METHOD AND DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIZING HYDRATION OF SOFT CONTACTLENS

摘要

PURPOSE: To obtain an automation method for enabling a high production effi ciency by an automation apparatus comprising first, second and third robot assemblies and hydrating an integrally molded hydrophilic contact lens and a high speed robot apparatus facilitating the operation of a chamber. CONSTITUTION: When a first take-out arranged robot 60 arrives at the desired insertion point above a hydration tank 20, a first hydration assembly is inserted in the tank at an angle of 45 deg. from a Y-axis direction to be discharged on a moving beam assembly 50. This assembly 50 is gently moved up and down in a Z-axis direction along the length of the tank 20 to move a first hydration carrier. When the first hydration carrier arrives at the end part of the tank 20, a second take-out arranged robot 70 is reciprocally moved downwardly to be engaged with the hydration carrier in the hydration tank to draw the hydration carrier upwardly at an angle of 45 deg. from the hydration tank and rearwardly moved in an X-axis direction as shown by arrows C-C'. The robot 70 carries the first hydration chamber to the fixed reference point engaged with a third robot assembly 80.