Patent ID: 8087378

Claim:
An apparatus for coating lenses comprising a coating line which includes a lens-measuring portion ( 3 ) for measuring the shape of a starting lens, a primer-coating portion ( 5 ) for applying a primer solution onto the starting lens to prepare a first intermediate product lens having an undried primer coating, a photochromic-coating portion ( 7 ) for applying a photochromic coating solution onto a second intermediate product lens obtained by drying said first intermediate product lens through a drying portion ( 6 ) to prepare a third intermediate product lens having an uncured photochromic coating, and a UV irradiation portion ( 8 ) for irradiating the third intermediate product lens with UV to cure the uncured photochromic coating to thereby prepare a product lens; and carrier means for carrying the lens to each of the portions in said coating line; wherein, means for supporting the lens in at least any one of said lens-measuring portion ( 3 ), primer-coating portion ( 5 ), photochromic-coating portion ( 7 ) or UV irradiation portion ( 8 ), is a support shaft for supporting the central bottom surface portion of the lens by air suction means; said carrier means is provided with an adsorbing portion for supporting the central bottom surface portion of the lens by the air suction means, and said support shaft is surrounded by a lens-placing portion for supporting the bottom surface of the lens other than the regions of the lens that are supported by said support shaft and by said adsorbing portion; and the lens is temporary-placed on said lens-placing portion at the time of receiving or handing over the lens between said support shaft and said adsorbing portion, and at least any one of said lens-placing portion, support shaft or adsorbing portion is moved up and down so that said lens is supported by said support shaft or by said adsorbing portion.