Importance

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Abstract

A recognition apparatus and method are provided for identifying the type of work piece loaded onto the rotating shaft chuck of an ophthalmic product generator. A digital electronic system supplies signals which control the angular displacement of the chuck. Each type of work piece has a unique pattern of passages aligned on a plane transverse to its rotational axis which rotate into and out of alignment with a single registration line in the plane. Unique signature data which identifies each type of work piece by the angular positions at which the passages come into and go out of alignment with the registration line is stored in the digital electronic system. A beam of light, preferably infrared, is continuously transmitted along the registration line during a signature rotation of the chuck. The angular positions of the loaded work piece and the status of an electrical signal generated when the light beam passes through the passages are detected and stored in the digital electronic system. The loaded work piece signature data is then sequentially compared with the unique signature data for each type of work piece that could be loaded into the generator. An electronic signal is transmitted by the digital electronic system upon determination of either a match or lack of a match. The transmitted signal may be used to continue or abort the generating process and/or to cause one or more unique messages descriptive of the job status to be visually displayed.

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First Claim