Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-09
2004-12-28
Von Buhr, Maria N. (Department: 2125)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S228000, C053S498000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06836692
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a contact lens manufacturing facility for producing ophthalmic contact lenses, and, in particular to a control system and method for transferring formed lenses among one or more processing stations and controlling the automated transfer of individual lenses to individual packages.
DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART
Automated contact lens production processes are known wherein each lens is formed by sandwiching a monomer between back curve (upper) and front curve (lower) mold structure transported in a mold cavity. The monomer is polymerized (cured) to form a lens blank, and is subject to further processing including, but not limited to: removing the lens blanks from their mold structures, i.e., de-molding; subjecting the lenses to a hydration process; transferring of the lenses to an individual blister package; automatic lens inspection of the lens while contained in their blister pack; lens sterilization; and final packaging for consumer use. The reader may refer to issued patents U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,504 entitled PRODUCTION LINE TRACKING AND QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEM and U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,642 entitled INERACTIVE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR PACKAGING CONTROL for a description of an exemplary prior art ophthalmic lens production and packaging control system.
These prior art automatic lens inspection processes provide for automated lens inspection relatively late in the manufacturing process, while the lens has already been “packaged”. Needless to say, there is much expenditure of time and resources in the prior de-molding, lens transfer and hydration process for lenses that might eventually be rejected as being defective in any event. Because of this, lens throughput is decreased while processing and material costs may increase, for instance the wastage of packages having defective lenses transferred thereto. Furthermore, the automated process may be subject to additional “down-time” due to increased likelihood of problems that may occur due to processing of defective lenses.
It would be highly desirable to provide for an automated contact lens manufacturing process, a system and method that provides a first level of lens inspection after the de-molding process, to prevent extraneous material handling by enabling only acceptable lenses that have passed inspection proceed to hydration and subsequent to packaging.
Moreover, it would be highly desirable to provide an intelligent lens transfer and conveyance system for a contact lens processing facility that enables uninterrupted processing of only lenses determined as having passed a first inspection process (i.e., “good” lenses).
Moreover, it would be highly desirable to provide an intelligent lens transfer and conveyance system for a contact lens processing facility that ensures a continuous flow of good contact lenses at sufficiently high speeds from a first automatic lens inspection process through to hydration and packaging.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a control system and method for controlling the automated intelligent transfer of products among a plurality of processing stations in a manufacturing facility, such as for manufacturing ophthalmic contact lenses.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated packaging control system that tracks discrete arrays of products conveyed on a serial flow production line and provides intelligent transfer so that only those products having passed an inspection criteria are packaged.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a control system and method that tracks information relating to a first amount of products conveyed on a first transport structure and tracks the products when transferred to a subsequent transport structures capable of carrying a second amount of products for processing at downstream processing stations.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a control system and method that incorporates a mechanism for removing individual units of an array of products in accordance with the determination of an automated inspection system and causing the removal of rejected lenses, and, further tracking positional status of remaining products having passed inspection that remain in the array as they are conveyed throughout the system for subsequent processing.
It is yet still a further object of the present invention to provide a means for staging packaging materials at a packaging station so that only products determined as passing inspection are packaged irregardless of the random manner in which the products are conveyed to the packaging station due to the removal of individual product units that have failed an acceptance criteria.
Thus, according to the principles of the invention, there is provided for a processing facility comprising a plurality processing stations each for automatically conveying products in various stages of production for controlled processing, an intelligent product transfer and conveyance system that enables uninterrupted processing of only products determined as having passed a first inspection process at an upstream processing station. The intelligent product transfer and conveyance system for a processing facility ensures a continuous flow of a plurality of good products at sufficiently high speeds from an inspection process to subsequent stations for subsequent individualized packaging. The processing facility may comprise a contact lens manufacturing line for manufacturing spherical or toric type ophthalmic contact lens products.
With respect to ophthalmic contact lens production, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system and method for automatically transporting a plurality of ophthalmic lenses for sequential processing at one or more processing stations, one processing station comprising a mechanism for determining locations of acceptable lenses to be transported for further downstream processing on one or more first transport structures, the method comprising:
a) generating an information record associated with each first transport structure carrying a plurality of lenses, the record including information for identifying the lenses carried by the first transport structure and including a data structure identifying the locations of any acceptable lens carried on the first transport structure as determined at the processing station;
b) conveying the first transport structure carrying zero or more acceptable lenses in sequence to one or more downstream processing stations, and while at each processing station accessing each information record and updating the associated information with status of lenses as a result of processing at the station;
c) communicating an updated information record associated with a first transport structure currently en route to a lens unload area to a transport staging means for staging a plurality of individual transport structures each capable of receiving an individual lens to be transferred from the first transport structure, the staging means responsive to the data structure for aligning a plurality of individual transport structures in a staging area according to locations identified in the data structure as including an acceptable lens; and,
d) transferring zero or more acceptable lenses from identified locations in the transport structure at the lens unload area to the staging area and placing a corresponding individual lens to an associated aligned individual transport structure, wherein the updated information record associated with a first transport structure currently en route to the lens unload area is communicated prior to arrival of the first transport structure thereat.
It is an advantage that intelligent lens transfer system and methodology according to the invention decreases expenditures in materials and reduces processing costs by eliminating the packaging of lenses that may eventually be rejected as having failed an acceptance criteria and, vice versa, enabling the transfer of only good products t
Davis, III Welton I.
Duncan Gregory Scott
Evers Marinus Franciscus Johannes
Leavitt Richard W.
Strong Michael J.
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc.
Von Buhr Maria N.
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