JP2024083425A - Dyeing System - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a dyeing system which can automatically and appropriately dye a resin body.SOLUTION: A dyeing system 1 includes a conveyance device 10, a read-out part 2, a dye fixing device 50 and a controller 71. The conveyance device 10 conveys a conveyance unit including a resin body. The read-out part 2 reads out information on the conveyance unit. The dye fixing device 50 heats the resin body of the conveyance unit conveyed by the conveyance device 10, and thereby fixes a dye attached to a surface of the resin body to the resin body. The controller 71 acquires a parameter of a treatment subjected to the resin body contained in the conveyance unit based on the information red out by the read-out part 2. The controller 71 controls driving of the dye fixing device 50 according to the acquired parameter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

This disclosure relates to a dyeing system for dyeing resin bodies.

Various techniques have been proposed for dyeing resin bodies such as plastic lenses. For example, in a dyeing method known as the dip dyeing method, the resin body is dyed by immersing it in a dye solution. However, with the dip dyeing method, it is difficult to maintain a good working environment, and it is also difficult to dye some resin bodies (such as lenses with a high refractive index).

A technology has been proposed to dye a resin body by transferring a dye to the surface of the resin body and heating the resin body with the dye attached. For example, in the dyeing method described in Patent Document 1, a sublimable dye is applied to a substrate by an inkjet printer. Next, with the resin body and substrate placed in a vacuum without contact, the sublimable dye applied to the substrate is sublimated, thereby transferring the dye to the resin body. Next, a laser beam is scanned over the resin body, which heats the resin body and fixes the dye.

JP 2018-127722 A

In conventional methods, when dyeing a resin body, many steps are performed manually by an operator. Therefore, a technology for automatically dyeing a resin body is desired. However, the specific steps for dyeing a resin body vary depending on various conditions. For example, in the process of heating the resin body to fix the dye, the specific heating method may need to be changed appropriately depending on the shape of the resin body, etc.

A typical object of the present disclosure is to provide a dyeing system capable of automatically and appropriately dyeing a resin body.

A dyeing system provided by a typical embodiment of the present disclosure is a dyeing system for dyeing a resin body, and includes a conveying device that continuously conveys a plurality of conveying units each including a resin body, a reading unit that reads information about the conveying unit for each of the conveying units, a dye fixing device that heats the resin body of the conveying unit conveyed by the conveying device to fix the dye adhered to the surface of the resin body to the resin body, and a control unit, wherein the control unit executes a parameter acquisition step of acquiring parameters for a treatment to be performed on the resin body included in the conveying unit based on the information read by the reading unit, and a fixing control step of fixing the dye adhered to the surface of the resin body to the resin body by controlling the operation of the dye fixing device in accordance with the parameters acquired based on the read information when the resin body of the conveying unit from which the information has been read is heated by the dye fixing device.

The dyeing system disclosed herein allows the resin body to be dyed automatically and appropriately.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a dyeing system 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the staining tray 80 on which two lenses L are installed but no substrate S is installed, as viewed from diagonally above to the right. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the staining tray 80 showing a mounting frame 89, a lens L, and a spacer 87 mounted on one of the two mounting portions 82 in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the automatic staining device 3 as seen from diagonally above on the right. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the transfer/fixing unit 4 as seen from diagonally above on the right. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the conveying device 10 as viewed from diagonally above to the right. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first delivery section 110 as viewed from diagonally above to the right. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the transfer device 40 as viewed from diagonally above on the right side. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a transfer device 40 as viewed from the rear. FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the closing chamber set 430 as viewed from diagonally above to the right. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the substrate holding device 90 as viewed from diagonally above to the right. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the dye fixing device 50 as seen from the front. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a first dyeing control process executed by a controller 71. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a second dyeing control process executed by a controller 71. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a third dyeing control process executed by a controller 71. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a discharge amount maintenance process executed by a controller 71. 13 is a flowchart of a staining quality evaluation process executed by a controller 71.

＜Overview＞
(First aspect)
The dyeing system exemplified in the present disclosure includes a conveying device, a reading unit, a dye fixing device, and a control unit. The conveying device continuously conveys conveying units including a resin body. The conveying unit is a unit conveyed by the conveying device. The reading unit reads information related to the conveying unit. The dye fixing device heats the resin body of the conveying unit conveyed by the conveying device, thereby fixing the dye attached to the surface of the resin body to the resin body. The control unit executes a parameter acquisition step and a fixing control step. In the parameter acquisition step, the control unit acquires parameters of a treatment to be performed on the resin body included in the conveying unit from which the information has been read, based on the information read by the reading unit. In the fixing control step, the control unit controls the operation of the dye fixing device according to the acquired parameters when the resin body of the conveying unit from which the information has been read is heated by the dye fixing device.

According to the dyeing system exemplified in the present disclosure, parameters for the treatment to be performed on the resin body are acquired for each transport unit based on the information about the transport unit read by the reading unit. In accordance with the acquired parameters, the resin body is heated in an appropriate manner for each resin body, and the dye is fixed. Thus, the resin body is automatically and appropriately dyed.

The conveying device may convey a plurality of conveying units continuously. The reading unit may read information about the conveying unit for each conveying unit. The dye fixing device may heat the resin body contained in the conveying unit for each conveying unit conveyed by the conveying device, thereby fixing the dye attached to the surface of the resin body to the resin body. In this case, each of the plurality of resin bodies is dyed continuously and automatically. On the other hand, when the resin bodies contained in each conveying unit are dyed while conveying a plurality of conveying units continuously, the conveying order of the conveying units may be changed, or some of the conveying units may be removed from the conveying device during conveying, etc. As a result, the resin body may be dyed in a manner different from the expected manner. However, in the dyeing system disclosed herein, even if the conveying order of the conveying units is changed, the resin body is dyed in a manner corresponding to each resin body based on the information about the conveying unit read by the reading unit. Thus, the plurality of resin bodies are appropriately dyed according to each resin body.

The dye fixing device may include an electromagnetic wave generating unit that generates electromagnetic waves. The dye fixing device may heat the resin body by irradiating the resin body with electromagnetic waves. In this case, the dyeing system can appropriately control the heating of the resin body by the electromagnetic waves according to the resin body. Thus, the resin body is automatically and appropriately dyed.

The specific method for the dye fixing device to irradiate the resin body with electromagnetic waves can be appropriately selected. For example, the electromagnetic wave generating unit of the dye fixing device may be a laser light source that emits laser light. The dye fixing device may be provided with a scanning unit that scans the resin body with the laser light emitted from the laser light source. The control unit may control the driving of the scanning unit of the dye fixing device according to the acquired parameters when the resin body of the transport unit from which the information has been read is heated by the dye fixing device. In this case, the laser light is scanned according to each of the multiple resin bodies, so that the dye is appropriately fixed to the resin body. In addition, the dye fixing device may be provided with a distribution adjustment unit that adjusts the intensity distribution of the electromagnetic wave irradiated to the resin body from the electromagnetic wave generating unit. The distribution adjustment unit may, for example, have an opening that allows a part of the electromagnetic wave to pass through, and may be installed between the electromagnetic wave generating unit and the resin body. The control unit may, for example, change at least one of the position of the distribution adjustment unit and the shape of the opening according to the acquired parameters. Even in this case, the electromagnetic wave is appropriately irradiated according to the resin body.

When using a laser light source or a distribution adjustment unit, it is easier to shorten the time required to fix the dye compared to using other methods (for example, heating the resin body by increasing the temperature of the gas or liquid surrounding the resin body). On the other hand, when electromagnetic waves are irradiated onto the resin body, the temperature of the surface of the resin body rises rapidly, so temperature differences may occur depending on the part of the resin body (for example, the difference between the center and the periphery). If temperature differences occur depending on the part, the dyeing quality may decrease. The way in which the temperature difference occurs varies depending on the shape of the resin body. In addition, it may be desirable to change the method of irradiating the electromagnetic waves depending on the material of the resin body. In contrast, the dyeing system disclosed herein can appropriately control the heating of the resin body by electromagnetic waves depending on each resin body. Therefore, the resin body is automatically and appropriately dyed.

The reading unit may include an identifier reading unit that reads an identifier provided for each dispatch unit. In the parameter acquisition step, the control unit may acquire parameters of the transport unit corresponding to the identifier read by the identifier reading unit from a database that stores parameters for each transport unit. In this case, the control unit can appropriately grasp the parameters of each transport unit even if, for example, the order of multiple transport units is changed.

The control unit may execute a matching step of matching parameters indicating the treatment content based on treatment information indicating the treatment content to be performed on the resin body with the identifier of the transport unit containing the resin body and storing the parameters in the database. In this case, the identifier and parameters are stored in the database in an appropriate correspondence state for each transport unit (i.e., each resin body). Therefore, by reading the identifier, an appropriate treatment is performed for each resin body.

The dyeing system may further include a printing device and a transfer device. The printing device prints dye onto the sheet-shaped substrate. The transfer device transfers the dye onto the resin body in a state where the resin body of the transport unit transported by the transport device faces the substrate on which the dye is printed. The control unit may further execute an identifier printing control step of controlling the printing device to print an identifier corresponding to the transport unit together with the dye onto the substrate. In this case, even if an identifier is not provided on the installation unit (e.g., a tray) on which the resin body is placed, the parameters are appropriately acquired for each transport unit. In addition, even after the dyeing process is performed, the schedule and results of the dyeing process (e.g., whether the dyeing process was performed as scheduled, etc.) can be easily confirmed by reading the identifier of the substrate transported together with the resin body.

The control unit may also print, together with the identifier, at least one of letters and symbols indicating the treatment to be performed on the resin body included in the transport unit on the base. In this case, the worker can easily check the treatment to be performed (or has been performed) on the resin body without having to have the reading unit read the identifier.

The transport unit may include a placement section (e.g., a tray on which the resin body is placed, etc.) on which the resin body is placed. The identifier may be provided on the placement section. In this case, the identifier of the placement section on which the resin body is placed is read by the reading section, and the parameters of the treatment to be performed on the resin body are appropriately obtained.

However, it is also possible to change the material in which the identifier is provided. For example, the identifier may be provided in the resin body itself. In this case, the possibility of confusing the parameters of one resin body with the parameters of another resin body when the parameters of the resin body are acquired is further reduced.

The reading unit may include a tag reading unit that reads information from a writable tag provided on the transport unit. The control unit may acquire parameters included in the information read by the tag reading unit in the parameter acquisition step. In this case, by storing parameters indicating the treatment content in the tag in advance, the control unit can appropriately grasp the parameters of each transport unit even when, for example, the order of multiple transport units is changed.

The reading unit may include an optical property measuring device that measures the optical properties of the resin body, which is a lens. In the parameter acquisition step, the control unit may acquire parameters for controlling the operation of the dye fixing device based on the optical properties of the lens measured by the optical property measuring device. When the resin body is a lens, the optical properties change according to the shape of the lens. When the lens shape differs, the temperature difference occurs differently depending on the part of the lens when the lens is heated by the dye fixing device. Therefore, the dyeing system can heat the lens in an appropriate manner according to each lens by acquiring parameters according to the shape of the lens based on the optical characteristics of the lens measured by the optical property measuring device. In addition, the optical properties change according to the material of the lens. It may be desirable to change the method of heating the lens by the dye fixing device according to the material of the lens. Therefore, the dyeing system can heat the lens in an appropriate manner according to each lens by acquiring parameters according to the material of the lens based on the optical properties measured by the optical property measuring device.

In addition, if the optical characteristics of the lens actually measured by the optical characteristic measuring device differ from the optical characteristics included in the parameters acquired by reading the identifier or tag, the control unit may execute at least one of a warning process for the operator and a process for interrupting the dyeing process. In this case, the lens is dyed more appropriately.

The dyeing system may further include at least one dyeing process execution device that executes a process other than the dye fixing process executed by the dye fixing device among the dyeing processes for dyeing the resin body. The transport device may transport the transport unit to each of the dye fixing device and the dyeing process execution device. The control unit may control the driving of the dyeing process execution device according to the acquired parameters when causing the dyeing process execution device to execute a dyeing process for the resin body of the transport unit that has read the information. In other words, the control unit may control the multiple dyeing processes executed for each resin body based on the information read by the reading unit. In this case, the multiple dyeing processes are executed appropriately according to each resin body. Thus, each resin body is more appropriately dyed.

In addition, among the dyeing processes, the processes other than the dye fixing process may include at least one of a dye attachment process in which the dye is attached to the substrate on the sheet, and a transfer process in which the dye attached to the substrate is transferred to a resin body. In this case, the dyeing system can more smoothly execute the series of dyeing processes.

The control unit may further execute a print control step of controlling the operation of a printing device, which is one of the dyeing process execution devices, in accordance with the acquired parameters when causing the printing device to print dye on a substrate to be used for the transport unit from which the information was read. In this case, a dye-coated substrate for dyeing the resin body is appropriately printed according to each resin body.

The dyeing system may further include a rotation device, which is one of the dyeing process execution devices. The rotation device determines the orientation of the resin body relative to the dye-applied substrate by rotating the resin body for each transport unit transported by the transport device. The control unit may further execute a rotation control step of controlling the drive of the rotation device according to the acquired parameters when rotating the resin body of the transport unit from which the information has been read by the rotation device. For example, when performing gradation dyeing on cylindrical lenses and progressive lenses, it is necessary to appropriately determine the orientation (direction) of the lens relative to the dye-applied substrate by the rotation device. The dyeing system can appropriately determine the orientation of the resin body relative to the dye-applied substrate for each transport unit by controlling the drive of the rotation device according to the parameters.

The dyeing system may further include a coating device. The coating device applies a coating to the surface of the resin body to which the dye has been fixed by the dye fixing device for each transport unit transported by the transport device. The control unit may further execute a coating control step of controlling the operation of the coating device according to the acquired parameters when coating the resin body of the transport unit from which the information has been read. In this case, coating of the resin body is appropriately performed according to each resin body.

The transport device may transport the transport unit from the printing device to the transfer device. In this case, the substrate on which the dye has been printed in the printing device is placed on the transport unit, and the substrate is transported to the transfer device together with the transport unit. This simplifies the process of transporting the substrate.

(Second Aspect)
The dye fixing device exemplified in the present disclosure includes a laser light irradiating section, a laser light blocking section, an inlet, an outlet, and a pressure difference generating section. The laser light irradiating section includes a laser light source that emits laser light, and irradiates the resin body with the laser light via an objective lens. The laser light blocking section is a cylindrical member that covers at least a part of the periphery of the optical path of the laser light extending from the objective lens of the laser light irradiating section to the resin body, thereby blocking leakage of the laser light to the outside of the optical path. The inlet is formed in the laser light blocking section, and allows gas to flow from the outside to the inside of the laser light blocking section. The outlet is formed in the laser light blocking section, and allows gas to flow from the inside of the laser light blocking section to the outside. The pressure difference generating section generates a pressure difference for flowing gas from the inlet to the outlet.

According to the dye fixing device exemplified in this disclosure, gas flows from the inlet to the outlet. In other words, gas flows inside the laser light blocking section. Therefore, even if the dye on the surface of the resin body is heated and gasified, the dye is less likely to adhere to the objective lens of the laser light irradiation section. Therefore, various effects caused by the dye adhering to the objective lens of the laser light irradiation section are appropriately suppressed.

The exhaust outlet may be formed in the laser light blocking section downstream of the objective lens of the laser light irradiating section in the optical path of the laser light. In this case, even if the gas flowing from the inlet to the exhaust outlet contains gasified dye, the gas is unlikely to reach the objective lens. Therefore, the possibility of the gasified dye adhering to the objective lens is further reduced compared to when the exhaust outlet is formed upstream of the objective lens in the optical path of the laser light.

The direction in which the optical path of the laser light extends can be specified as appropriate. For example, if the laser light source emits laser light from above downward, the downstream side of the optical path of the laser light is the lower side, and the upstream side of the optical path is the upper side. Also, if the laser light source emits laser light to the left, the downstream side of the optical path of the laser light is the left side, and the upstream side is the right side.

The inlet and outlet exemplified in this disclosure are holes formed in the wall surface of the laser light blocking section. However, it is also possible to change the configuration of the inlet and outlet. For example, at least one of the inlet and outlet may be a gap formed between the laser light blocking section and another member (e.g., the laser light irradiating section or a resin body, etc.).

The exhaust port may be formed in the laser light blocking section downstream of the inlet port in the optical path of the laser light. In this case, inside the laser light blocking section, gas flows from the upstream side to the downstream side in the optical path of the laser light. This further reduces the possibility that the gasified dye will adhere to the objective lens of the laser light irradiation section.

The exhaust port may be provided upstream of the laser light blocking section in the optical path of the laser light from the position where the resin body is placed. When the exhaust port is provided at the laser light blocking section at the position where the resin body is placed or downstream of the optical path from the position where the resin body is placed, the gas flowing in from the inlet passes through the resin body. When the gas passes through the resin body, the resin body to be heated is cooled by the gas, and the heating efficiency deteriorates. In contrast, when the exhaust port is provided upstream of the optical path from the position of the resin body, the gas flowing in from the inlet is less likely to reach the resin body. Therefore, the dye fixing device can appropriately suppress the adhesion of the gasified dye to the objective lens while suppressing the cooling of the resin body by the gas.

However, the positions of the inlet and outlet may be changed. For example, the inlet and outlet may be formed in the laser light blocking section between the objective lens of the laser light irradiating section and the position where the resin body is placed, so that they face each other across the optical path. In this case, gas passes across the optical path of the laser light. Therefore, even if the gasified dye moves from the resin body toward the objective lens, the gasified dye is likely to flow to the outlet before reaching the objective lens. Also, the outlet may be provided in the laser light blocking section at the position where the resin body is placed, or downstream of the position where the resin body is placed in the optical path. Even in this case, the gasified dye is less likely to adhere to the objective lens.

The dye fixing device may be equipped with a thermal camera. The thermal camera is provided inside the laser light blocking section and detects the heat distribution of the resin body. In this case, the dye fixing device can more appropriately control the heating of the resin body based on the results of the heat distribution detection by the thermal camera.

The dye fixing device may further include a scanning unit that scans the laser light emitted from the laser light source relative to the resin body. The control unit of the dye fixing device may control the driving of the scanning unit based on the heat distribution of the resin body detected by the thermal camera. In this case, the resin body is more appropriately heated by the laser light based on the actual heat distribution of the resin body.

The specific configuration of the scanning unit can be selected as appropriate. For example, the scanning unit may be a scanner (e.g., at least one of a galvanometer mirror, a polygon mirror, an acousto-optical element, etc.) that deflects the traveling direction of the laser light. In this case, the scanning unit may be provided in the laser light irradiation unit. The scanning unit may also be a moving unit that moves the position of the resin body relative to the laser light. Both the scanner and the moving unit may be used.

The exhaust outlet may be formed in the laser light blocking section downstream of the electromagnetic wave entrance section that allows electromagnetic waves to enter the thermal camera in the optical path of the laser light. In this case, the dye heated and gasified by the laser light is less likely to adhere to the electromagnetic wave entrance section of the thermal camera in addition to the objective lens of the laser light irradiating section. This appropriately prevents the dye from adhering to the electromagnetic wave entrance section, which would otherwise cause a decrease in the performance of the thermal camera.

The electromagnetic wave entrance section may be, for example, an imaging lens (e.g., a germanium lens) that focuses the electromagnetic waves (infrared rays, etc.) generated from the resin body on the detection element of the thermo camera. The thermo camera may also be provided with a filter that blocks light of the wavelength of the laser light irradiated by the laser light irradiator. In this case, the electromagnetic wave entrance section may be composed of an imaging lens and a filter.

The pressure difference generating section may include at least one of an inflow fan and an exhaust fan. The inflow fan blows gas from the inlet into the laser light blocking section. The exhaust fan blows gas from the outlet to the outside of the laser light blocking section. By including at least one of an inflow fan and an exhaust fan, the dye fixing device can appropriately generate a pressure difference for flowing gas from the inflow fan to the outlet with a simple configuration.

The dye fixing device may further include a drive detection unit that detects whether the pressure difference generating unit is operating normally. When the drive detection unit detects that the pressure difference generating unit is not operating normally, the control unit of the dye fixing device may execute at least one of a warning process to an operator and a process to prohibit the heating operation of the resin body by the laser light irradiating unit. In this case, the adhesion of dye to the objective lens of the laser light irradiating unit due to a failure of the pressure difference generating unit, etc. is appropriately suppressed.

(Third aspect)
The dye fixing device exemplified in the present disclosure includes a laser light irradiating unit, a laser light blocking unit, and a radiant heat reflecting unit. The laser light irradiating unit irradiates the resin body with laser light. The laser light blocking unit is a cylindrical member that covers at least a part of the periphery of the optical path of the laser light extending from the laser light irradiating unit to the resin body, thereby blocking leakage of the laser light to the outside of the optical path. The radiant heat reflecting unit is provided on at least the inner circumferential surface of the resin body peripheral part that covers the periphery of the resin body, of the laser light blocking unit, and reflects radiant heat from the resin body.

According to the dye fixing device exemplified in this disclosure, leakage of the laser light outside the optical path is blocked by the laser light blocking section. Furthermore, a radiant heat reflecting section is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the resin body peripheral section that covers the periphery of the resin body, among the laser light blocking sections. Therefore, at least a portion of the radiant heat emitted from the resin body heated by the laser light is reflected toward the resin body by the radiant heat reflecting section. As a result, the heat of the resin body (particularly the outer periphery) is less likely to diffuse to the surroundings, so the temperature of the resin body is more likely to be appropriately raised by the laser light. This makes it easier for the dye to be appropriately fixed to the resin body.

The radiant heat reflecting portion may be provided around the entire periphery of the cylindrical resin body. In this case, the radiant heat emitted from the resin body is more efficiently reflected by the radiant heat reflecting portion back to the resin body. Thus, the resin body is more appropriately heated by the laser light.

However, the radiant heat reflecting portion may be provided (e.g., intermittently) in a portion of the circumferential direction of the resin body. Even in this case, the resin body is appropriately heated compared to a case in which the radiant heat reflecting portion is not provided.

At least a portion of the laser light blocking section, which is different from the peripheral portion of the resin body, may be formed of a light-transmitting member that blocks the laser light irradiated from the laser light irradiating section and transmits visible light. In this case, the worker can see the state of the resin body covered by the laser light blocking section through the light-transmitting member. This allows the work to be performed more appropriately.

The entire cylindrical body of the laser light blocking part may be made of a light-transmitting material. The laser light blocking part may be formed by attaching a radiant heat reflecting part to the body of the laser light blocking part made of a light-transmitting material. In this case, the worker can see the resin body from various parts other than the radiant heat reflecting part.

However, it is also possible to change the configuration of the laser light blocking section. For example, the entire body of the laser light blocking section may be formed of a radiant heat reflecting section.

The radiant heat reflecting portion may be made of a metal including aluminum or stainless steel. Aluminum and stainless steel tend to reflect radiant heat (electromagnetic waves). This makes it easier for the temperature of the resin body to rise.

However, the radiant heat reflecting portion may be made of a metal other than aluminum or stainless steel. Also, the radiant heat reflecting portion may be made of a material other than a metal.

(Fourth aspect)
The dyeing system exemplified in the present disclosure includes a printing device, a transfer device, a dye fixing device, a color information measuring device, and a control unit. The printing device prints a dye on a substrate. The transfer device transfers the dye to the resin body in a state where the resin body faces the substrate (substrate with dye) on which the dye is printed. The dye fixing device heats the resin body to which the dye is transferred, thereby fixing the dye to the resin body. The color information measuring device measures color information of the resin body to which the dye is fixed (i.e., the dyed resin body). The control unit executes a discharge amount determination step, a result color information acquisition step, and a correction step. In the discharge amount determination step, the control unit determines the amount of dye discharged onto the substrate by the printing device in order to dye the resin body with the color to be dyed (planned color) according to a determination procedure. In the result color information acquisition step, the control unit acquires result color information, which is color information measured by the color information measuring device, about the resin body actually dyed by the printing device, the transfer device, and the dye fixing device by using the discharge amount of dye determined in the discharge amount determination step. In the correction step, the control unit corrects the amount of dye discharged determined in the discharge amount determination step based on the resultant color information and the planned color, thereby bringing the color of the resin body dyed in the subsequent dyeing process closer to the planned color.

According to the dyeing system of the present disclosure, the dye discharge amount (i.e., the dye discharge amount for dyeing the resin body with the planned color) that is determined in a subsequent discharge amount determination step is corrected according to the planned color to be dyed and the color of the resin body that has actually been dyed (the resultant color). As a result, in the subsequent dyeing process, the dye discharge amount printed on the substrate to dye the planned color is corrected, so that the color of the resin body that is actually dyed approaches the planned color appropriately. Thus, the planned color is appropriately dyed into the resin body.

The specific method for correcting the dye ejection amount determined in the ejection amount determination step can be selected as appropriate. For example, the control unit may correct the dye ejection amount according to the result of a comparison process between the result color information and the color information of the planned color. The comparison process may be, for example, a process of obtaining the difference between the result color information and the color information of the planned color, or a process of obtaining the ratio between the result color information and the color information of the planned color.

For example, the control unit may correct the discharge amount of the dye determined in the discharge amount determination step by correcting the determination procedure for determining the discharge amount of the dye in the discharge amount determination step. Various procedures can be adopted for the determination procedure for determining the discharge amount of the dye (i.e., the algorithm for determining the discharge amount of the dye). For example, a table that associates each color for dyeing the resin body with the discharge amount of each dye may be stored in the storage device. The control unit may determine the discharge amount by acquiring the discharge amount of each dye corresponding to the planned color from the table. In this case, in the correction step, the determination procedure may be corrected by correcting the information in the table. In addition, information on the discharge amount of each dye (base color information) for dyeing the resin body with each of a plurality of dyes of different colors (e.g., red, yellow, and blue) at a planned concentration may be stored in the storage device. The control unit may determine the discharge amount by calculating the discharge amount of each dye for dyeing the planned color based on the base color information. In this case, in the correction step, the determination procedure may be corrected by correcting the base color information.

In addition, in this disclosure, as an example of a transfer method for transferring dye to a resin body, a gas phase transfer method is given in which a resin body and a dye-applied substrate are placed facing each other in a vacuum without contact, and a sublimable dye printed on the substrate is sublimated to transfer the dye to the resin body. However, it is also possible to change the transfer method. For example, the dye may be transferred to the resin body while the dye-applied substrate is in contact with the resin body.

In the ejection amount determination step, the control unit may determine the ejection amount of the specific dye by setting the color of the planned density to be dyed with one specific dye from among multiple dyes that the printing device can eject as the planned color. In the correction step, the control unit may correct the ejection amount of the specific dye determined in the subsequent ejection amount determination step based on the density indicated by the result color information and the density of the planned color. In this case, the ejection amount of the dye is corrected for the specific dye so that the resin body is appropriately dyed with the planned density. Thus, the color dyed with the specific dye is appropriately dyed in the resin body with the planned density.

The control unit may repeatedly execute the ejection amount determination step, the result color information acquisition step, and the correction step, treating each of the multiple dyes that the printing device can eject as a specific dye. In this case, the ejection amount is corrected for each of the multiple dyes so that the resin body is appropriately dyed at the expected concentration. Thus, a large number of colors expressed by combinations of multiple dyes are appropriately dyed into the resin body.

In the ejection amount determination step, the control unit may determine the ejection amounts of the multiple dyes by setting a color of a planned concentration to be dyed with multiple dyes among the multiple dyes that the printing device can eject as a planned color. In the correction step, the control unit may correct the ejection amount of at least one of the multiple dyes based on the result color information and the planned color. In this case, it is also possible to correct the ejection amounts of the multiple dyes collectively.

The color information measuring device may be a spectrometer that measures the spectral spectrum of the resin body as color information. In this case, color information is acquired with less influence from the lighting environment, etc., compared to when an RGB camera or the like is used as the color information measuring device. This further improves the dyeing quality. Even when multiple dyes are used to dye the resin body, a spectral spectrum, which is the distribution of intensity for each wavelength, is acquired, so that the discharge amount of each of the multiple dyes is appropriately corrected.

A specific method for correcting the amount of dye discharged based on the spectral spectrum can also be selected as appropriate. For example, the control unit may acquire the spectral transmittance of the dyed resin body as the resultant color information, and correct the amount of dye discharged based on the transmittance of the maximum absorption peak of each dye and the transmittance of the planned color. In other words, if the transmittance of a color dyed with a specific dye is higher than planned, the control unit may increase the amount of dye discharged from before correction, and if the transmittance is lower than planned, the control unit may decrease the amount of dye discharged from before correction. When a resin body is dyed using multiple dyes, the control unit may correct the amount of dye discharged for each dye based on the transmittance of the maximum absorption peak of each dye.

However, a measuring device other than a spectrometer (such as an RGB camera) may be used as the color information measuring device. In addition, the spectral characteristics of the resin body may be estimated as color information by combining a general camera with an RGB filter.

The control unit may further execute a notification step of notifying the user that the quality of the dyeing of the resin body is poor if the difference between the result color information acquired in the result color information acquisition step and the planned color exceeds an allowable range. In this case, the user can easily understand that the dyeing of the resin body was not performed appropriately.

The control unit may execute a correction step when the difference between the result color information acquired in the result color information acquisition step and the planned color exceeds a threshold value. In this case, if the dyeing quality is not good, the amount of dye discharged is corrected to improve the quality of the subsequent dyeing. Thus, the resin body is dyed more appropriately.

The control unit may perform feedback control in which the correction step is repeated each time the resin body is dyed. In this case, the amount of dye discharged is appropriately corrected each time the resin body is actually dyed, so that the resin body is dyed more appropriately.

However, the timing for executing the correction step can be selected as appropriate. For example, the correction step may be executed when the dyeing system is shipped from the manufacturer, when the dyeing system is first operated, or when the dyeing system is maintained. The control unit may also execute the correction step when an instruction to execute the correction step is input by the user. The control unit may also execute the correction step when the number of times the difference between the result color information and the planned color exceeds a threshold value reaches a predetermined number of times.

The color information measuring instrument may be equipped with multiple light sources of different types (for example, two or more of a standard light source defined by a standard (e.g., CIE standard light source D65, etc.), a white light source, and a light source that emits light similar to sunlight). In this case, the color information of the dyed resin body is appropriately acquired using the light source desired by the user.

The resin body to be dyed may be a lens used in spectacles. In the correction step, the control unit may correct the amount of dye discharged, which is determined subsequently, for each type of lens substrate to be dyed. Even if the amount of dye discharged is the same, the color of dye differs depending on the type of lens substrate. Therefore, by correcting the amount of dye discharged for each type of lens substrate, the amount of dye discharged required to appropriately dye each substrate is determined depending on the substrate.

The control unit may obtain color information about the dyed color by acquiring color information about the lens before dyeing and subtracting the color information about the lens before dyeing from the resultant color information. In this case, the influence of the color of the lens before dyeing is eliminated, so that the relationship between the amount of dye discharged and the dyeing result can be properly understood.

(Fifth aspect)
The dyeing tray exemplified in the present disclosure is used to place a resin body to be dyed in a dyeing process using a vapor phase transfer dyeing method. The dyeing tray exemplified in the present disclosure includes a tray body and a mounting frame on which the resin body is placed. The mounting frame is detachable from the tray body.

When using the staining tray of the present disclosure, an operator can remove the mounting frame from the tray body and clean or discard the removed mounting frame. Therefore, the operator can carry out the staining process more efficiently and appropriately than if the entire tray were cleaned or discarded.

The tray body may be provided with a mounting section to which the mounting frame can be removably attached. In this case, the mounting frame can be easily mounted in an appropriate position, further improving the staining quality.

The tray body may have a substrate placement section formed thereon. The substrate placement section may be formed on the tray body, on the outside, above the mounting section. A substrate to which a sublimable dye adheres is placed on the substrate placement section. In this case, the dye is appropriately transferred to the resin body by sublimating the sublimable dye while the substrate is placed on the substrate placement section.

The substrate mounting portion may be formed on the outer side of the tray body, above the mounting portion. In this case, by placing the substrate on the substrate mounting portion, the substrate is properly opposed to the resin body placed on the mounting frame.

The dyeing tray may further include a spacer. The spacer forms a space between the substrate placed on the substrate placement section and the placement frame. In this case, the sublimable dye is appropriately transferred from the substrate to the resin body through the space formed by the spacer. The spacer also appropriately prevents the sublimated dye from leaking to the outside.

The spacer may extend upward in a cylindrical shape from the outer periphery of the portion of the mounting frame on which the resin body is placed. In this case, the spacer forms an appropriate space between the base body and the mounting frame.

When the spacer is attached to the tray body, the upper end of the spacer may protrude above the mounting surface of the substrate mounting section. In this case, the substrate and the upper end of the spacer are more likely to come into close contact with each other, making it even more difficult for the sublimated dye to leak to the outside.

The spacer may be a separate member from the mounting frame. In other words, the spacer and the mounting frame may be separate and not integral. The spacer may be attached to and detached from the tray body together with the mounting frame. In this case, the worker can place the resin body on the mounting frame installed in the tray body with the spacer removed. When the spacer is removed, the space around the mounting frame is wider than when both the mounting frame and the spacer are installed in the tray body. Therefore, the worker can easily place the resin body on the mounting frame. Furthermore, when the mounting frame and the spacer are separate members, it is easy to use different materials for the mounting frame and the spacer. Therefore, the manufacturer of the dyeing tray can appropriately select materials according to the respective functions of the mounting frame and the spacer.

However, the mounting frame and the spacer may be integrated. Even in this case, the sublimable dye is properly transferred to the resin body and is less likely to leak to the outside.

The tray body may further include a positioning section. The positioning section positions the substrate placed on the substrate placement section relative to the resin body. In this case, the substrate is accurately positioned relative to the resin body by the positioning section. The possibility that the substrate will be misaligned relative to the resin body is also reduced. This allows dyeing to be performed more easily and with higher quality. The positioning section may protrude upward from a part of the tray body that is outside the substrate placement section. In this case, the substrate is appropriately positioned inside the positioning section.

The tray body may further include a base protection section. The base protection section extends to a position above the mounting surface on which the base is placed in the base mounting section of the tray body, by more than the thickness of the base. In this case, even if some object (e.g., another staining tray, etc.) is stacked on the dyeing tray with the base placed thereon, the stacked object is likely to come into contact with the base protection section rather than the base, and damage to the base is unlikely to occur. Thus, a decrease in dyeing quality is appropriately suppressed. It is more desirable that the height of the base protection section from the mounting surface of the base mounting section be greater than the thickness of the base. In this case, the base is more appropriately protected.

At least a part of the positioning section and at least a part of the base protection section may be combined. In this case, the structure of the staining tray, which has both the function of positioning the base and the function of protecting the base, can be easily simplified.

The tray body may further include a bottom fitting portion and an upper fitting portion. The bottom fitting portion is a recess formed in the bottom of the tray body portion. The upper fitting portion is a protrusion formed in the upper portion of the tray body, which fits into the bottom fitting portion of the stacked tray body when another tray body is stacked on top. In this case, multiple staining trays are stacked one above the other in a stable state.

At least a part of the positioning portion and at least a part of the upper fitting portion may be combined. At least a part of the base protection portion and at least a part of the upper fitting portion may be combined. In this case, the structure of the staining tray can be easily simplified.

The height of the upper fitting portion from the mounting surface of the base mounting portion may be equal to or greater than the sum of the depth of the bottom fitting portion and the thickness of the base. In this case, even if multiple dyeing trays are stacked one on top of the other, the base is unlikely to come into contact with the dyeing trays stacked on top, making it difficult for damage to occur to the base. This appropriately prevents the dyeing quality from deteriorating. It is more desirable that the height of the base protection portion from the mounting surface of the base mounting portion be greater than the sum of the depth of the bottom fitting portion and the thickness of the base. In this case, the base is more appropriately protected.

The resin object to be dyed may be a lens used for spectacles. One tray body may be formed with two mounting sections to which the mounting frames are attached. In this case, a pair of spectacle lenses (left and right) are dyed while placed on one dyeing tray. This further improves the work efficiency of the worker.

Multiple types of mounting frames may be provided depending on the diameter of the lens to be dyed. In this case, by appropriately selecting the mounting frame corresponding to the diameter of the lens, various lenses of different diameters can be appropriately dyed using a single tray body.

The mounting frame and the mounting section may each be formed with a light-transmitting section that transmits light in the vertical direction. In this case, at least one of the color information and the optical characteristics of the lens can be measured while the lens is placed (mounted) on the staining tray. This further improves work efficiency.

A recess may be formed around the mounting portion on the tray body, extending outward from the mounting portion. In this case, an operator can easily attach and detach various components (e.g., a mounting frame, a resin body, etc.) to and from the mounting portion by inserting a finger or the like into the recess.

The mounting section may further include a sensor transmission section that transmits the light emitted by the optical sensor. In this case, the optical sensor appropriately detects whether or not at least one of the resin body, the mounting frame, and the spacer is installed on the tray body.

The melting point of the material of at least the portion of the mounting frame that comes into contact with the resin body may be 200°C or higher. In the fixing process in the vapor phase transfer dyeing method, the resin body becomes hot. Therefore, by making the melting point of the material of the mounting frame 200°C or higher, deformation of the mounting frame and the like are appropriately suppressed. In addition, the thermal conductivity of the material of at least the portion of the mounting frame that comes into contact with the resin body may be 0.5 W/mK or lower. In this case, heat is less likely to be conducted from the heated resin body to the outside, so the resin body is more likely to be heated appropriately. By making the melting point of the material of the mounting frame 200°C or higher and the thermal conductivity 0.5 W/mK or lower, deformation of the mounting frame and the like are suppressed, and the resin body is more likely to be heated.

The above-mentioned identifier or tag may be provided on the tray body. The tray body can be used more times than the mounting frame or the like. Therefore, the frequency with which identifiers or tags are attached to members is reduced compared to when the identifiers or tags are provided on the mounting frame or the like.

In the present disclosure, the tray on which the resin body is placed is used as the installation section on which the resin body is placed. However, it is also possible to change the configuration of the installation section. For example, the installation section may hold the resin body by clamping it from the side.

<Embodiment>
A typical embodiment according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The dyeing system 1 dyes a resin body automatically and continuously. In this embodiment, the resin body to be dyed is a plastic lens L (see FIG. 2, etc.) used for glasses. However, at least a part of the technology exemplified in this disclosure can also be applied to dyeing a resin body other than the lens L. For example, when dyeing various resin bodies such as goggles, mobile phone covers, light covers, accessories, toys, films (e.g., thickness 400 μm or less), and plate materials (e.g., thickness 400 μm or more), at least a part of the technology exemplified in this disclosure can also be applied. The resin body to be dyed also includes a resin body attached to a member different from the resin body (e.g., wood or glass, etc.). In addition, the dyeing system 1 of this embodiment dyes a plurality of resin bodies while continuously transporting them. However, at least a part of the technology exemplified in this disclosure can also be adopted in a dyeing system that transports and dyes resin bodies one set at a time.

(System configuration)
The system configuration of a dyeing system 1 of this embodiment will be described briefly with reference to Fig. 1. The dyeing system 1 of this embodiment includes a conveying device 10, a preparation unit 20, a printing device 30, a transfer device 40, a dye fixing device 50, a coating device 60, and a control device 70.

Although details will be described later, the transfer device 40 and the dye fixing device 50 of this embodiment are included in an automatic dyeing device 3 that automatically and continuously transfers and fixes dye to multiple lenses L. Note that the automatic dyeing device 3 may also incorporate devices other than the transfer device 40 and the dye fixing device 50 (e.g., a printing device 30, etc.).

The conveying device 10 conveys the conveying unit U (see Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 8) to the automatic dyeing device 3, etc. In detail, the conveying device 10 of this embodiment conveys multiple conveying units U continuously to the printing device 30 and the automatic dyeing device 3, etc. The conveying device 10 of this embodiment conveys the conveying unit U in the order of the preparatory unit 20, the printing device 30, the transfer device 40, the dye fixing device 50, and the coating device 60 (i.e., from left to right in Fig. 1). The conveying unit U includes a dyeing tray 80 (see Fig. 2) and a lens L placed on the dyeing tray 80. The dyeing tray 80 is an example of a mounting section where the lens L, which is a resin body, is placed. Furthermore, the conveying unit U may also include a sheet-like substrate (dye-applied substrate) S (see Figs. 5, 6, and 8) on whose surface a dye is applied.

The pre-preparation unit 20 performs preparations before actually transferring and fixing the dye to the lens L. In detail, the pre-preparation unit 20 in this embodiment includes an optical characteristic measuring device 21 and a rotation device 22.

The optical characteristic measuring device 21 is equipped with a measurement optical system that measures the optical characteristics of the lens L. The optical characteristic measuring device 21 projects a measurement light beam onto the lens L and receives the measurement light beam that has passed through the lens L to read the optical characteristics of the lens L (e.g., spherical power, cylindrical power, cylindrical axis angle, prism power, etc.). By measuring the cylindrical axis angle of the lens L, the angle of the rotation direction of the lens L is determined. A known configuration can be adopted for the optical characteristic measuring device 21, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted (the configuration of the optical characteristic measuring device 21 is described in, for example, JP 2012-107910 A, etc.).

The rotation device 22 includes a support portion that supports the lens L, and an actuator (e.g., a motor, etc.) that rotates the lens L supported by the support portion. The rotation device 22 determines the rotation direction of the lens L by rotating the lens L, which is a type of resin body, for each transport unit U transported by the transport device 10. The rotation device 22 of this embodiment determines the rotation direction of the lens L to a target direction by rotating the lens L based on the angle of the rotation direction of the lens L measured by the optical property measuring device 21. Details will be described later, but the dyeing system 1 of this embodiment is a case where gradation dyeing is performed and the lens L is not symmetrical about the geometric center axis, and the angle of the lens L is adjusted to the angle of the dye printed on the base S by rotating the lens L.

It is also possible to change the specific method for rotating the lens L by the rotation device 22. First, the method for determining the angle of the rotation direction of the lens L is not limited to the method of measuring the astigmatism axis angle of the lens L. For example, the preparation unit 20 may be equipped with a hidden mark detection unit that detects a hidden mark indicating the angle of the rotation direction of the lens L. In this case, the rotation device 22 may determine the angle of the rotation direction of the lens L based on the hidden mark detected by the hidden mark detection unit, and rotate the lens L based on the determination result. In addition, at least one of the determination of the angle of the lens L and the rotation of the lens L may be performed by an operator. In addition, it goes without saying that if the lens L has a symmetric shape around the geometric center axis, the step of rotating the lens L can be omitted.

The printing device 30 prints dye on a sheet-shaped substrate S (see Figs. 5, 6, and 8). In this embodiment, the substrate S is made of paper or a metallic film (made of aluminum in this embodiment) of moderate hardness. However, other materials such as glass plate, heat-resistant resin, and ceramics can also be used as the material of the substrate S. In addition, although details will be described later, in the dyeing system 1 of this embodiment, in order to properly transfer the dye to the lens L while preventing the dye from coagulating, etc., the dye of the substrate S is heated in a state in which the substrate S and the lens L are spaced apart and opposed to each other in a vacuum (including a near-vacuum) environment, so that the dye is transferred (deposited) onto the surface of the lens L (the dyeing method in this embodiment is called a vapor phase transfer dyeing method). Therefore, an inkjet printer that prints ink containing a sublimation dye onto the substrate S is used as the printing device 30. In addition, the printing device 30 can also print normal ink that does not contain a sublimation dye onto the substrate S. The printing device 30 executes printing based on print data created by a control device 70, which is an information processing device (in this embodiment, a personal computer (hereafter referred to as "PC")). As a result, an appropriate amount of dye is attached to an appropriate position on the substrate S. It is also easy to create a dye-coated substrate S for dyeing gradations.

The configuration of the printing device 30 can also be changed. For example, the printing device can be a laser printer. In this case, the toner can contain a sublimable dye. Also, instead of the printing device 30, the dye can be applied to the substrate S by a dispenser (a device for applying a fixed amount of liquid), a roller, etc.

The transfer device 40 transfers the dye from the substrate S, on which the dye is printed, to the lens L, for each transport unit U transported by the transport device 10, with the substrate S facing the lens L. As described above, in this embodiment, the dye is transferred from the substrate S to the lens L by a vapor phase transfer method. However, it is also possible to change the method of transferring the dye to the lens L. For example, the dye may be transferred from the substrate S to the lens L with the substrate S and the lens L in contact with each other. The configuration of the transfer device 40 will be described in detail later.

The dye fixing device 50 heats the lens L for each transport unit U transported by the transport device 10, thereby fixing the dye attached to the surface of the lens L into a resin body. The dye fixing device 50 of this embodiment heats the lens L by irradiating the lens L with laser light, which is an electromagnetic wave. However, a device that irradiates the lens L with electromagnetic waves other than laser light (e.g., an oven, etc.) may also be used as the dye fixing device. The configuration of the dye fixing device 50 will be described in detail later.

In the transport path of the transport unit U by the transport device 10, downstream of the dye fixing device 50 (in this embodiment, on the path between the dye fixing device 50 and the coating device 60), a color information measuring device 51 is provided that measures color information of the lens L dyed (fixed) by the transfer device 40 and the dye fixing device 50. The color information measuring device 51 in this embodiment is a spectrometer that measures the optical spectrum of the lens L (more specifically, the transmission spectrum in this embodiment) as color information. Therefore, compared to the case where an RGB camera or the like is used, color information is acquired in a state where the influence of the lighting environment, etc. is suppressed. In addition, even if the lens L is dyed using multiple dyes, the optical spectrum, which is the distribution of intensity for each wavelength, is acquired, so that color information of the dyed lens L is appropriately acquired.

However, a device other than a spectrometer (e.g., an RGB camera, etc.) may be used as the color information measuring instrument. It is also possible to change the location where the color information measuring instrument 51 is provided. For example, the color information measuring instrument 51 may be provided in the dye fixing device 50. The color information measuring instrument 51 may be provided downstream of the coating device 60 on the conveying path.

The coating device 60 applies a coating to the surface of the lens L on which the dye has been fixed by the dye fixing device 50 for each transport unit U transported by the transport device 10. The specific method by which the coating device 60 coats the lens L can be selected as appropriate. For example, at least one of a spray method, an inkjet method, a spin method, a dip method, etc. may be adopted as the coating method. The type of coating may also be selected as appropriate from many types (for example, a hard coat, an anti-reflective coat, a water-repellent coat, a primer coat, etc.).

The control device 70 is responsible for various controls in the dyeing system 1. The control device 70 can be any of various information processing devices (e.g., at least one of a PC, a server, and a mobile terminal). The control device 70 is equipped with a controller (e.g., a CPU, etc.) 71 that controls the control, and a database 72 that stores various data. The configuration of the control device 70 can also be changed. First, multiple devices may work together to function as the control device 70. For example, the control device that controls various controls in the dyeing system 1 and the control device equipped with the database 72 may be separate devices. In addition, the controllers of multiple devices may work together to execute various controls in the dyeing system 1. For example, at least one of the conveying device 10, the optical property measuring device 21, the rotating device 22, the printing device 30, the transfer device 40, the dye fixing device 50, and the coating device 60 often has a controller. In this case, the controller of the control device 70 and the controller of the other device may work together to control the dyeing system 1.

The dyeing system 1 includes a reading unit 2 for each transport unit U that reads information about the transport unit U. As an example, the reading unit 2 in this embodiment is an identifier reading unit that reads an identifier provided on the transport unit U. The transport unit U is identified by the identifier read by the identifier reading unit 2. The type of identifier used in the dyeing system 1 can be selected as appropriate. For example, at least one of a QR code (registered trademark), a barcode, an identification hole formed according to a predetermined rule, etc. can be adopted as the identifier. The identifier reading unit 2 may be an identifier reader (for example, a QR code (registered trademark) reader, a barcode reader, an identification hole reader, etc.) that corresponds to the identifier being used.

In this embodiment, when the lens L is heated by the dye fixing device 50, the temperature of the transport unit U rises. Also, when the dye is transferred to the lens L by the transfer device 40, the temperature of the transport unit U rises due to the heating of the substrate S. Furthermore, the transfer device 40 of this embodiment transfers the dye to the lens L in a substantially vacuum environment. Therefore, it is considered that the influence of heat and air pressure may make it difficult for the reading unit 2 to read the information. However, in this embodiment, an identifier that is not easily affected by heat and air pressure is provided in the transport unit U. Therefore, the dyeing system 1 of this embodiment can properly read information about the transport unit U while performing the dyeing process that requires heating and decompression.

However, it is also possible to change the configuration of the reading unit 2. For example, a tag (such as an IC tag) to which information can be written may be provided to the transport unit U. The information written to the tag may include parameters of the treatment to be performed on the lens L included in the transport unit U. In this case, a tag reading unit that reads information from the tag may be employed for the reading unit 2. By reading the information from the tag by the tag reading unit 2, the parameters of the treatment to be performed on each lens L are appropriately acquired by the control device 70.

In addition, the optical property measuring device 21 that reads the optical properties of the lens L may function as a reading unit that reads information about the transport unit U. In addition, the hidden mark detection unit that detects the hidden mark on the lens L may function as a reading unit that reads information about the transport unit U.

In this embodiment, a reading unit 2 is provided in each of the multiple devices that make up the dyeing system 1. In detail, a reading unit 2A is provided in a position on the transport path of the transport unit U by the transport device 10, before (upstream of) the position where the transport unit U reaches the pre-preparation unit 20. A reading unit 2B is provided in the pre-preparation unit 20. A reading unit 2C is provided in the printing device 30. A reading unit 2D is provided in the transfer device 40. A reading unit 2E is provided in the dye fixing device 50. A reading unit 2F is provided in the coating device 60. By providing a reading unit 2 in each of the multiple devices, information related to the transport unit U is read each time the transport unit U is transported to each device, and various processes are appropriately performed.

However, it is also possible to change the position of the reading unit 2. First, it is also possible to omit at least one of the multiple reading units 2A to 2F shown in FIG. 1. For example, only the reading unit 2A provided upstream of the transport path may be used. The control device 70 may determine the position to which each transport unit U is transported by the transport device 10. In this case, the control device 70 may perform a procedure for each lens L based on the position of each transport unit U and the information read by the reading unit 2 regarding the transport unit U.

(Dyeing tray)
The staining tray 80 used in the staining system 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. As described above, the staining tray 80 is an example of a mounting section on which the lens L is mounted during transportation. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the staining tray 80 in a state in which two lenses L are mounted (placed) and the base body S is not mounted. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the staining tray 80, showing an exploded view of a mounting frame 89, the lens L, and a spacer 87 mounted on one of the two mounting sections 82.

2 and 3, the dyeing tray 80 of this embodiment includes a tray body 81, a mounting frame 89, and a spacer 87. The tray body 81, the mounting frame 89, and the spacer 87 are all made of materials that can withstand high temperatures and low pressures (almost vacuum). In this embodiment, at least the portion of the mounting frame 89 where the lens L is placed and in contact (in this embodiment, the entire mounting frame 89) is made of a material with a melting point of 200°C or higher (for example, at least one of fluororesin such as Teflon (registered trademark), stainless steel, and aluminum). In the fixing process (described in detail later) in the vapor transfer dyeing method, the lens L becomes hot. Therefore, by setting the melting point of the material of the mounting frame 89 to 200°C or higher, deformation of the mounting frame 89 is appropriately suppressed. Furthermore, it is more preferable that at least the portion of the mounting frame 89 on which the lens L is placed and in contact (the entire mounting frame 89 in this embodiment) is made of a material with a thermal conductivity of 0.5 W/mK or less (e.g., fluororesin such as Teflon (registered trademark)). By making the thermal conductivity of the material of the mounting frame 89 0.5 W/mK or less, heat is less likely to be conducted from the heated lens L to the mounting frame 89, making it easier for the lens L to be heated appropriately. In this embodiment, the tray body 81 and the spacer 87 are made of metal (aluminum), and the mounting frame 89 is made of Teflon (registered trademark). However, it is also possible to change the material of the staining tray 80. For example, the tray body 81 and the spacer 87 may be made of resin or the like. The mounting frame 89 may be made of metal or the like.

The resin body to be dyed (lens L in this embodiment) is placed on the mounting frame 89. The mounting frame 89 in this embodiment is formed in a ring shape with an outer diameter slightly larger than the lens L. A light-transmitting portion 89S, which is a circular hole that transmits light in the vertical direction, is formed in the center of the mounting frame 89. Instead of a hole, the light-transmitting portion 89S may be formed of a light-transmitting material (e.g., glass, etc.). Depending on the diameter of the lens L to be installed, multiple types of mounting frames 89 with different diameters of the annular step portion on which the lens L is placed are provided. The operator places the lens L on the dyeing tray 80 using a mounting frame 89 that corresponds to the diameter of the lens L to be dyed.

The spacer 87 extends upward in a tubular (cylindrical) shape from the outer periphery of the portion of the mounting frame 89 on which the lens L is placed. As described above, in this embodiment, the spacer 87 and the mounting frame 89 are separate members. Therefore, the worker can place the lens L on the mounting frame 89 with the spacer 87 removed. Therefore, the worker can easily place the lens L on the mounting frame 89. In addition, since the mounting frame 89 and the spacer 87 are separate members, it is easy to use different materials for the mounting frame 89 and the spacer 87. However, the mounting frame 89 and the spacer 87 may be integrated.

The tray body 81 is formed with an attachment section 82. The mounting frame 89 and spacer 87 are removably attached to the attachment section 82. Therefore, an operator can remove the mounting frame 89 and spacer 87 from the attachment section 82 of the tray body 81, and clean or discard only the removed mounting frame 89 and spacer 87. Therefore, of the dyeing tray 80, only the mounting frame 89 and spacer 87, which are likely to become contaminated with dye during the dyeing process, can be efficiently cleaned or discarded.

The mounting part 82 in this embodiment is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the ring-shaped mounting frame 89 and the diameter of the cylindrical spacer 87. Therefore, the worker can easily mount the mounting frame 89 on the mounting part 82. However, it goes without saying that the shapes of the mounting frame 89 and the mounting part 82 can be changed as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 3, a light-transmitting portion 82S, which is a hole (a circular hole in this embodiment) that transmits light in the vertical direction, is formed in the bottom (the center of the bottom in this embodiment) of the bottomed cylindrical mounting portion 82. Instead of a hole, the light-transmitting portion 82S may be formed of a light-transmitting material (e.g., glass, etc.). Since the light-transmitting portion 82S is formed in the mounting portion 82 and the light-transmitting portion 89S is also formed in the mounting frame 89, the color information and optical characteristics of the lens L can be measured with the lens L placed (mounted) on the staining tray 80 and the base S removed from the staining tray 80.

In this embodiment, two mounting sections 82 are formed on one tray body 81. Therefore, a pair of lenses (left and right) L used for one pair of spectacles are dyed while placed on one dyeing tray 80. This improves the work efficiency of the worker.

A substrate mounting section 85 is formed on the tray body 81, on the outside above the mounting section 82, on which a sheet-like substrate S (see Figures 5, 6, and 8) to which a sublimation dye is attached is placed. By placing the substrate S on the substrate mounting section 85, the sublimation dye attached to the substrate S faces the lens L placed on the mounting frame 89. Therefore, the dye is appropriately transferred to the resin body.

The cylindrical spacer 87 forms a space between the substrate S placed on the substrate mounting section 85 and the lens L placed on the mounting frame 89. Therefore, the sublimable dye is appropriately transferred from the substrate S to the lens L through the space formed by the spacer 87. The spacer 87 also appropriately prevents the sublimated dye from leaking to the outside. Therefore, the outside of the space is less likely to be soiled by the dye, and the dyeing quality is less likely to deteriorate.

When the mounting frame 89 and spacer 87 are attached to the mounting section 82, the upper end of the spacer 87 protrudes above the mounting surface of the substrate mounting section 85. This makes it easier for the substrate S placed on the substrate mounting section 85 to come into close contact with the upper end of the spacer 87, making it even more difficult for the sublimated dye to leak to the outside.

A recess 83 (i.e., a recess 83 forming a space between the mounting frame 89 and the spacer 87 and the tray body 81) is formed around the mounting portion 82 of the tray body 81, and extends outward from the mounting portion 82. Therefore, an operator can easily remove the mounting frame 89, the spacer 87, and the lens L from the mounting portion 82 by inserting a finger or the like into the recess 83. The recess 83 in this embodiment is a notch formed in the tray body 81, which is substantially plate-shaped. However, it is also possible to change the configuration of the recess 83. For example, a recess may be formed that is recessed below the upper surface of the mounting frame 89 when it is attached to the mounting portion 82. In addition, four recesses 83 are formed around each mounting portion 82 in this embodiment. However, it goes without saying that the number of recesses 83 can be changed as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of sensor transmission sections 82T that transmit light emitted by the optical sensor are formed on the side of the mounting section 82, which is a generally bottomed cylinder. Therefore, the optical sensor properly detects whether at least one of the lens L, mounting frame 89, and spacer 87 (spacer 87 in this embodiment) is attached to the mounting section 82. When the optical sensor detects that the spacer 87 is not attached to the mounting section 82, the dyeing system 1 of this embodiment prohibits the transfer process by the transfer device 40 and the fixing process by the dye fixing device 50 (i.e., irradiation of laser light to fix the dye).

At a position on the tray body 81 outside the mounting portion 82 (specifically, outside the substrate mounting portion 85), protrusions 84 (84A, 84B) are provided that protrude above the mounting surface of the substrate mounting portion 85 on which the substrate S is placed.

The shape of the substrate S in this embodiment is a rectangular sheet that covers both mounting parts 82. In this embodiment, multiple (eight) protrusions 84 are formed at positions along the outer periphery of the substrate S when it is placed in an appropriate position on the staining tray 80 (i.e., when it is properly placed on the substrate placement part 85). Therefore, by placing the substrate S in the area (substrate placement part 85) surrounded by the multiple protrusions 84, the substrate S is properly positioned with respect to the lens L. In addition, the possibility that the position of the placed substrate S will be shifted with respect to the lens L is reduced. In other words, at least a part of the multiple protrusions 84 in this embodiment (all of the protrusions 84A and 84B in this embodiment) functions as a positioning part that positions the substrate S with respect to the lens L.

In addition, at least a portion of the multiple protrusions 84 (in this embodiment, all of the protrusions 84A, 84B) protrude above the mounting surface of the substrate mounting portion 85 on which the substrate S is placed, to a position that is greater than the thickness of the substrate S. Therefore, even if some object is stacked on the dyeing tray 80 with the substrate S placed thereon, the stacked object is likely to come into contact with the protrusions 84, and therefore the object is unlikely to come into contact with the substrate S. Therefore, damage to the substrate S is unlikely to occur. As described above, the protrusions 84 in this embodiment function as a substrate protection portion that protects the substrate S placed on the dyeing tray 80 from objects stacked on top of the substrate S.

In this embodiment, the multiple protrusions 84 serve both as positioning sections and base protection sections. In other words, the protrusions 84 serve both as at least a portion of the positioning sections and at least a portion of the base protection sections. Therefore, the structure of the staining tray 80 can be easily simplified.

At the bottom of the tray body 81 (in this embodiment, at two places at the bottom of each mounting portion 82), a bottom fitting portion 86, which is a recessed portion recessed upward, is formed. Among the multiple protrusions 84 formed at the upper part of the tray body 81, the four protrusions 84B adjacent to the mounting portion 82 fit into the bottom fitting portion 86 of the stacked dyeing tray 80 when another dyeing tray 80 (tray body 81) is stacked on top of the dyeing tray 80. In other words, the four protrusions 84B function as upper fitting portions that fit into the bottom fitting portion 86 of the other tray body 81 stacked on top. Therefore, multiple dyeing trays 80 are stacked up and down in a stable state. Note that each of the bottom fitting portion 86 and the upper fitting portion in this embodiment is arranged asymmetrically (for example, rotationally asymmetrically). Therefore, it is easy for the operator to stack multiple dyeing trays 80 in the same orientation.

The height of the protrusion 84B from the mounting surface of the substrate mounting portion 85 is equal to or greater than the sum of the depth of the bottom fitting portion 86 (depth of the recess) and the thickness of the substrate S. Therefore, even if multiple dyeing trays 80 are stacked with the substrate S placed on the substrate mounting portion 85, the substrate S is unlikely to come into contact with the dyeing trays 80 stacked on top, and damage to the substrate S is unlikely to occur.

As described above, in this embodiment, the protrusion 84B serves as the upper fitting portion, the positioning portion, and the base protection portion. This allows the structure of the staining tray 80 to be easily simplified. However, two or all of the upper fitting portion, the positioning portion, and the base protection portion may be composed of separate members.

It goes without saying that when multiple protrusions 84 are provided on the tray body 81, the number of protrusions 84 is not limited to eight. It is also possible to change the shape of the protrusions 84. For example, the protrusions may be rib-shaped members that extend upward from a position along the outer periphery of the base body S.

The tray body 81 is provided with an identifier 88 that is read by the reading unit 2. The tray body 81 can be used more times than the mounting frame 89, etc. Therefore, the identifier 88 is attached to a member less frequently than when the identifier 88 is provided on the mounting frame 89, etc. Note that when a tag reading unit that reads information from a tag is used as the reading unit 2 (see FIG. 1), a tag to which information can be written may be provided on the tray body 81 instead of the identifier 88.

(Automatic staining device)
The automatic dyeing device 3 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 12. As described above, the automatic dyeing device 3 of this embodiment includes the transfer device 40 and the dye fixing device 50, and automatically and continuously performs transfer and fixing of dye onto a plurality of lenses L. The automatic dyeing device 3 is incorporated into the dyeing system 1 together with the printing device 30 and the like. Note that, as described above, the printing device 30 and the like may also be incorporated into the automatic dyeing device 3.

As shown in FIG. 4, the automatic dyeing device 3 has a roughly box-shaped housing 31. Inside the housing 31, a transfer/fixing unit 4 (see FIG. 5) is built in which a transfer device 40, a dye fixing device 50, etc. are assembled to a part of a conveying device 10. The left and right ends of the transfer/fixing unit 4 protrude outward from the housing 31.

The front surface 32 of the housing 31 (the front left side in FIG. 3) is connected to the main body of the housing 31 via a hinge at the right end, and is provided rotatably relative to the main body of the housing 31. When maintenance of the automatic staining device 3 is performed, the entire front surface 32 is opened. In addition, a wide area slightly above the vertical center of the housing 31 is formed of a transparent material. Therefore, the operator can check the procedure being performed by the automatic staining device 3 through the transparent material. An emergency stop button 34 and the like are provided slightly below the vertical center on the front surface 32 of the housing 31 for inputting an instruction to forcibly stop the operation of the automatic staining device 3. In addition, a touch panel 35 for inputting various operation instructions by the user is provided at the upper part of the front surface 32 of the housing 31.

As shown in FIG. 5, the transfer/fixing unit 4 includes a part of the conveying device 10, a transfer device 40, a dye fixing device 50, and a substrate holding device 90. The conveying device 10 of this embodiment generally conveys a plurality of conveying units U continuously from the upstream side (left side of the paper in FIG. 5) to the downstream side (right side of the paper in FIG. 5) in the conveying direction. In the transfer/fixing unit 4, the transfer device 40, the dye fixing device 50, and the substrate holding device 90 are arranged in this order from the upstream side of the conveying direction. The conveying device 10 conveys the conveying units U in the order of the transfer device 40, the substrate holding device 90, the dye fixing device 50, and the substrate holding device 90. The dye fixing device 50 and the substrate holding device 90 may be arranged in the opposite order. The automatic dyeing device 3 of this embodiment conveys the conveying unit U including the substrate S to which the dye is attached to the transfer/fixing unit 4.

(Transportation device)
The conveying device 10 included in the transfer/fixing unit 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 6, the conveying device 10 has a pair of rails 101 extending in the conveying direction. A rotating belt 102 is provided near the rails 101 and arranged along the rails 101. The rotating belt 102 is connected to a conveying motor 103 (e.g., a step motor or the like). The conveying motor 103 is driven to rotate the rotating belt 102. The rotation of the rotating belt 102 moves the conveying unit U along the rails 101 in the conveying direction.

Sensors (photoelectric sensors in this embodiment) 104 for detecting the presence or absence of the transport unit U are provided at multiple positions on the rail 101. The control device 70 can detect the position of the transport unit U being transported by the transport device 10 based on the detection results of each of the multiple sensors 104.

The conveying device 10 includes a first delivery section 110 and a second delivery section 120. The first delivery section 110 is provided at a transfer delivery position near the transfer device 40 (see FIG. 5) and is used to deliver the conveying unit U between the conveying device 10 and the transfer device 40. The second delivery section 120 is provided at a fixing delivery position near the dye fixing device 50 (see FIG. 5) and is used to deliver the resin body (lens L) of the conveying unit U between the conveying device 10 and the dye fixing device 50.

As shown in FIG. 7, the first delivery section 110 includes a base 111, a left arm section 112, a right arm section 113, and a vertical movement section 114. The base 111 connects the left arm section 112 and the right arm section 113. In detail, the left arm section 112 extends upward from the left end of the base 111 and is bent to the right from its upper end. The right arm section 113 extends upward from the right end of the base 111 and is bent to the left from its upper end. The distance between the upper end of the left arm section 112 and the upper end of the right arm section 113 is set to be slightly shorter than the left-right length of the staining tray 80 (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

The vertical movement part 114 is fixed to the base 111. The vertical movement part 114 is an actuator such as a motor, a cylinder, or a solenoid (a cylinder in this embodiment). When the vertical movement part 114 is driven, the base 111, the left arm part 112, and the right arm part 113 move up and down together. When the transport unit U is transported to a predetermined transfer transfer position near the transfer device 40, the left arm part 112 and the right arm part 113 are moved upward, so that the transport unit U at the transfer transfer position is lifted. The transport unit U lifted by the first transfer part 110 is delivered to the transfer device 40 (details will be described later). In addition, the transport unit U is delivered from the transfer device 40 to the first transfer part 110 with the left arm part 112 and the right arm part 113 moved upward. After that, the left arm part 112 and the right arm part 113 are lowered, so that the transport unit U is returned to the transport path.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 6, the second delivery section 120 includes a lens lift section 121, a vertical movement section 122, and a resin body switching section 123. The lens lift section 121 is located below the transport unit U in a state where it has been transported to the fixing delivery position. The vertical movement section 122 is fixed to the lens lift section 121. The vertical movement section 122 is an actuator such as a motor, a cylinder, or a solenoid (a cylinder in this embodiment). The lens lift section 121 moves in the vertical direction when the vertical movement section 122 is driven. When the lens lift section 121 moves upward, one of the two lenses L of the transport unit U is delivered to a fixing position where the fixing process by the dye fixing device 50 is performed. Also, when the lens lift section 121 moves downward, the lens L is delivered from the fixing position to the transport path. The resin body switching section 123 includes an actuator such as a motor, a cylinder, or a solenoid (a cylinder in this embodiment). The resin body switching unit 123 uses an actuator to move the lens lift unit 121 in the transport direction to switch between the two lenses L included in the transport unit U and the lens L to be placed at the fixing position.

The transport device 10 includes a plurality of unit positioning parts 130. The unit positioning parts 130 are provided at predetermined positions on the transport path between a pair of rails 101. When the unit positioning parts 130 are moved upward by a vertical actuator (not shown), the unit positioning parts 130 come into contact with the transport unit U transported on the transport path, and the transport of the transport unit U stops at a predetermined position. Therefore, the transport device 10 of this embodiment can accurately stop the transport unit U at a predetermined position on the transport path. In other words, the automatic staining device 3 of this embodiment can stop the transport unit U at a more accurate position by using both the sensor 104 and the unit positioning parts 130. However, it is also possible to omit either the sensor 104 or the unit positioning parts 130.

(Transfer device)
The transfer device 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. As shown in FIG. 8, the transfer device 40 of this embodiment includes a base 401, electromagnetic wave passing units 410R and 410L, an electromagnetic wave generating unit 420, a closed chamber set unit 430, and an air pressure control unit 450. The base 401 supports the transfer device 40. The electromagnetic wave passing units 410R and 410L pass the electromagnetic waves generated by the electromagnetic wave generating unit 420 to the base S arranged in the closed chamber C (see FIG. 9) described later. The electromagnetic wave generating unit 420 generates electromagnetic waves for heating the base S. The closed chamber set unit 430 forms the closed chamber C together with the base 401 and the like. That is, the inside of the closed chamber C is an enclosed space surrounded by the closed chamber set unit 430 and the base 401 and the like. Furthermore, the closed chamber setting section 430 sets the transport unit U delivered from the first delivery section 110 (see FIG. 7) of the transport device 10 inside the closed chamber C. The air pressure control section 450 changes the air pressure inside the closed chamber C.

The base 401 includes a bottom 402, a right column 403R, a left column 403L, and a base 404. The bottom 402 is placed on the installation location and supports the entire transfer device 40. The right column 403R extends upward from the right end of the bottom 402. The left column 403L extends upward from the left end of the bottom 402. The base 404 is fixed to the upper end of the right column 403R and the upper end of the left column 403L. Therefore, when the base 401 is viewed from the front-rear direction, a rectangular opening is formed in the base 401. The base 404 is a substantially plate-shaped member having sufficient strength. An opening is formed in the base 404 at a position facing each of the two lenses L set in the blocking chamber C by the blocking chamber setting unit 430.

The electromagnetic wave passing portions 410R, 410L are cylindrical members and are provided between the electromagnetic wave generating portion 420 and each of the two openings formed in the base portion 404. As shown in FIG. 9, the electromagnetic wave generating portion 420 has therein sources (halogen heaters in this embodiment) 421R, 421L that generate electromagnetic waves. The source 421R is disposed on the axis of the cylindrical electromagnetic wave passing portion 410R. Similarly, the source 421L is disposed on the axis of the cylindrical electromagnetic wave passing portion 410L.

10, the blocking chamber set section 430 includes a base 431, a blocking chamber bottom 440, a front-rear moving section 432, a vertical moving section 433, and guide poles 434R and 434L (only the guide pole 434R is shown in FIG. 10). The base 431 is a substantially plate-shaped member and serves as the base of the blocking chamber set section 430. As shown in FIG. 8, the base 431 is disposed inside a rectangular opening in the platform section 401. As shown in FIG. 10, the blocking chamber bottom 440 is a substantially plate-shaped member having sufficient strength. On the upper surface of the blocking chamber bottom 440, a transport unit mounting section 441 is formed on which a transport unit U (see FIG. 8, etc.) including a substrate S is mounted. The transport unit mounting section 441 of this embodiment has irregularities that match the shape of the staining tray 80 (see FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 9).

As will be described in detail later, the closed chamber bottom 440 is pressed upward against the base 404 (see Figures 8 and 9) of the platform 401, thereby closing the bottom surface of the closed chamber C (see Figure 9). As shown in Figure 10, a tray pressing portion 442 and a seal portion 443 are provided on the upper surface of the closed chamber bottom 440.

The tray pressing parts 442 protrude upward from each of a plurality of positions on the transport unit mounting part 441 (in this embodiment, the four corners of the transport unit mounting part 441) and are biased upward by a biasing member (e.g., a spring, etc.). When the closed chamber bottom part 440 is pressed upward against the base part 404 from below, the dyeing tray 80 of the transport unit U is pressed into the closed chamber C by the plurality of tray pressing parts 442. As a result, the dye heated by the electromagnetic waves and sublimated from the base body S is less likely to leak outside the mounting frame 89 and spacer 87 of the dyeing tray 80 (see Figures 2 and 3).

The seal portion 443 is arranged so as to cover the outer periphery of the transport unit mounting portion 441 in a ring shape with no gaps. The seal portion 443 protrudes slightly upward from the upper surface of the transport unit mounting portion 441. The seal portion 443 is formed from a material that can withstand high temperatures and pressure changes and has appropriate elasticity. Therefore, when the closed chamber bottom 440 is pressed upward against the base 404, the seal portion 443 is pressed against the bottom surface of the base 404 and deforms, improving the airtightness of the closed chamber C (see Figure 9).

The forward and backward movement part 432 is an actuator (a cylinder in this embodiment) that moves the action shaft 432A in the forward and backward direction, and is fixed to the base 431. The action shaft 432A of the forward and backward movement part 432 is fixed to the closed chamber bottom part 440. When the forward and backward movement part 432 is driven, the closed chamber bottom part 440 moves in the forward and backward direction.

9, the vertical movement unit 433 is an actuator (a cylinder in this embodiment) that moves the action shaft 433A in the vertical direction, and is fixed to the bottom 402 of the platform 401. The action shaft 433A of the vertical movement unit 433 is fixed to the base 431. The guide poles 434R, 434L are rod-shaped members that extend downward from the bottom surface of the base 431. The guide poles 434R, 434L are inserted into the tube portions 405R, 405L provided on the bottom 402 of the platform 401 so as to be vertically movable. When the vertical movement unit 433 is driven, the base 431 moves in the vertical direction. The vertical movement of the base 431 is guided by the guide poles 434R, 434L and the tube portions 405R, 405L. As the base 431 moves up and down, the bottom 440 of the closed chamber supported by the base 431 moves up and down.

9, a mask portion 412R is provided at the center of the cylindrical electromagnetic wave passing portion 410R. Similarly, a mask portion 412L is provided at the center of the electromagnetic wave passing portion 410L. The mask portions 412R and 412L block the path of the electromagnetic waves irradiated to the center of the dye attached to the substrate S in a circular shape, among the paths of the electromagnetic waves irradiated from the sources 421R and 421L of the electromagnetic wave generating portion 420 to the substrate S. As an example, the mask portions 412R and 412L of this embodiment include an axis portion extending downward along the axis of the cylindrical electromagnetic wave passing portions 410R and 410L, and a disk portion extending outward in a circular shape from the lower portion of the axis portion with the axis as the center. The electromagnetic waves irradiated to the center of the circular dye are blocked by the disk portion.

If the masking portions 412R, 412L are not provided, the intensity of the electromagnetic waves irradiated to the center of the circularly attached dye is greater than the intensity of the electromagnetic waves irradiated to the peripheral portion of the dye. Also, heat in the center of the circular dye is less likely to dissipate than heat in the peripheral portion. Therefore, by blocking the electromagnetic waves irradiated to the center of the circular dye by the masking portions 412R, 412L, the temperature of the center of the dye is prevented from rising excessively compared to the temperature of the peripheral portion. As a result, the dye is more easily transferred uniformly to the lens L.

The electromagnetic wave passing section 410R is provided with a temperature detection section 414R that detects the internal temperature. Similarly, the electromagnetic wave passing section 410L is provided with a temperature detection section 414L that detects the internal temperature. If the temperature inside the closed chamber C does not increase even when electromagnetic waves are irradiated by the generation sources 421R, 421L, the controller 71 executes at least one of a process of warning the operator that a malfunction has occurred and a process of prohibiting the execution of the transfer process.

The air pressure control unit 450 (see FIG. 8) includes a pump and an electromagnetic valve. When the pump is driven, the gas in the closed chamber C is exhausted to the outside through an exhaust pipe (not shown). As a result, the closed chamber C is in a substantially vacuum state. When the electromagnetic valve is closed, the airtightness of the closed chamber C is maintained. When the electromagnetic valve 33 is opened, gas is introduced from the outside into the closed chamber C in a reduced pressure state, and the air pressure in the closed chamber C increases. A pressure sensor is provided in the closed chamber C to detect the air pressure in the closed chamber C. When the air pressure in the closed chamber C does not decrease even when the pump is driven, the controller 71 executes at least one of the following processes: a process of warning the operator that the transfer device 40 is broken, and a process of prohibiting the execution of the transfer process.

The operation of the transfer process by the transfer device 40 will be described. First, the controller 71 moves the closed chamber bottom 440 forward (toward the transport path) from the opening of the platform 401 by driving the front-rear moving part 432 (see FIGS. 8 and 10) of the closed chamber set part 430 while the transport unit U is raised by the first delivery part 110 (see FIGS. 5 to 7). As a result, the closed chamber bottom 440 is located below the transport unit U. Next, the controller 71 lowers the transport unit U by the first delivery part 110, thereby placing the transport unit U on the transport unit placement part 441 of the closed chamber bottom 440. Next, the controller 71 drives the front-rear moving part 432 of the closed chamber set part 430 to move the closed chamber bottom 440 on which the transport unit U is placed, below the base 404 in the platform 401. Next, the controller 71 drives the vertical movement part 433 of the closed chamber set part 430 to move the closed chamber bottom part 440 on which the transport unit U is placed upward, and presses it upward against the base part 404.

Here, the transfer device 40 needs to form the closed chamber C. Since the inside of the closed chamber C is in a substantially vacuum state, the weight of the members forming the closed chamber C tends to be large. Therefore, it is inefficient to move the entire transfer device 40 and place the transport unit U inside the closed chamber C. In contrast, the transfer device 40 of this embodiment places the transport unit U inside the closed chamber C while forming the closed chamber C by raising only the closed chamber bottom 440 that closes the bottom of the closed chamber C among the members forming the closed chamber C. Therefore, the transfer process is carried out efficiently.

As described above, the dyeing tray 80 of the transport unit U is pressed from below into the closed chamber C by the tray pressing portion 442. As a result, the sublimated dye is less likely to leak through the gap to the outside of the mounting frame 89 and spacer 87 of the dyeing tray 80. When the closed chamber bottom 440 is pressed from below against the base 404, the seal portion 443 is pressed against the bottom surface of the base 404 and deformed. As a result, the sealing performance is improved.

Next, the controller 71 drives the air pressure control unit 450 to create a substantially vacuum state inside the blocked chamber C. The controller 71 heats the dye on the substrate S contained in the transport unit U by causing the sources 421R, 421L of the electromagnetic wave generating unit 420 to generate electromagnetic waves. The heated dye sublimes and is transferred to the surface (the upper surface in this embodiment) of the lens L arranged opposite the substrate S. Here, the mask units 412R, 412L block the path of the electromagnetic waves irradiated to the center of the dye attached to the substrate S in a circular shape. This makes it easier for the circular dye to be heated uniformly.

Next, the controller 71 stops driving the sources 421R and 421L and increases the air pressure in the closed chamber C by the air pressure control unit 450. The controller 71 drives the vertical movement unit 433 of the closed chamber set unit 430 to move the closed chamber bottom 440 on which the transport unit U is placed downward. Next, the controller 71 drives the front-rear movement unit 432 of the closed chamber set unit 430 to move the closed chamber bottom 440 on which the transport unit U is placed toward the transport path. As a result, the bent parts at the upper ends of the left arm unit 112 and the right arm unit 113 of the first delivery unit 110 are positioned between the closed chamber bottom 440 and the staining tray 80. The controller 71 raises the left arm unit 112 and the right arm unit 113 to lift the transport unit U and move the closed chamber bottom 440 backward from the transport path. The controller 71 lowers the transport unit U by the first delivery section 110 and delivers it onto the transport path. This completes the transfer process.

(Substrate holding device)
The substrate holding device 90 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. After the transfer step is performed and before the fixing step is performed, the substrate holding device 90 removes the substrate S from the transport unit U. Furthermore, the substrate holding device 90 of this embodiment places the removed substrate S back on the transport unit U after the fixing step is performed.

The substrate holding device 90 of this embodiment includes a front-rear moving part 901, a vertical moving part 902, and a substrate holding part 903. The front-rear moving part 901 is an actuator (a cylinder in this embodiment) that moves an action shaft 901A in the front-rear direction. The action shaft 901A of the front-rear moving part 901 is fixed to the vertical moving part 902. The vertical moving part 902 is an actuator (a cylinder in this embodiment) that moves an action shaft (not shown) in the vertical direction. The action shaft of the vertical moving part 902 is fixed to the substrate holding part 903. When the front-rear moving part 901 is driven, the vertical moving part 902 and the substrate holding part 903 move in the front-rear direction. When the vertical moving part 902 is driven, the substrate holding part 903 moves in the vertical direction.

The substrate holder 903 has an adsorption port 904 and a flow path connection portion 905. The adsorption port 904 faces downward. In this embodiment, the substrate holder 903 is provided with six adsorption ports 904 (only five adsorption ports 904 are shown in FIG. 11). However, it goes without saying that the number of adsorption ports 904 can be changed. The flow path connection portion 905 is connected via a tube to a pump (not shown) that generates suction pressure. The multiple adsorption ports 904 and the flow path connection portion 905 are connected by a gas flow path (not shown) formed inside the substrate holder 903. When the pump is driven, gas is sucked through the adsorption port 904.

When the substrate S is removed from the transport unit U by the substrate holding device 90, the controller 71 drives the forward and backward movement unit 901 to move the substrate holding unit 903 above the transport unit U transported to the substrate removal position in front of the substrate holding device 90. Next, the controller 71 drives the vertical movement unit 902 to move the substrate holding unit 903 downward. When the substrate holding unit 903 descends, the suction port 904 of the substrate holding unit 903 comes into contact with the upper surface of the substrate S placed on the transport unit U. The controller 71 drives the pump to suck gas from the suction port 904. As a result, the substrate S is sucked and held by the suction port 904. The controller 71 drives the forward and backward movement unit 901 with the substrate S held by the substrate holding unit 903 to retract the substrate holding unit 903 and the substrate S to the rear (i.e., to a retracted position retracted from the transport path).

Although the details will be described later, the dyeing system 1 may print an identifier for identifying the transport unit U on the substrate S together with the dye. In this case, the reading unit 2E (see FIG. 1) of the dye fixing device 50 is disposed below the substrate holding unit 903 in a state where it is moved to the retracted position. As described above, the dye is printed on the lower surface facing the lens L among the upper and lower surfaces of the sheet-like substrate S. Therefore, if the printing device 30 prints the identifier on the lower surface of the substrate S as well as the dye, the number of steps is reduced compared to the case where the identifier is printed on the upper surface of the substrate S. On the other hand, if the identifier is printed on the lower surface of the substrate S, it is difficult to read the identifier when the substrate S is placed on the transport unit U. In contrast, in the present disclosure, the reading unit 2E is disposed below the substrate holding unit 903 in the retracted position. Therefore, the dyeing system 1 can properly read the identifier printed on the lower surface of the substrate S. However, the identifier may be printed on the upper surface of the substrate S. In this case, the reading unit 2E may be positioned above the base holding unit 903 when it has been moved to the retracted position.

In addition, the color information measuring instrument 51 (see FIG. 1) described above is provided near the substrate holding device 90. The controller 71 causes the color information measuring instrument 51 to measure the color information of the lens L when the substrate holding device 90 has removed the substrate S from the staining tray 80. As described above, in the staining tray 80 of this embodiment (see FIGS. 2 and 3), the light transmitting portion 82S is formed in the mounting portion 82, and the light transmitting portion 89S is also formed in the mounting frame 89. Therefore, when the lens L is placed (mounted) on the staining tray 80 and the substrate S is removed from the staining tray 80, the color information of the lens L is appropriately measured by the color information measuring instrument 51.

When the fixing process by the dye fixing device 50 is completed, the controller 71 drives the forward and backward movement unit 901 to move the substrate holding unit 903 above the transport unit U transported to the substrate removal position. Next, the controller 71 drives the vertical movement unit 902 to move the substrate holding unit 903 downward. The controller 71 stops driving the pump to release the substrate S from the substrate holding unit 903. As a result, the substrate S that was once removed from the transport unit U is returned to the transport unit U. After the fixing process is completed, the substrate S is returned to the transport unit U, allowing the operator to easily compare the dyed lens L with the substrate S used for dyeing. Thus, the operator can appropriately check the dyeing quality and the cause of low dyeing quality.

The substrate S may be placed back on the transport unit U after both the fixing process by the dye fixing device 50 and the coating process by the coating device 60 (see FIG. 1) have been completed. In this case, the fixing process and the coating process can be easily performed with the substrate S removed from the transport unit U.

(Dye fixing device)
The dye fixing device 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. The dye fixing device 50 performs a fixing process in which the dye attached to the surface of the lens L is fixed to the lens L by heating the lens L. In detail, the dye fixing device 50 of this embodiment heats the lens L by irradiating the lens L with laser light, which is an electromagnetic wave. The dye fixing device 50 includes a laser light irradiation unit 510, a laser light blocking unit 520, a thermo camera 530, an inlet 540, an outlet 550, a pressure difference generating unit 560, and a radiant heat reflecting unit 570.

The laser light irradiation unit 510 includes a laser light source 511 and an objective lens 512. The laser light source 511 emits laser light of a wavelength that is absorbed by the material of the lens L. The laser light emitted from the laser light source 511 is irradiated to the lens L installed at the fixing position 501 via the objective lens 512. Note that the laser light source 511 of this embodiment irradiates the laser light downward. Therefore, the downstream side of the optical path of the laser light is the lower side as seen from the laser light source 511. However, the direction in which the laser light is irradiated may be a direction other than the downward direction (for example, a horizontal direction, an upward direction, or an oblique direction). The upstream and downstream directions of the optical path of the laser light are uniquely determined according to the direction in which the laser light is irradiated.

The laser light irradiation unit 510 also includes a scanning unit 513. The scanning unit 513 scans the laser light emitted from the laser light source 511 relative to the lens L. The scanning unit 513 of this embodiment includes a scanner that deflects the traveling direction of the laser light. The laser light emitted from the laser light source 511 is deflected in the traveling direction by the scanner, and then irradiated toward the lens L through the objective lens 512. In detail, the scanning unit 513 of this embodiment includes an X scanner that scans the laser light in the X direction that intersects with the optical axis of the laser light, and a Y scanner that scans the laser light in the Y direction that intersects with both the optical axis and the X direction. The scanning unit 513 can scan the laser light in two-dimensional directions by the X scanner and the Y scanner. As an example, a galvanometer mirror is used for the scanners (X scanner and Y scanner) of this embodiment. However, a scanner other than a galvanometer mirror (for example, a polygon mirror or an acousto-optical element, etc.) may be used. The scanning unit may also be a moving unit that moves the position of the lens L relative to the laser light. The scanning unit may be a combination of a scanner and a moving unit.

The laser light blocking unit 520 is a cylindrical member formed of a material that blocks laser light (for example, at least one of resins such as acrylic, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, and metal). The laser light blocking unit 520 covers at least a part of the periphery of the optical path extending from the objective lens 512 of the laser light irradiation unit 510 to the lens L installed at the fixing position 501 (i.e., the periphery of the optical axis O of the objective lens 512), thereby blocking leakage of laser light to the outside of the optical path. Therefore, safety is improved by the laser light blocking unit 520. In detail, the laser light blocking unit 520 of this embodiment covers the entire periphery of the optical path extending from the objective lens 512 to the lens L. Therefore, safety is further improved. The shape of the laser light blocking unit 520 of this embodiment is approximately cylindrical. However, the shape of the laser light blocking unit 520 is not limited to approximately cylindrical.

At least a portion of the laser light blocking section 520, other than the resin body peripheral section 525 that covers the periphery of the lens L installed at the fixing position 501, is formed from a light-transmitting material (as an example, a transparent acrylic resin in this embodiment) that blocks laser light and transmits visible light. Therefore, the worker can see the state of the lens L covered by the laser light blocking section 520 through the light-transmitting material. Note that in this embodiment, the entire body of the laser light blocking section 520 other than the resin body peripheral section 525 is formed from a light-transmitting material. Therefore, the worker can see the lens L from various portions other than the resin body peripheral section.

The laser light blocking unit 520 is provided with a lens detection sensor 521 that detects whether or not a lens L is placed at the fixing position 501. When the lens detection sensor 521 detects that a lens L is not placed at the fixing position 501, the controller 71 executes at least one of a warning process that warns the operator that a lens L is not placed, and a prohibition process that prohibits the execution of the fixing process (i.e., the irradiation of laser light).

The thermo camera 530 is provided inside the cylindrical laser light blocking unit 520. The thermo camera 530 detects the heat distribution of the lens L placed at the fixing position 501. In detail, the thermo camera 530 allows electromagnetic waves generated from the lens L placed at the fixing position 501 to enter the inside through the electromagnetic wave entrance unit 531 and detects them with a detection element. The thermo camera 530 can detect the heat distribution of the lens L based on the detected electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic wave entrance unit 531 includes an imaging lens (e.g., a germanium lens) that images the electromagnetic waves generated from the lens L on the detection element. Furthermore, the electromagnetic wave entrance unit 531 includes a filter that blocks the wavelength of the laser light irradiated by the laser light irradiation unit 510. Therefore, the laser light is less likely to affect the detection result of the thermo camera 530.

The controller 71 controls the driving of the scanning unit 513 based on the heat distribution of the lens L detected by the thermal camera 530. Therefore, the heating process of the lens L is performed more appropriately based on the actual heat distribution of the lens L.

The inlet 540 and the outlet 550 are both formed in the cylindrical laser light blocking section 520. The inlet 540 is provided in the laser light blocking section 520 on the upstream side of the optical path of the laser light from the outlet 550. The inlet 540 allows gas to flow from the outside of the laser light blocking section 520 to the inside. The outlet 550 is provided in the laser light blocking section 520 on the downstream side of the optical path of the laser light from the inlet 540 (i.e., closer to the lens L than the inlet 540). In addition, the outlet 550 is provided in the laser light blocking section 520 on the downstream side of the optical path of the laser light from the electromagnetic wave entrance section 531 of the thermo camera 530. In addition, the outlet 550 is provided in the laser light blocking section 520 on the upstream side of the optical path of the laser light from the position of the lens L arranged at the fixing position 501. The outlet 550 exhausts gas from the inside of the laser light blocking section 520 to the outside. An exhaust pipe 551 that guides the exhausted gas to a predetermined position is connected to the exhaust port 550. Therefore, the gas is more appropriately exhausted from the laser light blocking section 520.

The pressure difference generating unit 560 generates a pressure difference for flowing gas from the inlet 540 to the outlet 550. As an example, the pressure difference generating unit 560 of this embodiment is an inlet blower that blows gas from the inlet 540 into the inside of the laser light blocking unit 520. That is, the pressure difference generating unit 560 of this embodiment is provided at the inlet 540. However, a discharge blower that blows gas from the outlet 550 to the outside of the laser light blocking unit 520 may be provided at least in one of the outlet 550 and the exhaust pipe 551, separately from the inlet blower or together with the inlet blower. That is, the pressure difference generating unit 560 may be provided at least in one of the path of the gas flowing from the inlet 540 into the inside of the laser light blocking unit 520 and the path of the gas exhausted from the outlet 550 to the outside of the laser light blocking unit 520.

The pressure difference generating unit 560 is provided with a drive detection unit 561. The drive detection unit 561 detects whether the pressure difference generating unit is operating normally. When the drive detection unit 561 detects that the pressure difference generating unit 560 is not operating normally, the controller 71 executes at least one of a warning process to an operator and a process to prohibit the heating operation of the lens L by the laser light irradiation unit 510. Therefore, the possibility that the fixing process will be performed in a state where the pressure difference generating unit 560 is broken is reduced.

At least the inner circumferential surface of the resin body peripheral portion 525 of the laser light blocking portion 520 is provided with a radiant heat reflecting portion 570 that reflects radiant heat generated from the lens L, which is a resin body. Therefore, at least a portion of the radiant heat emitted from the lens L heated by the laser light is reflected toward the lens L by the radiant heat reflecting portion 570. As a result, the heat of the lens L (particularly the outer periphery of the lens L) is less likely to diffuse to the surroundings, so that the temperature of the lens L is more likely to be appropriately raised by the laser light. In other words, the radiant heat reflecting portion 570 makes it easier for the temperature of the entire lens L to be raised, and also makes it less likely for a temperature difference to occur between the outer periphery and the inside of the lens L. Therefore, the dye is more likely to be appropriately fixed to the lens L.

The radiant heat reflecting portion 570 is provided on the entire circumference of the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical resin body peripheral portion 525. Therefore, compared to a case in which the radiant heat reflecting portion is provided on only a portion of the inner circumferential surface of the resin body peripheral portion 525 in the circumferential direction, the radiant heat emitted from the lens L is more easily reflected to the lens L by the radiant heat reflecting portion 570.

As described above, at least a portion of the laser light blocking portion 520 other than the resin body peripheral portion 525 where the radiant heat reflecting portion 570 is provided is formed of a light-transmitting material. Therefore, according to the dye fixing device 50 of this embodiment, the lens L is appropriately heated, and the state of the lens L can be easily checked.

The radiant heat reflecting portion 570 protrudes downward from the lower end of the inner circumferential surface of the resin body peripheral portion 525. Therefore, the periphery of the lens L placed at the fixing position 501 is more appropriately covered by the radiant heat reflecting portion 570. Therefore, the lens L is more appropriately heated.

The radiant heat reflecting portion 570 is formed from a metal containing aluminum or stainless steel (in this embodiment, aluminum alone or stainless steel alone). Aluminum and stainless steel are good at reflecting radiant heat (electromagnetic waves). Therefore, the temperature of the lens L increases more appropriately.

The operation of the fixing process by the dye fixing device 50 will be described. The controller 71 moves the lens L to the fixing position 501 by the second delivery section 120 (see FIG. 6) of the conveying device 10, and drives the pressure difference generating section 560. With the pressure difference generating section 560 driven, the controller 71 causes the laser light source 511 to emit laser light, and controls the driving of the scanning section 513. In detail, the controller 71 acquires parameters for the treatment to be performed on the lens L based on information about the conveying unit U read by the reading section 2E (see FIG. 1). The controller 71 controls the driving of the scanning section 513 based on the acquired parameters and the heat distribution of the lens L detected by the thermal camera 530. The parameters may include, for example, a parameter for the target temperature of the lens L. In addition, in the fixing process, the degree to which a temperature difference occurs in each part of the lens L varies depending on the shape of the lens L. Therefore, the parameters may include parameters related to the shape of the lens L (for example, parameters related to the power of the lens L, etc.). In addition, the dye may be more appropriately fixed to the lens L by changing the temperature transition of the lens L according to the material of the lens L. Therefore, the parameters may include a parameter related to the material of the lens L. In addition, the dye may be more appropriately fixed to the lens L by changing the temperature transition of the lens L according to the density of the color to be dyed on the lens L. Therefore, the parameters may include a parameter related to the density of the color to be dyed on the lens L. In addition, the controller 71 may control the driving of the scanning unit 513 so as to reduce the temperature difference between each part of the lens L based on the heat distribution of the lens L detected by the thermal camera 530.

Here, in the dye fixing device 50 of this embodiment, gas flows inside the laser light blocking section 520 from the inlet 540 toward the outlet 550. That is, gas flows from the upstream side (upper in this embodiment) of the optical path of the laser light toward the downstream side (lower in this embodiment). Therefore, even if the dye on the surface of the lens L is heated and gasified, the dye is less likely to adhere to the objective lens 512 of the laser light irradiation section 510. Therefore, the effects caused by the dye adhering to the objective lens 512 are suppressed.

The exhaust port 550 is provided on the laser light blocking unit 520 upstream of the position of the lens L arranged at the fixing position 501 in the optical path of the laser light. Therefore, the gas flowing into the inside of the laser light blocking unit 520 from the inlet 540 is unlikely to reach the lens L being heated. This prevents the lens L to be heated from being cooled by the gas flowing into the inside of the laser light blocking unit 520. This prevents a decrease in heating efficiency.

The exhaust port 550 is provided in the laser light blocking section 520 downstream of the electromagnetic wave entrance section 531 of the thermal camera 530 in the optical path of the laser light. Therefore, even if the dye on the surface of the lens L is heated and gasified, the dye is unlikely to adhere to the electromagnetic wave entrance section 531 of the thermal camera 530. This appropriately prevents the performance of the thermal camera 530 from deteriorating.

The positions of the inlet 540 and the outlet 550 can also be changed. For example, the inlet and the outlet may be formed between the objective lens 512 of the laser light irradiation unit 510 and the position of the lens L arranged at the fixing position 501 in the laser light blocking unit 520, so that they face each other across the optical path of the laser light. In this case, even if the gasified dye moves from the lens L toward the objective lens 512, the gasified dye is likely to flow to the outlet before reaching the objective lens 512.

When the heat treatment of the lens L by the laser light is completed, the controller 71 returns the lens L to the transport path by the second delivery section 120 (see FIG. 6) of the transport device 10. The controller 71 judges whether or not a lens L that needs to be heated is placed on the dyeing tray 80 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) other than the lens L that has already been heated, based on the parameters. If the lens L that needs to be further heated is not placed on the dyeing tray 80, the controller 71 ends the fixing process for the lens L of the transport unit U and transports the transport unit U downstream (the substrate holding device 90 in this embodiment). If the lens L that needs further heat treatment is placed on the dyeing tray 80, the controller 71 drives the resin body switching section 123 of the second delivery section 120 to switch the lens L to be placed at the fixing position 501. After that, the controller 71 heats the lens L placed at the fixing position 501 and transports the transport unit U downstream.

In the dyeing system 1 of this embodiment, optical sensors (not shown) are provided on the upstream side of the transfer device 40 and the upstream side of the dye fixing device 50 in the conveying path of the conveying device 10. The optical sensors detect whether or not at least one of the lens L, the mounting frame 89, and the spacer 87 (the spacer 87 in this embodiment) is installed on the dyeing tray 80 by emitting light in a direction that passes through both of a pair of light-transmitting portions 82S formed in the mounting portion 82 of the dyeing tray 80. Therefore, the controller 71 can appropriately determine whether or not the spacer 87 is installed on each of the pair of mounting portions 82 on the dyeing tray 80 (i.e., whether or not the lens L is installed).

(First dyeing control process)
A first dyeing control process executed by the controller 71 of the dyeing system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. The first dyeing control process is executed when an identifier is provided on the dyeing tray 80 (tray body 81 in this embodiment). That is, in the first dyeing control process, information on the identifier provided on the transport unit U is read, and parameters corresponding to the read information are acquired. The operation of the dyeing process by the dye fixing device 50 and the like is controlled according to the acquired parameters. When performing the dyeing process on the lenses L placed on each of the multiple transport units U, the controller 71 executes the first dyeing control process exemplified in Fig. 13 according to a dyeing control program stored in the storage device.

First, the controller 71 determines whether or not it has acquired treatment information indicating the treatment contents to be performed on the lens L (S1). For example, the treatment information may be input to the controller 71 by the operator operating an operation unit (not shown), or may be created by another device. In the first dyeing control process, the treatment information acquired in S1 includes at least one of information indicating whether or not gradation dyeing is performed and the direction, information on the number of lenses L (one or two) to be included in one transport unit U, information on the color to be dyed on the lens L (i.e., the color of the dye to be printed on the base S), information on the density of the color to be dyed, information on the material of the lens L, and information on the coating to be performed on the lens L. In addition, the treatment information acquired in S1 may include information on the shape of the lens L. The shape of the lens L (curve value, thickness, etc.) affects the optical characteristics of the lens L (for example, spherical power, etc.). Therefore, the information on the shape of the lens L may include information on the curve value, thickness, and optical characteristics of the lens L. If the information on the shape of the lens L is acquired in S1, the process of S6 described later may be omitted. Furthermore, the optical characteristics of the lens L change depending on the material of the lens L. Therefore, information on the material of the lens L may be acquired based on the optical characteristics of the lens L measured by the optical characteristic measuring device 21. Furthermore, information on the shape of the lens L may include at least one of the diameter and the outer shape of the lens L. If treatment information has not been acquired (S1: NO), the process proceeds directly to S4.

When the treatment information for the lens L is acquired (S1: YES), the identifier 88 of the transport unit U on which the lens L for which the treatment information is acquired is placed is read by the reading unit 2A (S2). The controller 71 stores parameters indicating the treatment contents in the database 72 in association with the identifier read in S2 based on the treatment information acquired in S1 (S3). The parameters stored in S3 include at least one of a gradation parameter indicating whether or not gradation dyeing is performed and the direction, a lens number parameter indicating the number of lenses L included in one transport unit U, a color parameter indicating the color to be dyed on the lens L (i.e., the color of the dye printed on the base S), a density parameter indicating the color to be dyed on the lens L (i.e., the density of the color printed on the base S), a material parameter indicating the material of the lens L, and a coating parameter indicating the content of the coating to be performed on the lens L. In addition, when information regarding the shape of the lens L is acquired in S1, a shape parameter indicating the shape of the lens L may be stored in S3.

Next, it is determined whether the transport unit U has been transported to the pre-preparation unit 20 (S4). If the transport unit U has not been transported to the pre-preparation unit 20 (S4: NO), the process proceeds directly to S8. When the transport unit U reaches the pre-preparation unit 20 (S4: YES), in S5, the identifier 88 of the transport unit U that has reached the pre-preparation unit 20 is read by the reading unit 2B. In addition, parameters corresponding to the read identifier 88 (at least the gradation parameters in S5) are acquired from the database 72 (S5). Next, the controller 71 acquires shape parameters of the lens L based on the optical characteristics of the lens L read by the optical characteristic measuring device 21, and stores them in the database 72 in association with the identifier read in S5 (S6). The controller 71 controls the rotational drive of the lens L by the rotation device 22 based on the gradation parameters corresponding to the identifier read in S5 and the direction of the lens L read by the optical characteristic measuring device 21 (S7). That is, when gradation dyeing is performed and the lens L is not symmetrical about the geometric central axis, the controller 71 rotates the lens L to match the angle of the lens L with the angle of the dye printed on the substrate S. Note that if the shape of the lens L is symmetrical about the geometric central axis, the process of S7 may be omitted.

In addition, instead of rotating the lens L, which is a resin body, by the rotation device 22, the dyeing system 1 may determine the angle of the rotation direction of the dye area to be printed by the printing device 30 described later, according to the direction of the lens L that has been read. Even in this case, gradation dyeing or the like is appropriately applied to the resin body. Furthermore, the controller 71 may acquire parameters of the optical characteristics of the lens L in S5. When the optical characteristics of the lens L read by the optical characteristic measuring device 21 differ from the optical characteristics acquired in S5, the controller 71 may execute at least one of a warning process for issuing a warning to an operator and an interruption process for interrupting the dyeing process for the lens L. In this case, the possibility of erroneously dyeing a lens L different from the lens L to be dyed is reduced.

Next, it is determined whether the transport unit U has been transported to the printing device 30 (S8). If the transport unit U has not been transported to the printing device 30 (S8: NO), the process proceeds directly to S11. When the transport unit U reaches the printing device 30 (S8: YES), in S9, the identifier 88 of the transport unit U that has reached the printing device 30 is read by the reading unit 2C. In addition, parameters corresponding to the read identifier 88 (in S9, at least one of gradation parameters, lens number parameters, color parameters, density parameters, material parameters, and shape parameters (which may include optical characteristic parameters)) are acquired from the database 72. The controller 71 controls the driving of the printing device 30 according to the parameters acquired in S9, thereby causing the printing device 30 to execute a printing operation of the dye on the substrate S (S10). For example, the controller 71 may cause the printing device 30 to print the dye of the color indicated by the color parameter at the density indicated by the density parameter according to the presence or absence of a gradation indicated by the gradation parameter. The controller 71 may also cause the printing device 30 to print circular dye areas in the same number as the number of lenses indicated by the lens number parameter. The controller 71 may also cause the printing device 30 to print the dye in an amount that corresponds to the material of the base material of the lens L.

Next, it is determined whether the transport unit U has been transported to the transfer device 40 (S11). If the transport unit U has not been transported to the transfer device 40 (S11: NO), the process proceeds directly to S13. When the transport unit U reaches the transfer device 40 (S11: YES), the controller 71 causes the transfer device 40 to execute the transfer process according to the number of lenses L placed on the transport unit U (the position of the lens L if there is only one lens L) (S12). Specifically, in S12, the identifier 88 of the transport unit U that has reached the transfer device 40 is read by the reading unit 2D of the transfer device 40. In addition, parameters corresponding to the read identifier 88 (at least the lens number parameter in S12) are obtained from the database 72. The controller 71 controls the operation of the transfer device 40 according to the obtained parameters.

Next, it is determined whether the transport unit U has been transported to the dye fixing device 50 (S13). If the transport unit U has not been transported to the dye fixing device 50 (S13: NO), the process proceeds directly to S16. When the transport unit U reaches the dye fixing device 50 (S13: YES), in S14, the identifier 88 of the transport unit U that has reached the dye fixing device 50 is read by the reading unit 2E. In addition, parameters corresponding to the read identifier 88 (in S14, at least gradation parameters, lens number parameters, color parameters, density parameters, material parameters, and shape parameters (which may include at least one of optical characteristic parameters and lens diameter parameters, etc.)) are acquired from the database 72. The controller 71 controls the operation of the dye fixing device 50 according to the acquired parameters (S15).

In detail, the controller 71 limits the temperature of the light-colored portion of the lens L (portion with high luminous transmittance) to a temperature lower than that of the dark-colored portion according to the gradation parameter. As a result, the temperature of the light-colored portion is prevented from excessively increasing, causing discoloration of the substrate. The controller 71 also causes the dye fixing device 50 to execute the fixing process for the number of lenses L corresponding to the lens number parameter. The controller 71 also sets the target temperature of the lens L according to the color parameter, thereby raising the temperature of the lens L to an appropriate temperature corresponding to the color to be dyed. The controller 71 also fixes the dye to the lens L in an appropriate manner corresponding to the material of the lens L by controlling the temperature transition of the lens L according to the material parameter. In detail, the controller 71 controls at least one of the time until the temperature of the lens L reaches the target temperature, the rate of temperature rise, the length of time for which the temperature of the lens L is maintained at the target temperature, etc., according to the material of the lens L. The controller 71 also controls the driving of the scanning unit 513 according to the shape parameter, thereby preventing the temperature difference between the portions caused by the shape of the lens L from becoming excessively large. In detail, the controller 71 of this embodiment adjusts the energy applied to the lens L for each part by changing the scanning speed of the laser light on the lens L according to the part while keeping the output of the laser light constant. In a position where the scanning speed of the laser light is slow, the energy applied to the part per unit time is greater than in a position where the scanning speed is fast. When the energy of the laser light is applied evenly to each part, the temperature is more likely to rise in a part of the lens L with a small thickness than in a part with a large thickness. In addition, since the peripheral part of the lens L is more likely to release heat than the central part of the lens L, the temperature of the peripheral part is less likely to rise than the central part. Therefore, the controller 71 suppresses the temperature difference between parts from becoming excessively large by scanning the laser light at an appropriate scanning speed according to the thickness and position of the lens L according to the shape parameters of the lens L.

Next, it is determined whether the transport unit U has been transported to the coating device 60 (S16). If the transport unit U has not been transported to the coating device 60 (S16: NO), the process returns to S1. When the transport unit U reaches the coating device 60 (S16: YES), the identifier 88 of the transport unit U that has reached the coating device 60 is read by the reading unit 2F in S17. In addition, parameters corresponding to the read identifier 88 (at least the coating parameters in S17) are obtained from the database 72. The controller 71 controls the driving of the coating device 60 according to the obtained parameters (S18). The process then returns to S1.

(Second dyeing control process)
The second dyeing control process executed by the controller 71 of the dyeing system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 14. In the second dyeing control process, the controller 71 controls the printing device 30 to print an identifier on the substrate S together with the dye. That is, when the second dyeing control process is executed, unlike when the first dyeing control process is executed, the identifier is provided on the substrate S, not on the dyeing tray 80. Note that some processes in the second dyeing control process can be similar to the first dyeing control process (see FIG. 13). Therefore, the steps in the second dyeing control process that can be similar to the first dyeing control process are given the same step numbers as those given in the first dyeing control process, and their descriptions are omitted or simplified. In addition, when the second dyeing control process is executed, at least the reading units 2A, 2B, and 2C of the multiple reading units 2 (see FIG. 1) provided in the dyeing system 1 may be omitted.

First, the controller 71 judges whether or not it has acquired treatment information indicating the treatment contents to be performed on the lens L (S1). If the treatment information has not been acquired (S1: NO), the process proceeds directly to S11. If the treatment information for the lens L has been acquired (S1: YES), the controller 71 determines an identifier to be associated with the lens L for which the treatment information has been acquired (S21). Next, the controller 71 transports the transport unit U including the lens L for which the treatment information has been acquired to the pre-preparation unit 20 (S22). The controller 71 acquires shape parameters of the lens L based on the optical characteristics of the lens L read by the optical characteristic measuring device 21, and stores the shape parameters in the database 72 in association with the identifier determined in S21 (S6). Note that, if the information on the shape of the lens L has been acquired in S1, the process of S6 may be omitted. The controller 71 controls the rotational drive of the lens L by the rotation device 22 based on the gradation parameters corresponding to the gradation treatment information acquired in S1 and the direction of the lens L read by the optical characteristic measuring device 21 (S7).

Next, the controller 71 transports the transport unit U including the lens L for which the treatment information was acquired to the printing device 30 (S23). The controller 71 controls the driving of the printing device 30 according to parameters based on the treatment information acquired in S1 (at least one of gradation parameters, lens number parameters, color parameters, density parameters, material parameters, and shape parameters (which may include parameters of optical characteristics)), thereby causing the printing device 30 to execute a printing operation of the dye on the base body S (S10). The controller 71 also controls the driving of the printing device 30 to print the identifier determined in S21 on the base body S together with the dye (S24). Furthermore, the controller 25 controls the driving of the printing device 30 to print at least one of characters and symbols, etc., indicating the treatment content to be performed on the lens L, on the base body S (S25). Therefore, the operator can easily confirm the treatment content to be performed (or has been performed) on the lens L by looking at at least one of characters and symbols, etc. printed on the base body S.

Next, when the transport unit U reaches the transfer device 40 (S11: YES), the controller 71 causes the transfer device 40 to execute the transfer process (S12) according to the number of lenses L placed on the transport unit U (or the position of the lens L if there is only one lens L). Specifically, in S12, the identifier printed on the substrate S included in the transport unit U is read by the reading unit 2D of the transfer device 40. Parameters corresponding to the read identifier (at least the lens number parameter in S12) are obtained from the database 72. The controller 71 controls the operation of the transfer device 40 according to the obtained parameters.

When the transport unit U reaches the dye fixing device 50 (S13: YES), the identifier printed on the substrate S is read by the reading unit 2E, and parameters corresponding to the read identifier are acquired (S14). The controller 71 controls the operation of the dye fixing device 50 according to the acquired parameters (S15).

When the transport unit U reaches the coating device 60 (S16: YES), the identifier printed on the substrate S is read by the reading unit 2F, and parameters corresponding to the read identifier are acquired (S17). The controller 71 controls the driving of the coating device 60 according to the acquired parameters (S18). The process then returns to S1.

(Third dyeing control treatment)
The third dyeing control process executed by the controller 71 of the dyeing system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 15. In the third dyeing control process, the controller 71 controls the operation of each device according to the parameters read by the tag reading unit 2. That is, when the second dyeing control process is executed, unlike when the first and second dyeing control processes are executed, the parameters themselves are stored in the tag of the transport unit U. Note that, for some processes in the third dyeing control process, the same processes as those in the first dyeing control process (see FIG. 13) described above can be adopted. Therefore, for steps in the third dyeing control process in which the same processes as those in the first dyeing control process can be adopted, the same step numbers as those in the first dyeing control process are assigned, and their descriptions are omitted or simplified. In addition, when the third dyeing control process is executed, at least one of the multiple reading units 2 (see FIG. 1) provided in the dyeing system 1 (reading units 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, and 2F in this embodiment) includes a tag reading unit that reads information from a tag. Furthermore, when the third staining control process is executed, the reading unit 2A shown in Fig. 1 is changed to a tag writing unit 2A that writes information to a tag. Furthermore, in the embodiment described below, the reading unit 2B shown in Fig. 1 is changed to a tag reading/writing unit 2B that executes both reading information from a tag and writing information to the tag. The tag is provided on a member included in the transport unit U (for example, the tray body 81 of the staining tray 80, etc.).

First, the controller 71 determines whether or not treatment information indicating the treatment content to be performed on the lens L has been acquired (S1). If treatment information has not been acquired (S1: NO), the process proceeds directly to S4. If treatment information for the lens L has been acquired (S1: YES), the controller 71 writes the parameters included in the treatment information acquired in S1 to the tag of the transport unit U from which the treatment information was acquired, using the information writing unit 2A (S31).

Next, when the transport unit U reaches the preparatory unit 20 (S4: YES), the tag reader/writer 2B reads information from the tag of the transport unit U (S32). The controller 71 obtains shape parameters of the lens L based on the optical characteristics of the lens L read by the optical characteristic measuring device 21, and writes the shape parameters to the tag by the tag reader/writer 2B (S33). If information about the shape of the lens L is obtained in S1, the process of S33 may be omitted. The controller 71 controls the rotational drive of the lens L by the rotation device 22 based on the gradation parameters included in the information read in S32 and the direction of the lens L read by the optical characteristic measuring device 21 (S7).

When the transport unit U reaches the printing device 30 (S8: YES), the reading unit 2C reads information from the tag of the transport unit U (S34). The controller 71 controls the driving of the printing device 30 according to the parameters included in the information read in S34, causing the printing device 30 to perform a dye printing operation on the substrate S (S10).

When the transport unit U reaches the transfer device 40 (S11: YES), the controller 71 causes the transfer device 40 to execute the transfer process (S12) according to the number of lenses L placed on the transport unit U (or the position of the lens L if there is only one lens L). Specifically, in S12, the information written on the tag of the transport unit U is read by the reading section 2D of the transfer device 40. The operation of the transfer device 40 is controlled according to the parameters included in the read information (at least the lens number parameter in S12).

When the transport unit U reaches the dye fixing device 50 (S13: YES), the reading unit 2E reads information from the tag of the transport unit U (S35). The controller 71 controls the operation of the dye fixing device 50 according to the parameters included in the information read in S35.

When the transport unit U reaches the coating device 60 (S16: YES), the reading unit 2F reads information from the tag of the transport unit U (S36). The controller 71 controls the operation of the coating device 60 according to the parameters included in the information read in S36 (S18).

(Discharge volume maintenance process)
With reference to FIG. 16, the discharge amount maintenance process executed by the controller 71 of the dyeing system 1 will be described. In the discharge amount maintenance process, the discharge amount of the dye discharged (printed) onto the substrate S by the printing device 30 is corrected so that the lens L is appropriately dyed with the color (including the color density) to be dyed. The operator can input an instruction to execute the discharge amount maintenance process into the dyeing system 1. The operator can input an instruction to execute the discharge amount maintenance process, for example, when the dyeing system 1 is shipped from the manufacturer to the customer, when the dyeing system 1 is initially operated, when the dyeing system 1 is maintained, and when the dyeing quality of the lens L deteriorates. When an instruction to execute the discharge amount maintenance process is input, the controller 71 executes the discharge amount maintenance process exemplified in FIG. 16 according to the discharge amount maintenance control program stored in the storage device.

First, the controller 71 acquires information on the type of substrate of the lens L to be dyed (S40). Even if the amount of dye ejected by the printing device 30 is the same, the color to be dyed (e.g., color density) differs depending on the type of substrate of the lens L. Therefore, the controller 71 executes the processes of S42 to S52 described below for each type of substrate acquired in S40. As a result, the amount of dye ejected required to appropriately dye each substrate is determined depending on the substrate.

Next, the controller 71 identifies one of the multiple dyes (as an example, in this embodiment, red, yellow, and blue) that the printing device 30 can eject (print) as the dye for which the ejection amount is to be corrected (S41).

Next, the controller 71 determines the color of the planned density to be dyed by the dye specified in S41 as the planned color to be dyed on the lens L (S42). The color information such as the planned color may be expressed by hue, lightness (or density), and saturation. In this embodiment, spectral transmittance data is used as color information to specify the color of the lens L including the planned color. For example, the L ^* a ^* b ^* color space may be used for the color information. Furthermore, the luminous transmittance Y value may be used for the color information. L ^* indicates lightness, and a ^* and b ^* indicate chromaticity (hue and saturation). Furthermore, the luminous transmittance Y value indicates the rate at which the lens L transmits visible light. However, it goes without saying that other color systems may be used for the color information of the lens L.

Next, the controller 71 determines the amount of a specific dye to be discharged (printed) by the printer 30 in order to dye the lens L with the planned color determined in S42 according to a determination procedure (S43). As an example, in this embodiment, information on the amount of each dye discharged (base color information) for dyeing the resin body with each of a plurality of dyes (red, yellow, and blue in this embodiment) at a planned concentration is stored in advance in a storage device (e.g., database 72, etc.). The controller 71 determines the amount of discharge by calculating the amount of each dye discharged (the amount of a specific dye discharged in S43) for dyeing the lens L with the planned color based on the base color information. In other words, in this embodiment, a procedure for calculating the amount of discharge of each dye based on the base color information and the planned color is used as the determination procedure (algorithm) for determining the amount of discharge. As described above, in this embodiment, the determination procedure for determining the amount of discharge is determined for each type of base material of the lens L to be dyed.

However, it is also possible to change the procedure for determining the amount of each dye ejected. For example, a table that associates color information of a planned color with the amount of each dye ejected that is required to dye the lens L with the planned color may be stored in advance in a storage device (such as database 72). The controller 71 may determine the amount of dye ejected by obtaining the amount of each dye ejected that corresponds to the planned color from the table. In other words, a table that associates planned colors with ejection amounts may be used as a procedure (algorithm) for determining the amount of ejection.

The controller 71 then outputs an instruction to the printing device 30 to eject (print) the identified dye onto the substrate S in the amount determined in S43 (S44). When printing is complete, the controller 71 transports the transport unit U to the transfer device 40 and causes the transfer device 40 to perform a transfer process (S45). When the transfer process is complete, the controller 71 transports the transport unit U to the dye fixing device 50 and causes the dye fixing device 50 to perform a fixing process (S46). The fixing control process in S46 can be the same as S15 (see Figures 13 to 15).

Next, the controller 71 acquires color information (resulting color information) measured by the color information measuring instrument 51 (see FIG. 1) for the lens L actually dyed by the printing device 30, the transfer device 40, and the dye fixing device 50 (S47). As an example, in this embodiment, the spectral transmittance data (more specifically, the L ^* a ^* b ^* color space and the luminous transmittance Y value) is used as the resulting color information, as described above.

The color information measuring instrument 51 of this embodiment is equipped with a plurality of light sources of different types (for example, two or more of a standard light source (such as CIE standard light source D65 as one example), a white light source, a light source that emits light similar to sunlight, etc.). The color information measuring instrument 51 obtains the result color information of the lens L using a light source specified by the operator. Therefore, the result color information of the lens L is appropriately obtained according to the light desired by the user.

Next, the controller 71 corrects the discharge amount of the specified dye by the printing device 30 (as an example, in this embodiment, the procedure for determining the discharge amount) so that the color of the lens L to be dyed in the subsequent dyeing process approaches the planned color according to the result of the comparison process between the result color information acquired in S47 and the color information of the planned color determined in S42 (S49). In this embodiment, a process for calculating the difference between the result color information and the color information of the planned color is performed as the comparison process. However, a process for calculating the ratio of the result color information to the color information of the planned color may also be used as the comparison process. In S49 of this embodiment, the determination procedure for determining the discharge amount of the specified dye is corrected based on the difference between the density of the color indicated by the result color information and the density indicated by the color information of the planned color. In detail, when a calculation based on the base color information and the planned color is used as the procedure (algorithm) for determining the discharge amount, the calculation procedure is corrected based on the difference in color information. Also, when a table that associates the planned color with the discharge amount is used as the procedure (algorithm) for determining the discharge amount, the correspondence in the table is corrected. Note that a specific method for correcting the determination procedure can be selected as appropriate. For example, the amount of correction of the determination procedure may be determined in advance according to the difference or ratio between the resultant color information and the color information of the planned color. In addition, the amount of correction of the determination procedure may be obtained by inputting the difference or ratio between the resultant color information and the color information of the planned color into a mathematical model trained by a machine learning algorithm. As described above, the correction process exemplified in S49 is performed according to the type of base material of the lens L.

The controller 71 then determines whether the processes of S42 to S49 have been completed for all of the dyes that the printing device 30 can eject (print) (S51). If not completed (S51: NO), other dyes among the dyes for which processing has not been completed are identified (S52), and the processes of S42 to S49 are repeated. As a result, the ejection amounts of all dyes are appropriately corrected. Thus, the resin body is appropriately dyed with a large number of colors that are expressed by combinations of multiple dyes. When processing for all dyes is completed (S51: YES), the ejection amount maintenance process ends.

In the discharge amount maintenance process illustrated in FIG. 16, the discharge amount (in this embodiment, the procedure for determining the discharge amount) is corrected for all of the multiple dyes (red, yellow, and blue in this embodiment). However, the discharge amount may be corrected only for some of the multiple dyes. Also, in the discharge amount maintenance process illustrated in FIG. 16, the discharge amount is corrected for each dye. However, in S42, a planned color to be dyed with multiple dyes may be determined. In S43, the discharge amount of each of the multiple dyes for dyeing the planned color may be determined. In S44, the multiple dyes may be printed on the substrate S. In S49, the discharge amount of each of the multiple dyes may be corrected according to the result color information and the color information of the planned color. Also, in S49, the discharge amount of each dye may be corrected based on the transmittance value of the wavelength of the maximum absorption peak of each dye, which is obtained from the spectral transmittance data, which is the result color information. In this case, the discharge amount of the multiple dyes is appropriately corrected by performing the processes of S42 to S49 once. In this embodiment, a spectrometer that measures the spectrum of the lens L is used as the color information measuring instrument 51. Therefore, even if the lens L is dyed with multiple dyes, the ejection amount of each dye is appropriately corrected.

(Dyeing quality evaluation process)
17, a dyeing quality determination process executed by the controller 71 of the dyeing system 1 will be described. In the dyeing quality determination process, it is determined whether or not the difference between the resultant color of the actually dyed lens L and the planned color exceeds an allowable range (i.e., whether or not the dyeing quality is poor), and a process according to the determination result is performed.

The dyeing quality judgment process can also be incorporated into the first to third dyeing control processes (see FIG. 13 to FIG. 15) described above and executed. That is, in the dyeing quality judgment process, the process using the identifier and tag, the process by the preparatory unit 20, and the process by the coating device 60 described in FIG. 13 to FIG. 15 can also be executed. However, in order to simplify the explanation of the dyeing quality judgment process, the explanation of the process using the identifier and tag will be omitted below. In addition, some of the processes in the dyeing quality judgment process (e.g., the processes of S44 to S47, etc.) can adopt the same process as the discharge amount maintenance process described above (see FIG. 16). Therefore, the steps in the dyeing quality judgment process that can adopt the same process as the discharge amount maintenance process are assigned the same step numbers as those assigned in the discharge amount maintenance process, and their explanations are omitted or simplified. When executing the dyeing process for the lenses L placed on each of the multiple transport units U, the controller 71 executes the dyeing quality judgment process exemplified in FIG. 17 according to the dyeing control program stored in the storage device.

First, the controller 71 acquires information on the type of substrate of the lens L to be dyed (S40). The processes of S61 to S66 described below are executed for each type of substrate acquired in S40. Next, the controller 71 acquires information on the planned color (color information) for dyeing the lens L (S61). As described above, the controller 71 may acquire color parameters associated with the identifier 88 or color parameters read from a tag as information on the planned color.

The controller 71 determines the amount of each dye to be ejected in order to dye the lens L with the planned color obtained in S61 (S62). The procedure for determining the amount of each dye to be ejected may be the same as that of S42 (see FIG. 16) described above. The process of S62 is executed according to the type of base material of the lens L.

The controller 71 outputs an instruction to the printing device 30 to eject (print) each dye onto the substrate S in the amount determined in S62 (S44). When printing is completed, the controller 71 causes the transport unit U to transport to the transfer device 40 and causes the transfer device 40 to execute the transfer process (S45). When the transfer process is completed, the controller 71 causes the transport unit U to transport to the dye fixing device 50 and causes the dye fixing device 50 to execute the fixing process (S46). Next, the controller 71 acquires color information (result color information) measured by the color information measuring device 51 (see FIG. 1) for the lens L that was actually dyed by the printing device 30, the transfer device 40, and the dye fixing device 50 (S47).

Next, the controller 71 determines whether the difference between the resultant color information and the color information of the planned color acquired in S61 exceeds an acceptable range (threshold) (S62). The threshold may be set appropriately depending on the desired level of dyeing quality, etc. If the difference between the resultant color information and the planned color is equal to or less than the threshold (S62: NO), the dyeing quality is within the acceptable range, and the process ends.

If the difference between the result color information and the planned color exceeds the threshold (S62: YES), a quality defect notification process is executed (S63). In the quality defect notification process, the user is notified that the dyeing quality of the lens L is poor. The method of notifying the user that the dyeing quality is poor can be selected as appropriate. For example, a method of displaying a message on a monitor, a method of notifying by voice, or a method of notifying by a warning lamp can be adopted.

Next, the controller 71 determines whether the discharge amount correction mode has been selected by the operator (S65). In this embodiment, the operator can select the discharge amount correction mode or the quality defect judgment mode when causing the dyeing system 1 to execute the dyeing process. In the discharge amount correction mode, if the dyeing quality is poor, the discharge amount of each dye is corrected. In the quality defect judgment mode, if the dyeing quality is poor, the operator is simply notified that the quality is poor.

If the discharge amount correction mode is not selected and the quality defect judgment mode is selected (S65: NO), the process ends. If the discharge amount correction mode is selected (S65: YES), the controller 71 corrects the discharge amount of each dye by the printing device 30 (in this embodiment, the procedure for determining the discharge amount) so that the color of the lens L dyed in the subsequent dyeing process approaches the planned color according to the result color information acquired in S47 and the color information of the planned color acquired in S61 (S66). In S66 of this embodiment, the determination procedure for determining the discharge amount of each dye is corrected for each type of base material of the lens L based on the difference between the density of the color indicated by the result color information and the density indicated by the color information of the planned color. In detail, if a calculation based on the base color information and the planned color is used as the discharge amount determination procedure (algorithm), the calculation procedure is corrected based on the difference in color information. Also, if a table that associates the planned color with the discharge amount is used as the discharge amount determination procedure (algorithm), the correspondence in the table is corrected.

When the discharge amount correction mode is always selected, the correction process of S66 is repeatedly executed each time the dyeing process of the lens L is executed. In other words, each time the dyeing process is executed, feedback control is performed to correct the dye discharge amount according to the result color information.

The techniques disclosed in the above embodiments are merely examples. Therefore, it is possible to modify the techniques exemplified in the above embodiments. For example, only some of the techniques exemplified in the above embodiments may be adopted. As an example, in the first dyeing control process to the third dyeing control process exemplified in the above embodiments, a large number of parameters for the treatment to be performed on the lens L are acquired, and various operations by the dyeing system 1 are controlled according to the acquired large number of parameters. However, it is also possible to control some operations in the dyeing system 1 by referring to only some of the large number of parameters exemplified in the above embodiments.

The processes of acquiring parameters in S5, S9, S14, and S17 in FIG. 13, S14 and S17 in FIG. 14, and S32, S34, S35, and S36 in FIG. 15 are an example of a "parameter acquisition step". The process of controlling the drive of the dye fixing device in S15 in FIG. 13 to FIG. 15 is an example of a "fixing control step". The process of storing parameters in association with an identifier in S3 in FIG. 13 is an example of a "correspondence step". The process of printing an identifier on the substrate S in S24 in FIG. 14 is an example of an "identifier printing control step". The process of printing dye with the printing device 30 in S10 in FIG. 13 to FIG. 15 is an example of a "printing control step". The process of controlling the drive of the rotation device 22 in S7 in FIG. 13 to FIG. 15 is an example of a "rotation control step". The process of controlling the drive of the coating device in S18 in FIG. 13 to FIG. 15 is an example of a "coating control step".

The process of determining the amount of dye to be ejected to dye the lens L with the planned color in S43 of FIG. 16 and S62 of FIG. 17 is an example of a "ejection amount determination step." The process of acquiring result color information in S47 of FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 is an example of a "result color information acquisition step." The process of correcting the determination procedure in S49 of FIG. 16 and S66 of FIG. 17 is an example of a "correction step." The quality defect notification process executed in S63 of FIG. 17 is an example of a "notification step."

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Dyeing system 2 Reading unit 10 Conveying device 21 Optical property measuring device 22 Rotating device 30 Printing device 40 Transfer device 50 Dye fixing device 51 Color information measuring device 60 Coating device 71 Controller 72 Database 80 Dyeing tray 81 Tray body 82 Mounting unit 82S Light transmitting unit 83 Recess 84A Protrusion (positioning unit, base protection unit)
84B Protrusion (positioning portion, base body protection portion, upper fitting portion)
85 Base body mounting portion 86 Bottom fitting portion 87 Spacer 88 Identifier 89 Mounting frame 89S Light transmitting portion 510 Laser light irradiating portion 511 Laser light source 512 Objective lens 513 Scanning portion 520 Laser light blocking portion 525 Resin body peripheral portion 530 Thermo camera 540 Inlet 550 Outlet 560 Pressure difference generating portion 570 Radiant heat reflecting portion L Lens S Base body U Transport unit

Claims (2)

A dyeing system for dyeing a resin body, comprising:
A conveying device that continuously conveys a plurality of conveying units including a resin body;
a reading unit configured to read information relating to the transport unit for each of the transport units;
a dye fixing device that heats the resin body of the transport unit transported by the transport device to fix the dye attached to the surface of the resin body to the resin body;
A control unit;
Equipped with
The control unit is
a parameter acquisition step of acquiring parameters of a treatment to be performed on the resin body included in the transport unit based on the information read by the reading unit;
a fixing control step of fixing the dye adhered to the surface of the resin body to the resin body by controlling the drive of the dye fixing device according to the parameters acquired based on the read information when the resin body of the transport unit from which the information has been read is heated by the dye fixing device;
A dyeing system comprising: 2. The dyeing system according to claim 1,
a transfer device that transfers the dye to the resin body in a state in which the resin body of the transport unit transported by the transport device faces a base body on which the dye is printed,
The dye fixing device heats the resin body to which the dye has been transferred by the transfer device, thereby fixing the dye to the resin body.

Images