US 11,852,902 B2
Cleaner for cleaning grippers for ophthalmic lenses
Felix Brinckmann, Roßdorf (DE); Nils Schweizer, Bad König (DE); and Roger Biel, Aschaffenburg (DE)
Assigned to Alcon Inc., Fribourg (CH)
Filed by ALCON INC., Fribourg (CH)
Filed on Jan. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/149,213.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/961,862, filed on Jan. 16, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0223578 A1, Jul. 22, 2021
Int. Cl. G02C 13/00 (2006.01); A47L 5/12 (2006.01); A47L 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC G02C 13/008 (2013.01) [A47L 5/12 (2013.01); A47L 7/0052 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Cleaner for cleaning grippers (10) for the transport of ophthalmic lenses such as contact lenses, in particular soft contact lenses, or intraocular lenses, the cleaner comprising:
an exhaust air box (1) comprising
at least one inlet opening (2) for allowing ambient air as well as lenses, lens parts, debris and fluid adhered to the grippers (10) to be sucked into an interior of the exhaust air box (1),
an outlet opening (3) in fluid communication with the interior of the exhaust air box (1) for allowing exhaust air to be vented from the interior of the exhaust air box (1), the outlet opening (3) being capable of being connected to a vacuum source,
and
a cleaner head (4) arranged on the exhaust air box (1) and comprising
a plurality of receiver sleeves (5) for receiving the grippers (10) to be cleaned, each receiver sleeve (5) of the plurality of receiver sleeves (5) being arranged such that it is capable of being in fluid communication with the interior of the exhaust air box (1) through the at least one inlet opening (2),
a plurality of shutters (6), wherein each individual shutter (6) of the plurality of shutters (6) is arranged to open or close the fluid communication of at least one receiver sleeve (5) of the plurality of receiver sleeves (5), in particular a pair of receiver sleeves (5) of the plurality of receiver sleeves (5), and the interior of the exhaust air box (1).