Pincette for an ocular lens

Abstract: A pincette for an ocular lens comprises a pair of arm portions (3) which are crossed each other and fulcrumed and continuous via a curved portion (2) having a resilient property side and a stopper (9) which is formed approximately in the crossed portion (4) and contacted with each other when the arm portion is closed.

Description: The invention relates to a pincette for an ocular lens, and more particularly to a pincette which is used on the occasion to deal with an ocular lens such as a contact lens and the like, so as for instance known from US-A-4 192 204 on which the preamble of claim 1 is based. Contact lenses and the like have hitherto been dealt in such a manner as to be pinched either by a thumb and a finger or by a pincette made of stainless steel or hard material such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resin (ABS resin) and the like. However, if contact lenses are handled by the above way, the contact lenses are often hurt. In view of protection of the contact lenses, such pincettes have a tip which is covered with plastics such as polyfluoroethylene resin and the like. However, contact lenses cannot be handled without being hurt when such a pincette is used. For this reason, a pincette made of soft material which is substitute for hard material was proposed. Such a pincette has a shape as shown in Fig. 7. When the pincette is compared to a lever, each of a fulcrum (a curved portion 51) and a point of application (a tip portion 52 for pinching a lens) is, respectively, disposed at an end portion of the pincette, and a point of force (a grip portion 53) is disposed between the fulcrum and the point of application. A stopper 54 is formed in an inner side of the grip portion 53. Then the pincette is intended not to close exceeding a certain length. According to the above-mentioned conventional pincette, when the pincette is inserted into a case for storing a contact lens having a mouth of small diameter, the grip portion 53 must be closed to a certain extent (referring to Fig. 8). Accordingly, it is restricted to open and close the tip portion 52 for pinching the lens which is located in the bottom of the case for storage. Then it is very difficult to pinch the lens. When the grip portion 53 is pinched by a finger and a thumb, a stroke of the tip portion 52 becomes longer than that of the grip portion 53. Therefore, it is difficult to perform such a fine work as to deal with the contact lens and the like. The users tend to pinch a portion located in the neighborhood of the tip portion 52 of the pincette when the users perform the above-mentioned fine work. In such a case, there is a probability to damage the contact lens by pressing the tip portion after the stopper 54 which is formed in the inner side of the grip portion 53 is coming into contact with the another side of the grip portion 53. The object of the present invention is to resolve the above described problems, and to provide such a pincette for an ocular lens that the pincette can take out a lens from a case for storage having a small mouth, preventing the lens from being damaged when the lens is pinched and be easily handled. According to the present invention, there is provided a pincette for ocular lenses as defined by the combination of features of claim 1. It is preferable that the tip portion of each arm portion of the pincette is thinned. Further, it is preferable that said curved portion has a smaller thickness and a narrower width compared with the arm portion. The term "ocular lens" is a concept including a contact lens or an intraocular lens. When the grip portion of the pincette is pinched by a thumb and a finger against a resilient force of the curved portion, the tip portion is closed. Then, distances between arm portions from the crossed portion to the tip portion are equal each to each. Accordingly, it is easy to take out the lens from the case having a small mouth. Since the stoppers which are formed in the neighborhood of the crossed portion contact each other, the force of closing the arms is not transmitted to the tip portion beyond a restriction by the stopper. Therefore, it does not happen to damage the lens. Further, the portions except for the grip portion, that is to say, the portions near the tip portion are not pinched by users since the grip portion, is clearly defined in such a manner as to be distinguished from the crossed portion. Accordingly, the stoppers near the crossed portions always function effectively. Further, since the tip portion and the grip portion are formed in such a manner that the crossed portion is located between the tip portion and the grip portion, the stroke of closing the tip portion is shorter than that of pinching the grip portion, or the stroke of closing the tip portion is almost the same as that of pinching the grip portion. The pincette in accordance with the present invention is explained below with reference to the drawings by means of non-restricted embodiments, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the pincette of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front view showing a state of closing the tip portion of the pincette of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front view showing a state before constructing the pincette of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 1 viewed from the dirrection of an arrow A; Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a shape of the tip portion of another embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 6 is a perspective view further showing a shape of the tip portion of another embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of conventional pincette; and Fig. 8 is a front view showing a state closing the tip portion of a pincette of Fig. 7. The pincette 1 shown in Fig. 1 has such a shape that a belt-like-shaped-plate member is curved and folded. A pair of arms 3 which are continuous via a curved portion 2 cross each other and are fulcrumed in the neighborhood of the central portion of the pincette. The portions between the curved portion 2 and a crossed portion 4 of the arms 3 define a grip portion 5 of the pincette 1. Each of the crossed portions 4 of the arms 3 is formed in such a manner that each crossed portion 4 has a face perpendicular to another portion of the arm 3. A hole 6 for a pin 7 is formed in approximately the center of one of the crossed portions (referring to Fig. 3), and in another hole 6 in which is inserted a portion of the pin is formed in another crossed portion. The pin 7 is the fulcrum of the crossed portions 4. The curved portion 2 of the pincette 1 is biased so that its tip portions 8 can always be opened by means of elastic force. If the grip portions 5 are pinched, the tip portions 8 are closed. Since the pincette 1 has a crossed portion 4, each distance between arm portions located from the crossed portion 4 to the tip portions 8 is almost the same. Accordingly, the case for storage having the above-mentioned small mouth can be easily inserted by the pincette. Furthermore, since the tip portions 8 are curved in such a manner as to converge (or be inwardly disposed), a lens can be securely retained. Accordingly, the lens can be easily taken out from the above-mentioned case having a small mouth. Furthermore, when the pincette 1 is closed, first stoppers 9 (referring to Fig. 3) which are defined in the arms 3 in the upper side (the end portion of the curved portion side) of the crossed portion 4 are coming into contact with each other and/or second stoppers 10 which are defined in the arms 3 in the lower side (the end portion of the tip portion side) are coming into contact with each other. Therefore, when the grip portion 5 is pinched strongly enough to exceed the state that the first stoppers 9 are coming into contact with each other, the grip portion 5 is bent and the tip portion 8 is never closed by pinching the grip portion 5. Then, the pinched lens is not damaged. Further, since the grip portion 5 is defined in such a manner as to be distinguished from the crossed portion 4 which is a distinct portion, the tip portion is never pinched. Then, the effect of the stopper is never lost like in a conventional pincette. The pincette 1 in accordance with the present invention is provided with the crossed portions 4 located in the place where a stroke of pinching the grip portions 5 is longer than that of closing the tip portions 8, or the stroke of pinching the grip portions 5 is almost the same as the stroke of closing the tip portions 8. Therefore, it is easy to perform such a fine work as to deal with a lens. Further, since the arm portions 3 are thinned in the place from the crossed portion 4 to the tip portions 8 (referring to Fig. 3), the arm portions 3 are easily bended and prevent the lens from transmitting excessive force. It is preferable that the thickness T of the tip portions 8 is not more than half of the thickness W of another part of the arm portions 8 (referring to Fig. 3). Furthermore, it is preferable that the tip portions 8 have a round shape (or the tip portions 8 have their edge portions chamfered) so as not to damage the lens even in case of coming into contact with the lens. Especially, in view of easiness of producing it is preferable that each tip portion 8 has a disk-like shape as shown in Fig. 1, or a ring like shape as shown in Fig. 5, or a spherical shape as shown in Fig. 6. The tip portions 8 have a size not to be difficult to pinch a lens. Generally, the maximum width of the tip portions 8 is approximately 2 to 10 mm. As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the width of the curved portion 2 located in the place from the back side is narrowed gradually and the thickness of the curved portion is thinned little by little. Accordingly, as elastic force of the curved portion 2 to open the pincette is little and it is easy to control the force of the thumb and finger when the users deal with the pincette. As material of the pincette 1 it is preferable to employ a hydrophobic soft material not to easily become dirty. For instance, polyethylene, polybutadiene, polypropylene, polyester, urethane elastomer, silicone elastomer and the like can be employed. If the grip portion is provided with a serrated or warty antislipping portion so that the thumb and the finger do not slip when the pincette is handled, the pincette can be still more easily handled. Since the user can adjust to open or close the tip portions by using the pincette of the present invention without being effected by the size of the mouth of the case, a lens can be easily taken out from the case and can be easily controled by the thumb and the finger without adding unnecessary force to the lens which is a pinched article. Therefore, the pincette in accordance with the present invention is very easy to be deal. Further, the pincette has the advantage that injection molding is easily performed since the pincette has a simple shape.

Claims: Pincette (1) for ocular lenses, comprising a pair of arm portions (3) which are fulcrumed to one another and are continuous via a curved portion (2) having resilient properties, characterized in that, the arm portions (3) cross each other between a grip portion (5) and a tip portion (8) and comprise stoppers (9; 10) which are formed approximately in the crossed portion (4) and which come into contact with each other when the arm portions are closed, the pincette (1) being made of hydrophobic soft material. Pincette of claim 1, characterized in that the tip portion (8) of each arm portion (3) is thinned. Pincette of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the curved portion (2) (2) has a smaller thickness and a narrower width compared with the arm portions (3).

Inventors: TANAKA TOYOYASU C O MENICON CO, TANAKA, TOYOYASU, C/O MENICON CO.,LTD.
Applicants: MENICON CO LTD, MENICON CO., LTD.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B25B7
IPC codes: B25B9, B25B7, A61F2, A61F9