US 9,751,268 B2Granted

Molds and method of using the same for optical lenses

AssigneeQspex Technologies, Inc.

InventorsKai Su, Debbie Makita

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The present invention encompasses, in part, a method and apparatus for lens casting in which two molds, preferably formed of plastic, are interconnected or joined together via a ring to form a mold cavity having substantially the same dimensions of the lens to be formed therein. The invention is further directed to compositions and methods used in lens casting. In a first implementation the invention includes a mold having a ring having an interior periphery; a front mold formed of a plastic and having a lens-forming surface, an edge circumscribing the lens-forming surface that is sized to be complementarily received within a portion of the interior periphery of the ring, and a base having dimensions greater than the interior periphery; and a rear mold formed of a plastic and having a lens-forming surface.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method of forming an ophthalmic spectacle lens, the method comprising:

providing a substantially amorphous thermoplastic material injection molded to form a disposable mold having an optically precise surface;
providing a curable composition suitable for forming an ophthalmic lens, the curable composition being unreactive or reactive with the amorphous thermoplastic material used to form the mold;
providing an acrylate functional curable coating, the curable coating being compatible with the amorphous thermoplastic material used to form the mold;
coating the optically precise surface of the mold with the curable coating that is configured to be transferrable to a lens and removable from the mold and partially curing the curable coating to form a partially cured acrylate functional coating such that the curable coating remains on the mold temporarily;
subsequently forming the lens within the mold by applying the curable composition over the partially cured acrylate functional coating, and substantially curing the partially cured coating and the curable composition by either UV light or visible light for less than 1 hour at temperatures below 50° C. such that the substantially cured coating is incorporated into the lens and removable from the mold;
and
removing the cured lens from the mold such that the substantially cured coating is removed with the lens and is secured to the cured curable composition and confers abrasion resistance to the lens,
wherein the lens has a thickness of about 1-2 mm.

5 more elements

A method of forming an ophthalmic spectacle lens, comprising:

providing front and rear molds, each mold defining an optically precise surface comprising an amorphous thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of acrylic, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyester, polyamide, and cellulose acetate butyrate;
providing a curable coating, the curable coating being compatible with, and not chemically attacking, the amorphous material used to form the mold, wherein the curable coating is configured to be transferrable to a lens and removable from the mold;
forming a partially cured coating in direct contact with the optically precise surface of at least one of the front and rear molds by applying the curable coating on the surface of at least one of the front and rear molds and partially curing the curable coating such that the partially cured coating remains on the mold temporarily;
providing a curable composition suitable for forming the lens;
forming a cured lens within the front and rear molds by applying the curable composition over the partially cured coating and curing the partially cured coating and the curable composition by either UV light or visible light for less than 1 hour such that the cured coating is incorporated into the lens and removable from the mold;
and
removing the cured lens from the front and rear molds such that the cured curable coating is removed with the cured lens and confers abrasion resistance thereto,
wherein the lens has a thickness of about 1-2 mm.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/523,293Filed 24 Oct 2014 · division
Priority: 18 Nov 2004
Published: US 2015/0041999 A112 Feb 2015
Granted: 5 Sep 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

B29D 11/00009
Producing optical elements, e.g. lenses or prisms: production of simple or compound lenses
B29C 33/30
Moulds or cores; Details thereof or accessories therefor: mounting, exchanging or centering
B29D 11/00442
Auxiliary operations, e.g. machines for filling the moulds: curing the lens material
B29D 11/0048
Production of simple or compound lenses: moulds for lenses

Family

Application10/992,224Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 18 Nov 2004
Application11/188,223Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 22 Jul 2005
Application11/698,529Parent of this division · filed 26 Jan 2007
US 7,220,120 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 22 May 2007
US 2015/0041999 A1Pre-grant publication · published 12 Feb 2015
US 8,899,547 B2Parent of this division
Application11/698,529Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2006/0103037 A1Published application
US 2006/0103038 A1Published application
US 2007/0243287 A1Published application
US 9,751,268 B2This patent

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