Patent ID: 8430109

Claim:
A washing unit for machines that clean ophthalmic glass ( 1 ) or other substrates is characterized by: (a) two washing lines ( 22 , 23 ), each line able to issue a high-pressure jet of washing liquid ( 30 ) in a flared shape having a width substantially equal to or greater than the diameter of the glass to be cleaned, said lines ( 22 , 23 ) being parallel and mounted opposite each other one on each side of the glass ( 1 ) to be cleaned, such, that the two streams of liquid ( 30 ) are located at the same level and come into contact on the concave ( 10 ) and convex ( 11 ) surfaces, respectively of said glass ( 1 ), (b) supports ( 4 ) for holding the glass in a stable fixed horizontal washing position between the two lines ( 22 , 23 ) during the washing operation, (c) means ( 2 ′) for allowing movement of said lines ( 22 , 23 ) or the glass ( 1 ) in order to perform simultaneous bathing of the concave ( 10 ) and the convex ( 11 ) surfaces of the glass ( 1 ) by the respective streams of washing liquid ( 30 ), (d) a tightening clamp ( 4 ) comprising two calipers ( 40 ) which can be moved away from or closer to each other to hold the glass ( 1 ) firmly during washing, each tightening caliper ( 40 ) on the glass ( 1 ) being comprised of a lever arm ( 41 ) that has, on one of its extremities, a clamp ( 42 ) made from a metal piece ( 45 ) folded into a U-shape, with a V-shaped notch ( 46 ) placed on the side extremity of each branch of the U to hold the edge of said glass ( 1 ), each caliper ( 40 ) having a foot ( 43 ) mounted for rotation about an axis ( 44 ) and jointed to the foot ( 43 ) of the other arm ( 41 ) in order to allow pivoting of the two arms ( 41 ), one in relation to the other, to push away the clamps ( 42 ) or bring them closer together, each notch ( 46 ) having an edge cut in a saw-tooth manner in order to reinforce locking of the edge of the glass ( 1 ) in the said notches ( 46 ).