US 6,180,033 B2Granted

Method of making a finished multi-coated and/or laminated eyeglass lens

AssigneeChrysalis Development Company, LLC

InventorMartin Greshes

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A compression process for fabricating a substantially finished coated/layered lens for eyeglasses with a thermoplastic lens preform, with the lens having surfaces for correcting vision. The process comprised suitably placing on at least one of a pair of molds with molding surfaces conforming to the surfaces of the finished lens a thermoplastic film-layer/coating or multiple layers or coatings, each having a given thickness and predetermined characteristics and/or properties desired in the finished lens. The lens preform is then placed on the thermoplastic film-layer/coating; and heating and molding in situ of the film-layer/coating with the lens preform is then conducted while the lens preform is under compressive forces of the compression process until a generally predetermined lens thickness is achieved. Then the molds are first cooled and opened so as to remove the substantially finished lens with the film-layer/coating simultaneously molded/coated thereon, whereby a finished molded prescription eyeglass lens is formed with the molded thermoplastic film-layer/coating molded thereto on one or both sides thereof during the compression process.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A method of making a finished lens having a predetermined RX, and one or more property selected from the group consisting of anti-reflection, polarization, photochromic, and scratch resistance by a compression molding process comprising:

a) placing a first flat solid film on at least one of a pair of molds, having molding surfaces conforming to said surface of said finished lens;
b) placing a thermoplastic preform blank on said flat film;
c) said first flat solid film having two or more layers including a thermoplastic top layer for engagement with said preform blank, and one or more additional layers providing said property;
d) heating and molding together in situ said flat film with said preform blank in said pair of molds while said preform blank is under pressure, whereby said preform blank softens and substantially undergoes material displacement of said thermoplastic material so that the said thermoplastic material fills said mold;
e) said flat film deforming to the shape of said mold and fusing to the softened preform blank to form a unitary finished lens having said predetermined RX and one or more of said properties;
f) cooling said pair of molds;
g) opening said pair of molds after said cooling to remove said substantially finished lens;
h) said flat film simultaneously fusing to said lens blank to form a unitary substantially finished prescription eyeglass lens.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/968,237Filed 12 Nov 1997 · continuation in part
Priority: 19 Aug 1992
Granted: 30 Jan 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification20 codes

B29C 43/52
Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations: heating or cooling
B29C 43/203
Making multilayered or multicoloured articles: making multilayered articles
B29D 11/00009
Producing optical elements, e.g. lenses or prisms: production of simple or compound lenses
B29D 11/00192
Auxiliary operations, e.g. removing oxygen from the mould, conveying moulds from a storage to the production line in an inert atmosphere:…

Family

Application07/932,088Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 19 Aug 1992
Application08/343,107Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 22 Nov 1994
US 5,368,790 AParent of this continuation-in-part · filed 29 Nov 1994
Application08/858,283Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 19 May 1997
US 5,630,967 AParent of this continuation-in-part · filed 20 May 1997
US 6,180,033 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.