Machine for coating an optical article with an anti-soiling coating composition and method for using the machine

Abstract

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 ).