US 12,083,756 B2
Method for providing a male mold half for molding a toric ophthalmic lens at a predetermined target rotational orientation
Matthias Schwab, Amorbach (DE); Udo Schuessler, Hoesbach (DE); Steffen Lieb, Moemlingen (DE); Eduard Jetzlaff, Schollbrunn (DE); Jan Bernard, Niedernberg (DE); Halina Heidrich, Kahl am Main (DE); and Thomas Tonn, Aschaffenburg (DE)
Assigned to Alcon Inc., Fribourg (CH)
Filed by ALCON INC., Fribourg (CH)
Filed on Aug. 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/398,280.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/063,990, filed on Aug. 11, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0048261 A1, Feb. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. B29D 11/00 (2006.01); B25J 15/00 (2006.01); B25J 15/06 (2006.01); B29C 31/00 (2006.01); B29C 33/30 (2006.01); B29L 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC B29D 11/00538 (2013.01) [B25J 15/0047 (2013.01); B25J 15/0616 (2013.01); B29C 31/006 (2013.01); B29C 33/303 (2013.01); B29D 11/00019 (2013.01); B29D 11/00173 (2013.01); B29D 11/0023 (2013.01); B29D 11/00509 (2013.01); B29D 11/00528 (2013.01); B29L 2011/0016 (2013.01); B29L 2011/0025 (2013.01); B29L 2011/0041 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of providing a male mold half (1) for molding a toric ophthalmic lens at a predetermined target rotational orientation (TROM), the male mold half comprising a front face (10) having a toric convex lens-forming surface (100) and a rear face (11) opposite to the front face (10), the method comprising the steps of
providing the male mold half (1) at a predetermined rotational orientation (PROM),
picking the male mold half (1) up with a gripper (5) having a central axis (55),
rotating the gripper (5) with the male mold half (1) about the central axis (55) of the gripper (5) by a predetermined rotational angle (α) towards the predetermined target rotational orientation (TROM), the predetermined rotational angle (α) being the angular difference between the predetermined rotational orientation (PROM) and the predetermined target rotational orientation (TROM), and
releasing the rotated male mold half (1) from the gripper (5), wherein
prior to picking the male mold half (1) up, centering the gripper (5) and the male mold half (1) relative to each other such that the central axis (55) of the gripper and a central axis (113) of the male mold (1) half coincide;
picking the male mold half (1) having the target rotational orientation (TROM) up with a capping stamp (7) having a central axis (75), and placing the male mold half (1) on a female mold half (2) to mate the male and female mold halves (1, 2) while keeping the target rotational orientation (TROM) of the male mold half (1) relative to a predetermined rotational orientation (PROF) of the female mold half (2) to form a closed lens mold (3), and
prior to picking the male mold half (1) up with the capping stamp (7), centering the capping stamp (7) and the male mold half (1) relative to each other such that the central axis (75) of the capping stamp (7) and the central axis (113) of the male mold half (1) coincide.