Manufacturing method for light control sheet-attached lens

Abstract

To provide a technology that suppresses mixing a foreign matter into injection resin when manufacturing an electronic light control sheet-attached lens.SOLUTION: A manufacturing method is provided that comprises: a preparation step of preparing an electrochromic sheet 150 having a protection sheet 50 provided on both surfaces; a sheet surface exposure step of separating the protection sheet 50 to expose both surfaces of the electrochromic sheet 150; a sheet arrangement step of arranging the electrochromic sheet 150 inside an injection mold die so that any of a front surface and a rear surface of the electrochromic sheet 150 abuts on a cavity surface of the die; and an optical element molding step of filling a resin material inside a cavity of the die to mold it. In the vicinity of an outer edge of the electrochromic sheet 150 prepared in the preparation step, an angle θ1 formed between a surface 91 on a side abutting on the cavity surface and a lateral surface 93 is smaller than an angle θ2 formed between a surface 92 on a side not abutting on the cavity surface and the lateral surface 93.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a lens with an electronic light control sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] The phenomenon in which a reversible oxidation-reduction reaction occurs and the color changes reversibly when a voltage is applied is called electrochromism, and in recent years, electrochromic elements using electrochromic materials that exhibit this electrochromism have been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] This electrochromic element develops color when a positive voltage is applied to it, and loses color and becomes transparent when a negative voltage is applied to it. Therefore, by providing the electrochromic element with a switch that can switch between applying a positive voltage and a negative voltage, it becomes possible to cause the electrochromic element to develop color and lose color at any desired timing.

[0004] By providing a lens with an electronic light control sheet (electrochromic sheet) equipped with an electrochromic element, it is possible to make it possible to make eyewear such as glasses or sunglasses so that the lenses of the eyewear can be switched between coloring and decoloring at any time by turning a switch on / off. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-106786 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Generally, in manufacturing a lens with an electronic light control sheet on the surface of a resin lens body, the electronic light control sheet is placed in the cavity of a mold, and the lens resin material (injected resin) is injected into the cavity to form the lens. If foreign matter adheres to the electronic light control sheet at this time, the manufactured lens with the electronic light control sheet may be defective. In particular, if foreign matter gets mixed in between the light control sheet and the lens body (cured injected resin), it is impossible to remove the foreign matter, resulting in a defective product.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for preventing foreign matter from being mixed into injected resin when manufacturing a lens with an electronic light control sheet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to the present invention, the following techniques are provided. (1) A method for manufacturing a lens with an electronic light control sheet, in which a rear surface of an electronic light control sheet is attached to a front surface of an optical element, comprising the steps of: A preparation step of preparing an electronic light control sheet having a protective sheet provided on a front surface and a back surface; A sheet surface exposing process of separating the protective sheet from the electronic light-adjusting sheet to expose the front surface and the back surface of the electronic light-adjusting sheet; A sheet placement process in which the electronic light control sheet is placed in a mold for injection molding so that either the front surface or the back surface of the electronic light control sheet is in contact with a cavity surface of the mold; an optical element molding step of filling a resin material of the optical element into a cavity of the mold and molding the optical element; A manufacturing method in which, near the outer edge of the electronic light-adjusting sheet prepared in the preparation process, the angle formed between the face that comes into contact with the cavity face and the side surface is smaller than the angle formed between the face that does not come into contact with the cavity face and the side surface. (2) The manufacturing method described in (1), wherein the surface that contacts the cavity surface is the front surface of the electronic light control sheet. (3) The manufacturing method described in (1), wherein the surface that comes into contact with the cavity surface is the back surface of the electronic light control sheet. (4) A manufacturing method described in any one of (1) to (3), further comprising a thermal bending process between the sheet surface exposing process and the sheet positioning process, in which the electronic light control sheet is heated and deformed into a predetermined shape. (5) A manufacturing method described in any one of (1) to (4), wherein in the optical element molding process, a gate opening provided in the mold is provided at a position corresponding to the vicinity of the end of the surface of the optical element that does not contact the cavity surface of the electronic light control sheet. (6) The manufacturing method according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the preparation step includes a curved surface forming step of bending the electronic light control sheet so that the front surface is convex. (7) The manufacturing method according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the preparation step includes a curved surface forming step of bending the electronic light control sheet so that the back surface is convex. (8) The manufacturing method described in (7), wherein the curved surface of the surface of the electronic light-adjusting sheet formed in the curved surface forming process that comes into contact with the cavity surface coincides with the curved surface of the area in the mold used in the optical element forming process where the electronic light-adjusting sheet is placed. (9) The manufacturing method described in (8), wherein, in the optical element molding process, when the electronic light-adjusting sheet is placed in the mold, the surface of the electronic light-adjusting sheet that comes into contact with the cavity surface and the side surface are in contact with the inside of the mold. (10) The manufacturing method according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein in the electronic light control sheet, the product α·Δt of the linear expansion coefficient α of the material of the surface on which the resin material of the optical element is laminated and the temperature difference Δt between room temperature 25°C and the molding temperature in the injection molding process is 0.5 or less. (11) The manufacturing method according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein the protective sheet is a self-adhesive sheet. (12) The preparation process includes an EC sheet manufacturing process for manufacturing the electronic light control sheet, The EC sheet manufacturing process is a manufacturing method described in any one of (1) to (11), in which a sheet base material having an EC functional layer, a first substrate provided on the front surface of the EC functional layer, a second substrate provided on the back surface of the EC functional layer, and a protective sheet provided on each of the front surface of the first substrate and the back surface of the second substrate is punched out with a cutting blade in the thickness direction to produce the electronic light control sheet of a predetermined shape. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for suppressing the inclusion of foreign matter in injected resin when manufacturing a lens with an electronic light control sheet. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing sunglasses having lenses with a curved sheet in which the electrochromic sheet of the embodiment is curved. FIG. [Diagram 2] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams for explaining a method for manufacturing a lens having a curved sheet in which the electrochromic sheet of the embodiment is curved. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an electrochromic sheet according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main portion of the electrochromic sheet shown in FIG. 3 according to the embodiment, taken along line AA. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a lens having a curved sheet according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main portion of the lens shown in FIG. 5 according to the embodiment, taken along line BB. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of an electrochromic sheet according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an electrochromic sheet to which a protective sheet according to an embodiment is attached. [Figure 9]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an electrochromic sheet during punching according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an electrochromic sheet illustrating the adhesion of foreign matter to an end surface during punching in an embodiment. [Figure 11] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating the molding of a resin layer (optical element) by injecting a resin material into a mold in a resin layer molding step according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining the possibility of foreign matter becoming mixed in when the electrochromic sheet of the embodiment is arranged so that the surface on the obtuse corner side is in close contact with a curved concave surface. [Figure 13] 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining the possibility of foreign matter becoming mixed in when the electrochromic sheet of the embodiment is arranged so that the surface on the obtuse corner side is in close contact with a curved concave surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] <Summary> In the following, in this embodiment, in the manufacturing process of a lens having an electronic light control sheet laminated on its surface (hereinafter referred to as a "lens with electronic light control sheet"), the intrusion of foreign matter between the light control sheet and the lens body (cured product of injected resin) is suppressed. Below, sunglasses having a lens with an electronic light control sheet are exemplified.

[0012] <Sunglasses> 1 is a perspective view showing sunglasses 100 equipped with lenses 30 having curved sheets 120 each having a curved electrochromic sheet 150 according to the present embodiment. In the following description, when sunglasses 100 are worn on the head of a user, the surface of lens 30 facing the user's eyes is referred to as the back surface, and the opposite surface is referred to as the front surface.

[0013] 1, the sunglasses 100 include a frame 20 and a lens 30 (spectacle lens). The lens 30 may or may not have a light collecting function.

[0014] The frame 20 is worn on the head of a user and is for positioning the lenses 30 in the vicinity of the front of the user's eyes. The frame 20 has a rim portion 21, a bridge portion 22, a temple portion 23, and a nose pad portion 24.

[0015] The rim portions 21 are ring-shaped, one for each of the right and left eyes, and have lenses 30 attached to their insides. This allows the user to view external information through the lenses 30.

[0016] The lens 30 includes a curved sheet 120 that is formed by subjecting an electrochromic sheet (electronic light control sheet) 150 to a thermal bending process to be curved. The lens 30 reversibly develops and loses color at any timing by switching the application of voltage to an electrochromic element 60 of the electrochromic sheet 150. The lens 30 includes connection terminals at positions corresponding to the connecting portions where the bridge portion 22 and the temple portion 23 are connected to the rim portion 21 when the lens 30 is attached to the inside of the rim portion 21. These connection terminals are electrically connected to a switch 25 and a battery 26 provided in the temple portion 23, which will be described later, via wiring.

[0017] The bridge portion 22 is rod-shaped and, when worn on the user's head, is located in front of the upper part of the user's nose and connects the pair of rim portions 21 together.

[0018] The temple portion 23 is shaped like a temple and is connected to the edge of each rim portion 21 on the opposite side to the position where the bridge portion 22 is connected. The temple portion 23 is hung on the user's ear when wearing the glasses on the user's head.

[0019] The temple portion 23 has a switch 25 exposed on its surface so as to be operable, and a built-in battery 26. The switch 25 and the battery 26 are electrically connected to a connection terminal provided on the lens 30 via wiring. This allows the application of a positive voltage, a negative voltage, or even no voltage to the electrochromic element 60 of the curved sheet 120 provided on the lens 30, by operating the switch 25.

[0020] The nose pads 24 are provided on the edges of the rims 21 that correspond to the nose of the user when the sunglasses 100 are worn on the head of the user, and come into contact with the nose of the user, forming a shape that corresponds to the contact portion of the nose of the user at this time. This allows the sunglasses 100 to be stably maintained when worn.

[0021] The materials constituting the respective parts of the frame 20 are not particularly limited, and may be, for example, various metal materials, various resin materials, etc. The shape of the frame 20 is not limited to that shown in the figure, so long as it can be worn on the head of the user.

[0022] Furthermore, the sunglasses 100 may have a frame 20 or may be frameless from the standpoint of fashionability, lightweightness, and the like.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment, glasses equipped with lenses 30 are applied to sunglasses 100, but this is not limited to this, and the glasses may be, for example, prescription glasses, fashion glasses, goggles that protect the eyes from wind, rain, dust, chemicals, etc.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a manufacturing method of a lens 30 having a curved sheet 120 in which an electrochromic sheet 150 is curved. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the electrochromic sheet 150. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the main part of the electrochromic sheet 150 shown in FIG. 3 taken along line AA. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a lens 30 having a curved sheet 120. FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the main part of the lens 30 shown in FIG. 5 taken along line BB. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the electrochromic sheet 150, mainly a vertical cross-sectional view of the region of the electrochromic element 60. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the electrochromic sheet 150 to which a protective sheet 50 (protective film) is attached. In FIG. 6, curved sheet 120 is actually curved (convex upward in the drawing), but for convenience of explanation, it is depicted as being flat.

[0025] <Lens> Lens 30 is a light-transmitting member having an overall shape of a plate curved outward, and has a resin layer 35 (molded layer) which is the lens body, and a curved sheet 120 provided on curved convex surface 36 of resin layer 35. As described above, lens 30 may or may not have a light-collecting function. The curved sheet 120 is a sheet member obtained by subjecting a flat sheet-like electrochromic sheet 150 to a thermal bending process under heating to a curved shape having a curved convex surface 121 and a curved concave surface 122 (see FIG. 2(c)).

[0026] <Resin layer (lens body)> The resin layer 35 is the lens body, has optical transparency, and is located on the rear side of the lens 30. When the lens 30 is given a light collecting function, the resin layer 35 has the light collecting function.

[0027] The material for the resin layer 35 is not particularly limited as long as it is a resin material having optical transparency, and examples thereof include various curable resins such as various thermoplastic resins, thermosetting resins, and photocurable resins, and one or a combination of two or more of these can be used.

[0028] Examples of the resin material include polyolefins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and ethylene-propylene copolymers, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyamide, polyimide, polycarbonate, poly-(4-methylpentene-1), ionomers, acrylic resins, polymethyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers (ABS resins), triacetyl cellulose (TAC), acrylonitrile-styrene copolymers (AS resins), butadiene-styrene copolymers, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyether, polyether ketone (PEK), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyetherimide, polyacetal (POM), polyphenylene oxide, polysulfone, polyether sulfone, polyphenylene sulfide, and poly(methyl methacrylate). Examples of the resin include arylates, aromatic polyesters (liquid crystal polymers), polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, other fluorine-based resins, epoxy resins, phenolic resins, urea resins, melamine resins, silicone resins, polyurethanes, etc., or copolymers, blends, polymer alloys, etc. that are primarily made of these, but it is preferable that the resin material be the same or identical to the resin material that primarily constitutes the first substrate 11 of the curved sheet 120 described below. This can improve the adhesion between the resin layer 35 and the curved sheet 120. In addition, since the refractive index difference between the resin layer 35 and the curved sheet 120 (first substrate 11) can be set low, diffuse reflection of light between the resin layer 35 and the curved sheet 120 can be appropriately suppressed or prevented, and light can be transmitted between the resin layer 35 and the curved sheet 120 with excellent light transmittance. The refractive index difference between the resin layer 35 and the first substrate 11 of the curved sheet 120 is preferably 0.2 or less, and more preferably 0.1 or less, so that the effect obtained by setting the refractive index difference low can be more significantly exhibited.

[0029] The thickness of the resin layer 35 is not particularly limited, and is preferably, for example, 0.5 mm to 20.0 mm, and more preferably 1.0 mm to 10.0 mm, which allows the lens 30 to have both a relatively high strength and a light weight.

[0030] <Electrochromic sheet> The shape of the electrochromic sheet 150 in a plan view will be described. 3, the electrochromic sheet 150 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. The shape of the electrochromic sheet 150 may be any of various shapes, such as a rectangular shape, a circular shape, or an elliptical shape. The shape to be adopted may be appropriately selected, but considering the shape to be trimmed when obtaining the final lens 30 and the effective utilization rate when obtaining the electrochromic sheet 150 by dividing the element-sealing connecting sheet 110 described later, it is preferable to adopt a substantially rectangular shape that is horizontally long in plan view.

[0031] In this embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, when viewed in a plane, the shape is a horizontally elongated shape with the upper and lower sides of the circular shape removed. Specifically, upper side 155 and lower side 156 are straight long sides, and right side 157 and left side 158 are curved short sides (arcs of the original circular shape).

[0032] <Structure of electrochromic sheet> Next, the structure of the electrochromic sheet 150 will be described. As shown in Figures 3 to 8, the electrochromic sheet 150 includes a first substrate 11, a second substrate 12, a sealing portion 55, an electrochromic element 60, a first conductive portion 17, a second conductive portion 18, a third conductive portion 51, a fourth conductive portion 52, a first auxiliary electrode 15, and a second auxiliary electrode 16.

[0033] Each of the members constituting the electrochromic sheet 150 will now be described. The first substrate 11 supports other components including the electrochromic element 60, and also constitutes the outermost layer of the electrochromic sheet 150, which allows other components including the electrochromic element 60 to be arranged between the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 12, and functions as a protective layer to protect the electrochromic element 60 etc.

[0034] In the electrochromic sheet 150, the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 12 constitute the outermost layer of the electrochromic sheet 150, so that other members including the electrochromic element 60 are not exposed on the surface of the electrochromic sheet 150. Therefore, when the electrochromic sheet 150 is applied to a lens 30 equipped with a curved sheet 120 having a curved shape, it is possible to reliably prevent the electrochromic element 60 from being struck by dust or even rain, or from being worn by other members, etc. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the characteristics of the electrochromic element 60 from being adversely affected by such strikes or friction.

[0035] <First board> There are no particular limitations on the first substrate 11 as long as it is made mainly of a transparent resin material, but it is preferable that the first substrate 11 contains a transparent resin (base resin) having thermoplasticity as the main material.

[0036] The transparent resin is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include transparent resins such as acrylic resins, polystyrene resins, polyethylene resins, polypropylene resins, polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonate resins, polyamide resins, cycloolefin resins, triacetyl cellulose (TAC) resins, vinyl chloride resins, and polyacetal resins, and one or more of these resins may be used in combination. Among these, polycarbonate resins or polyamide resins are preferred, and polycarbonate resins are particularly preferred. Polycarbonate resins are rich in transparency (translucency) and mechanical strength such as rigidity, and further have high heat resistance, so that the use of polycarbonate resins as the transparent resin can improve the transparency of the first substrate 11 and the impact resistance and heat resistance of the first substrate 11.

[0037] As the polycarbonate resin, various resins can be used, among which aromatic polycarbonate resins are preferable, which have aromatic rings in their main chains, and thus can provide first substrate 11 with superior strength.

[0038] The aromatic polycarbonate resin is synthesized, for example, by an interfacial polycondensation reaction between bisphenol and phosgene, or an ester exchange reaction between bisphenol and diphenyl carbonate.

[0039] Examples of bisphenols include bisphenol A and bisphenol (modified bisphenol) which is the source of the repeating unit of polycarbonate represented by the following formula (1A).

[0040] [ka] (In formula (1A), X is an alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, an aromatic group, or a cyclic aliphatic group; Ra and Rb are each independently an alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms; m and n are each an integer of 0 to 4; and p is the number of repeating units.)

[0041] Specific examples of bisphenols that are the source of the repeating units of the polycarbonate represented by the formula (1A) include 4,4'-(pentane-2,2-diyl)diphenol, 4,4'-(pentane-3,3-diyl)diphenol, 4,4'-(butane-2,2-diyl)diphenol, 1,1'-(cyclohexanediyl)diphenol, 2-cyclohexyl-1,4-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)benzene, 2,3-biscyclohexyl-1,4-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)benzene, 1,1'-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methylphenyl)cyclohexane, and 2,2'-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methylphenyl)propane, and any of these may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0042] In particular, it is preferable that the polycarbonate resin contains, as the main component, a bisphenol-type polycarbonate resin having a skeleton derived from bisphenol. By using such a bisphenol-type polycarbonate resin, first substrate 11 exhibits even greater strength.

[0043] Furthermore, as long as first substrate 11 has optical transparency, its color may be any color, such as colorless, red, blue, or yellow.

[0044] These colors can be selected by incorporating a dye or pigment into the first substrate 11. Examples of the dye include acid dyes, direct dyes, reactive dyes, and basic dyes, and one or more of these dyes may be used in combination.

[0045] Specific examples of dyes include CI Acid Yellow 17, 23, 42, 44, 79, 142, CI Acid Red 52, 80, 82, 249, 254, 289, CI Acid Blue 9, 45, 249, CI Acid Black 1, 2, 24, 94, CI Food Black 1, 2, CI Direct Yellow 1, 12, 24, 33, 50, 55, 58, 86, 132, 142, 144, 173, CI Direct Red 1, 4, 9, 80, 81, 225, 227, CI Direct Blue 1, 2, 15, 71, 86, 87, 98, 165, 199, 202, CI Direct Black 19, 38, 51, 71, 154, 168, 171, 195, and CI Reactive Red. 14, 32, 55, 79, 249, CI Reactive Black 3, 4, 35, etc.

[0046] If necessary, the first substrate 11 may contain, in addition to the transparent resin, dye, or pigment described above, various additives such as antioxidants, fillers, plasticizers, light stabilizers, ultraviolet absorbers, heat absorbers, and flame retardants.

[0047] Moreover, this first substrate 11 may be either stretched or unstretched.

[0048] Furthermore, the refractive index of the first substrate 11 at a wavelength of 589 nm is preferably 1.3 or more and 1.8 or less, and more preferably 1.4 or more and 1.65 or less. By setting the refractive index n1 of the first substrate 11 within the above numerical range, it is possible to precisely suppress or prevent impairment of the function of the electrochromic element 60, which can switch between coloring (coloring) and decoloring at any timing by switching the switch 25 ON / OFF.

[0049] The average thickness of the first substrate 11 is preferably set to 0.1 mm or more and 10.0 mm or less, more preferably 0.3 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less. By setting the average thickness of the first substrate 11 within this range, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the electrochromic sheet 150 while accurately suppressing or preventing the electrochromic sheet 150 from bending.

[0050] The second substrate 12 is disposed opposite the first substrate 11 and supports other components including the electrochromic element 60, while also allowing other components including the electrochromic element 60 to be disposed between the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 12. The second substrate 12 constitutes the outermost layer of the electrochromic sheet 150 and functions as a protective layer that protects the electrochromic element 60.

[0051] In the electrochromic sheet 150, the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 12 constitute the outermost layer of the electrochromic sheet 150, so that other members including the electrochromic element 60 are not exposed on the surface of the electrochromic sheet 150. Therefore, when the electrochromic sheet 150 is applied to a lens 30 equipped with a curved sheet 120 having a curved shape, it is possible to reliably prevent the electrochromic element 60 from being struck by dust or even rain, or from being worn by other members, etc. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the characteristics of the electrochromic element 60 from being adversely affected by such strikes or friction.

[0052] <Second board> The second substrate 12 may be made of the same materials as those mentioned for the first substrate 11. The second substrate 12 and the first substrate 11 may be made of the same material (same type) or different materials.

[0053] Furthermore, like first substrate 11, second substrate 12 may be stretched or non-stretched.

[0054] The refractive index of the second substrate 12 at a wavelength of 589 nm may be the same as or different from the refractive index n1 of the first substrate 11, but is preferably 1.3 to 1.8, more preferably 1.4 to 1.65. By setting the refractive index n2 of the second substrate 12 within the above numerical range, it is possible to precisely suppress or prevent impairment of the function of the electrochromic element 60, which can switch between coloring and decoloring at any timing by turning the switch 25 ON / OFF.

[0055] The average thickness of the second substrate 12 may be the same as or different from that of the first substrate 11, but is preferably 0.1 mm to 10.0 mm, and more preferably 0.3 mm to 5.0 mm. By setting the average thickness of the second substrate 12 within this range, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the electrochromic sheet 150 while accurately suppressing or preventing bending of the electrochromic sheet 150.

[0056] <Relationship between linear expansion coefficient and molding temperature> In electrochromic sheet 150, the product α·Δt of the linear expansion coefficient α of the material of the surface of lens 30 (optical element) on which the resin material is laminated (i.e., the surface of first substrate 11 or second substrate 12 (hereinafter also referred to as the "resin laminated surface")) and the temperature difference Δt from room temperature 25°C to the molding temperature in the injection molding process is 0.5 or less, preferably 0.3 or less, and more preferably 0.1 or less. There is no lower limit, but a practical range can be 0.001 or more. The linear expansion coefficient can be controlled by appropriately selecting the types and amounts of each component contained in the resin composition, the method for preparing the resin composition, and the like.

[0057] Foreign matter such as cutting debris may adhere to the cut surface (i.e., side surface) or its vicinity of the electrochromic sheet 150 due to cutting. When foreign matter adheres to the cut surface, it may be difficult to detect the foreign matter in advance. When foreign matter is present on the cut surface or its vicinity, the part may be trimmed off in the end, and there may be cases where it is not necessary to treat it as defective. However, there is a risk that the resin laminated surface may soften during injection molding, making the attached foreign matter more likely to move. Therefore, by setting the product α·Δt of the linear expansion coefficient α of the resin laminated surface and the temperature difference Δt between room temperature 25°C and the molding temperature (e.g. 300°C) in the injection molding process within the above range, the movement of the resin laminated surface during the injection molding process can be suppressed, and even if a foreign matter is present on the resin laminated surface, the movement of the foreign matter can be suppressed.

[0058] The upper limit of the linear expansion coefficient α in the temperature range from room temperature 25°C to the molding temperature in the injection molding process is 20×10 -5 / ℃ or less, preferably 15×10 -5 / ℃ or less, more preferably 10×10 -5 / ℃ or less. The linear expansion coefficient α is determined by performing a thermomechanical analysis (TMA) in the MD direction on a test piece made of the cured product obtained by molding the resin composition (cured product) that constitutes the resin lamination surface at 175°C for 3 minutes, and then curing the cured product at 150 to 200°C for 4 to 8 hours (for example, 180°C for 8 hours) at a temperature increase rate of 5°C / min, and the average value of the average linear expansion coefficients from 40°C to 150°C is taken as the linear expansion coefficient.

[0059] <Electrochromic element> The electrochromic element 60 is a light-emitting element that can be switched between coloring (coloring) and decoloring at any timing by switching the switch 25 ON / OFF, and is provided in a colored region 70 partitioned by a sealing portion 55.

[0060] In this embodiment, the electrochromic element 60 comprises a first electrode 13 and a first electrochromic layer 63, which are stacked in sequence on the first substrate 11 toward the second substrate 12, a second electrode 14 and a second electrochromic layer 64, which are stacked in sequence on the second substrate 12 toward the first substrate 11, and an electrolyte layer 65 filled between the first electrochromic layer 63 and the second electrochromic layer 64 (see Figure 7).

[0061] <First electrode and second electrode> The first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 are electrodes that supply electrons between the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14, or receive electrons from between the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14, when a positive voltage or a negative voltage is applied to the electrochromic element 60 by switching the switch 25.

[0062] The material for forming the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 is not particularly limited as long as it is a transparent conductive material. Examples of the material include ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), FTO (F-doped Tin Oxide), ATO (Antimony Tin Oxide), IZO (Indium Zinc Oxide), In 2 O 3 , SnO 2 , Sb-containing SnO 2 Examples of the metal include oxides such as Al-containing ZnO, Au, Pt, Ag, Cu, and alloys containing these. One or a combination of two or more of these metals may be used.

[0063] The average thickness of the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 is adjusted so as to obtain the electrical resistance value required for the oxidation-reduction reaction of the first and second electrochromic layers 63, 64. For example, when ITO is used as the constituent material of the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14, the average thickness is preferably set to approximately 50 nm or more and 200 nm or less, more preferably approximately 100 nm or more and 150 nm or less.

[0064] <First electrochromic layer> The first electrochromic layer 63 contains, as a main material, a material that exhibits color through an oxidation reaction, and is thus a layer that is colored.

[0065] The material contained as the main material in this first electrochromic layer 63 and which exhibits color through an oxidation reaction is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a polymer obtained by polymerizing a composition containing a radically polymerizable compound having a triarylamine, a bisacridan compound, a Prussian blue complex, and nickel oxide, and one or more of these may be used in combination.

[0066] Examples of polymers obtained by polymerizing a composition containing a radically polymerizable compound having a triarylamine include those described in JP-A-2016-45464 and JP-A-2020-138925.

[0067] In addition, examples of Prussian blue complexes include Fe(III) 4 [Fe(II)(CN) 6 ] 3 Examples of the material include:

[0068] Among these, a polymer obtained by polymerizing a composition containing a radically polymerizable compound having triarylamine is preferably used, since it can be operated at a constant voltage, has excellent durability during repeated use, and can provide an electrochromic element with high contrast.

[0069] In addition, the composition containing the radical polymerizable compound having a triarylamine may contain another radical polymerizable compound different from the radical polymerizable compound having a triarylamine, and the polymer obtained by polymerizing such a composition may be composed of a crosslinked product in which these radical polymerizable compounds are crosslinked.

[0070] The average thickness of such a first electrochromic layer 63 is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 0.1 μm or more and 30 μm or less, and more preferably about 0.4 μm or more and 10 μm or less.

[0071] <Second electrochromic layer> The second electrochromic layer 64 contains, as a main material, an electrochromic material that changes from transparent to colored by a reduction reaction, and is thus a layer that is colored.

[0072] The second electrochromic layer 64 is preferably made of an electrochromic material having the same color tone as the first electrochromic layer 63. This improves the maximum color density, and as a result, the contrast can be improved.

[0073] On the other hand, when materials of different colors are used, it becomes possible to mix colors. Also, by coloring the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 through oxidation and reduction reactions, the driving voltage of the electrochromic element 60 can be effectively reduced, and the repetitive durability of the electrochromic element 60 can be improved.

[0074] The material contained as the main material in the second electrochromic layer 64 and which exhibits coloration by a reduction reaction is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include inorganic electrochromic compounds, organic electrochromic compounds, conductive polymers, etc., and one or a combination of two or more of these can be used.

[0075] Examples of inorganic electrochromic compounds include tungsten oxide, molybdenum oxide, iridium oxide, and titanium oxide, among which tungsten oxide is preferred. Tungsten oxide is preferably used because it has a low color development / discoloration potential due to its low reduction potential, and is also excellent in durability because it is an inorganic material.

[0076] In addition, as the organic electrochromic compound, for example, azobenzene-based, anthraquinone-based, diarylethene-based, dihydroprene-based, dipyridine-based, styryl-based, styrylspiropyran-based, spirooxazine-based, spirothiopyran-based, thioindigo-based, tetrathiafulvalene-based, terephthalic acid-based, triphenylmethane-based, triphenylamine-based, naphthopyran-based, viologen-based, pyrazoline-based, phenazine-based, phenylenediamine-based, phenoxazine-based, phenothiazine-based, phthalocyanine-based, fluoran-based, fulgide-based, benzopyran-based, metallocene-based, and other low molecular weight organic electrochromic compounds can be mentioned, among which viologen-based compounds and dipyridine-based compounds are preferred.These compounds are preferably used because they have low color development and decolorization potential and show good color value.

[0077] Examples of viologen compounds include those described in Japanese Patent No. 3955641 and JP-A-2007-171781, etc. Examples of dipyridine compounds include those described in Japanese Patent No. 2007-171781 and JP-A-2008-116718, etc.

[0078] Furthermore, examples of the conductive polymer include polypyrrole, polythiophene, polyaniline, and derivatives thereof.

[0079] The average thickness of the second electrochromic layer 64 is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 0.2 μm to 5.0 μm, and more preferably about 1.0 μm to 4.0 μm. If the average thickness is less than 0.2 μm, it may be difficult to obtain a desired color density depending on the type of electrochromic material, and if it exceeds 5.0 μm, the manufacturing cost may increase and visibility may decrease due to coloring depending on the type of electrochromic material.

[0080] <Electrolyte layer> The electrolyte layer 65 is filled between the first electrochromic layer 63 and the second electrochromic layer 64, and contains an electrolyte having ion conductivity.

[0081] The electrolyte is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include inorganic ion salts such as alkali metal salts and alkaline earth metal salts, quaternary ammonium salts, and supporting salts of acids and alkalis. Specifically, LiClO 4 , LiBF 4 , LiAsF 6 , LiPF 6 , LiCF 3 SO 3 , LiCF 3 COO, KCl, NaClO 3 , NaCl, NaBF 4 , NaSCN, KBF 4 , Mg(ClO 4 ) 2 , Mg(BF 4 ) 2 These can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0082] In addition, ionic liquids can also be used as electrolyte materials. Among these ionic liquids, organic ionic liquids are preferably used because they have a molecular structure that shows liquidity over a wide temperature range including room temperature and are easy to handle.

[0083] As the molecular structure of the organic ionic liquid, examples of the cationic component include imidazole derivatives such as N,N-dimethylimidazole salt, N,N-methylethylimidazole salt, and N,N-methylpropylimidazole salt; pyridinium derivatives such as N,N-dimethylpyridinium salt and N,N-methylpropylpyridinium salt; and aliphatic quaternary ammonium salts such as trimethylpropylammonium salt, trimethylhexylammonium salt, and triethylhexylammonium salt. In addition, it is preferable to use a fluorine-containing compound as the anionic component in consideration of stability in the atmosphere, such as BF 4 - , C.F. 3SO 3 - , P.F. 4 - , (CF 3 SO 2 ) 2 N - etc.

[0084] Such an electrolyte material is preferably an ionic liquid containing any combination of cationic and anionic components.

[0085] The ionic liquid may be directly dissolved in any of the photopolymerizable monomers, oligomers, and liquid crystal materials. If the ionic liquid has poor solubility in these materials, it may be dissolved in a small amount of solvent to obtain a solution, and then this solution may be mixed with any of the photopolymerizable monomers, oligomers, and liquid crystal materials to dissolve the ionic liquid.

[0086] Examples of the solvent include propylene carbonate, acetonitrile, γ-butyrolactone, ethylene carbonate, sulfolane, dioxolane, tetrahydrofuran, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, dimethylsulfoxide, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, 1,2-ethoxymethoxyethane, polyethylene glycol, alcohols, and mixed solvents thereof.

[0087] The electrolyte filled between the first electrochromic layer 63 and the second electrochromic layer 64 as the electrolyte layer 65 can be a low-viscosity liquid, or can take various forms such as a gel, a polymer cross-linked type, or a liquid crystal dispersion type. Among these, it is preferable that the electrolyte be formed into a gel or solid state. This can improve the element strength and reliability of the electrochromic element 60.

[0088] A preferred method for making the electrolyte layer 65 solid is, for example, a method in which a liquid containing an electrolyte and a solvent is held in a polymer resin. This allows the electrolyte layer 65 to have both high ionic conductivity and solid strength. In addition, the polymer resin is preferably, for example, a photocurable resin. This allows the electrolyte layer 65 in a solid state, and thus the electrochromic element 60, to be obtained at a low temperature and in a short time, compared to the case in which the electrolyte layer 65 in a solid state is obtained by thermal polymerization or evaporation of a solvent.

[0089] The average thickness of the electrolyte layer 65 is not particularly limited, but is preferably set to about 20 μm or more and 100 μm or less, and more preferably about 40 μm or more and 80 μm or less.

[0090] Between each layer between the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14, an intermediate layer such as an insulating porous layer or a protective layer may be provided.

[0091] By configuring the electrochromic element 60 as described above, it is possible to switch between coloring (coloring) and decoloring at any desired timing by switching the switch 25 ON / OFF.

[0092] <Sealing part> The sealing portion 55 is disposed between the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 12, and has the function of defining a colored region 70 and sealing the electrochromic element 60 within this colored region 70.

[0093] The material for the sealing portion 55 is not particularly limited as long as it is an insulating material having transparency. For example, resin materials such as acrylic resin and epoxy resin, silicon oxide (SiO 2 ), silicon oxynitride (SiON), aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) and other inorganic oxides.

[0094] The average thickness of the sealing portion 55 is adjusted according to the average thickness of the electrochromic element 60, and is set, for example, preferably to about 20 μm or more and 100 μm or less, and more preferably to about 40 μm or more and 80 μm or less.

[0095] As described above, the electrochromic sheet 150 is configured such that the electrochromic elements 60 are disposed in the colored regions 70 defined by the sealing portions 55 between the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 12.

[0096] In the electrochromic sheet 150 having such a configuration, the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 of the electrochromic element 60 are each routed as patterned wiring beyond (extending) the colored region 70 defined by the sealing portion 55 at a position corresponding to the connecting portion where the bridge portion 22 and the temple portion 23 are connected to the rim portion 21 when the lens 30 is formed using the electrochromic sheet 150 and attached to the inside of the rim portion 21 (see Figure 1).

[0097] <First conductive part, second conductive part> As described above, the first conductive portion 17 is provided so as to fill the first hole portion 53, which is a through hole provided penetrating the sealing portion 55, so as to overlap in a plan view with the first electrode 13 provided as wiring extending from the colored region 70. In other words, the first electrode 13 provided as wiring beyond the colored region 70 between the first substrate 11 and the sealing portion 55 and the first conductive portion 17 is extended until it reaches the first conductive portion 17.

[0098] This first conductive portion 17 is electrically connected to the first electrode 13 via the first auxiliary electrode 15, and further, at the end portion along the thickness direction of the electrochromic sheet 150, it is exposed at a position that will be on the bridge portion 22 side when the lens 30 is formed using the electrochromic sheet 150 and attached to the inside of the rim portion 21.

[0099] The second conductive portion 18 is provided so as to fill the second hole portion 54, which is a through hole provided penetrating the sealing portion 55, so as to overlap in a plan view with the second electrode 14 provided as wiring extending from the colored region 70. In other words, the second electrode 14 provided as wiring beyond the colored region 70 between the second substrate 12 and the sealing portion 55 and the second conductive portion 18 is extended until it reaches the second conductive portion 18.

[0100] This second conductive portion 18 is electrically connected to the second electrode 14 via the second auxiliary electrode 16, and further, at the end portion along the thickness direction of the electrochromic sheet 150, it is exposed at a position that will be on the temple portion 23 side when the lens 30 is formed using the electrochromic sheet 150 and attached to the inside of the rim portion 21.

[0101] In this way, at the end along the thickness direction of the electrochromic sheet 150, the first conductive portion 17 and the second conductive portion 18 are exposed at different positions, such as on the bridge portion 22 side and the temple portion 23 side, and these first conductive portion 17 and second conductive portion 18 are electrically connected to the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14, respectively.

[0102] Therefore, a voltage can be applied between the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 through the first conductive part 17 and the second conductive part 18 exposed at the end along the thickness direction of the electrochromic sheet 150. That is, the first conductive part 17 and the second conductive part 18 can be used as terminals when applying a voltage between the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14. Therefore, after the step of obtaining the curved sheet 120 by bending processing described later or after the step of removing the protective sheet 50, the electrochromic sheet 150 can easily inspect the electrochromic element 60 provided therein by applying a voltage between the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14 through the first conductive part 17 and the second conductive part 18. Therefore, it is easy to know whether or not a defect occurs in the electrochromic element 60 provided inside the electrochromic sheet 150.

[0103] The constituent material of these first conductive portion 17 and second conductive portion 18 is not particularly limited as long as it is a conductive material, but examples include conductive pastes such as silver paste, as well as metals such as gold and copper or alloys thereof.

[0104] Moreover, the first conductive portion 17 and the second conductive portion 18 are each independently set to have an average thickness of preferably about 20 μm to about 100 μm, more preferably about 40 μm to about 80 μm. By setting the average thickness of the first conductive portion 17 and the second conductive portion 18 exposed at the end portion along the thickness direction of the electrochromic sheet 150 within this range, the first conductive portion 17 and the second conductive portion 18 can be easily used as terminals when applying a voltage between the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14.

[0105] In the present invention, as described above, the first conductive portion 17 and the second conductive portion 18 are exposed at different positions at the end portions along the thickness direction of the electrochromic sheet 150, but the exposure of the first conductive portion 17 and the second conductive portion 18 at the end portions is achieved as follows. That is, when the element-sealing connecting sheet 110 is punched in its thickness direction corresponding to each electrochromic element 60 to obtain individualized electrochromic sheets 150, this punching can be achieved by performing this punching so as to pass through the first conductive portion 17 and the second conductive portion 18 in a plan view.

[0106] Furthermore, as a result of punching out the element sealing connecting sheet 110 passing through the first conductive portion 17 and the second conductive portion 18, the first hole portion 53 and the second hole portion 54 each have a portion of their wall portion (inner surface) missing, and in this specification, the term "hole portion" also refers to those portions having such missing portions.

[0107] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first hole portion 53 and the second hole portion 54 are both through holes that penetrate the sealing portion 55 in the thickness direction, but this is not limited to this, and the first hole portion 53 may be formed from the first substrate 11 side toward the second substrate 12 side with the sealing portion 55 remaining at its bottom, and the second hole portion 54 may be formed from the second substrate 12 side toward the first substrate 11 side with the sealing portion 55 remaining at its top.

[0108] <Third conductive part, fourth conductive part> The third conductive portion 51 overlaps the first electrode 13 extending from the colored region 70 as wiring in a plan view, and is provided so as to fill the third hole portion 57, which is a through hole provided penetrating the sealing portion 55, at a position closer to the colored region 70 (inner side) than the first hole portion 53, i.e., a position between the first conductive portion 17 and the electrochromic element 60 in a plan view (see FIG. 4). The third conductive portion 51 is electrically connected to the first electrode 13 via the first auxiliary electrode 15.

[0109] This third conductive portion 51 is exposed at a position on the bridge portion 22 side when the edges are trimmed to create a cut-out piece that corresponds to the shape (lens shape) of the rim portion 21 in order to fit the lens 30 obtained using the electrochromic sheet 150 (curved sheet 120) inside the rim portion 21, as shown in Figure 1.

[0110] The fourth conductive portion 52 overlaps the second electrode 14 extending from the colored region 70 as wiring in a plan view, and is provided so as to fill a fourth hole portion 58, which is a through hole provided penetrating the sealing portion 55, at a position closer to the colored region 70 (inner side) than the second hole portion 54, i.e., at a position between the second conductive portion 18 and the electrochromic element 60 in a plan view (see FIG. 4). The fourth conductive portion 52 is electrically connected to the second electrode 14 via the second auxiliary electrode 16.

[0111] This fourth conductive portion 52 is exposed at a position on the temple portion 23 side when the edges are trimmed to create a cut-out piece that corresponds to the shape of the rim portion 21 so that the lens 30 obtained using the electrochromic sheet 150 (curved sheet 120) can be attached to the inside of the rim portion 21, as shown in Figure 1.

[0112] In this way, when the lens 30 is cut out by trimming its edges in order to fit it inside the rim portion 21, the third conductive portion 51 and the fourth conductive portion 52 are exposed at different positions, such as on the bridge portion 22 side and the temple portion 23 side, at the end portion along the thickness direction of the electrochromic sheet 150 (curved sheet 120), and these third conductive portion 51 and fourth conductive portion 52 are electrically connected to the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14, respectively.

[0113] Therefore, when the trimmed lens 30 (cut piece) is attached to the inside of the rim portion 21, the third conductive portion 51 and the fourth conductive portion 52 respectively constitute connection terminals that are electrically connected via wiring to the switch 25 and the battery 26 provided in the temple portion 23.

[0114] The constituent material of the third conductive portion 51 and the fourth conductive portion 52 may be any conductive material, for example, the same materials as those listed as the constituent materials of the first conductive portion 17 and the second conductive portion 18 may be used.

[0115] Moreover, the third conductive portion 51 and the fourth conductive portion 52 are each independently set to an average thickness of preferably about 20 μm to about 100 μm, more preferably about 40 μm to about 80 μm. By setting the average thickness of the third conductive portion 51 and the fourth conductive portion 52 exposed at the end portion along the thickness direction of the electrochromic sheet 150 (curved sheet 120) in the trimmed lens 30 within this range, the third conductive portion 51 and the fourth conductive portion 52 can be easily used as connection terminals electrically connected to the switch 25 and the battery 26 via wiring.

[0116] <Third and fourth holes> It should be noted that due to the trimming process on the lens 30, the third hole portion 57 and the fourth hole portion 58 each have a portion of their wall portion (inner surface) missing, and in this specification, the term "hole portion" also refers to those portions having such missing portions.

[0117] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the third hole portion 57 and the fourth hole portion 58 are both through holes that penetrate the sealing portion 55 in the thickness direction, but are not limited to this. The third hole portion 57 may be formed from the first substrate 11 side toward the second substrate 12 side, with the sealing portion 55 remaining at its bottom, and the fourth hole portion 58 may be formed from the second substrate 12 side toward the first substrate 11 side, with the sealing portion 55 remaining at its top.

[0118] In addition, in this embodiment, the first hole portion 53 and the third hole portion 57, and the second hole portion 54 and the fourth hole portion 58 are each provided in the sealing portion 55 as different hole portions, i.e., as separate bodies, but this is not limited to this. For example, the first hole portion 53 and the third hole portion 57 may be configured as a single hole portion formed integrally without the sealing portion 55 being interposed, and the second hole portion 54 and the fourth hole portion 58 may be configured as a single hole portion formed integrally without the sealing portion 55 being interposed.

[0119] <1st auxiliary electrode, 2nd auxiliary electrode> The first auxiliary electrode 15 is provided as wiring by being laminated on the surface opposite to the first substrate 11 on the first electrode 13 extending from the colored region 70, and is electrically connected to the first conductive portion 17 formed in the first hole 53 and the third conductive portion 51 formed in the third hole 57. That is, the first auxiliary electrode 15 is formed between the first electrode 13 and the first conductive portion 17 and the third conductive portion 51 to electrically connect them to each other.

[0120] The second auxiliary electrode 16 is provided as wiring by being laminated on the surface opposite to the second substrate 12 on the second electrode 14 extending from the colored region 70, and is electrically connected to the second conductive portion 18 formed in the second hole portion 54 and the fourth conductive portion 52 formed in the fourth hole portion 58. In other words, the second auxiliary electrode 16 is formed between the second electrode 14 and the second conductive portion 18 and the fourth conductive portion 52 to electrically connect them to each other.

[0121] The resistance values ​​of the first auxiliary electrode 15 and the second auxiliary electrode 16 are set lower than the resistance values ​​of the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14. Therefore, by forming wiring electrically connected to the electrochromic element 60 with the laminate of the first electrode 13 and the first auxiliary electrode 15, and the laminate of the second electrode 14 and the second auxiliary electrode 16, respectively, it is possible to impart superior conductivity to these wirings (laminates).

[0122] The constituent materials of the first auxiliary electrode 15 and the second auxiliary electrode 16 are not particularly limited as long as they have a lower resistance value than the first electrode 13 and the second electrode 14, respectively, but materials with excellent conductivity are used, such as silver, aluminum, copper, chromium, and molybdenum, and one or a combination of two or more of these can be used.

[0123] The first auxiliary electrode 15 and the second auxiliary electrode 16 each have an average thickness set to preferably about 1 nm or more and 100 nm or less, more preferably about 5 nm or more and 50 nm or less, so that the first auxiliary electrode 15 and the second auxiliary electrode 16 can reliably function as auxiliary electrodes.

[0124] The total thickness of the electrochromic sheet 150 having the above-mentioned configuration is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.3 mm to 10.0 mm, and more preferably 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm. This provides excellent strength to the electrochromic sheet 150, while providing excellent thermoformability to the electrochromic sheet 150 when the electrochromic sheet 150 is molded into the curved sheet 120 having a curved shape.

[0125] The curved sheet 120 is formed by bonding the curved electrochromic sheet 150 to the outer surface of the resin layer 35, i.e., the curved convex surface 36, in a curved shape corresponding to the shape of the resin layer 35. By providing the lens 30 with this curved sheet 120, the sunglasses 100 is endowed with a function of reversibly coloring and decoloring at any timing by switching the application of voltage to the electrochromic element 60 of the electrochromic sheet 150. In this way, the curved sheet 120 is formed by making the electrochromic sheet 150 curved.

[0126] <Protective sheet> Fig. 8 shows a cross-sectional structure of an electrochromic sheet 150 with a protective sheet 50 (protective film) attached. This figure shows the electrochromic sheet 150 shown in Fig. 4 with protective sheets 50 attached to both sides. The protective sheet 50 is provided to prevent damage to the surface of the electrochromic sheet 150 when the electrochromic sheet 150 is transported to a lens manufacturing process after production, or when the electrochromic sheet 150 is shipped to a sales destination, etc., if the electrochromic sheet 150 is sold.

[0127] Specifically, a first protective sheet 50a is attached to a surface (upper surface in the figure) of the first substrate 11 that constitutes one of the outermost layers of the electrochromic sheet 150. A second protective sheet 50b is attached to a surface (lower surface in the figure) of the second substrate 12 that constitutes the other outermost layer of the electrochromic sheet 150. When there is no need to distinguish between the first protective sheet 50a and the second protective sheet 50b, they are referred to as "protective sheets 50."

[0128] The protective sheet 50 has a sheet-like base material and an adhesive layer made of an adhesive resin provided on one surface of the base material. The surface provided with the adhesive layer can be attached to and peeled off from the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 12 of the electrochromic sheet 150.

[0129] As the material for the adhesive layer (i.e., adhesive resin), various materials can be used as long as they have the desired adhesion and peeling properties. The material is selected from the viewpoints of (1) having a degree of adhesion that does not peel off unintentionally and being able to be peeled off smoothly when peeling off the protective sheet 50, (2) not leaving any residue of the adhesive layer after peeling, and (3) being suitable for the punching process and heat bending process described later. Specifically, for example, polyolefin, polyethylene, and polypropylene can be suitably used. The materials of the first protective sheet 50a and the second protective sheet 50b may be the same or different.

[0130] The thickness of the protective sheet 50 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.01 mm to 1.0 mm, preferably 0.02 mm to 0.5 mm, and more preferably 0.03 mm to 0.1 mm. The upper limit is set in consideration of, for example, punching or heat bending the electrochromic sheet 150 (the element-sealing connecting sheet 110 described below) to which the protective sheet 50 is attached into a desired shape. The lower limit is set from the viewpoint of exerting sufficient protective performance. The thicknesses of the first protective sheet 50a and the second protective sheet 50b may be the same or different.

[0131] <Lens manufacturing method> In the sunglasses 100 (eyeglasses) configured as described above, the lenses 30 included in the sunglasses 100 are manufactured, for example, through a manufacturing method for the lenses 30 as described below.

[0132] Hereinafter, each step of the manufacturing method of the lens 30 including the curved sheet 120 obtained by curvedly forming the electrochromic sheet 150 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The manufacturing method of the lens 30 includes a preparation step S10, a sheet singulation step S20, a sheet curving step S30, a resin layer molding step S40, and a lens mounting step S50.

[0133] [Preparation process S10] The preparation step S10 includes a sheet preparation step and a protection sheet arrangement step. Note that, although the following sheet singulation step S20 is described here as a step separate from the preparation step S10, the preparation step S10 may include the sheet singulation step S20. Sheet preparation process: The sheet preparation process is as follows. An element-sealing connecting sheet 110 is prepared, which has a first substrate 11, a second substrate 12, a sealing portion 55, and electrochromic elements 60, and in which a plurality of electrochromic elements 60 provided corresponding to colored regions 70 partitioned by the sealing portion 55 are sandwiched between the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 12. In this element-sealing connecting sheet 110, the plurality of electrochromic elements 60 are connected between the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 12 via the sealing portion 55, and are sealed by the first substrate 11, the second substrate 12, and the sealing portion 55.

[0134] Protective sheet placement process: The protective sheet placement process is as follows. By attaching protective sheets 50 to both sides of the element-encapsulating connecting sheet 110 obtained in the sheet preparation step, a connecting sheet laminate 210 is obtained in which protective sheets 50 (first protective sheet 50a, second protective sheet 50b) are attached to both sides of the element-encapsulating connecting sheet 110 (see FIG. 2(a)). As described above, the first protective sheet 50a is attached to the protective sheet 50 on the first substrate 11. The second protective sheet 50b is attached to the second substrate 12.

[0135] [Sheet singulation process S20] The sheet singulation step S20 (punching step) is as follows. 2(b), the connecting sheet laminate 210 prepared in the preparation step S10, that is, in a state in which the protective sheets 50 are attached to both sides of the element encapsulating connecting sheet 110, is punched out in the thickness direction of the element encapsulating connecting sheet 110 with a cutting blade 99 facing each electrochromic element 60, thereby obtaining an element laminate 250 of a predetermined shape in which the connecting sheet laminate 210 is singulated. That is, in a state in which the protective sheets 50 are attached to both sides, singulated electrochromic sheets 150 are obtained corresponding to each electrochromic element 60.

[0136] The state of the end face of the element-sealing connecting sheet 110 (electrochromic sheet 150) during punching will be described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the element-sealing connecting sheet 110 (electrochromic sheet 150) during punching. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the adhesion of foreign matter to the end face during punching. Figs. 9 and 10 show a state in which the first protective sheet 50a and the first substrate 11 are on the lower side.

[0137] As the cutting blade 99 enters the element-sealing connecting sheet 110 from the top to the bottom in the figure, i.e., from the second protective sheet 50b to the first protective sheet 50a, and punches out, an element stack 250 of a predetermined shape as shown in Figure 2(b) is obtained. The cutting blade 99 used in this step is annular and is configured as a double-edged blade having blade surfaces on the inner and outer periphery. In particular, the blade surface 99a is formed on the inner periphery, so that the optical sheet 1 having a cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. 9 is obtained. That is, in the vicinity of the outer edge of the electrochromic sheet 150, the angle θ1 formed between the surface 12a and the side surface 12b of the second substrate 12 is taken as an angle θ2 formed between the surface 11a and the side surface 12b of the first substrate 11, the angle θ1 is an acute angle, and the angle θ2 is an obtuse angle. In other words, in the resin layer molding step S40 described later, the angle θ1 formed between the surface 91 on the side that contacts the surface of the cavity 43 of the mold 40 and the side surface 93 is smaller than the angle θ2 formed between the surface 92 on the side that does not contact the cavity surface and the side surface 93. The angles θ1 and θ2 mainly depend on the cutting edge angle θ3 of the cutting blade 99, more specifically, the angle θ4 of the blade surface 99a on the inner periphery.

[0138] At this time, when the cut surface is viewed enlarged, as shown in Fig. 10, the punching action of the cutting blade 99 slightly exposes the adhesive surface of the lower protective sheet 50 (here, the first protective sheet 50a), which may allow foreign matter to adhere thereto. When the protective sheet 50 is peeled off, the foreign matter may be transferred to the main body of the element-sealing connecting sheet 110 (electrochromic sheet 150), here, the first substrate 11, due to the influence of static electricity. If the surface to which the foreign matter adheres during injection molding, here the first substrate 11, becomes the resin lamination surface in the resin layer molding step S40, there is a risk that the foreign matter will be mixed into the injected resin.

[0139] Therefore, in the resin layer molding step S40, when the electrochromic sheet 150 is placed in the cavity of the mold, the surface that was on the lower side in the punching direction during punching is made to abut against the cavity surface.

[0140] That is, when injected resin is provided on the second substrate 12 in the resin layer molding step S40, the cutting blade 99 is inserted from the second substrate 12 (second protective sheet 50b) side toward the first substrate 11 (first protective sheet 50a) side in the sheet singulation step S20 (punching step) to punch out. Conversely, when injected resin is provided on the first substrate 11, the blade is inserted from the first substrate 11 (first protective sheet 50a) side toward the second substrate 12 (second protective sheet 50b) side to punch out. This prevents foreign matter from being mixed into the injected resin. Here, a case where the second substrate 12 becomes the resin lamination surface is illustrated as an example.

[0141] Which surface of the electrochromic sheet 150 (i.e., which surface of the first substrate 11 or the second substrate 12) was on the lower side in the punching direction can be determined from the relationship between the angles θ1 and θ2. That is, if θ1<θ2, the first substrate 11 was on the lower side when punching, as described above. Conversely, if θ1>θ2, the second substrate 12 was on the lower side when punching. Note that, in order to clarify which surface of the first substrate 11 or the second substrate 12 was on the lower side when punching, a print or mark may be added to the protective sheet 50. The protective sheet 50 is peeled off from the electrochromic sheet 150 in the resin layer molding process, so the print or mark does not affect the resin layer molding process.

[0142] [Sheet curving process S30] 2(c), the element stack 250 singulated in the sheet singulation step S20 is subjected to a thermal bending process under heating to form the element stack 250 into a curved element stack 220 having a curved shape with one surface side being a curved concave surface and the other surface side being a curved convex surface. This allows the flat electrochromic sheet 150 to be formed into a curved sheet 120 having a curved shape with the protective sheets 50 attached to both surfaces. Here, since the second substrate 12 is the resin laminated surface, the surface on the first substrate 11 (first protective sheet 50a) side is a curved convex surface.

[0143] This heat bending is usually carried out by press forming or vacuum forming. In this embodiment, as described below, the heating temperature (forming temperature) of the element stack 250 (electrochromic sheet 150) is set to about 110° C. or higher and 170° C. or lower, more preferably about 130° C. or higher and 160° C. or lower, taking into consideration the melting or softening temperatures of the first and second substrates 11, 12, in which the electrochromic sheet 150 includes the first and second substrates 11, 12. By setting the heating temperature within this range, it is possible to prevent the electrochromic sheet 150 from being altered or deteriorated, and to reliably heat-bend the electrochromic sheet 150 into the curved sheet 120 having a curved shape by bringing the electrochromic sheet 150 into a softened or molten state.

[0144] In addition, when there is no need to process the electrochromic sheet 150 into the curved sheet 120, that is, when the electrochromic sheet 150 is to be curved at the destination, the electrochromic sheet 150 is naturally provided to the destination in the form of a flat sheet.

[0145] [Resin layer molding process S40] The resin layer forming process S40 includes a protective sheet removing process, a sheet arranging process, and an injection process. Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining the molding of a resin layer 35 (optical element) by injecting a resin material into a mold 40 in the resin layer forming process S40. Fig. 11(a) shows the state before injection, and Fig. 11(b) shows the state after injection.

[0146] Protective sheet removal step S41: First, the protective sheet 50 is peeled off from the curved sheet 120 that has been thermally bent in the sheet bending process S30.

[0147] Sheet placement process S42: 2(d), the curved sheet 120 is placed inside the cavity 43 (see FIG. 11) of the mold 40 having a curved concave surface with a curved shape. Specifically, the curved concave surface 42a of the lower mold 42 of the mold 40 and the curved convex surface 121 of the curved sheet 120 (i.e., the first substrate 11) are brought into contact with each other.

[0148] Injection process S43 (optical element molding process): With the curved sheet 120 adsorbed to the lower die 42, the upper die 41 is attached, and a resin layer 35 (optical element) made primarily of a resin material is molded in a cavity 43, which is the space formed by the lower die 42 and the upper die 41, using, for example, an insert injection molding method.

[0149] A gate opening 44 (also simply referred to as a "gate") for introducing a resin material into the cavity 43 is provided in the upper mold 41 at a position that is not in contact with the electrochromic sheet 150. Specifically, when the electrochromic sheet 150 is placed on the curved concave surface 42a of the lower mold 42 of the mold 40, the gate opening 44 is provided at a position corresponding to the vicinity of the end (side surface) of the electrochromic sheet 150 in the left-right direction in the figure.

[0150] The curved concave surface 42a of the lower mold 42 of the mold 40 coincides with the curved surface of the surface (here, the first substrate 11) of the electrochromic sheet 150 that comes into contact with the cavity surface (here, the curved concave surface 42a). That is, the acute-angled end (corner 112) of the electrochromic sheet 150 is in close contact with the curved concave surface 42a. In addition, when placed in the mold 40, the surface (first substrate 11) of the electrochromic sheet 150 that comes into contact with the curved concave surface 42a and the side surface 93 are in contact with the inside of the cavity 43 (i.e., the curved concave surface 42a, the cavity side surface 42c).

[0151] Thus, the first substrate 11 of the electrochromic sheet 150 is in close contact with the curved concave surface 42a. As a result, even if foreign matter is attached to the surface of the first substrate 11 (near the corners 112), the foreign matter will not move during injection molding. That is, the foreign matter will not be mixed into the resin layer 35. Note that foreign matter on the surface of the first substrate 11 is easy to remove and will not substantially affect the characteristics of the optical system. Furthermore, by making the side surface of the electrochromic sheet 150 contact the curved concave surface 42a, the electrochromic sheet 150 will not move during injection molding, and foreign matter attached to the side surface of the electrochromic sheet 150 will not move because it is sandwiched between the curved concave surface 42a.

[0152] Another aspect of preventing the intrusion of foreign matter will be described with reference to Figs. 12 and 13 are diagrams for explaining the inclusion of foreign matter (missing part) when the surface of the electrochromic sheet 150 on the obtuse corner 111 side (i.e., the second substrate 12) is arranged so as to be in close contact with the curved concave surface 42a. As shown in FIG. 12, when the surface of the electrochromic sheet 150 on the obtuse corner 111 side (i.e., the second substrate 12) is arranged so as to be in close contact with the curved concave surface 42a, as shown in FIG. 13, the pressure of the lens material 900 that has flowed in tends to concentrate on the acute corner 112. Depending on various conditions, the corner 112 of the electrochromic sheet 150 may be damaged. If the damaged corner 112 is mixed into the lens material, it becomes a foreign matter in the lens 30 after molding, and the optical properties (particularly the optical distortion) of that part may change, and the optical properties may be deteriorated overall.

[0153] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the resin layer 35 is injection molded on the electrochromic sheet 150 in a state in which the surface (first substrate 11) on the acute corner 112 side is arranged to be in close contact with the bottom surface 641. This allows the lens material 900 to flow smoothly from the corner 112 to the corner 111 when it is supplied, preventing excessive pressure from being applied to any part of the electrochromic sheet 150. This makes it possible to prevent the occurrence of the defect shown in FIG. 13. In this way, by specifying the punching direction of the electrochromic sheet 150 and the setting direction during injection molding, it is possible to prevent the constituent material of the electrochromic sheet 150 from being mixed into the lens 30, and the obtained electrochromic sheet 150 can exhibit excellent optical properties.

[0154] The constituent material of the resin layer 35 (lens resin material 34) in a molten state is introduced into the cavity 43 from the gate opening 44, and is cooled and solidified while in contact with the curved concave surface of the curved sheet 120, thereby forming the resin layer 35 in a state of direct contact with the curved concave surface 122 of the curved sheet 120 without an adhesive layer or the like being interposed therebetween. In this way, the lens 30 including the thermally bent curved sheet 120 and the resin layer 35 is manufactured.

[0155] When the resin layer 35 is injection molded, the heating temperature (molding temperature) of the constituent material of the resin layer 35 to make it in a molten state is appropriately set according to the type of the constituent material of the resin layer 35, but when the constituent material of the resin layer 35 is the same or identical to the constituent material of the first substrate 11 provided in the curved sheet 120 described later, the heating temperature is preferably set to about 180° C. or more and 320° C. or less, more preferably about 230° C. or more and 300° C. or less. By setting the heating temperature within this range, the constituent material of the resin layer 35 in a molten state can be reliably supplied to the curved concave surface 122 of the curved sheet 120.

[0156] Among the insert injection molding methods, the injection compression molding method is preferably used. In the injection compression molding method, for example, the resin material for forming the resin layer 35 is injected into the cavity 43 of the mold 40 at a high pressure in one go, and then the cavity 43 is held at a pressure (holding pressure) lower than the pressure at the time of injection. That is, since the resin is poured in at a time at high pressure and there is a risk of cracks occurring in the resin layer 35 as the molded body, the mold 40 is closed and cooled at the minimum pressure (holding pressure) that does not cause shrinkage, since applying too much pressure may cause cracks in the resin layer 35 as the molded body.

[0157] [Lens mounting process S50] As shown in Fig. 5, the manufactured lens 30 is subjected to a trimming process in which the edge is cut off to form a cut-out piece whose shape matches the shape of the inside of the rim portion 21. This lens 30 (cut-out piece) is then attached to the inside of the rim portion 21 to obtain the sunglasses 100 of Fig. 1.

[0158] <Combination of punching direction and curvature direction> In the above description, the first substrate 11 is disposed in front of the curved convex surface 36 (front side) of the lens (resin layer 35), and the second substrate 12 is disposed on the resin laminated surface to provide the electrochromic sheet 150. The following is a summary of examples of the combination of the punching direction and the curving direction of the electrochromic sheet 150.

[0159] (Case 1) It is assumed that an electrochromic sheet 150 is provided on the curved convex surface 36 (front side) of the lens (resin layer 35). (a) In case 1, when the first substrate 11 of the electrochromic sheet 150 is the front surface and the second substrate 12 is the resin laminate surface, a blade is inserted from the second substrate 12 (second protective sheet 50b) side toward the first substrate 11 (first protective sheet 50a) side to punch out. In the sheet bending process, the first substrate 11 (first protective sheet 50a) side is bent to form a curved convex surface. (b) In case 1, when the second substrate 12 of the electrochromic sheet 150 is the front surface and the first substrate 11 is the resin laminate surface, a blade is inserted from the first substrate 11 (first protective sheet 50a) side toward the second substrate 12 (second protective sheet 50b) side to punch out. In the sheet bending process, the second substrate 12 (second protective sheet 50b) side is bent to form a curved convex surface.

[0160] (Case 2) It is assumed that an electrochromic sheet 150 is provided on the curved concave surface (rear side) of a lens (resin layer 35). (a) In case 1, when the first substrate 11 of the electrochromic sheet 150 is the front surface and the second substrate 12 is the resin laminate surface, a blade is inserted from the second substrate 12 (second protective sheet 50b) side toward the first substrate 11 (first protective sheet 50a) side to punch out. In the sheet bending process, the first substrate 11 (first protective sheet 50a) side is bent to form a curved convex surface. (b) In case 1, when the second substrate 12 of the electrochromic sheet 150 is the front surface and the first substrate 11 is the resin laminate surface, a blade is inserted from the first substrate 11 (first protective sheet 50a) side toward the second substrate 12 (second protective sheet 50b) side to punch out. In the sheet bending process, the second substrate 12 (second protective sheet 50b) side is bent to form a curved convex surface.

[0161] Although the present invention has been described based on the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0162] For example, each layer constituting the electrochromic element 60 of the electrochromic sheet 150 can be replaced with any layer having a similar function. In addition, the electrochromic sheet 150 may further include other layers, such as intermediate layers, between the first and second substrates 11, 12 and the electrochromic element 60. Although the electrochromic sheet 150 has been exemplified as the sheet member laminated on the lens 30, the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to, for example, a polarizing sheet for a polarizing lens. [Explanation of symbols]

[0163] 11 First board 12 Second board 13 1st electrode 14 2nd electrode 15 1st auxiliary electrode 16 2nd auxiliary electrode 17 First conductive part 18 Second conductive part 20 Frames 21 Rim 22 Bridge section 23 Temple Section 24 Nose pad section 25 Switch 26 Batteries 30 Lenses 35 Resin layer 40 Mold 41 Upper mold 42 Lower mold 42a Curved concave surface 43 Cavity 44 Gate Entrance (Gate) 50 Protective sheet (protective film) 51 Third conductive part 52 Fourth conductive part 53 1st hole 54 2nd hole 55 Sealing part 57 3rd hole 58 4th hole 60 Electrochromic elements 63 First electrochromic layer 64 Second electrochromic layer 65 Electrolyte layer 70 colored areas 100 Sunglasses 110 Element sealing connection sheet 120 Curved Sheet 121 Curved convex surface 122 Curved concave surface 150 Electrochromic sheet (electronic light control sheet) 210 Connecting sheet laminate 220 Curved element stack 250 Element Stack

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a lens with an electronic light control sheet, in which a rear surface of an electronic light control sheet is attached to a front surface of an optical element, comprising the steps of: A preparation step of preparing an electronic light control sheet having a protective sheet provided on a front surface and a back surface; A sheet surface exposing process of separating the protective sheet from the electronic light-adjusting sheet to expose the front surface and the back surface of the electronic light-adjusting sheet; A sheet placement process in which the electronic light control sheet is placed in a mold for injection molding so that either the front surface or the back surface of the electronic light control sheet is in contact with a cavity surface of the mold; an optical element molding step of filling a resin material of the optical element into a cavity of the mold and molding the optical element; A manufacturing method in which, near the outer edge of the electronic light-adjusting sheet prepared in the preparation process, the angle formed between the face that comes into contact with the cavity face and the side surface is smaller than the angle formed between the face that does not come into contact with the cavity face and the side surface.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein the surface that comes into contact with the cavity surface is a front surface of the electronic light control sheet.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein the surface that comes into contact with the cavity surface is a rear surface of the electronic light control sheet.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , further comprising a thermal bending step between the sheet surface exposing step and the sheet arranging step, in which the electronic light control sheet is heated and deformed into a predetermined shape.

5. A manufacturing method described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in the optical element molding process, a gate opening provided in the mold is provided at a position corresponding to near the end of a surface of the optical element that does not contact the cavity surface of the electronic dimming sheet.

6. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein the preparation step includes a curved surface forming step of bending the electronic light control sheet so that the front surface of the electronic light control sheet is convex.

7. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 , wherein the preparation step includes a curved surface forming step of bending the electronic light control sheet so that the back surface of the electronic light control sheet is convex.

8. The manufacturing method described in claim 6, wherein the curved surface of the surface of the electronic light-adjusting sheet molded in the curved surface molding process that comes into contact with the cavity surface coincides with the curved surface of the area in the mold used in the optical element molding process where the electronic light-adjusting sheet is placed.

9. The manufacturing method described in claim 8, wherein, in the optical element molding process, when the electronic light-adjusting sheet is placed in the mold, the surface of the electronic light-adjusting sheet that comes into contact with the cavity surface and a side surface are in contact with the inside of the mold.

10. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the product α·Δt of the linear expansion coefficient α of the material of the surface on which the resin material of the optical element is laminated and the temperature difference Δt between room temperature 25°C and the molding temperature in the injection molding process is 0.5 or less.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the protective sheet is a self-adhesive sheet.

12. The preparation step includes an EC sheet manufacturing step of manufacturing the electronic light control sheet, The EC sheet manufacturing process is a manufacturing method described in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which a sheet base material having an EC functional layer, a first substrate provided on the front surface of the EC functional layer, a second substrate provided on the back surface of the EC functional layer, and a protective sheet provided on each of the front surface of the first substrate and the back surface of the second substrate is punched out with a cutting blade in the thickness direction to produce the electronic light control sheet of a predetermined shape.

Images