Method for Making Optical Lenses Using 3D Printed Functional Wafers
AssigneeEssilor International
InventorsHao-Wen CHIU, Aref JALLOULI, Haifeng SHAN
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is an injection molding method for making optical thermoplastic lenses using 3D-printed functional wafers. The wafer and base lens are made of different materials having dissimilar glass transition temperatures.
Claims13
A method for producing an optical article, the method comprising over-molding an additive manufactured functional wafer onto a convex surface of a base lens to produce an ophthalmic lens, wherein the over-molding comprises:
- affixing the functional wafer to the concave surface of a mold cavity of a molding apparatus;
- and
- filling the mold cavity with molten base lens material;
- wherein the functional wafer material has a glass transition temperature at or between at least 100° C. below the glass transition temperature of the base lens material to at or about 15° C. below the glass transition temperature of the base lens material, such that Tg,lens−100° C.≤Tg,wafer≤Tg,lens−15° C.
An optical article comprising an ophthalmic lens, said ophthalmic lens comprising a base lens and an additive-manufactured functional wafer affixed to the convex side of the base lens, wherein the ophthalmic lens is produced by injection over-molding a molten base lens material over the additive-manufactured functional wafer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.