Lens blank alignment and blocking device and method

1. A lens blocking device comprising;

a frame;

a light source mounted on said frame;

a carriage having a first end and a second end mounted on said frame for sliding movement between first and second positions;

a first mirror mounted on said carriage first end;

a lens block holder mounted on said carriage second end and shiftable between third and fourth positions with respect to said carriage;

a stage disposed between said light source and said carriage, and including an opening, for supporting an object;

an at least partially translucent screen operably connected to said support frame generating a display image;

at least one second mirror reflecting an image of an object on said stage from said first mirror, when said carriage is in said second position, onto said screen; and

an actuator operably connected to said carriage, said actuator shifting said carriage between said first position and said second position and shifting said block holder between said third position and said fourth position;

whereby said display image on said screen is visible with the image of the object on said stage when said carriage is in said second position.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein said at least one second mirror comprises a second mirror and a third mirror and optics between said second mirror and said third mirror for inverting the image reflected from said second mirror.

3. The device of claim 2 , including a collimating lens mounted between said light source and said stage.

4. The device of claim 3 , including a condensing lens mounted between said first mirror and said second mirror.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein said optics include at least one lens selected from the group consisting of magnifying lenses and achromats.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein said at least partially translucent screen includes a backlit portion.

7. The device of claim 6 , including a processor connected to said screen and an input device for causing said processor to display information on said screen.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein said input device includes a keyboard.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein said input device is operably connected to said processor.

10. The device of claim 6 , including a processor operably connected to said screen and an input device for causing said processor to display alphanumeric information on said backlit portion of said screen and graphical information on a partially translucent portion of said screen.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein said stage is transparent.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein said lens block holder is located beneath the object on said stage when carriage is in said first position.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein said display image comprises alignment markings.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein, when the alignment markings on said screen are aligned with the image projected onto said screen, the object on said stage will be properly positioned for blocking when said carriage is in said first position.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein said screen comprises a liquid crystal display including a backlight operably associated with a portion of said liquid crystal display.

16. A method of blocking a lens blank comprising the steps of:

providing an at least partially translucent screen having a first side and a second side;

providing a stage;

placing a lens blank on the stage;

generating alignment markings on the screen;

projecting a non-inverted image of the lens blank supported on the stage against the second side of the screen;

moving the lens blank with respect to the stage while viewing the image on the first side of the screen until the image of the lens projected on the screen is aligned with the generated alignment markings on the screen;

providing a lens block bearing an adhesive at predetermined location adjacent the stage; and

moving the lens block from the predetermined location into contact with the lens blank to adhere the lens block to the lens blank.

17. A lens blocking device comprising:

a frame;

a light source mounted to said frame;

a carriage having a first end and a second end mounted for movement between first and second positions with respect to said frame;

a first mirror mounted on said carriage first end;

a lens block holder mounted on said carriage second end and shiftable between third and fourth positions with respect to said carriage;

a transparent stage having an opening mounted between said light source and said carriage;

a LCD having a first region and a second region and a first side and a second side, mounted on said frame;

a backlight overlying only said LCD first region on said second side;

a processor for generating alignment markings on said LCD second region and alphanumeric characters on said screen first region;

at least one second mirror mounted on said frame arranged to reflect an image of a lens blank on said stage reflected from said first mirror, when said carriage is in said first position, onto the second side of the second portion of said LCD;

optics mounted between said first mirror and said at least one second mirror for inverting an image reflected from said first mirror; and

an actuator operably connected to said carriage for selectively shifting said carriage between said first and second positions and said Lens block holder between said third and fourth positions;

wherein the generated alignment markings on said screen second region overlie the image of the lens blank reflected on the second side of said screen when said carriage is in said first position.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein said light source comprises a primary lamp and a secondary Lamp mounted to said frame and a power source for powering either said primary lamp or said secondary lamp.

19. The device of claim 18 , including an actuator for selectively connecting one of said first lamp and said second lamp to said power source.