Method of beveling an ophthalmic lens blank, machine programmed therefor, and computer program

1. A method of controlling an edger device for edging an ophthalmic lens blank, comprising the steps of:

providing a lens blank having first and second opposite major surfaces, and a peripheral edge therebetween;

providing an edger device having a cutting mechanism;

providing a central processing unit operably associated with the edger device for controlling operation of the cutting mechanism; and

transmitting processing instructions from the central processing unit to the edger device, wherein the processing instructions comprise:

a) forming a bevel in a peripheral edge of a lens blank, the bevel having an apex extending outwardly from the peripheral edge;

b) forming a step in the peripheral edge intermediate the apex and an interface between the peripheral edge and the second major surface, the step comprising a backwall and a base, wherein the backwall extends from the peripheral edge in a direction opposite the apex.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bevel is formed to have at least one inclined surface with respect to the peripheral edge.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step is formed so that the backwall is orthogonal to the base.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cutting mechanism comprises a first blade having a cutting portion for forming the bevel and a second blade having a cutting portion for forming the step.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cutting mechanism comprises a blade having a cutting portion for forming the bevel and a cutting portion for forming the step.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of selecting a position of the bevel prior to said transmitting step.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of selecting a profile of the bevel prior to said transmitting step.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

recalling trace data about the lens to be processed prior to said transmitting step; and

selecting a position in the peripheral edge for forming the bevel, wherein the bevel is formed at the selected position which is relative to and determined by the recalled trace data.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of removing at least a portion of a sidewall of the bevel during said step of forming the step in the peripheral edge.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing an input device operably associated with the central processing unit.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of roughing the peripheral edge of the Lens blank to a first size and shape prior to said step of forming a bevel.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing instructions are transmitted during said transmitting step for processing the lens blank in a single control cycle.

13. A computer program stored on a medium for use in an edging process employing a lens blank and an edger device, the computer program comprising:

a first set of computer instructions operably recalling trace data about a lens blank to be processed, the lens blank having first and second opposite major surfaces and a peripheral edge therebetween;

a second set of computer instructions operably causing an edger device to form a bevel in the peripheral edge of the lens blank at a selected position defined by and relative to the trace data, the bevel having an apex extending outwardly from the peripheral edge; and

a third set of computer instructions operably causing the edger device to form a step in the peripheral edge intermediate the apex and an interface between the peripheral edge and the second major surface, the step comprising a backwall and a base, wherein the backwall extends from the peripheral edge in a direction opposite the apex.

14. The computer program of claim 13 , wherein said second set of computer instructions causes the edger device to form a bevel having a selected profile.

15. The computer program of claim 13 , wherein said third set of computer instructions causes the edger device to form a step having a first width along a first portion and a second width along a second portion of the peripheral edge.

16. The computer program of claim 13 , wherein said second and third sets of computer instructions cause the edger device to form the bevel and the step in a single control cycle.

17. The computer program of claim 13 , wherein said third set of computer instructions causes the edger device to remove at least a portion of a sidewall of the bevel during the formation of the step in the peripheral edge.

18. The computer program of claim 13 , wherein the computer program is stored on a medium in a central processing unit.

19. The computer program of claim 18 , wherein the central processing unit is an internal component of the edger device.

20. The computer program of claim 13 , wherein the trace data is received from an external source.