Optical elements, assemblies including such optical elements, and methods for manufacturing optical elements.

Abstract

An optical element (52) includes an optical lens (54) produced by an additive manufacturing method and a holder (56) formed at least partially together with the optical lens (54) by the additive manufacturing method. The holder (56) is adapted to cooperate with a manufacturing machine, thereby positioning the optical lens (54) at a predetermined position in the manufacturing machine. Corresponding components and methods for manufacturing the optical element are also described.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of optical products.

[0002] More precisely, the present invention relates to an optical element, an assembly including such an optical element, and a method of manufacturing an optical element. Background Technology

[0003] The manufacture of optical lenses, especially ophthalmic lenses, typically requires several successive processing steps (such as polishing, engraving, monitoring, and transportation).

[0004] For each of these processing steps, the optical lens being produced must be held and / or positioned relative to the specific manufacturing machine.

[0005] This means the use of many tools, each designed to work with optical lenses on one hand and with specific manufacturing machines on the other. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In this document, the present invention provides an optical element comprising an optical lens manufactured by an additive manufacturing method, and a holder formed at least partially together with the optical lens by the additive manufacturing method, wherein the holder is adapted to cooperate with a manufacturing machine to position the optical lens at a predetermined position in the manufacturing machine.

[0007] Therefore, additive manufacturing is used to produce at least a portion of the holder that is integrated with the optical lens. This is significantly simplified compared to manufacturing machines that position optical elements (possibly by inserting another portion of the holder), because the holder portion produced by additive manufacturing can be designed for this purpose.

[0008] Additive manufacturing is a manufacturing technique defined in the international standard ASTM 2792-12, and refers to a process of assembling material elements based on a digital three-dimensional model (usually represented by data from a CAD file, CAS stands for "Computer-Aided Design") to obtain a solid three-dimensional object.

[0009] This process is sometimes called 3D printing or materials printing because successive material elements (e.g., layers) can be deposited sequentially on top of previous material elements. The layers are assembled and fused to correspond to virtual cross-sections extracted from a 3D model to form a solid 3D object, in this case, an optical component including an ophthalmic lens and a retainer.

[0010] The term "additive manufacturing" specifically refers to the process of forming a physical object by juxtaposing volumetric elements or voxels with a pre-defined geometry defined in a three-dimensional model (usually in a CAD file as indicated above). The term "juxtapose" should be understood as referring to sequential operations, such as depositing layers on top of previous layers, or depositing voxels in contact with or near pre-deposited voxels.

[0011] Furthermore, the term "voxel" should be understood as referring to a single element that, in combination with other voxels, defines an intermediate element (e.g., a layer). The term "voxel" can also be applied to intermediate elements, such as layers, especially when using stereolithography.

[0012] Therefore, depending on the additive manufacturing technology used, ophthalmic lenses may be produced voxel-by-voxel, row-by-row, or layer-by-layer.

[0013] The additive manufacturing method used may be selected from, but is not limited to, the following: inkjet printing, stereolithography, mask stereolithography or mask projection stereolithography, polymer jetting, scanning laser sintering (SLS), scanning laser melting (SLM), and fused deposition modeling (FDM).

[0014] According to the possible embodiments further explained below, the retainer includes at least two parts connected to each other by a fragile portion.

[0015] For example, one of the parts may be designed to work with the manufacturing machine, while another of the parts may be designed to work with another manufacturing machine.

[0016] In a possible embodiment, the holder may include a marker indicating a code associated with the optical lens. Therefore, this marker can be used to identify the optical lens during the manufacturing process.

[0017] In some examples, as further described below, the retainer surrounds the optical lens. This is particularly useful for reinforcing the mechanical structure of optical elements and / or providing optical elements with a desired shape and / or external dimensions larger than the optical lens.

[0018] In some embodiments, the retainer includes an additional portion adapted to cooperate with a manufacturing machine. The additional portion may, for example, be an outer ring.

[0019] The holder may also include at least a position reference element.

[0020] The holder can also be adapted to orient the optical lens along at least one axis.

[0021] Optical lenses can be, for example, ophthalmic lenses.

[0022] As further explained below, the optical lens has an optical center, and the holder can be adapted to position the optical center of the optical lens at a predetermined location in the manufacturing machine. In a variation, the holder is adapted to position the geometric center of the optical lens at a predetermined location in the manufacturing machine, or to position at least one end of the optical lens at a predetermined location in the manufacturing machine.

[0023] The present invention also provides a component comprising the optical element as described above and the manufacturing machine.

[0024] Finally, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing an optical element, the method comprising producing an optical lens and at least a portion thereof formed together with the optical lens by additive manufacturing, wherein the holder is adapted to cooperate with a manufacturing machine to position the optical lens at a predetermined position in the manufacturing machine.

[0025] This method may also include the step of mounting the optical element in the manufacturing machine via the holder, thereby positioning the optical lens in the predetermined position.

[0026] As described above, the retainer may include at least two parts connected to each other by a fragile component; thus, the method may include preparatory steps for each of the parts, depending on the manufacturing machine design to which the relevant part is intended to cooperate. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The illustrative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] - Figure 1 A first example of an optical element according to the present invention is shown;

[0029] - Figure 2 The schematic diagram illustrates the first manufacturing step. Figure 1 Optical components;

[0030] - Figure 3 The schematic diagram illustrates the second manufacturing step. Figure 1 Optical components;

[0031] - Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the third manufacturing step. Figure 1 Optical components;

[0032] - Figure 5 A second example of an optical element according to the present invention is shown;

[0033] - Figure 6 A third example of an optical element according to the present invention is shown;

[0034] - Figure 7 It shows Figure 6 The optical components are tested by the monitoring device;

[0035] - Figure 8 This is a cross-section showing a fourth example of an optical element according to the present invention;

[0036] - Figure 9 yes Figure 8 A top view of the optical components;

[0037] - Figure 10 yes Figure 8 A perspective view of the optical components;

[0038] - Figure 11 The first manufacturing step is shown Figure 8 Optical components;

[0039] - Figure 12 The second manufacturing step is shown. Figure 8 Optical components;

[0040] - Figure 13 yes Figure 12 Detailed cross-sectional view of the situation depicted;

[0041] - Figure 14 It shows the intention to... Figure 8 Possible additional parts used together with optical elements;

[0042] - Figure 15 It shows Figure 8 Optical elements to Figure 14 Installation on additional parts;

[0043] - Figure 16 It shows Figure 8 The mounting of optical elements to another additional element; and

[0044] - Figure 17 An exemplary additive manufacturing machine that can be used to produce optical elements according to the present invention is illustrated schematically.

[0045] Figure 1 An optical element 2 is shown, comprising an optical lens 4 and a retainer 6. In this example, the retainer 6 extends from a portion of the edge of the optical element 2.

[0046] Both the optical lens 4 and the retainer 6 are manufactured using additive manufacturing methods, for example, using the following reference. Figure 17 It is formed by the additive manufacturing machine.

[0047] In this example, the retainer 6 is manufactured entirely by additive manufacturing. However, as explained further below, in some embodiments, the retainer may be manufactured only partially by additive manufacturing.

[0048] Optical lens 4 here is an ophthalmic lens, and therefore has an optical surface intended to provide specific correction for the wearer of the ophthalmic lens.

[0049] In this example, the optical element 2 has a shape on its largest periphery that corresponds to the shape of the optical lens 4 (and thus corresponds to the shape of the lens ring of the frame intended to support the optical lens 4).

[0050] The retainer 6 comprises multiple parts 8, 10, and 12. Adjacent parts 8, 10, and 12 of the retainer 6 are connected to each other via fragile parts 14 and 16.

[0051] exist Figure 1 In the example shown, the retainer 6 includes a first part 8, a second part 10, and a third part 12. The first part 8 and the second part 10 are connected by a first fragile part 14. The second part 10 and the third part 12 are connected by a second fragile part 16.

[0052] The retainer 6 can also be secured by the fragile part 18 (in Figure 1 (Represented by dashed lines) Connected to optical lens 4, here is the fragile part 18 that connects the third part 12 and optical lens 4.

[0053] The fragile part is the connecting area that may present a break point along the line by having a reduced thickness (compared to other areas of the retainer 4) and / or by pre-cutting (partially) along a predefined line.

[0054] The portions 8, 10, and 12 of the retainer 6 (together with the optical lens 4) manufactured by additive manufacturing methods can be made of the same material as the optical lens 4, or, depending on possible variations, of a different material than the optical lens 4 (see below). Figure 17 It describes the possibility of producing several different materials using the same additive manufacturing machine.

[0055] The third portion 12 of the retainer 6 may include a mark indicating a code associated with the optical lens 6, such as a code identifying the optical lens 6 (and / or indicating features of the optical lens 6, such as optical and / or physical features) in a database. This mark may be scanned by the manufacturing machine during the manufacturing process (provided that the third portion 12 is not separated from the optical lens 6, as explained below), in particular to identify the optical lens 6 being processed by the relevant manufacturing machine.

[0056] like Figure 2 As shown, the first part 8 of the holder 6 is designed to cooperate with the first manufacturing machine 20 that performs the first step of the manufacturing process of the optical lens 4.

[0057] Precisely, the first portion 8 of the holder 6 engages with the holding element 22 of the first manufacturing machine 20, for example, to position the optical center O of the optical lens 4 relative to the first manufacturing machine 20 at a predetermined position.

[0058] Then, the first portion 8 of the retainer 6 can be separated from the second portion 10 of the retainer 6 along the first fragile portion 14. Separating the first portion 8 can, for example, make the second portion 10 usable (particularly for the second step of the manufacturing process described below) and / or reduce the overall volume of the optical element 2 for other steps of the manufacturing process.

[0059] like Figure 3 As shown, the second part 10 of the holder 6 is designed to cooperate with a second manufacturing machine 24, which is different from the first manufacturing machine 20 and performs the second step of the manufacturing process.

[0060] Precisely, the second portion 10 of the holder 6 cooperates with the holding element 26 of the second manufacturing machine 24 to position the optical center O at a predetermined position relative to the second manufacturing machine 24 and / or to position the optical lens 4 along the X-axis (e.g., Figure 3 (Illustrative representation of orientation)

[0061] exist Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the second manufacturing machine 26 is a monitoring device, such as a front focal length meter, and the holder 6 (here, its second part 10) is designed to orient the optical lens 4 in a predetermined manner relative to the X-axis of the monitoring device, precisely such that the optical axis of the optical lens 4 is parallel to the X-axis of the front focal length meter.

[0062] Then, the second part 10 of the retainer 6 can be separated from the third part 12 of the retainer 6 along the second fragile portion 16. Separating the second part 10 can, for example, make the third part 12 usable (particularly for the third step of the manufacturing process described below) and / or reduce the overall volume of the optical element 2 for other steps of the manufacturing process.

[0063] like Figure 4 As shown, the third part 12 of the holder 6 is designed to cooperate with the third manufacturing machine 28 that performs the third step of the manufacturing process, thereby positioning the optical lens 4 in a predetermined position in the third manufacturing machine 28.

[0064] Then, the third part 12 of the retainer 6 can be separated from the optical lens 4 by separating the third part 12 and the optical lens 4 along the fragile part 18.

[0065] In this embodiment, after the last part of the retainer 6 (here, the third part 12) is separated from the optical lens 4, the shape of the optical lens 4 (specifically, the edge of the optical lens 4) corresponds to the lens rim of the frame intended to support the optical lens 4.

[0066] The resulting optical lens 4 can therefore be delivered without any edge grinding step.

[0067] In fact, each step of the above manufacturing process can be one of the following steps: polishing, engraving, monitoring, (hard) coating, coloring, anti-reflective coating, conveying, and packaging.

[0068] As is clear from this list, the manufacturing machines used in each step do not necessarily produce physical changes in the optical lens 4 being processed.

[0069] Figure 5 Another example of the optical element 32 according to the present invention is shown.

[0070] The optical element 32 includes an optical lens 34 and two retainers 36, 38. The retainers 36, 38 extend, for example, from corresponding portions opposite to each other from the edge of the optical lens 34.

[0071] In the current case, the optical lens 34 and the retainers 36, 38 are manufactured using additive manufacturing methods, for example, using the following reference. Figure 17 The additive manufacturing machine described is used for production.

[0072] Each holder 36, 38 is designed to cooperate with a manufacturing machine 40, which is here a machine for polishing or engraving optical lenses 34 in order to position the optical lenses 4 in a predetermined position relative to the manufacturing machine 40.

[0073] like Figure 5 As can be seen, each retainer 36, 38 includes a first portion extending primarily along the optical surface of the optical lens 34 and a second portion extending primarily perpendicular to the optical surface of the optical lens 34. In this example, the open end of the second portion of each retainer 36, 38 mates with the manufacturing machine 40.

[0074] like Figure 5 As shown, the support element 42 of the manufacturing machine 40 can be positioned to contact the optical lens 4 (here opposite to the surface of the optical lens 4 to be processed, i.e. polished or engraved), thereby providing a reaction force to support the optical lens 4 while it is being processed by the manufacturing machine 40 (i.e., here during the polishing or engraving step).

[0075] Figure 6 Another example of the optical element 52 according to the present invention is shown.

[0076] The optical element 52 includes an optical lens 54 and a retainer 56.

[0077] The retainer 56 includes a first portion 58, which is manufactured by an additive manufacturing method, for example using the following reference. Figure 17 The additive manufacturing machine described is manufactured together with the optical lens 54.

[0078] The retainer 56 also includes an additional portion (here, a second portion 60) which is attached to the first portion 58 of the retainer 56, for example, by means of a snap-fit.

[0079] As in Figure 6 As can be seen in this example, the retainer 56 surrounds the optical lens 54.

[0080] Specifically, the first part 58 (manufactured by the same additive manufacturing method as the optical lens 54) surrounds the optical lens 54 (here along the entire periphery of the optical lens 54).

[0081] The optical lens 54 and the retainer 56 (specifically, the first part 58 of the retainer 56) are separated by the fragile part 62. As... Figure 6 As can be seen, the optical lens 54 (and the thin, fragile portion 62 surrounding the optical lens 54) is designed to be the shape of the frame of the eyeglasses intended to support the optical lens 54, providing correction to the wearer when in use.

[0082] In this example, the additional part (second part 60) is, for example, a ring that is attached around the first part 58 by means of a ring snap.

[0083] The first part 58 of the retainer 56 thus has an inner edge corresponding to the fragile part 62 (and therefore to the outer edge of the optical lens 54) and a circular outer edge (with a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the ring 60).

[0084] According to possible embodiments, a ring with diameters included in a list of multiple possible (fixed) diameters is provided. When manufacturing the optical lens 54, a minimum suitable ring for surrounding the optical lens 54 is selected, and the optical lens 54 is produced by an additive manufacturing method (as explained above), wherein the outer diameter of the first portion 58 corresponds to the diameter of the selected ring.

[0085] This solution enables the processing of optical elements (including optical lenses 54 and holders 56) with diameters included in a limited set of predefined diameters, while limiting the amount of material used for the first portion 58 of the holder 56.

[0086] like Figure 6As shown by the dashed lines, the holder 56 may include position reference elements 64 (here, three position reference elements 64). According to a possible embodiment, the position of each position reference element 64 is predefined relative to the optical center O of the optical lens 54 (and may also be relative to a reference Y-axis of the optical lens 54).

[0087] As in Figure 7 As can be seen, when the position reference element 64 is placed in conjunction with the corresponding element provided on the holding portion 68 of the manufacturing machine 66, the optical element 52 (in particular the optical center O of the optical lens 54 of the optical element 52) ​​can thus be placed at a predetermined position in the manufacturing machine 66 (here, for example, a monitoring device for a front focal length meter).

[0088] Now for reference Figures 8 to 10 A fourth example of an optical element 72 according to the present invention is described.

[0089] Optical element 72 includes optical lens 74 and holder 76, both manufactured by additive manufacturing methods, for example using the following reference. Figure 17 The additive manufacturing machine described.

[0090] The retainer 76 includes multiple parts, including a reinforcing part 78 and indexing parts 80, 82, and 84.

[0091] These portions 78, 80, 82, and 84 extend from the peripheral edge of the optical lens 74. In the present case, the reinforcing and indexing portions 78, 80, 82, and 84 extend from the entire periphery of the optical lens 74, such that the retainer 76 surrounds the optical lens 74.

[0092] from Figure 9 As can be seen in particular, each reinforcing and indexing portion 78, 80, 82, 84 is connected to the optical lens 74 via a fragile portion 86. Each of the reinforcing and indexing portions 78, 80, 82, 84 is also connected to each adjacent portion 78, 80, 82, 84 via a fragile portion 88.

[0093] In this example, the first indexing portion 80 is connected to the second indexing portion 82 via two reinforcing portions 78; the first indexing portion 80 is connected to the third indexing portion 84 via two reinforcing portions 78; the second indexing portion 82 and the third indexing portion 84 are connected to each other via three reinforcing portions 78.

[0094] In this example, each reinforcing portion 78 extends over the entire area between the optical lens 74 and the circular outer edge of the retainer 76. However, depending on possible variations, at least one of the reinforcing portions 78 may be designed as a reinforcing arm that connects two portions of the retainer 56 (e.g., connecting indexing portions 80, 82, 84 to the optical lens 74 or connecting two indexing portions 80, 82, 84 to each other).

[0095] like Figure 9 As can be seen, each indexing portion 80, 82, 84 includes an end region that is opposite to the optical lens 74 and protrudes beyond the circular outer edge of the retainer 76.

[0096] Each end region is designed to mate with a corresponding element of the manufacturing machine to position the optical lens at a predetermined location within the manufacturing machine, as explained further below.

[0097] Figure 11 An optical element 72 is shown in a first manufacturing step, such as a polishing step.

[0098] Optical element 72 is placed on support element 90, which is the support element of the polishing machine.

[0099] The support element 90 contacts the optical element 72 at the height of the reinforcing portion 78. In other words, one of the reinforcing portions 78 is supported by at least the support element 90 and thus participates in holding the optical element 72 (including the optical lens 74) in the corresponding manufacturing machine (here, a polishing machine). The optical lens 74 itself may also be supported by the support element 90.

[0100] Therefore, portions 78, 80, 82, and 84 of the retainer 76 (especially the reinforcing portion 78) allow the optical element 72 (including the optical lens 74) to be held (supported) by the support element 90 on the entire periphery of the optical element 72, even if the shape of the optical lens 74 does not match the support element 90 (in particular, even if the optical lens 74 is smaller than the diameter of the support element 90).

[0101] The use of a retainer 76 surrounding the optical lens 74 makes it possible to use the same support element 90 for various optical elements 72 (regardless of the shape of the optical lens 74).

[0102] In addition, the mechanical resistance of the optical element 72 is improved, so that the optical lens 74 can undergo the processing steps (here, the polishing step) without deformation or breakage.

[0103] Figure 12 An optical element 72 is shown in a second manufacturing step, such as a coating step.

[0104] In this step, the first indexing portion 80 engages with the support 92 of the manufacturing machine (here, the coating machine) so that the optical element 72 (including the optical lens 74) is suspended inside the manufacturing machine (and thus can be coated in this example).

[0105] Specifically, in the example described herein, the end region of the first indexing portion 80 includes a radial portion 79 extending outward beyond the circular outer edge of the retainer 76 and a transverse portion 81 extending from the radial portion 79 and forming the outer end of the first indexing portion 80.

[0106] The support 92 of the manufacturing machine includes a longitudinal groove 91 (the width of which is greater than the width of the radial portion 79 but less than the lateral range of the transverse portion 81) and multiple pairs of slots 93 (the width of each pair of slots is slightly greater than the thickness of the first indexing portion 80).

[0107] As in Figure 13 As can be seen, by engaging the lateral portion 81 into a given pair of slots 93, the optical element 72 can be suspended on the support 92 such that a portion of the lateral portion 81 is located on the support 92 and the radial portion 79 extends across the longitudinal slot 91.

[0108] Since the lateral portion 81 has a fixed position in the pair of related slots 93, the optical element 72 (and the optical lens 74 included in the optical element 72) is positioned in a predetermined position in the manufacturing machine.

[0109] Figure 14 A ring 94 is depicted as a support in the manufacturing machine used in the third manufacturing step, as explained here.

[0110] Figure 15 The optical element is shown in this third manufacturing step, here it is engraved.

[0111] like Figure 15 As can be seen, between the previous step (second manufacturing step) and the current step (third manufacturing step), the reinforcing portion 78 of the retainer 76 has been separated from the optical element 72 (along the fragile portion 88).

[0112] However, the indexing portions 80, 82, 84 of the retainer 76 remain connected to the optical lens 74 (via the remainder of the fragile portion 86).

[0113] like Figure 15As can be seen, the ring 94 disposed in the manufacturing machine (here, the engraving machine) includes a plurality of grooves 95, each groove corresponding to one of the indexing portions 80, 82, 84 of the holder 76. Each groove 95 is adapted to receive and engage with the corresponding indexing portion 80, 82, 84 such that when each of the plurality of indexing portions 80, 82, 84 engages with the corresponding groove 95, the optical lens 74 is positioned at a predetermined position in the manufacturing machine (here, the engraving machine).

[0114] For example, especially in Figure 8 and Figure 15 As can be seen, the optical element 72 is not planar but curved. Instead, each indexing portion 80, 82, 84 has an extension that is tilted relative to the optical axis of the optical lens 74, such that when the indexing portions 80, 82, 84 are installed in the corresponding grooves 95, the optical lens 74 is a certain distance away from the ring 92.

[0115] The optical lens 74 is therefore positioned above the ring 94 and is accessible to the engraving machine for processing in this engraving step.

[0116] The indexing portions 80, 82, and 84 are designed to mate with ring 94 (especially with groove 95 of ring 94) so ​​that the standard ring can be used for a variety of optical elements (although each optical element may include optical lenses with a specific shape).

[0117] Figure 16 The optical element 72 in the fourth manufacturing step is shown, here being an anti-reflective coating.

[0118] The support 96 used in this fourth manufacturing step includes a plurality of slots 98 that correspond to at least a portion of the indexing portions 80, 82, 84 of the retainer 76, respectively.

[0119] Specifically, in the present case, one of the slots corresponds to the radial portion 79 of the first indexing portion 80, while the other two slots correspond to the second and third indexing portions 82 and 84 of the retainer 76, respectively.

[0120] As in the previous steps, when the indexing portions 80, 82, 84 of the holder 76 are placed in the corresponding slots 98, the optical lens 74 is positioned in the predetermined position in the manufacturing machine (here, the reflective coating machine).

[0121] In this example, the support 96 is annular and thus defines a cavity 99 (enclosed by a wall in which a slot 98 is formed).

[0122] Considering the curved shape of the optical element 72 (and especially the tilted orientation of the indexing portions 80, 82, 84 relative to the optical axis of the optical lens 74), the optical lens 74 is located in the cavity 99 in this example.

[0123] The optical element 72 can be easily positioned at the desired location in the antireflective coating machine by means of the support 96 (which has, for example, a standard circular shape) (without having to consider the shape of the optical lens 74 included in the optical element 72).

[0124] Figure 17 An exemplary additive manufacturing machine 101 that can be used in the context of this invention is shown.

[0125] This additive manufacturing machine 101 includes a control unit 102, a nozzle 113 (or possibly a group of nozzles) and a manufacturing support member 112, on which the optical element 110 will be manufactured by additive manufacturing method.

[0126] The additive manufacturing machine 101 also includes a hole 106, which is covered by a removable cover during the manufacturing stage, thereby allowing the optical element 110 to be reached on the manufacturing support member 112 after it has been manufactured by the additive manufacturing method.

[0127] The manufacturing support member 112 includes a body having a manufacturing surface having an integral geometry that is wholly or partially independent of or dependent on the geometry of at least one surface of the object to be produced by additive manufacturing. In the example described herein, the manufacturing surface is flat; as a variation, it may be, for example, convex or concave.

[0128] Nozzle 113 (or nozzles of the nozzle group) (each) is controlled by control unit 102 to be moved by actuator and deliver a basic volume of material (or voxel), which will form the basic part of optical element 110 after optional additional processing (such as photopolymerization step).

[0129] The control unit 102 is equipped with a data processing system, which in particular includes a microprocessor 103 and a (e.g., non-volatile) memory 104 (here, a read-only memory or ROM integrated within the microprocessor 103). Such a memory 104 stores computer program instructions (forming software) that, when executed by the microprocessor 103, allow the additive manufacturing machine 101 to be controlled, and thus implement additive manufacturing methods, for example, to produce one of the aforementioned optical elements.

[0130] The control unit 102 also includes a modifiable memory 105, here volatile random access memory (RAM), which stores data used during software execution and the implementation of the additive manufacturing method.

[0131] As a variation, the non-volatile memory 104 and / or the modifiable memory 105 may be rewritable non-volatile memory, such as electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

[0132] The modifiable memory 105 stores, in particular, elements defining the optical element 110 to be manufactured. These defining elements are received in advance, for example, via a computer network from another data processing system (not shown) connected to the manufacturing machine 101.

[0133] These defining elements are, for example, data that at least partially defines the (three-dimensional) geometry of the optical element 110 (typically in the form of a file stored in the modifiable memory 105).

[0134] As described below, the defining elements may also include data defining the simple optical function of the prescription for the optical (here, ophthalmic) lens included in the optical element to be manufactured. According to one possible embodiment, the defining elements may include personalized parameters for the future wearer of the eyeglasses equipped with this optical lens and / or parameters of the geometry of the frame that will support this optical lens.

[0135] Specifically, the geometry of the optical lens included in the optical element 110 can be derived from defining elements that represent knowledge of optical function and optionally personalized parameters and / or frame parameters. Thus, the defining elements may include a definition of the shape of the edge of the optical lens included in the optical element 110.

[0136] The expression "optical function of an optical lens" should be understood as referring to the optical response of the lens, that is, the function of limiting any changes in the propagation and transmission of a light beam through the lens in question, regardless of the incident light beam and the geometric range of the incoming refractive power illuminated by the incident light beam.

[0137] More precisely, in ophthalmology, optical function is defined as the distribution of the wearer's power and astigmatism characteristics across all gaze directions, as well as the distribution of prism bias and higher-order aberrations associated with the lens. This, of course, assumes the known geometric position of the lens relative to the wearer's eye.

[0138] It should also be noted that wearer's power is one way to calculate and adjust the power of ophthalmic lenses; another way is to use a focimeter. Calculating wearer's power ensures that once the lens is fitted into the frame and worn by the wearer, the perceived power (i.e., the power of the light beam entering the eye) will match the prescribed power. At the optical center of a single-focal lens, the wearer's power is typically close to the power observed using a focimeter positioned at that point.

[0139] Modifiable memory 105 (or, as a variant, read-only memory 104) may additionally store, for example, characteristics of the material that can be formed by the material delivered by nozzle 113 (or nozzle assembly) (e.g., after photopolymerization). These characteristics may optionally be taken into account when (microprocessor 103) determines the geometry of the part to be manufactured.

[0140] Similarly, the modifiable memory 105 (or, as a variant, the non-volatile memory 104) can store data defining the manufacturing area of ​​the support member 112, particularly when this surface is not flat (e.g., concave or convex as indicated above), and / or other data representing characteristic parameters of additive manufacturing, such as the travel rate of the nozzle 113, the power and power source achieved in subsequent processing (e.g., photopolymerization), such as an ultraviolet light emission source (or, as a variant, a laser in the case of a stereolithography machine, or heating power in the case of the deposition of tensioned filaments or the extrusion of thermoplastic filaments).

[0141] The production of optical element 110 by additive manufacturing may include one or more photopolymerization steps in addition to forming multiple stacked voxels or layers. The photopolymerization step may be performed when producing each voxel, or generally after material is delivered through nozzle 113 (or nozzle group), or after each layer of material is deposited.

[0142] It can also be noted that when the additive manufacturing method finishes producing the optical element 110, the polymerization of the optical element 110 may not be complete.

[0143] According to possible embodiments, additive manufacturing machines may include multiple nozzles, each nozzle delivering a specific composition or material. The use of multiple nozzles makes it possible to obtain functionally graded materials (FGMs) with compositions that gradually change with space.

[0144] According to possible implementations:

[0145] - Multiple juxtaposed and stacked voxels (or volume elements) form a stacked layer, each having a constant or variable thickness depending on their length and / or all having or not having the same thickness;

[0146] - The material is a photopolymer comprising one or more molecular families having one or more acrylic, methacrylic, acrylate, or methacrylate functional groups; a molecular family having one or more epoxy, thioepoxy, or thiophene functional groups; a molecular family having one or more thiol, sulfide, or cyclosulfide functional groups; a molecular family having one or more vinyl ether, vinylcaprolactam, or vinylpyrrolidone functional groups; a family of hyperbranched or hybrid organic / inorganic materials; or a combination of these functional groups; said chemical functional groups may be carried by monomers or oligomers or a combination of monomers and oligomers;

[0147] -The material may include at least one photoinitiator;

[0148] - The material may include colloidal particles or nanoparticles, particularly colloidal particles or nanoparticles with sizes, for example, smaller than the wavelength of visible light, such as:

[0149] • Nanoparticles of alkaline earth metal carbonates, such as calcium carbonate;

[0150] • Nanoparticles of alkaline earth metal sulfates, such as barium sulfate;

[0151] • Nanoparticles of metal oxides, such as aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, or titanium dioxide;

[0152] • Metal oxide-like nanoparticles, such as silicon dioxide;

[0153] • Nanoparticles of metal sulfides, especially zinc sulfide;

[0154] • Siloxanes, such as silsesquioxanes; and

[0155] • Nanoparticles functionalized with polymerizable organic groups

[0156] Incorporating these nanoparticles into a monomer, in particular, allows for an increase in the latter's refractive index;

[0157] - The material may contain pigments or dyes in at least some predetermined volume elements, such as dyes belonging to the azo or rhodamine or cyan or polyacetylenes or anthocyanins or fluoresceins or pyran salts or phthalocyanine or dinoflagellates or benzoanthrones or anthraquinones or anthraquinones or anthraquinones, or even metal complex dyes, such as rare earth cavitation compounds or chelates; incorporating such materials into the initial monomer formulation particularly allows for the acquisition of tinted lenses or even lenses with gradient hues;

[0158] - The manufacturing process includes additional thermal irradiation steps and / or additional photochemical irradiation steps, such as at ultraviolet wavelengths of the spectrum, or even no irradiation steps;

[0159] - The manufacturing process may include the following steps: taking into account the changes in the refractive index of the ophthalmic lens material by taking into account the iterative optimization loop based on a known optimization procedure;

[0160] - The material of ophthalmic lenses may optionally include one or more dyes and / or nanoparticles configured to change their optical transmittance and / or their appearance, and / or nanoparticles or additives configured to change their mechanical properties.

[0161] - Additive manufacturing machines are not 3D printers, but rather stereolithography machines (or SLA stands for "Stereolithography equipment") or thermoplastic filament extrusion machines, also known as tensioned filament deposition machines (or FDM stands for "Fused Deposition Modeling"); and

[0162] - The control unit includes a microcontroller instead of a microprocessor.

[0163] It should be noted that, in addition to being suitable for use with manufacturing machines that are not additive manufacturing machines, the holder of the present invention can also be used within an additive manufacturing machine during the steps of additive manufacturing optical elements. Accordingly, the holder can also be used as a holder even during the additive manufacturing of optical elements. For example, it can be used to support or stabilize a portion of an optical element during additive manufacturing.

[0164] In the non-restrictive example, Figure 1 The holder and the optical elements connected to it can be formed by additive manufacturing, wherein the optical elements are built vertically, i.e., the construction orientation is in... Figure 1 The image is within the plane of the image. In that case, it is advantageous to choose the orientation of the optical element and the holder such that the holder helps to support the optical element. For example, manufacturing instructions can be determined such that the assembly consisting of the optical element and the holder is kept in contact with the additive manufacturing machine based on at least one point of the optical element and at least one point of the holder.

[0165] Alternatively, if the manufacturing direction of the additive manufacturing step is significantly perpendicular to the plane orientation formed by the ring 60, then Figure 6 A portion of the holder can help support the sides of the optical element 54 during the manufacturing process. Therefore, such a support will have a similar... Figure 8 The cross section shown (therefore, in the section perpendicular to) Figure 6 In the sectional view within the plane of the OY axis, Figure 8 The optical element referred to by 74 in the text will represent Figure 6 The optical element 54, and portions 82 and 84 will then represent portions of the retainer 58 and the ring 60, but Figure 8 This is in response to the above combination Figure 9 , Figure 10 and Figure 11Another embodiment described. This use of the retainer can be achieved alternatively, even if the shape of the retainer is different from that of a ring.

[0166] It should be further noted that when additively manufacturing optical elements along a vertical axis, i.e., when the reference plane of the optical element, defined by its edges, is vertical or nearly vertical, there is a high risk that the optical element may tip over during manufacturing because its center of gravity is not located between the traces of the portion of the assembly that contacts the additive manufacturing machine. In fact, optical elements such as lenses have convex and / or concave sides, and therefore have a center of gravity that is unbalanced from the aforementioned reference plane. If the lens is built vertically by additive manufacturing, the position of the center of gravity moves along the horizontal plane perpendicular to the reference plane during the additive manufacturing steps. Therefore, when the optical element is built vertically on one of its edges, a portion of one of the edges of the optical element is used as the starting layer for manufacturing. As manufacturing progresses, the center of gravity shifts away from the starting layer and is generally no longer vertically located above the starting layer or the trace area defined by the starting layer. Therefore, during manufacturing, the assembly may eventually become unbalanced and may tip over or wobble.

[0167] However, for manufacturing optical components, the general solutions used in additive manufacturing technology to prevent manufactured objects from falling or tipping over are undesirable. In fact, due to the impact on surface roughness and therefore optical quality, it is preferable not to construct any support structure that directly contacts the optical surface of the lens.

[0168] According to embodiments of the invention, the holder of the invention can be designed to account for and compensate for such imbalances in the optical element during manufacturing, thereby preventing it from tipping over. Accordingly, the holder can be designed to have a greater thickness in the portion intended to be attached to the additive manufacturing machine, the thickness extending from a reference plane at the edge of the optical element or the edge of the holder towards a planned center. Thus, it can be ensured that a portion of the holder reaches a position further than the center of mass and acts as a support structure to position the center of mass above the area defined by the footprint of the manufacturing assembly consisting of the holder and the optical element. Therefore, the effect of a support structure is achieved when the support structure is attached only to the edge of the optical element via the holder. Further, the thickness can be reduced in the upper portion of the holder.

Claims

1. An optical element (2; 32; 52; 72) comprising an optical lens (4; 34; 54; 74) manufactured by an additive manufacturing method, and a retainer (6; 36; 56; 76) formed at least partially together with the optical lens (4; 34; 54; 74) by said additive manufacturing method, wherein, The holders (6; 36; 56; 76) are adapted to cooperate with the manufacturing machine (20; 24; 28; 66), thereby positioning the optical lens (4; 34; 54; 74) at a predetermined position within the manufacturing machine (20; 24; 28; 66). The retainer (6; 76) includes at least two portions (8, 10, 12; 78, 80, 82, 84) connected to each other by fragile portions (14; 16; 88). One of the parts (8) is designed to cooperate with the manufacturing machine (20), while the other part (10) is designed to cooperate with another manufacturing machine (24).

2. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein, The holder (6; 36; 56; 76) includes a marker indicating a code associated with the optical lens (4; 34; 54; 74).

3. The optical element according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein, The retainer (56; 76) surrounds the optical lens (54; 74).

4. The optical element according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein, The holder (56) includes an additional portion (60) adapted to cooperate with the manufacturing machine (66).

5. The optical element according to claim 4, wherein, The additional part is the outer ring (60).

6. The optical element according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein, The holder (56) includes at least a position reference element (64).

7. The optical element according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein, The holder (6; 36; 56; 76) is adapted to orient the optical lens along at least one axis.

8. The optical element according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein, The optical lenses (4; 34; 54; 74) are ophthalmic lenses.

9. The optical element according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein, The optical lens (4; 34; 54; 74) has an optical center (O), and wherein the holder (6; 36; 56; 76) is adapted to position the optical center (O) of the optical lens (4; 34; 54; 74) at a predetermined position in the manufacturing machine (20; 24; 28; 66).

10. An assembly comprising an optical element (2; 32; 52; 72) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the manufacturing machine (20; 24; 28; 66).

11. A method of manufacturing an optical element (2; 32; 52; 72), comprising producing an optical lens (4; 34; 54; 74) and at least a portion of a retainer (6; 36; 56; 76) formed together with said optical lens (4; 34; 54; 74) by additive manufacturing, wherein, The holders (6; 36; 56; 76) are adapted to cooperate with the manufacturing machine (20; 24; 28; 66), thereby positioning the optical lens (4; 34; 54; 74) at a predetermined position within the manufacturing machine (20; 24; 28; 66). The retainer (6; 76) includes at least two portions (8, 10, 12; 78, 80, 82, 84) connected to each other by fragile portions (14; 16; 88). The method includes the following steps: One step of the manufacturing process is achieved by a manufacturing machine that cooperates with the first part of the retainer; Separate the first portion of the retainer from the second portion of the retainer along the fragile portion; Another step in the manufacturing process is achieved by another manufacturing machine, different from the manufacturing machine and in conjunction with the second part of the holder.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising the step of mounting the optical element (2; 32; 52; 72) in the manufacturing machine (20; 24; 28; 66) via the holder (6; 36; 56; 76), thereby positioning the optical lens (4; 34; 54; 74) at the predetermined position.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein, The method includes preparatory steps for designing each of the parts (8; 10; 12; 78; 80; 82; 84) according to the manufacturing machine (20; 24; 28; 66) to which the relevant parts (8, 10; 12; 78; 80; 82; 84) are intended to be coupled.

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