Method for manufacturing an optical element made of thermosetting plastic material for use in eye-protecting devices and optical element thus obtained

Abstract

A method is described for manufacturing an optical element (13) made of thermosetting plastic material comprising the steps of: a) positioning in a mould a first self-supporting layer (6) made of partially cross-linked thermosetting plastic material including reactive functional groups; b) forming, on at least one surface of the self-supporting layer (6), a second layer (12) including: i) a polymerisable material in liquid phase including: prepolymers and/or monomers including reactive functional groups capable of chemically reacting with the reactive functional groups of the self-supporting layer made of partially cross-linked thermosetting plastic material, a reactive component including functional groups capable of chemically reacting with the reactive functional groups of the prepolymers and/or of the monomers and optionally with the reactive functional groups of the self-supporting layer (6) made of partially cross-linked thermosetting plastic material; ii) at least one element adapted to modify the spectral characteristics of the transmitted light; and c) cross-linking said first (6) and second (12) layers in the mould, so as to form a solid monolithic optical element (13) made of thermosetting plastic material comprising at least one functionalised layer (12) adapted to modify the spectral characteristics of the transmitted light. The optical element (13) thus obtained may have polarising properties, has optimal optical and mechanical characteristics and is capable at the same time of modifying the spectral characteristics of the transmitted light as desired.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.