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US 6,319,433 B1Granted
Composite ophthalmic lens remolding system for forming a lens therein
AssigneeInvicta Corporation
InventorGeorge Kohan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of forming an ophthalmic lens using a composite ophthalmic lens vacuum mold to quickly and inexpensively produce, on-site, multi-focal, prescription and non-prescription optical quality eyeglasses, with or without photochromic, and photochromic non-prescription (e.g., sunglasses, safety glasses, reading glasses, etc.) optical quality eyeglass via a vacuum remolding. The method further includes a rigid remolding process for forming the composite ophthalmic lens.
Claims35
A composite ophthalmic lens vacuum mold for forming an ophthalmic lens therein comprising:
- a stage having alignment means for aligning a base tool and a stage opening;
- a base tool seated on said stage and having an upper side and a lower side, said upper side being a concave seat and having a central opening defining a passage through the base tool, said lower side having alignment means in engagement with said base tool, said base tool passage being aligned with said stage opening;
- a light housing having a light source;
- a generally flexible mold having an upper side and a lower side, said upper side having a recess for receiving an amount of a polymerizable composition thereon and said flexible mold lower side being heated and seated within said base tool upper side;
- a stock lens, the stock lens being positioned on said polymerizable composition when placed within said recess of said flexible mold;
- and
- a vacuum motor having an elongated vacuum tube projecting outwardly therefrom and sized for engaging said stage opening and said passage, said vacuum motor capable of creating a suction force through the vacuum tube for pulling the heated flexible mold against the base tool upper surface and thereby deforming the flexible mold, wherein said light source is capable of emitting radiation at a frequency and for a duration to polymerize said polymerizable composition, thereby causing said polymerizable composition to be laminated on the stock lens to form a composite ophthalmic lens while said flexible mold is suctioned against the base tool.
4 more elements
A method of forming an ophthalmic lens including the steps of:
- (a) pre-manufacturing a base tool, the base tool having an upper side and a lower side, the upper side being a concave seat and having an opening that defines a passage through the base tool;
- (b) positioning the base tool on a stage and aligning the passage with a stage opening, with the upper side of the base tool facing upwardly and the lower side seated on the stage;
- (c) pre-manufacturing a flexible mold with an upper side and a lower side, the upper side of the flexible mold having a recess therein;
- (d) pre-manufacturing a first lens, the first lens having a contact surface;
- (e) positioning a vacuum tube from a vacuum motor to the stage opening and the passage of the base tool;
- (f) filling the recess and the upper side of the flexible mold with an amount of a polymerizable composition;
- (g) orientating the first lens in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the flexible mold;
- (h) heating the flexible mold for increasing the pliability of the flexible mold;
- (i) bringing the first lens, polymerizable composition, and flexible mold together such that the space between the first lens and the flexible mold is completely filled with the polymerizable composition;
- (j) operating the vacuum motor to pull air from within the vacuum tube to create a suction that pulls the heated flexible mold into the concave seat of the base tool for deforming into the curvature thereof while bringing the first lens and flexible mold together such that the space between the first lens and flexible mold completely disperses the polymerizable composition along the contact surface of the first lens;
- (k) allowing a light source to shine onto the first lens, the polymerizable composition and the flexible mold for curing of the polymerizable composition onto the first lens;
- (l) removing the first lens;
- and
- wherein the first lens is a base lens, wherein casting the polymerizable composition forms a wafer lens remaining within the flexible mold after step (l).
11 more elements
A method of forming an ophthalmic lens including the steps of:
- (a) pre-manufacturing a base lens having a predetermined convex curvature with a lower surface;
- (b) pre-manufacturing a rigid mold being sized to have a concave curvature, for receiving the convex curvature of the base lens, the rigid mold having an upper surface and a lower surface;
- (c) placing an amount of polymerizable composition onto the upper surface of the rigid mold;
- (d) positioning the base lens within the rigid mold and allowing the lower surface of the base lens to rest upon the polymerizable composition and disperse the polymerizable composition;
- (e) passing the rigid mold having the base lens thereon and the polymerizable composition therebetween, over a light source emitting radiation at a frequency to polymerize the polymerizable composition, thereby forming a wafer lens;
- (f) lifting the base lens away from the rigid mold and leaving the wafer lens adhered to the rigid mold;
- (g) placing an optical adhesive within a center of the wafer lens;
- (h) re-seating the base lens into the wafer lens and allowing the weight of the base lens to evenly disperse the optical adhesive;
- (i) curing the adhesive between the base lens and the wafer lens by passing the rigid mold over the light source;
- (j) removing the base lens from the rigid mold;
- and
- wherein the wafer lens being laminated onto the base lens after step (j).
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.