grinding of peripheral edge in subsequent processing steps.
Then, an instruction set causes edger device 10 to form groove 14 at a predetermined position and depth in peripheral edge 12 of lens blank L at S4. Groove 14 is formed at a position about peripheral edge 12 according to the selected (or downloaded) parameters at S2. The depth of groove 14 is typically consistent around the entire peripheral edge 12, and may be set by a configuration or set-up value on edger device 10. Groove 14 is formed to the proper depth and position in light of the shape of resulting lens, which is known from the trace data. Thus, groove 14 is formed based upon both the selected (or downloaded) parameters at S2 as well as the recalled trace data at S1.
After groove 14 has been formed, an instruction set causes edger device 10 to drill one or more holes 16 at S5 extending from first major surface 18 to second major surface 20, as specified by the selected (or downloaded) processing parameters at S2. A first hole 16 is drilled into lens blank L at a selected position spaced from peripheral edge 12. The trace data does not contain any information relating to where hole(s) 16 are to be drilled. However, the shape of resulting lens, and therefore position of peripheral edge 12, is known from the trace data. The CPU locates and drills the first hole 16 at the selected position based on the position of peripheral edge 12, which is known from the trace data. As such, the position of the first hole 16 is determined based on the selected position at S2, which is relative to and defined by the shape of resulting lens as known from recalled trace data at S1.
The position of a second hole 16, or any number of subsequent holes 16, may be determined based on the position of the peripheral edge 12 as known from the trace data, as explained above. Alternatively, the position of a second or subsequent hole(s) 16 may be located and drilled based on the position of the previously drilled hole 16. For example, the position of a second hole 16 is keyed off of the location of the first drilled hole 16, the position of a third hole 16 is keyed off of the location of the second drilled hole 16, the position of a fourth hole 16 is keyed off of the location of the third drilled hole 16, and so forth. The resulting lens blank L is edged, grooved and drilled according to the selected parameters at S2, in light of the shape of the lens blank L as known from trace data at S1, in a single control step.
The present invention also relates to a computer program stored on a medium for use in an edging process employing a lens blank and an edger device, such as edger device 10. The computer program includes a first set of computer instructions recalling trace data for the lens blank to be processed. A second set of computer instructions causes edger device 10 to form groove 14 in peripheral edge 12 of the lens blank at a selected position defined by and relative to the trace data. A third set of computer instructions causes edger device 10 to drill one or more holes 16 through the lens blank. The groove is formed at the selected position in peripheral edge 12, and with a predetermined width and depth, based on selected processing parameters defined by and relative to the recalled trace data. In addition, position and width of holes are drilled based on selected processing parameters defined by and relative to the recalled trace data.
Thus, the disclosed computer program and method allow for a lens blank to be edged, grooved and drilled in a single control system, and thus in a single cycle. An edger device controlled by the disclosed software algorithm will first execute an edging process, adding a groove to the lens blank. Then, the software directs the edger to cut the requested drill features into the lens, producing the lens for the technician in an integrated operation.
An exemplary computer routine for the disclosed computer program is provided in computer program listing Appendix A. However, it would be readily understood that other computer routines may be applied to achieve the disclosed method. Thus, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed invention without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that the present invention include all such modifications or variations, provided they come within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
