公开(公告)号：US20210223578A1

公开(公告)日：2021-07-22

申请号：US17149213

申请日：2021-01-14

Applicant: ALCON INC.

Inventor： Felix Brinckmann ,  Nils Schweizer ,  Roger Biel

IPC: G02C13/00 ,  A47L5/12 ,  A47L7/00

Abstract: A cleaner for cleaning grippers for the transport of ophthalmic lenses comprises: an exhaust air box comprising at least one inlet opening for allowing ambient air as well as lenses, lens parts, debris and fluid adhered to the grippers to be sucked into an interior of the exhaust air box, an outlet opening in fluid communication with the interior of the exhaust air box and a cleaner head arranged on the exhaust air box and comprising a plurality of receiver sleeves for receiving the grippers to be cleaned, a plurality of shutters, wherein each individual shutter of the plurality of shutters is arranged to open or close the fluid communication of at least one receiver sleeve (5) of the plurality of receiver sleeves (5) and the interior of the exhaust air box (1).

公开(公告)号：US12186917B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-07

申请号：US17229006

申请日：2021-04-13

Applicant: ALCON INC.

Inventor： Felix Brinckmann ,  Nils Schweizer ,  Jens Wolfstaedter

IPC: B25J9/16 ,  B25J15/06 ,  B29D11/00 ,  B65G47/91

Abstract: A method for calibrating lens grippers prior to use of the grippers in a lens manufacturing line includes providing a remote gripper calibration tool having an assembly plate and a Z-directional position sensor; providing a master gripper having a length dimension terminating in a tip, the length dimension being predetermined to match a desired final extension length of a lens gripper; mounting the master gripper to the assembly plate; measuring the Z-directional position of the tip of the master gripper with the Z-directional position sensor; unmounting the master gripper from the assembly plate; mounting a lens gripper to be calibrated to the assembly plate, the lens gripper having a tip, and calibrating the lens gripper by adjusting the final extension length of the tip of the lens gripper to a predetermined position relative to the measured Z-directional position of the tip of the master gripper.

公开(公告)号：US20210253366A1

公开(公告)日：2021-08-19

申请号：US17173461

申请日：2021-02-11

Applicant: ALCON INC.

Inventor： Felix Brinckmann ,  Nils Schweizer ,  Jens Wolfstädter

IPC: B65G47/90 ,  A61F2/16 ,  A45C11/00

Abstract: A method for transporting a blister strip of ophthalmic lenses: only one single blister strip is provided at a start location and one magazine compartment of two magazine compartments contains n blister strips while the other magazine compartment contains n+1 blister strips, the single buster strip is picked up at the start location by one of the gripper units of a first gripper and is transported into that magazine compartment containing the n blister strips, by moving the first gripper to that magazine compartment containing the n blister strips and releasing the single blister strip from the first gripper into that magazine compartment, or by moving the first gripper to a hand-over station and releasing the single blister strip from the first gripper into the hand-over station, transporting the single blister strip from the hand-over station into that magazine compartment containing the n blister strips using a second gripper.

公开(公告)号：US20200165120A1

公开(公告)日：2020-05-28

申请号：US16694377

申请日：2019-11-25

Applicant: Alcon Inc.

Inventor： Jens Wolfstaedter ,  Felix Brinckmann ,  Nils Schweizer ,  Alfred Fischer

IPC: B67D7/02 ,  B67D7/66 ,  B67D7/70 ,  B67D7/08 ,  B65B65/00 ,  B65B1/04 ,  B65B43/52 ,  B65B7/28 ,  B65B1/30 ,  B65B25/00

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing a liquid into one or more cavities of one packaging shells for ophthalmic lenses, comprises a dispenser block, a dispenser head separate from the dispenser block. The apparatus further comprises one or more tubes connecting the dispenser block and the dispenser head. Additionally, the dispenser block comprises a reservoir for the liquid to be dispensed, and one or more dosing pumps for conveying the liquid from the reservoir to the dispenser head. The dispenser head comprises one or more dispensing tips detachably arranged on the dispenser head, each of the dispensing tips being in fluid communication with the dispenser block by a separate one of the one or more tubes.

公开(公告)号：US20190293961A1

公开(公告)日：2019-09-26

申请号：US16361824

申请日：2019-03-22

Applicant: ALCON INC.

Inventor： Nils Schweizer ,  Kai Breburda ,  Felix Brinckmann ,  Gabriela Cocora ,  Lukas Lomb

IPC: G02C7/04 ,  A45C11/04

Abstract: A packaging container (1) for a contact lens comprises a shell (2).The shell (2) comprises a cavity (10) having a drop-shaped perimeter (12), and a flange (20) having a flat upper surface (22) extending around the drop-shaped perimeter (12) of the cavity (10) in an upper surface plane (24). The cavity (10) comprises a bowl portion (30) including an at least partially spherical section (32) for accommodating the contact lens, and a chamfer portion (40) surrounding the bowl portion (30). The chamfer portion (40) is arranged between the bowl portion (30) and the drop-shaped perimeter (12) of the cavity (10) and includes a tapered outlet section (42) forming a tip towards the flange (20) to facilitate removal of the contact lens from the cavity (10).

公开(公告)号：US20240009946A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-11

申请号：US18346904

申请日：2023-07-05

Applicant: Alcon Inc.

Inventor： Felix Brinckmann ,  Nils Schweizer

IPC: B29D11/00

CPC classification number: B29D11/0024

Abstract: An apparatus for removal of an ophthalmic lens, such as a contact lens, for example a soft contact lens, from a lens treatment container for the accommodation of the ophthalmic lens during a lens treatment process, comprises:



an exhaust air box comprising

at least one inlet for allowing ambient air to be drawn into the exhaust box;
an outlet in fluid communication with the exhaust air box, the outlet capable of being connected to a source of negative pressure;


at least one tube having a proximal end connected to the at least one inlet of the exhaust air box, and a distal end having a displaceable nozzle; and
an actuator connected to the nozzle, for displacing the nozzle from a standby position to a lens removal position, and back to the standby position.

公开(公告)号：US11852902B2

公开(公告)日：2023-12-26

申请号：US17149213

申请日：2021-01-14

Applicant: ALCON INC.

Inventor： Felix Brinckmann ,  Nils Schweizer ,  Roger Biel

IPC: G02C13/00 ,  A47L5/12 ,  A47L7/00

CPC classification number: G02C13/008 ,  A47L5/12 ,  A47L7/0052

Abstract: A cleaner for cleaning grippers for the transport of ophthalmic lenses comprises:



an exhaust air box comprising

at least one inlet opening for allowing ambient air as well as lenses, lens parts, debris and fluid adhered to the grippers to be sucked into an interior of the exhaust air box,
an outlet opening in fluid communication with the interior of the exhaust air box




and

a cleaner head arranged on the exhaust air box and comprising

a plurality of receiver sleeves for receiving the grippers to be cleaned,
a plurality of shutters, wherein each individual shutter of the plurality of shutters is arranged to open or close the fluid communication of at least one receiver sleeve (5) of the plurality of receiver sleeves (5) and the interior of the exhaust air box (1).

公开(公告)号：US11851291B2

公开(公告)日：2023-12-26

申请号：US17173461

申请日：2021-02-11

Applicant: ALCON INC.

Inventor： Felix Brinckmann ,  Nils Schweizer ,  Jens Wolfstädter

IPC: B65G47/90 ,  A45C11/00 ,  A61F2/16

CPC classification number: B65G47/907 ,  A45C11/005 ,  A61F2/1691

Abstract: A method for transporting a blister strip of ophthalmic lenses: only one single blister strip is provided at a start location and one magazine compartment of two magazine compartments contains n blister strips while the other magazine compartment contains n+1 blister strips, the single buster strip is picked up at the start location by one of the gripper units of a first gripper and is transported into that magazine compartment containing the n blister strips, by moving the first gripper to that magazine compartment containing the n blister strips and releasing the single blister strip from the first gripper into that magazine compartment, or by moving the first gripper to a hand-over station and releasing the single blister strip from the first gripper into the hand-over station, transporting the single blister strip from the hand-over station into that magazine compartment containing the n blister strips using a second gripper.

公开(公告)号：US20230271337A1

公开(公告)日：2023-08-31

申请号：US18173857

申请日：2023-02-24

Applicant: Alcon Inc.

Inventor： Felix Brinckmann ,  Sergej Riskin ,  Nils Schweizer ,  Johannes Neumann

IPC: B25J15/06 ,  B25J17/02 ,  B25J15/04

CPC classification number: B25J15/0683 ,  B25J17/02 ,  B25J15/0658 ,  B25J15/04

Abstract: A gripper for the transportation of an ophthalmic lens comprises:



a gripper shaft having a longitudinal shaft axis and a fluid channel extending through the gripper shaft;
a connector at the proximal end of the gripper shaft for connecting a flexible supply tube and the proximal end of the gripper shaft;
a support movably accommodating the gripper shaft;
a spring mounted between the support and the gripper shaft, the spring biasing the gripper shaft distally away from the support; and
a gripper head attached to the gripper shaft at a distal end portion thereof, the gripper head having a further fluid channel extending therethrough, the gripper head further having a suction opening which is centrally arranged in a distal end surface of the gripper head, the suction opening being in fluid communication with the fluid channel of the gripper shaft through further fluid channel.




The gripper head is configured to be pivotable about a pivot portion of the gripper head.

公开(公告)号：US20240300751A1

公开(公告)日：2024-09-12

申请号：US18597071

申请日：2024-03-06

Applicant: Alcon Inc.

Inventor： Felix Brinckmann ,  Michel Mühlig ,  Johannes Neumann ,  Nils Schweizer ,  Roger Biel

IPC: B65G47/91 ,  B25J15/06

CPC classification number: B65G47/918 ,  B25J15/0616

Abstract: A gripper system comprises:

a gripper shaft;
a vacuum source;
a first valve arranged between the vacuum source and the suction tube;
a liquid reservoir;
a source of pressurized gas;
a second valve arranged between the source of pressurized gas and the suction tube or the liquid reservoir;
a control unit for controlling the first valve and the second valve such that:
for picking the ophthalmic lens up, suction is supplied to the suction tube;
during transporting the ophthalmic lens, the suction tube is filled with liquid from the liquid supply tube;
for releasing the ophthalmic lens from the gripper head, liquid is pressed through the fluid channel and through the suction opening of the gripper head.