Method of manufacturing a lens member and lens member

Abstract

The present application provides a technique for achieving high accuracy of patterning of an optical surface while suppressing complication of processing. The present application performs manufacturing of a lens member, and has: a process of positioning a lens member (10) having a first surface and a second surface in a prescribed attitude, the first surface being a convex optical surface, and the second surface being an optical surface facing the first surface; a process of identifying surface shape data of the first surface using a dimension measurement result of the first surface of the positioned lens member (10); and a process of irradiating laser light to the first surface of the lens member (10) to perform laser processing on the first surface and controlling an irradiation position of the laser light based on the surface shape data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for manufacturing lens components and to lens components themselves. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, patterned spectacle lenses have been developed by applying a prescribed pattern to the thin film (such as SnO2 film or Cr film) on the optical surface of the lens substrate (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-180168.

[0006] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0007] High-precision patterning of lenses is desired. However, in the case of spectacle lenses, the optical surface to be patterned is curved. For example, the object-side surface when wearing glasses is convex. Moreover, the curvature (bending) of the object-side surface varies depending on the lens. Therefore, for high-precision patterning, the patterning process needs to be precisely controlled according to the surface shape of the surface being processed. On the other hand, the processing complexity caused by such precise control should also be minimized. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a high-precision technique for patterning optical surfaces while suppressing the complexity of the processing.

[0009] Solution for solving the problem

[0010] This invention is proposed to achieve the above-mentioned objectives.

[0011] The first aspect of the present invention is as follows:

[0012] A method for manufacturing a lens component, comprising:

[0013] The process of positioning a lens component having a first surface and a second surface into a predetermined orientation, wherein the first surface is a convex optical surface and the second surface is an optical surface facing the first surface;

[0014] The process of identifying the surface shape data of the first surface using the dimensional measurement results of the first surface of the positioned lens component; and

[0015] The process of irradiating the first surface of the lens component with a laser to perform laser processing on the first surface, and controlling the irradiation position of the laser based on the surface shape data.

[0016] The second aspect of the present invention is as follows:

[0017] According to the manufacturing method of the lens component described in the first method, wherein,

[0018] The relative position of a predetermined point on the first surface of the lens component with respect to the restricted position during positioning is measured to obtain the dimensional measurement result of the first surface.

[0019] The third aspect of the present invention is:

[0020] According to the manufacturing method of the lens component described in the first or second manner, wherein,

[0021] Positioning, dimensional measurement, and laser processing of the lens component are performed while the lens component is vertically upright.

[0022] The fourth aspect of the present invention is:

[0023] The manufacturing method of the lens component according to any one of the first to third methods, wherein,

[0024] In the laser processing step of the first surface, the thin film formed on the surface of the first surface is partially removed by laser irradiation, and the thin film is patterned.

[0025] The fifth aspect of the present invention is:

[0026] The manufacturing method of the lens component according to any one of the first to fourth methods, wherein,

[0027] The laser irradiation is performed using a laser processing machine capable of three-dimensional control of the laser's focal position.

[0028] The sixth aspect of the present invention is:

[0029] The manufacturing method of the lens component according to any one of the first to fifth methods, wherein,

[0030] The lens component is an eyeglass lens.

[0031] The seventh aspect of the present invention is:

[0032] A lens component having:

[0033] A lens substrate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is a convex optical surface and the second surface is an optical surface facing the first surface;

[0034] A thin film formed on the first surface of the lens substrate; and

[0035] The patterned portion is formed by partially removing the thin film.

[0036] The first and second surfaces of the lens substrate face each other in a prismatic manner.

[0037] The patterned portion has multiple identical shape parts, and the dimensional deviation of each of the multiple identical shape parts is less than ±10%.

[0038] Invention Effects

[0039] According to the present invention, high precision patterning of optical surfaces can be achieved while suppressing the complexity of the processing. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 This is a top view showing an example of the structure of a spectacle lens according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the structure of an eyeglass lens according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the manufacturing steps of an eyeglass lens according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a spectacle lens as the object to be processed in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 5 This is a top view showing a schematic structural example of a lens positioning mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram (one of the embodiments) schematically illustrating a step (process) of a lens positioning method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram (second example) illustrating a summary of a step (process) of a lens positioning method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 8 This is an explanatory diagram (third one) schematically illustrating a step (process) of a lens positioning method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 9 This is an explanatory diagram (fourth) schematically illustrating a step (process) of a lens positioning method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 10 This is a side sectional view showing a principal structural example of another specific example of a lens positioning mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 11 This is a partial enlarged view showing a specific example of the patterned portion of an eyeglass lens according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 (a) is a diagram showing the results of microscopic observation of the patterned portion according to this embodiment. Figure 11 (b) is a diagram showing the microscopic observation results of the patterned area obtained by inkjet recording as a comparative example. Detailed Implementation

[0051] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] (1) General structure of eyeglass lenses

[0053] First, taking an eyeglass lens as an example, we will describe its general structure as the lens processed in this embodiment.

[0054] Figure 1 This is a top view illustrating an example of the structure of a spectacle lens according to this embodiment. Figure 2 This is its sectional view.

[0055] (Overall structure)

[0056] The spectacle lens 10 has an object-side surface and an eye-side surface, which serve as optical surfaces. The "object-side surface" refers to the surface located on the object side when the wearer wears glasses with the spectacle lens 10. Conversely, the "eye-side surface" refers to the surface located on the eye-side when the wearer wears glasses with the spectacle lens 10. The object-side surface is convex, and the eye-side surface is concave; that is, the spectacle lens 10 is generally a meniscus lens.

[0057] Hereinafter, the object-side surface of the spectacle lens 10 will be referred to as the "first surface", and the eye-side surface will be referred to as the "second surface".

[0058] In this case, the spectacle lens 10 is configured to have a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being a convex optical surface and the second surface being an optical surface facing the first surface.

[0059] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, at least one of the first or second surfaces of the spectacle lens 10 is provided with a plurality of tiny dots 21 evenly spaced apart, forming a predetermined pattern through these dots 21. Although this embodiment shows an example of forming a predetermined pattern on the entire surface of the spectacle lens 10, the predetermined pattern may also be formed partially. Furthermore, the predetermined pattern may not be composed of a plurality of tiny dots 21, but may be composed of, for example, text or graphics.

[0060] The points 21 that constitute the prescribed pattern are each formed in the same shape (e.g., a circle). These points 21 are "uniformly arranged at equal intervals" means that the intervals between adjacent points 21 are arranged at a fixed distance P.

[0061] like Figure 2 As shown, the spectacle lens 10 with such a prescribed pattern is configured to include: a lens substrate 11 as an optical substrate, a hard coating film (HC film) 12 formed on both sides (i.e., one side of the first surface and one side of the second surface), a patterned thin film 13 formed on the HC film 12 on one side (specifically the first surface), and an anti-reflective film (AR film) 14 formed on both sides. While the example given is of the patterned thin film 13 being disposed on the first surface, it is not limited thereto; the patterned thin film 13 may be disposed on at least one surface. Furthermore, in addition to the HC film 12, the patterned thin film 13, and the AR film 14, other films may be formed on the spectacle lens 10.

[0062] (Lens substrate)

[0063] The lens substrate 11 is made of a general resin material used for optical lenses and is molded into a specified lens shape. The specified lens shape can be any one of a single-focal lens, a multifocal lens, a progressive refractive power lens, etc.

[0064] The resin material constituting the lens substrate 11 is, for example, a resin material with a refractive index (nD) of about 1.50 to 1.74. Examples of such resin materials include allyl diethylene glycol carbonate, polyurethane resins, polycarbonate, thiopolyurethane resins, and cyclosulfide resins. Alternatively, the lens substrate 11 may not be composed of the above-mentioned resin materials, but may be composed of other resin materials that can achieve the desired refractive index, or may be composed of inorganic glass.

[0065] (HC membrane)

[0066] The HC film 12 is, for example, a film with a thickness of about 3 μm to 4 μm, formed using a curable material containing a silicon compound. The refractive index (nD) of the HC film 12 is similar to that of the material of the lens substrate 11, for example, about 1.49 to 1.74, and the film structure is selected according to the material of the lens substrate 11. By coating with such an HC film 12, the durability of the spectacle lens 10 is improved.

[0067] (patterned thin film)

[0068] The patterned thin film 13 is formed on the optical surface of the lens substrate 11, with respect to the thin film 12. For example, it is composed of a thin film with a thickness of approximately several nm to tens of nm. The material constituting the patterned thin film 13 is, for example, a metal or metal oxide having the laser absorption characteristics described later. That is, the patterned thin film 13 is a metal oxide film or a metal film with laser absorption characteristics. Such a film may contain, for example, at least one metal or metal oxide selected from chromium (Cr), tantalum (Ta), niobium (Nb), titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), gold (Au), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), and aluminum (Al), preferably a tin dioxide (SnO2) film or a Cr film. In the following description, the case where the patterned thin film 13 is a SnO2 film or a Cr film will be used as an example.

[0069] Furthermore, the patterned film 13 has a patterned portion 20 formed by partially removing the film. The patterned portion 20 constitutes the prescribed pattern described above. Specifically, the patterned portion 20 is configured to have a plurality of identical shaped portions 21. These identical shaped portions 21 are formed by partially removing the film and correspond to the dots 21 described above.

[0070] In other words, in this embodiment, the patterned portion 20 constitutes a dot pattern, the dot pattern is a predetermined pattern, and the portions 21 of the same shape constitute the dots 21 of the dot pattern.

[0071] (AR film)

[0072] AR film 14 has a multilayer structure consisting of films with different refractive indices stacked together, which prevents light reflection through interference. However, it does not necessarily have to be a multilayer structure; as long as the effect of preventing light reflection is achieved, it can also be a single-layer structure.

[0073] In the case where AR film 14 has a multilayer structure consisting of a low-refractive-index layer and a high-refractive-index layer, the low-refractive-index film is, for example, composed of silicon dioxide (SiO2) with a refractive index of approximately 1.43 to 1.47. Furthermore, the high-refractive-index film is composed of a material having a higher refractive index than the low-refractive-index film, and is composed of metal oxides such as niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5), tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5), titanium dioxide (TiO2), zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), yttrium trioxide (Y2O3), and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) in appropriate proportions.

[0074] By coating such an AR film 14, the visibility of the image transmitted through the eyeglass lens 10 is improved.

[0075] (Basic manufacturing steps)

[0076] The spectacle lens 10 with the above structure is manufactured by the steps described below.

[0077] Figure 3This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the manufacturing steps of the spectacle lens involved in this embodiment.

[0078] When manufacturing spectacle lens 10, firstly, as the first step, lens substrate 11, which serves as optical substrate, is prepared (step 101, hereinafter "step" is omitted as "S").

[0079] Then, after the lens substrate 11 is prepared, as a second step, a process (S102) is performed to form HC films 12 on both sides of the lens substrate 11. The formation of the HC film 12 can be carried out, for example, by using an impregnation method using a solution of a curable material containing a silicon compound.

[0080] After the HC film 12 is formed, the next step, as a third step, is to form a patterned thin film 13 of SnO2 or Cr on the optical surface of the lens substrate 11 through the HC film 12 (S103). Specifically, the thin film 13 of SnO2 or Cr is formed on the HC film 12 on the convex side, which is the first surface. The formation of such a thin film 13a can be carried out by, for example, vacuum evaporation or sputtering.

[0081] After forming the thin film 13a, the next step, as the fourth step, is to partially remove the thin film 13a to form the patterned portion 20 (S104). That is, the thin film 13a is patterned by partially removing the thin film 13a. During the patterning of the thin film 13a, a patterned thin film 13 having the patterned portion 20 is formed on the convex side of the HC film 12.

[0082] As a patterning method, known methods include forming a resist pattern on an optical surface using inkjet printing and then using that resist pattern for patterning. However, since the optical surface of the spectacle lens 10 is curved, it is impossible to correctly form the resist pattern on the optical surface when forming the resist pattern using inkjet printing, resulting in the inability to perform high-precision patterning. Here, in this embodiment, patterning for obtaining a predetermined pattern (i.e., patterned portion 20) is performed using laser processing with laser irradiation. Specifically, when forming the patterned portion 20, the laser is selectively irradiated only on the portion of the thin film 13a that should be removed, and the energy of the laser is used to partially remove the thin film 13a.

[0083] If patterning is performed using such laser irradiation, high precision in patterning can be achieved. Moreover, since the thin film 13a is directly patterned using a laser, the formation and removal of the resist pattern can be omitted.

[0084] Then, after the patterned film 13 is formed, a cleaning process (S105) is performed as the fifth step to remove residues, adhering substances (foreign objects) from the patterning process.

[0085] Subsequently, as a sixth step, a step (S106) is performed to form AR films 14 on the convex side (first surface) and the concave side (second surface), respectively. In the case where the AR film 14 has a multilayer structure, low-refractive-index layers and high-refractive-index layers are alternately stacked from the lower layer side to form the film. This film formation can be performed, for example, by ion-assisted evaporation.

[0086] (2) Inventor's perspective

[0087] As described above, when manufacturing the spectacle lens 10, the thin film 13a on the convex side is patterned using laser processing with laser irradiation. It is preferable to perform this patterning with high precision. For high precision patterning, an effective method is to irradiate the surface to be processed with a laser processing machine capable of three-dimensionally controlling the focal position of the laser.

[0088] As a laser processing machine, a laser oscillator with an oscillating laser, a laser optical system that focuses and irradiates the laser from the laser oscillator, and a lens holding part that holds the workpiece to be irradiated by the laser (in this embodiment, a lens substrate 11 after the formation of HC film 12 and thin film 13a) can also be used. A laser processing machine in which the laser oscillator and the laser optical system are integrated into a laser head can also be used. In such a laser processing machine, "being able to control the focal position of the laser in three dimensions" means that, through at least one of moving the relative position of the laser optical system and the workpiece or adjusting the optical path of the laser optical system, the focal position of the laser irradiating the workpiece can be varied not only in the XY direction along the irradiated surface but also in the Z direction along the laser's optical axis, and the manner in which this variation is controlled.

[0089] In situations where such three-dimensional control is possible, the positioning of the optical surface being processed is indispensable. However, in the case of the spectacle lens 10, the optical surface being processed, which is patterned, is curved. In particular, in this embodiment, the first surface (the object-side surface), which is a convex curved surface, is patterned by laser irradiation. Moreover, the curvature (bending) of the first surface varies depending on the lens. Therefore, when the optical surface is a convex curved surface, it is not necessarily easy to perform high-precision positioning of this optical surface. Specific examples will be given below to explain the reasons.

[0090] Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a spectacle lens as the object being processed in this embodiment.

[0091] The illustration shows a case where the spectacle lens 10 is a prism lens. A prism lens is a spectacle lens 10 with an added prism. In the case of a prism lens, the lens substrate 11 is configured such that: the first surface (the surface on the object side) is a convex curved surface, and the second surface (the surface on the eyeball side) is a concave curved surface, with the first surface and the second surface facing each other in a prism-like manner.

[0092] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown in (a), the positioning of the spectacle lens 10 can be considered based on the edge (end edge) position of the second surface of the lens substrate 11. Specifically, the lens substrate 11 is placed on a smooth surface with the second surface facing downward, and is positioned such that the edge position is arranged along a horizontal line, based on the edge position of the second surface, which is a concave curved surface.

[0093] However, when the spectacle lens 10 is a prism lens, and positioning is based on the edge position of the second surface, such as Figure 4 As shown in (b), the first surface to be processed, which is patterned, is configured with a prism tilt relative to a surface orthogonal to the laser irradiation direction (see the orthogonal surface in the diagram). In this configuration, the positioning of the first surface to be processed cannot be performed with high precision, making it difficult to precisely control the three-dimensional position of the laser focus. Furthermore, although data corrections considering the prism amount can be performed for precise three-dimensional control, in this case, the processing becomes complex to achieve precise control.

[0094] In other words, in order to suppress the complexity of the processing while achieving high precision in the patterning of the optical surface, such as Figure 4 As shown in (c), it is preferable to position the first convex surface, which serves as the patterned surface, as a reference. The first surface is positioned along a surface orthogonal to the laser irradiation direction (see the orthogonal surface in the diagram) at its edge, and patterning is achieved by irradiating the first surface with a laser. Furthermore, regardless of whether the spectacle lens 10 is a prism lens or the curvature (bending) of the first surface, it is preferable to position the first surface as a reference easily and with high precision.

[0095] In view of the above, the inventors of this application have conducted repeated and in-depth research, and as a result, have proposed the lens positioning mechanism described below.

[0096] (3) A specific example of a lens positioning mechanism

[0097] Next, a specific example of the lens positioning mechanism involved in this embodiment will be described.

[0098] Figure 5 This is a top view showing a schematic structural example of a specific example of the lens positioning mechanism involved in this embodiment.

[0099] (Overall structure)

[0100] In this embodiment, the lens positioning mechanism is arranged side by side with the laser processing machine 30, and is generally configured to include a lens mounting stage 40, a component holding part 50, an attitude control part 60, a sensor part 70, and a control part (but not shown).

[0101] (Lens placement stage)

[0102] The lens mounting stage 40 is a platform for mounting spectacle lenses 10, which are patterned by the laser processing machine 30. It is configured to have a smooth plane (i.e., a lens mounting surface) on the second surface of the spectacle lens 10. In this embodiment, the work to be processed actually refers to the lens substrate 11 after the formation of the HC film 12 and the thin film 13a; however, for simplicity, it will be referred to simply as the spectacle lens 10 in the following description. The spectacle lens 10 mounted on the lens mounting stage 40 is held by the support claws 61 of the attitude control unit 60, as described later. Therefore, a notch 41 is formed in the lens mounting stage 40 to prevent interference from the support claws 61 of the attitude control unit 60. Furthermore, the lens mounting stage 40 is configured to allow for raising and lowering of the lens mounting surface.

[0103] (Component holding part)

[0104] The component holding part 50 is configured to hold the second surface of the spectacle lens 10, which is the object being processed. For this purpose, the component holding part 50 includes: a pad part 51, which holds the second surface of the spectacle lens 10 by vacuum adsorption; and a connector part 52, which supports the pad part 51 in a freely swaying manner. Furthermore, the connector part 52 is configured to switch between a movable state and a fixed state of the swaying part. This state switching is achieved, for example, by utilizing the presence or absence of vacuum adsorption, and by using a mechanism that switches between a fixed state where the swaying part is locked and a state where the swaying part is not fixed and can move freely, as needed. If the pad part 51 is supported via such a connector part 52, then in the movable state, the pad part 51 can follow the shape of the second surface of the spectacle lens 10. Furthermore, in the fixed state, the posture of the spectacle lens 10 held by the pad part 51 can be maintained.

[0105] In addition to holding the spectacle lens 10, the component holding part 50 also applies force to the held spectacle lens 10 from the second surface side to the first surface side. Therefore, the component holding part 50 includes: a sliding mechanism 53 that moves the pad part 51 and the joint part 52 in the direction of force application; and an elastic member 54 that extends and retracts in the direction of force application. The illustration shows the elastic member 54 as a compression coil spring. With this structure, when an external force is applied from the first surface side to the second surface side of the held spectacle lens 10, the elastic member 54 bends; when the external force is reduced or released, the reaction force of the elastic member 54 applies force to the held spectacle lens 10 from the second surface side to the first surface side.

[0106] Furthermore, the member holding part 50 has a brake part 55 that maintains the bending state of the elastic member 54. The brake part 55 can be configured, for example, using an electromagnetic brake. With such a structure, regardless of the magnitude of the reaction force of the elastic member 54, the member holding part 50 can stop the movement of the sliding mechanism part 53 at any position and maintain its stopped state.

[0107] Furthermore, the component holding part 50 includes: a first electric actuator part 56, which moves the pad part 51, the connector part 52, the sliding mechanism part 53, and the elastic member 54 as a unit in a direction along the force application direction of the spectacle lens 10 (see arrow A in the figure); and a second electric actuator part 57, which moves the pad part 51, the connector part 52, the sliding mechanism part 53, and the elastic member 54 as a unit in a direction orthogonal to this direction (see arrow B in the figure). That is, the component holding part 50 functions as an orthogonal dual-axis robotic arm that moves the spectacle lens 10 held in the pad part 51.

[0108] Furthermore, the component holding part 50 is configured to hold the spectacle lens 10 in a vertically upright state. "Vertically upright state" refers to the state in which the optical surface of the spectacle lens 10 is arranged along the vertical direction, and specifically refers to the state in this embodiment where the edge of the first surface of the spectacle lens 10 is arranged along the vertical direction.

[0109] (Attitude Control Department)

[0110] The attitude control unit 60 is used to position the spectacle lens 10 in a predetermined attitude. The predetermined attitude refers to the attitude after positioning with the first surface of the spectacle lens 10 as a reference, and in particular, in this embodiment, it refers to the attitude after positioning with the edge of the first surface of the spectacle lens 10 arranged in a vertical direction.

[0111] To position the spectacle lens 10 in a prescribed posture, the posture control unit 60 is configured to restrict the edge positions of multiple locations on the first surface of the spectacle lens 10 under the force applied by the component holding unit 50. More specifically, the posture control unit 60 has multiple (i.e., three or more, for example, four) pin-shaped support claws 61 arranged corresponding to each of the multiple locations, each support claw 61 having a cone portion 62. The cone portion 62 is widened towards the direction of force application on the spectacle lens 10. Then, by abutting the edge position of the first surface of the spectacle lens 10 against the cone portion 62 located at one end of the support claw 61, movement of that edge position in the direction of force application is restricted. The posture control of the spectacle lens 10 by the posture control unit 60 will be described in detail later.

[0112] Furthermore, the attitude control unit 60 is configured to include a claw drive unit 63, which moves a plurality of support claws 61 in a direction orthogonal to the pin axis direction (see arrow C in the diagram), switching the clamping state and non-clamping state of each support claw 61 on the spectacle lens 10. The claw drive unit 63 can be configured, for example, using an electric actuator. By moving each support claw 61 and clamping the spectacle lens 10 through the claw drive unit 63, the attitude control unit 60 is able to lift and move the spectacle lens 10 placed on the lens mounting stage 40.

[0113] Furthermore, the attitude control unit 60 includes a claw rotation unit 64 that moves the support claw 61, the cone portion 62, and the claw drive unit 63 integrally in the direction in which they rotate (see arrow D in the figure). The claw drive unit 64 is the same as the claw drive unit 63, and for example, it can be configured using an electric actuator. By moving the support claw 61 and the like by the claw drive unit 64, the spectacle lens 10 held by the support claw 61 can be switched between a state in which it is horizontally arranged on the lens mounting stage 40 and a state in which it is vertically arranged.

[0114] (Sensor Department)

[0115] The sensor unit 70 measures the relative position of a predetermined point on the first surface of the spectacle lens 10 with respect to the restricted position when the attitude control unit 60 is positioned. Examples of predetermined points on the first surface include, for instance, the vertex position of the first surface of a convex curved surface. To measure the position of such a predetermined point, the sensor unit 70 includes a contact member 71 that abuts against the predetermined point and a moving mechanism 72 that moves the position of the contact member 71. It is configured to measure the relative position of the predetermined point (e.g., the vertex position of the first surface) with respect to the restricted position (i.e., the edge position of the first surface) of the spectacle lens 10 by recognizing the position of the contact member 71 when it abuts against the predetermined point. Furthermore, the sensor unit 70 need only be capable of measuring the position of the first surface of the spectacle lens 10; it does not need to be a contact mechanism as in this embodiment, and could be a non-contact component such as a laser rangefinder.

[0116] (Control Department)

[0117] The control unit executes the motion control of each of the units 40 to 70 described above. Specifically, the control unit is configured to control the lifting and lowering of the lens mounting surface of the lens mounting stage 40, the vacuum adsorption action of the component holding unit 50, the actions of the first electric actuator unit 56, the second electric actuator unit 57 and the brake unit 55, and the actions of the claw drive unit 63 and the claw rotation unit 64 of the attitude control unit 60. Furthermore, the control unit is configured to acquire the measurement results from the sensor unit 70, process the measurement results as needed, and then notify the laser processing machine 30 of the data processing results.

[0118] Such a control unit can be constructed, for example, using a computer device that executes prescribed procedures.

[0119] (4) Steps of lens positioning method

[0120] Next, the steps for positioning a lens using the lens positioning mechanism described above will be explained. Furthermore, the processing operations of each part described below are controlled by the control unit.

[0121] Figures 6-9 This is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates a step (process) of the lens positioning method according to this embodiment.

[0122] When positioning the lens, firstly, as Figure 6 As shown, the spectacle lens 10, which is to be processed, is placed on the lens mounting surface of the lens mounting stage 40 with the second side of the spectacle lens 10 facing downwards. A transfer robotic arm can be used to place the spectacle lens 10, but it can also be done manually by an operator. Then, after being placed on the lens mounting surface, the claw drive unit 63 of the attitude control unit 60 moves each support claw 61 (see arrow C in the diagram), and each support claw 61 clamps the end edge of the spectacle lens 10. At this time, because a notch 41 is formed in the lens mounting stage 40, each support claw 61 will not interfere with the lens mounting stage 40.

[0123] In addition, for example, if the claw drive unit 63 is configured with an electric actuator and the claw drive unit 63 has the function of identifying the position of each support claw 61, the diameter of the eyeglass lens 10 can be measured by the end edge of the eyeglass lens 10 being held by each support claw 61.

[0124] After the spectacle lens 10 is held by each of the support claws 61, the lens mounting surface of the lens mounting stage 40 is then retracted by lowering, and as... Figure 7 As shown, while each support claw 61 holds the spectacle lens 10, the claw rotation part 64 of the attitude control unit 60 is activated (see arrow D in the figure). As a result, the spectacle lens 10 is held by each support claw 61 in a vertically upright state.

[0125] Then, as Figure 8 As shown, the first electric actuator 56 of the component holding part 50 is activated, causing the pad part 51, the connector part 52, the sliding mechanism part 53, and the elastic member 54 to move as a whole in such a way that the pad part 51 abuts against the second surface of the spectacle lens 10 (see arrow A1 in the figure). After the pad part 51 abuts against the second surface of the spectacle lens 10, when the first electric actuator 56 is further activated, the sliding mechanism part 53 operates in such a way that the elastic member 54 is bent. Therefore, even when the pad part 51 abuts against the second surface of the spectacle lens 10, it is not necessary to perform more precise control on the movement stroke of the first electric actuator 56, and no excessive load is applied to the spectacle lens 10.

[0126] Furthermore, since the pad portion 51 that abuts against the second surface of the eyeglass lens 10 is supported by the connector portion 52, if the connector portion 52 is in a movable state, the pad portion 51 can follow the shape of the second surface of the eyeglass lens 10.

[0127] After the pad portion 51 abuts against the second surface of the spectacle lens 10 and the elastic member 54 is in a bent state, the spectacle lens 10 is temporarily held by the vacuum adsorption of the pad portion 51 (i.e., vacuum adsorption is performed but the pad portion 51 is in a wobbly state), and the claw drive portion 63 moves each support claw 61 holding the spectacle lens 10 by opening the interval of each support claw 61 by only a small amount (e.g., about 0.05mm to 0.1mm). In this way, since the clamping force of each support claw 61 is weak, such as Figure 9 As shown, when the spectacle lens 10 is temporarily held by the pad portion 51, the elastic member 54 applies the reaction force generated by the elongation from the second surface side to the first surface side, guiding it towards the first surface side in a manner guided by each support claw 61 (see arrow A2 in the figure). Then, when the edge of the first surface of the spectacle lens 10 reaches the cone portion 62 and abuts against it, the spectacle lens 10 will no longer move. In other words, in the spectacle lens 10, the edge positions of multiple locations on the first surface (i.e., the positions where the multiple support claws 61 clamp) are restricted by the cone portion 62 of the attitude control unit 60.

[0128] After the edge position of the first surface is restricted by the cone 62, the claw drive 63 moves each support claw 61 in a direction that narrows the interval between the support claws 61. Thus, with the edge positions of the first surface at multiple locations (i.e., positions held by the multiple support claws 61) located at the junction of the support claws 61 and the cone 62, the spectacle lens 10 is held by each support claw 61. In other words, the spectacle lens 10 is positioned with the first surface as a reference, with the edge position of the first surface located at the junction of the support claws 61 and the cone 62. At this time, the temporary holding of the spectacle lens 10 by the shim 51 is released.

[0129] Here, the sensor unit 70 measures the relative position of a predetermined point (e.g., the vertex position of the first surface) of the spectacle lens 10 with respect to the restricted position when the attitude control unit 60 is positioned. Specifically, the moving mechanism 72 moves the position of the contact member 71 until the contact member 71 abuts against the first surface of the spectacle lens 10, and identifies the position of the contact member 71 at the point of contact with the first surface (specifically, the amount of movement to reach the contact position). At this time, for the sensor unit 70, the distance to the junction of the support claw 61 and the cone 62 of the attitude control unit 60 (i.e., the edge position of the first surface of the spectacle lens 10) is a known fixed value. Therefore, if the contact position of the contact member 71 is known, the amount of protrusion of the vertex position of the first surface relative to the edge position of the first surface can be determined.

[0130] Therefore, for the first surface of the spectacle lens 10, the sensor unit 70 can determine the amount of protrusion at the vertex position. Furthermore, as described above, the claw drive unit 63 of the attitude control unit 60 can measure the diameter of the gripped spectacle lens 10. Thus, for example, when the first surface of the spectacle lens 10 is spherical, the control unit can identify three-dimensional shape data of the surface shape constituting the first surface of the positioned spectacle lens 10 based on notification information from the attitude control unit 60 and the sensor unit 70. For example, as described later, the identified surface shape data is sent from the control unit to the laser processing machine 30 and utilized by the laser processing machine 30.

[0131] Then, the second surface of the spectacle lens 10, after being positioned by vacuum adsorption through the pad portion 51, is fixed, and the joint portion 52 supporting the pad portion 51 is converted to a fixed state. Furthermore, the brake portion 55 stops the movement of the sliding mechanism portion 53 by maintaining the bending state of the elastic member 54. Thus, the spectacle lens 10 is held by the holding portion 50 while maintaining its position based on the first surface.

[0132] When the component holding part 50 holds the spectacle lens 10, the attitude control part 60 moves each support claw 61 in the direction of widening the interval between each support claw 61 via the claw drive part 63, thereby releasing the grip of each support claw 61 on the spectacle lens 10. Even after the grip is released, the spectacle lens 10 maintains its position based on the first surface by being held by the component holding part 50.

[0133] Then, while holding the spectacle lens 10, the component holding unit 50 actuates the first electric actuator unit 56 to move the spectacle lens 10 away from the attitude control unit 60, and actuates the second electric actuator unit 57 to move it to a position where the laser processing machine 30 can perform laser processing on the spectacle lens 10. Even when moved to a position where laser processing can be performed, the spectacle lens 10 maintains its position based on the first surface by being held by the component holding unit 50. Moreover, since the bending state of the elastic member 54 is maintained by the brake unit 55, the movement of the spectacle lens 10 to the position where laser processing can be performed can be easily and appropriately controlled without complex processing. In other words, even when the restriction of the cone 62 is lifted, since the elastic member 54 remains in a bent state, there is no need for complex position correction processing to reflect the elongation of the elastic member 54. The spectacle lens 10 can be moved to the desired position with high precision simply by controlling the operation of the first electric actuator unit 56 and the second electric actuator unit 57.

[0134] When moved to a position suitable for laser processing, as detailed below, the spectacle lens 10, while maintaining its position based on the first surface, undergoes laser processing using the laser processing machine 30 based on the identified three-dimensional shape data of the first surface. In other words, the laser processing machine 30 functions as a component processing unit for laser processing, performing predetermined processing on the first surface of the spectacle lens 10, which has been positioned in a predetermined posture by the lens positioning mechanism according to this embodiment.

[0135] (5) Other specific examples of lens positioning mechanisms

[0136] A specific example of the lens positioning mechanism described above assumes that the spectacle lens is circular in shape. However, among the spectacle lenses being processed, in addition to circular lenses, there are also spectacle lenses that have undergone so-called spherical processing. Furthermore, spectacle lenses that have undergone machining, polishing, or other processes to thin the lens or add prisms are also available. In this way, taking spherically processed spectacle lenses as an example, spectacle lenses that have undergone at least one of machining or polishing processes will be referred to below as "irregularly shaped lenses."

[0137] In irregularly shaped lenses, the effects of processes such as cutting and polishing can result in sharp edges. Therefore, positioning based on the edge of the first surface of the irregularly shaped lens may not be appropriate. Thus, when the spectacle lens being processed is an irregularly shaped lens, a lens positioning mechanism that can be properly positioned will be described below, differing from the example described above. Furthermore, in the following description, only the differences from the example described above will be addressed.

[0138] In another specific example described here, the structure of the component holding part 50 and the attitude control part 60 is different from that in the specific example described above.

[0139] Figure 10 This is a side sectional view showing a main structural example of another specific example of the lens positioning mechanism involved in this embodiment.

[0140] (Component holding part)

[0141] The component holding part 50 is configured to hold the irregular lens 10a via an auxiliary tool 80 mounted on the second side of the irregular lens 10a, which is the object being processed.

[0142] The auxiliary tool 80 can use workpiece fixtures, such as those used in the cutting and polishing processes of spectacle lenses. The workpiece fixture is attached to the concave surface (i.e., the second surface) of the spectacle lens by the adhesive action of a low-melting-point metal component called an alloy. However, fixtures other than workpiece fixtures can also be used as the auxiliary tool 80.

[0143] Similar to the specific example described above, it is possible to use the vacuum adsorption of the gasket portion 51 to hold the irregularly shaped lens 10a via the auxiliary tool 80. In this case, the gasket portion 51 vacuum adsorbs the auxiliary tool 80 instead of the irregularly shaped lens 10a. However, it is not necessarily limited to this; for example, the auxiliary tool 80 can also be held by a mechanical clamping operation. In either case, the ability to switch between rocking and non-rocking of the connector portion 52 can be achieved.

[0144] (Attitude Control Department)

[0145] The attitude control unit 60 is configured to position the irregularly shaped lens 10a in a predetermined posture by abutting against a fixed position on the surface of the first surface of the lens 10a, thereby limiting the fixed position. When the object being processed is an irregularly shaped lens 10a, the edges may become sharp due to processes such as cutting or polishing, making positioning based on the edge position inappropriate. Therefore, the attitude control unit 60 does not use the edge position of the first surface as a reference, but rather a predetermined position on the surface of the first surface for positioning.

[0146] As a reference position, an example is an annular region on the surface of the first surface of the irregularly shaped lens 10a centered at the vertex of the first surface. In this case, the attitude control unit 60 is configured to abut against the annular region on the surface of the first surface of the irregularly shaped lens 10a to restrict its position. Specifically, an annular limiting member 65, made of a material that is difficult to leave scratches or contact marks, such as silicone or fluoropolymer components, is used instead of the cone 62 described in the above example. The limiting member 65 abuts against the surface of the first surface of the irregularly shaped lens 10a to restrict the position of the first surface of the irregularly shaped lens 10a. As a result, the irregularly shaped lens 10a is positioned in a predetermined attitude. The predetermined attitude is the same as in the above example, referring to the attitude after positioning with the first surface as a reference, and in particular, the attitude in this embodiment where the edge of the first surface is positioned in a vertical orientation.

[0147] Furthermore, the designated position used as a reference does not necessarily have to be a ring-shaped region; for example, it can be three or more mutually separated points on the surface of the first surface of the irregularly shaped lens 10a, centered at the vertex position of the first surface. In this case, the attitude control unit 60 is configured to abut against three or more mutually separated points on the surface of the first surface of the irregularly shaped lens 10a to restrict its position. Even with such a structure, the irregularly shaped lens 10a can be positioned in a predetermined attitude.

[0148] (Steps for lens positioning)

[0149] In the lens positioning mechanism described above, the steps for positioning the lens are the same as in the specific example described above. Therefore, this description is omitted here.

[0150] (6) Effects of the lens positioning mechanism involved in this embodiment

[0151] According to the lens positioning mechanism of this embodiment, whether it is one of the above-described specific examples or another specific example, the following effects can be obtained.

[0152] In this embodiment, the spectacle lens 10 or irregular lens 10a, which is the object to be processed, is positioned using the first surface, which is a convex curved surface, as a reference. Then, regardless of whether the spectacle lens 10 or irregular lens 10a is a prism lens, and regardless of the curvature (bending) of the first surface of the spectacle lens 10 or irregular lens 10a, it is possible to easily and accurately position it using the first surface as a reference.

[0153] In other words, according to this embodiment, eyeglass lens 10 or irregular lens 10a with convex optical surface can be easily and accurately positioned.

[0154] (7) Detailed information on laser processing

[0155] Next, specific examples will be given to illustrate in detail the laser processing performed on spectacle lenses 10 or irregularly shaped lenses 10a by the laser processing machine 30.

[0156] When laser processing is performed in the laser processing machine 30, firstly, as described above, the spectacle lens 10 or irregular lens 10a (hereinafter collectively referred to as "lens component") is positioned in a predetermined posture by the lens positioning mechanism. Then, with the lens component positioned in the predetermined posture, the control unit uses the dimensional measurement results of the first surface of the lens component obtained by the sensor unit 70 to identify the surface shape data of the first surface of the lens component. Then, while maintaining the lens component in the positioned posture, the first electric actuator unit 56 and the second electric actuator unit 57 move the lens component until it reaches a position where the laser processing machine 30 can perform laser processing on the lens component. Thus, the laser processing machine 30 is able to perform laser processing on the lens component.

[0157] In other words, to obtain a laser-processed patterned lens component, at least the following steps are required:

[0158] The process of positioning a lens component having a first surface and a second surface into a predetermined orientation, wherein the first surface is a convex optical surface and the second surface is an optical surface facing the first surface;

[0159] The process of identifying the surface shape data of the first surface using the dimensional measurement results of the first surface of the positioned lens component; and

[0160] A process of irradiating a first surface of a lens component with a laser to perform laser processing on the first surface and controlling the irradiation position of the laser based on surface shape data.

[0161] Furthermore, during these processes, the lens component being processed is placed vertically. Therefore, in any process (especially laser processing), foreign objects (such as residue from laser processing) fall under gravity, thus preventing them from adhering to the optical surface of the lens component.

[0162] Here, the process of laser processing the first surface of the lens component is described in further detail.

[0163] (Laser wavelength)

[0164] The laser irradiating the lens component is used to partially remove the thin film 13a, preferably without causing damage to the lens substrate 11 and HC film 12 other than the thin film 13a due to irradiation. Therefore, in this embodiment, a laser of the following wavelength is used when irradiating the component.

[0165] When the laser transmittance is high, damage to the component being irradiated by the laser is suppressed because the component is less likely to absorb the laser energy (i.e., the laser transmits easily). On the other hand, when the transmittance is low, the absorption rate of the irradiated laser energy is high, allowing for efficient processing (e.g., partial removal of the component) by utilizing this energy absorption. Therefore, if the transmittance difference between stacked components is large, it is possible to process only one type of component using laser.

[0166] Based on this, the laser used for irradiation has a wavelength that is at least 1%, preferably at least 3%, more preferably at least 5%, and even more preferably at least 10% of the difference between the transmittance of the lens substrate 11 and the transmittance of the thin film 13a. Furthermore, in addition to the transmittance of the lens substrate 11, the laser used for the transmittance of the HC film 12 (which is a non-removable film) also has a wavelength that is at least 1%, preferably at least 3%, more preferably at least 5%, and even more preferably at least 10% of the difference between the transmittance of the HC film 12 and the transmittance of the thin film 13a. Moreover, the laser used for the transmittance of the AR film 14 (another non-removable film) can also have a wavelength that is at least 1%, preferably at least 3%, more preferably at least 5%, and even more preferably at least 10% of the difference between the transmittance of the AR film 14 and the transmittance of the thin film 13a.

[0167] Furthermore, the transmittance of the lens substrate 11, HC film 12, and AR film 14 described herein can include the transmittance of their superposition.

[0168] Examples of wavelengths with a transmittance difference of 5% or more (i.e., a more preferred transmittance difference) include, for example, the 380nm to 1150nm band. Furthermore, as a laser with a wavelength belonging to such a band, a laser with a wavelength of 1064nm is used, for example, in the removal process (S104). If the laser has a wavelength of 1064nm, the transmittance difference is 10% or more, and the transmittance of the lens substrate 11 and the HC film 12 is 90% or more, thus suppressing the influence of the laser on the lens substrate 11.

[0169] In this way, by making the transmittance difference at least 1%, it is possible to achieve the following: when irradiated with laser, the lens substrate 11 and HC film 12 are transmitted (without causing damage), while the absorption rate of the thin film 13a is high, thus removing only the irradiated portion. In other words, it is possible to directly pattern the thin film 13a using laser irradiation. Furthermore, if the transmittance difference is preferably 3% or more, more preferably 5% or more, and even more preferably 10% or more, then direct patterning using laser irradiation can be accurately performed.

[0170] In addition, considering that the lens substrate 11, HC film 12, thin film 13a, etc. all have light transmittance, the upper limit of the transmittance difference is about 50%.

[0171] (Focus position of the laser)

[0172] The three-dimensional control of the focal position when irradiating the above-mentioned laser is as follows.

[0173] First, the laser processing machine 30 obtains surface shape data of the first surface of the lens component, which is the workpiece, from the control unit of the lens positioning mechanism. On the other hand, the laser processing machine 30 obtains pattern data of the pattern section 20 to be formed on the lens component, which is the workpiece, from the upper device of the laser processing machine 30.

[0174] Then, the laser processing machine 30 makes the focal position of the laser variable in the XY direction based on the acquired pattern data, and makes the focal position of the laser variable in the Z direction based on the acquired surface shape data. In this way, the laser processing machine 30 performs three-dimensional control of the focal position of the irradiated laser.

[0175] The surface shape data of the lens component, which forms the basis of this three-dimensional control, is identified when the lens component of the lens positioning mechanism is positioned in a predetermined posture with the first surface as a reference. Furthermore, the lens component maintains its positioned posture even when it is positioned so that laser processing can be performed by the laser processing machine 30. Therefore, the laser processing machine 30 can control the focal position of the laser with high precision in three dimensions.

[0176] Furthermore, for example, when the lens component is a prism lens, since the surface shape data is identified with the first surface as the reference, unlike the case with the second surface as the reference, the amount of prism in the lens component does not affect three-dimensional control. Therefore, the laser processing machine 30 does not need to perform data corrections that take into account the amount of prism, and can precisely control the focal position of the laser in three dimensions, thus suppressing processing complexity caused by precise control.

[0177] Furthermore, since the surface shape data of the lens components is identified based on the measurement results of the sensor unit 70, even when the curvature (bending) of the first surface of each lens component is different, the difference in curvature can be accurately reflected. In this respect, the laser processing machine 30 can also control the focal position of the laser with high precision in three dimensions.

[0178] In other words, after being positioned by the lens positioning mechanism, the laser processing machine 30 can easily and precisely control the focal position of the laser in three dimensions by acquiring surface shape data from the lens positioning mechanism, regardless of whether the lens component being processed is a prism lens or the curvature (bending) of the first surface of the lens component. Therefore, when patterning the first surface of the lens component using laser processing by the laser processing machine 30, high precision in patterning is achieved while suppressing the complexity of the processing.

[0179] (Specific examples of patterning)

[0180] Here, a specific example will be given to explain the patterned section 20 formed by patterning using laser processing machine 30.

[0181] In the following explanation, we will take the case where the lens component of the object being processed is a prism lens as an example. A prism lens is an eyeglass lens with an added prism, which is configured such that a first surface (the surface on the object side) and a second surface (the surface on the eyeball side) face each other in a manner that has a prism amount. Having a prism amount means that the prism amount is not "0".

[0182] As described above, when the object being processed is a prism lens, the patterned portion 20 formed on its first surface is also formed by laser processing after positioning based on the first surface, and the laser processing is performed in accordance with three-dimensional control of the focal position of the laser based on the surface shape data of the first surface. Therefore, the patterned portion 20 is patterned with high precision, specifically with the following precision.

[0183] Figure 11 This is a partial enlarged view showing a specific example of the patterned portion of the spectacle lens according to this embodiment. Furthermore, the illustration shows a dot pattern 20 formed by multiple dots (parts of the same shape) 21, with microscopic observations of dot patterns arranged near the center of the first surface of the lens member and dot patterns arranged near the periphery of the same optical surface, respectively. Additionally, in Figure 11 (a) shows an example of a dot pattern according to this embodiment obtained by laser processing. On the other hand, Figure 11 (b) shows an example of a dot pattern obtained using inkjet recording as a comparative example.

[0184] like Figure 11 As shown in (a), the pattern portion 20 of the dot pattern in this embodiment is configured to have dots (same shape portions) 21 arranged on the optical surface, and the size deviation of each dot 21 is ±10% or less, preferably 6% or less, and more preferably 2% or less.

[0185] Furthermore, the size deviation of the dots 21 that form a dot pattern near the center of the optical surface of the spectacle lens 10 is less than ±10%, preferably less than 6%, and more preferably less than 2%, compared to the dot pattern that forms a dot pattern near the periphery of the same optical surface.

[0186] Here, "dimensional deviation" refers to at least one of (1) the deviation in diameter between points that are approximately circular when viewed from above, and (2) the deviation in the diameter (aspect ratio) of the length and width of a certain point 21, preferably both. Specifically, regarding (1) above, the diameter deviation of each point 21, whether near the center or the periphery of the optical surface, is, for example, 440±44μm or less, preferably 440±26μm or less, and more preferably 440±8μm or less. Furthermore, regarding (2) above, the aspect ratio deviation of each point 21 is, for example, 440±44μm or less, preferably 440±26μm or less, and more preferably 440±8μm or less.

[0187] On the other hand, Figure 11 In the dot pattern obtained using inkjet recording shown in (b), the size deviation of each dot exceeds approximately ±10%, specifically exceeding 440 ± 44 μm. Furthermore, particularly near the periphery of the optical surface, due to the time difference in ink drop, there is a high tendency for the aspect ratio deviation to increase, potentially leading to dot connections between dots, satellite dots (small dots) sputtered around the original dots, etc.

[0188] In other words, when the first surface of the lens component is a convex curved surface, for example, inkjet recording methods can produce problems such as dimensional deviations exceeding ±10% and dot shape distortion (aspect ratio deviations). In contrast, as described in this embodiment, if a series of processes are performed after positioning based on the first surface, even when the object being processed is a prism lens, the dimensional deviation of the patterned portion 20 formed on its first surface side can be controlled to within ±10%, preferably 6%, and more preferably 2%. In particular, the aspect ratio deviation mentioned above (2) is significantly improved compared to the inkjet recording method. Therefore, even when forming a dot pattern consisting of multiple dots 21 arranged on a curved optical surface, the dot pattern can be formed with very high precision, resulting in ensuring the stable quality of the patterned lens component.

[0189] Especially when the first surface is a convex curved surface, although the possibility of maximum dimensional deviation occurring near the center and periphery of the first surface is high, as described in this embodiment, if the focal position is controlled in three dimensions and patterned by irradiation with a laser, this maximum dimensional deviation can be controlled to less than ±2%. Therefore, even when the entire first surface is configured with a dot pattern, for example, the dot pattern can be formed with very high precision, resulting in ensuring the stable quality of the patterned lens component.

[0190] Furthermore, although specific values ​​for the diameter of point 21 were given as examples in the above description, it is not necessarily limited to this.

[0191] Consider that the diameter DD of point 21 is, for example, 0.01 mm or more, more preferably 0.05 mm or more, even more preferably 0.1 mm or more, and for example, 5.0 mm or less, preferably 2.0 mm or less, more preferably 1.0 mm or less, even more preferably 0.5 mm or less.

[0192] Furthermore, the distance AD ​​from the center of a certain point 21 to the center of another adjacent point 21 is considered to be, for example, 0.1 mm or more, preferably 0.2 mm or more, more preferably 0.3 mm or more, and for example, 5.0 mm or less, preferably 3.0 mm or less, more preferably 1.0 mm or less.

[0193] The value of the interval AD / diameter DD is preferably greater than 1.0, more preferably greater than 1.1, even more preferably greater than 1.2, and preferably less than 2.0, more preferably less than 1.8, and even more preferably less than 1.5.

[0194] Even in any case, the dimensional deviation in this embodiment is controlled to be less than ±10%, preferably less than 6%, and more preferably less than 2%.

[0195] (8) Effects of laser processing involved in this embodiment

[0196] The laser processing described in this embodiment yields the following effects.

[0197] In this embodiment, after positioning by the lens positioning mechanism, the laser processing machine 30 controls the focal position of the laser in three dimensions based on the surface shape data obtained from the lens positioning mechanism. Therefore, regardless of whether the lens component being processed is a prism lens, and regardless of the curvature (bending) of the first surface of the lens component, no data correction considering the amount of prism is required, and the focal position of the laser can be easily and with high precision controlled in three dimensions. Therefore, patterning of the first surface of the lens component can achieve high precision in patterning while suppressing processing complexity.

[0198] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the lens component being processed is held vertically upright during the series of processes, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of foreign matter or other contaminants to the optical surface of the lens component during the processing. Therefore, this method is preferred in terms of improving the quality of the lens component.

[0199] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the dimensional deviation of each point 21 constituting the patterned portion 20 is ±10% or less, preferably 6% or less, and more preferably 2% or less. When the lens component to be processed is a prism lens, for example, inkjet recording may produce a dimensional deviation exceeding ±10%, but after positioning based on a first surface, if the focal position of the laser is controlled three-dimensionally based on the surface shape data of that first surface for patterning, the dimensional deviation can be controlled to ±10% or less, preferably 6% or less, and more preferably 2% or less. Therefore, even a patterned portion 20 composed of multiple points 21 can be patterned with high precision.

[0200] Especially when the first surface is a convex curved surface, although the possibility of the maximum dimensional deviation occurring near the center and periphery of the first surface is high, it is highly preferable to achieve high precision in patterning the thin film 13a by controlling the maximum dimensional deviation to less than ±10%, preferably less than 6%, and more preferably less than 2%, thereby ensuring the stable quality of the lens component.

[0201] (9) Variations, etc.

[0202] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above; however, the above disclosure represents exemplary embodiments of the present invention. That is, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from its spirit.

[0203] In the above embodiments, the description mainly takes the case where the lens component is a spectacle lens 10 or an irregular lens 10a as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is to say, as long as it has a first surface as a convex optical surface and a second surface as an optical surface facing thereto, the lens component as the object to be processed can also be a component other than a spectacle lens 10 or an irregular lens 10a.

[0204] Furthermore, the case of spectacle lens 10 or irregular lens 10a is described using a prism lens as an example, but lens components without prisms can also be processed by the present invention.

[0205] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the example described is that the pattern portion 20 is composed of a dot pattern formed by multiple dots (parts of the same shape) 21, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the pattern portion 20 may not be composed of dots 21, for example, it may be composed of text or graphics. In addition, the pattern portion 20 may not be formed on the entire optical surface of the spectacle lens 10, or it may be formed only partially. Furthermore, tiny dots 21 may be clustered together to form text or graphics.

[0206] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0207] 10: Spectacle lenses (lens components);

[0208] 10a: Irregularly shaped lens (lens component);

[0209] 11: Lens substrate;

[0210] 12: HC membrane;

[0211] 13: Patterned thin films;

[0212] 13a: Thin film;

[0213] 14: AR film;

[0214] 20: Pattern Section;

[0215] 21: point;

[0216] 30: Laser processing machine;

[0217] 40: Lens mounting stage;

[0218] 41: Notch;

[0219] 50: Component holding part;

[0220] 51: Gasket section;

[0221] 52: Joint section;

[0222] 53: Sliding mechanism section;

[0223] 54: Elastic component;

[0224] 55: Brake section;

[0225] 56: First Electric Actuator Section;

[0226] 57: Second electric actuator section;

[0227] 60: Attitude control unit;

[0228] 61: Support claw;

[0229] 62: Conical part;

[0230] 63: Claw drive unit;

[0231] 64: Claw rotating part;

[0232] 70: Sensors Department;

[0233] 71: Contact element;

[0234] 72: Moving mechanism;

[0235] 80: Auxiliary tools.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a lens component, comprising: The process of positioning a lens component having a first surface and a second surface into a predetermined orientation, wherein the first surface is a convex optical surface and the second surface is an optical surface facing the first surface; The process of identifying the surface shape data of the first surface using the dimensional measurement results of the first surface of the positioned lens component; and The process of irradiating the first surface of the lens component with a laser to perform laser processing on the first surface, and controlling the irradiation position of the laser based on the surface shape data. The prescribed posture is the posture after positioning with the first surface as a reference by restricting the positions of multiple edges of the first surface of the lens component. The dimension measurement result of the first face is the measurement result of the relative position of the vertex position of the first face with respect to the edge position of the first face. By applying force to the lens component toward the first surface and abutting multiple edge positions of the first surface against the cone, the multiple edge positions of the first surface are restricted, and the cone is formed to widen in the direction of the applied force.

2. The method for manufacturing a lens component according to claim 1, wherein, The relative position of a predetermined point on the first surface of the lens component with respect to the restricted position during positioning is measured to obtain the dimensional measurement result of the first surface.

3. The method for manufacturing a lens component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, Positioning, dimensional measurement, and laser processing of the lens component are performed while the lens component is vertically upright.

4. The method for manufacturing a lens component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, In the laser processing step of the first surface, the thin film formed on the surface of the first surface is partially removed by laser irradiation, and the thin film is patterned.

5. The method for manufacturing a lens component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The laser irradiation is performed using a laser processing machine capable of three-dimensional control of the laser's focal position.

6. The method for manufacturing a lens component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The lens component is an eyeglass lens.

7. A lens component manufactured according to the manufacturing method of a lens component according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising: A lens substrate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is a convex optical surface and the second surface is an optical surface facing the first surface; A thin film formed on the first surface of the lens substrate; as well as The patterned portion is formed by partially removing the thin film. The first and second surfaces of the lens substrate face each other in a prismatic manner. The patterned portion has multiple identical shaped parts, and the dimensional deviation of each of the multiple identical shaped parts is less than ±10%.

Images