MACHINE FOR COATING AN OPTICAL ARTICLE WITH AN ANTI-SOILING COATING COMPOSITION AND METHOD FOR USING THE MACHINE
A machine for coating an optical article with an anti-soiling coating composition, includes a vacuum chamber ( 8 ) configured to receive the optical article, a vacuum pump ( 20 ) connected to the vacuum chamber ( 8 ), a plasma generator ( 11 ) configured to carry out a vacuum plasma treatment of the optical article, an evaporation device ( 10 ) configured to carry out a vacuum evaporation treatment of the composition for depositing it on the optical article, a control unit ( 2 ) controlling the plasma generator for removing an initial outermost anti-soiling coating of the article, controlling the evaporation device for recoating the article with the anti-soiling coating composition, being configured to causes the vacuum pump ( 20 ) to suck gases from the chamber ( 8 ) during vacuum plasma treatment and being further configured to causes the vacuum pump ( 20 ) not to suck gases from the chamber ( 8 ) during vacuum evaporation treatment.
1 . Machine for coating an optical article ( 28 ) with an anti-soiling coating composition, comprising:
a vacuum chamber ( 8 ) having an interior space ( 31 ) configured to receive the optical article ( 28 );
a vacuum pump ( 20 ) connected to the vacuum chamber ( 8 );
a plasma generator ( 11 ) configured to carry out a vacuum plasma treatment of the optical article ( 28 ) in the vacuum chamber ( 8 );
an evaporation device ( 10 ) configured to carry out a vacuum evaporation treatment of the anti-soiling coating composition for depositing it on the optical article ( 28 ) in the vacuum chamber ( 8 ); and
a control unit ( 2 ) configured to control both the plasma generator and the evaporation device;
the control unit ( 2 ) controlling the plasma generator for removing an initial outermost anti-soiling coating of the optical article ( 28 );
the control unit ( 2 ) controlling the evaporation device for recoating the optical article ( 28 ) with the anti-soiling coating composition;
the control unit ( 2 ) being further configured to causes the vacuum pump ( 20 ) to suck gases from the vacuum chamber ( 8 ) during vacuum plasma treatment; and
the control unit ( 2 ) being further configured to causes the vacuum pump ( 20 ) not to suck gases from the vacuum chamber ( 8 ) during vacuum evaporation treatment.
2 . Machine according to claim 1 , comprising a vacuum valve ( 19 ) disposed between the vacuum chamber ( 8 ) and the vacuum pump ( 20 ) and configured to be in an open state and in an close state respectively for causing the vacuum pump ( 20 ) to suck and not to suck gases from the vacuum chamber ( 8 ).
3 . Machine according to claim 1 , the vacuum pump ( 20 ) being configured to be put on and put off respectively for sucking or not sucking gases from the vacuum chamber ( 8 ).
4 . Machine according to claim 1 , comprising a pressure sensor ( 17 ) disposed between the vacuum chamber ( 8 ) and the vacuum pump ( 20 ).
5 . Machine according to claim 1 , comprising a filtering device ( 23 ) and the control unit ( 2 ) is configured to causing the vacuum pump ( 20 ) to suck gases from the vacuum chamber ( 8 ) and exhaust gases to atmosphere by passing through the filtering device ( 23 ).
6 . Machine according to claim 5 , the filtering device ( 23 ) being disposed between the vacuum chamber ( 8 ) and the vacuum pump ( 20 ).
7 . Machine according to claim 1 , comprising a gas inlet valve ( 13 ) connected to the vacuum chamber ( 8 ).
8 . Machine according to claim 1 , the evaporation device ( 10 ) comprising a heating module ( 32 ) configured to heat the anti-soiling coating composition.
9 . Machine according to claim 8 , comprising a crucible ( 30 ) configured to receive the anti-soiling coating composition, the heating module ( 32 ) comprising a first support ( 29 ) on which the crucible ( 30 ) is received.
10 . Machine according to claim 1 , comprising a second support ( 27 ) on which the optical article ( 28 ) is received.
11 . Machine according to claim 10 , comprising a door ( 9 ) which is moveable or removable, the evaporation device ( 10 ) and the second support ( 27 ) being received on the door ( 9 ).
12 . Machine according to claim 1 , the vacuum chamber ( 8 ) being configured to receive spectacle lenses ( 28 ) mounted on a spectacle frame and the machine ( 1 ) being configured to recoat the spectacle lenses ( 28 ).
13 . Machine according to claim 1 , the control unit ( 2 ) comprising a data processing system having a microprocessor ( 3 ) and a random access memory ( 4 ) and being configured to load and execute a computer program for controlling both and successively the plasma generator and the evaporation device.
14 . Machine according to claim 13 , the control unit ( 2 ) further comprising a communication interface ( 6 , 7 ) configured to communicate with the data processing system for recoating the optical article ( 28 ).
15 . Method for using the machine ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
selecting an optical article ( 28 ) having an initial outermost anti-soiling coating;
loading ( 100 ) the optical article ( 28 ) into the vacuum chamber ( 8 ) of the machine ( 1 );
loading ( 100 ) the anti-soiling coating composition into the vacuum chamber ( 8 );
starting ( 101 ) the vacuum pump ( 20 ) of the machine ( 1 ) and causing ( 102 ) the vacuum pump ( 20 ) to suck gases from the vacuum chamber ( 8 );
carrying out ( 104 ) the vacuum plasma treatment and controlling it for removing the initial outermost anti-soiling coating of the optical article ( 28 );
causing ( 108 ) the vacuum pump ( 20 ) not to suck gases from the vacuum chamber ( 8 );
carrying out ( 109 ) the vacuum evaporation treatment and controlling it for recoating the optical article ( 28 ) with the anti-soiling coating composition; and
unloading ( 114 ) the optical article ( 28 ) from the vacuum chamber ( 8 ).
16 . Method according to claim 15 , the machine ( 1 ) comprising a vacuum valve ( 19 ) disposed between the vacuum chamber ( 8 ) and the vacuum pump ( 20 ) and the steps of causing the vacuum pump ( 20 ) to suck and not to suck respectively comprise the steps of opening ( 102 , 107 , 110 ) and closing ( 105 , 108 , 112 ) the vacuum valve ( 19 ).
17 . Method according to claim 15 , the machine ( 1 ) comprising a filtering device ( 23 ) connected to the vacuum chamber ( 8 ) and the method further comprising the step of filtering ( 111 ) the gases before exhausting to atmosphere when the vacuum pump ( 20 ) is causing to suck gases from the vacuum chamber ( 8 ).
18 . Method according to claim 17 , comprising the step of causing ( 110 ) the vacuum pump to suck the gases from the vacuum chamber ( 8 ) before the step of filtering ( 112 ) the gases and the step of causing ( 112 ) the vacuum pump ( 20 ) not to suck gases from the vacuum chamber ( 8 ) after the step of filtering ( 111 ) the gases.
19 . Method according to claim 15 , the machine ( 1 ) comprising a gas inlet valve ( 13 ) connected to the vacuum chamber ( 8 ) and the method comprising, before the step of carrying out ( 104 ) the vacuum plasma treatment, the step of opening ( 103 ) the gas inlet valve ( 13 ).
20 . Method according to claim 15 , the step of carrying out ( 109 ) the vacuum evaporation treatment comprising the step of heating the anti-soiling coating composition for a predetermined time.
21 . Method according to claim 20 , the machine ( 1 ) comprising a crucible ( 30 ) configured to receive the anti-soiling coating composition and the step of heating the anti-soiling coating composition being carried out by heating the crucible ( 30 ).