# US 2010/0164129 A1 · Heated Mold Tooling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0164129 A1 - Document ID: US20100164129A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/719,641 - Filed: 2010-03-08 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-03-06 - Assignees: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated - Inventors: Bruce E. Lawton; Stephen P. Johnston - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100164129A1 ## CPC - B29D 11/00125: {Auxiliary operations, e.g. removing oxygen from the mould, conveying moulds from a storage to the production line in an inert atmosphere} - B29C 33/308: {Adjustable moulds (for injection moulding B29C45/376)} - B29C 39/26: Moulds or cores - B29L 2011/0041: {Contact lenses} - B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00) - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES ## Abstract A method for varying a radius of an optical quality surface of a casting mold formed in a tooling cavity, the tooling cavity at least partially defined by an optical tool having an optical quality surface of a given radius, includes imparting a compressive stress within the optical quality surface of the casting mold to predictably decrease the radius of the optical quality surface of the casting mold. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for varying a radius of an optical quality surface of a casting mold formed in a tooling cavity, the tooling cavity at least partially defined by an optical tool having an optical quality surface of a given radius, the method comprising: (a) imparting a tensile stress within the optical quality surface of the casting mold to predictably increase the radius of the optical quality surface of the casting mold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising forming an annular flange circumscribing the optical quality surface of the casting mold and decreasing, relative to the flange, a cooling rate of a polymeric material adjacent the optical quality surface of a given radius to impart the tensile stress. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein imparting the tensile stress further comprises decreasing a cooling rate of a portion of the optical quality surface of the optical tool. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein imparting the tensile stress further comprises sensing a temperature of a portion of the optical tool. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further including selectively heating a portion of the optical quality surface of the optical tool based on the sensed temperature. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the optical quality surface of the casting mold is one of convex and concave. ### Claim 7 A method of forming polymeric casting molds in a tooling cavity, the tooling cavity at least partially defined by an optical tool having an optical quality surface of a given radius, the method comprising: (a) forming a first casting mold having an optical quality surface radius smaller than the given radius; and (b)forming a second casting mold having an optical quality surface radius greater than the given radius. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second casting molds are one of an anterior mold half and a posterior mold half. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising selectively modifying a cooling rate of a portion of the optical quality surface of the optical tool based on a cooling rate of a portion of the tooling cavity. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising selectively modifying a temperature of a flange forming portion of the tooling cavity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the flange forming portion extends radially around the optical quality surface of the optical tool. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising imparting a compressive stress within the optical quality surface of the first casting mold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein imparting the compressive stress assists in predictably decreasing the optical quality surface radius of the first casting mold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising imparting a tensile stress within the optical quality surface of the second casting mold. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein imparting the tensile stress assists in predictably increasing the optical quality surface radius of the second casting mold. ### Claim 16 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising sensing a temperature of a portion of the optical tool and modifying a temperature of one of the portion of the optical tool and a flange forming portion of the tooling cavity based on the sensed temperature. ### Claim 17 A casting mold configured to form an ophthalmic device having an optical quality surface, the casting mold comprising: (a) an optical quality surface, and; (b) a circumscribing flange, the optical quality surface of the casting mold having a residual compressive stress, the residual compressive stress decreasing a radius of the optical quality surface. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The casting mold of claim 17, wherein the optical surface is one of convex and concave. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The casting mold of claim 17, further comprising a posterior mold half and an anterior mold half. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The casting mold of claim 19, wherein the optical quality surface is a convex surface of the posterior mold half. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The casting mold of claim 19, wherein the optical quality surface is a concave surface of the anterior mold half. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The casting mold of claim 19, wherein the anterior mold half defines a radial shelf configured to support a plurality of fins of the posterior mold half. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The casting mold of claim 19, wherein a portion of the anterior mold half is configured to accept a portion of the posterior mold half so as to define a forming cavity between the mold halves. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The casting mold of claim 23, wherein the forming cavity is defined by an optical quality surface of the anterior mold half and an optical quality surface of the posterior mold half. ### Claim 25 A casting mold configured to form an ophthalmic device having an optical quality surface, the casting mold comprising: (a) an optical quality surface, and; (b) a circumscribing flange, the optical quality surface of the casting mold having a residual tensile stress, the residual tensile stress increasing a radius of the optical quality surface. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The casting mold of claim 25, wherein the optical surface is one of convex and concave. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The casting mold of claim 25, further comprising a posterior mold half and an anterior mold half. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The casting mold of claim 27, wherein the optical quality surface is a convex surface of the posterior mold half. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The casting mold of claim 27, wherein the optical quality surface is a concave surface of the anterior mold half. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The casting mold of claim 27, wherein the anterior mold half defines an annular shoulder configured to engage a plurality of fins of the posterior mold half. ### Claim 31 (depends on 27) The casting mold of claim 27, wherein a portion of the anterior mold half is configured to accept a portion of the posterior mold half so as to define a forming cavity between the mold halves. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The casting mold of claim 31, wherein the forming cavity is defined by an optical quality surface of the anterior mold half and an optical quality surface of the posterior mold half. ### Claim 33 A tooling cavity configured to form a polymeric casting mold, comprising: (a) a tool body; (b) an optical tool removably connected to the tool body, the optical tool defining an optical quality surface of a given radius; (c) a non-optical tool configured to assist in forming a radius forming portion opposite the optical quality surface; and (d) a heat source connected to the tool body and configured to selectively heat a portion of the optical quality surface. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The tooling cavity of claim 33, further comprising a flange forming portion circumscribing the optical quality surface of the optical tool. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The tooling cavity of claim 34, further comprising an additional heat source disposed proximate the flange forming portion and configured to increase the temperature of the flange forming portion. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The tooling cavity of claim 35, wherein the additional heat source is configured to assist in imparting a compressive stress within an optical quality surface of the polymeric casting mold. ### Claim 37 (depends on 35) The tooling cavity of claim 35, wherein the additional heat source is configured to assist in predictably decreasing a radius of an optical quality surface of the polymeric casting mold. ### Claim 38 (depends on 35) The tooling cavity of claim 35, wherein the additional heat source is configured to assist in increasing, relative to the flange forming portion, a cooling rate of the a polymeric material adjacent the optical quality surface of the optical tool. ### Claim 39 (depends on 34) The tooling cavity of claim 34, wherein the heat source is configured to assist in decreasing, relative to the flange forming portion, a cooling rate of the a polymeric material adjacent the optical quality surface of the optical tool. ### Claim 40 (depends on 33) The tooling cavity of claim 33, wherein the heat source is configured to assist in imparting a tensile stress within an optical quality surface of the polymeric casting mold. ### Claim 41 (depends on 33) The tooling cavity of claim 33, wherein the heat source is configured to assist in predictably increasing a radius of an optical quality surface of the polymeric casting mold. ### Claim 42 (depends on 33) The tooling cavity of claim 33, further comprising a cooling circuit configured to reduce a temperature of a portion of at least one of the non-optical tool and the tool body.