Abrasion resistance of patterned lenses

Abstract

A wear-resistant patterned lens comprising a base layer hard coating and a top hard coating, the base layer hard coating may be formed on a film or sheet and used in molding the patterned lens, and the top hard coating may be applied after molding.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 264,502, filed November 23, 2021, entitled "Wear Resistance of Patterned Lenses," which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. [Background technology]

[0002] Patterned lenses are known to provide benefits for specific effects on the wearer's eye. For example, microlens patterned lenses have been found to provide an effective treatment for preventing the onset of rapid myopia progression in children. An example of such a microlens patterned lens is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 1,102,9540, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] Such patterned lenses are typically formed by injection molding, allowing for precise replication of the optical features from the mold insert. The molding process is carried out using thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate or nylon. However, these materials do not offer the level of abrasion resistance desired by some users, and the lenses can be damaged during some types of handling.

[0004] To increase the abrasion resistance of ophthalmic lenses, it has become common practice in the art to apply a hard coating to the surface of the lens. This is typically done by either a dip coating or spin coating process. Such hard coatings can dramatically improve the abrasion resistance of polymer lens surfaces, especially when deposited in the 3-5 micron thickness range.

[0005] However, when such hard coatings are used on patterned lenses, particularly where the pattern is comprised of microlenses such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,102,9540, the hard coating can affect the optical performance of the pattern, e.g., the microlenses, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the lenses.

[0006] One way to mitigate the undesirable effects of such hard coatings is to reduce their thickness. However, reducing the thickness also reduces the abrasion resistance properties provided by the hard coating. It would therefore be desirable to develop a lens that maximizes the abrasion resistance of a patterned lens while maintaining the required optical performance of the patterned lens, and it would also be desirable to develop such lenses in general, not just for patterned lenses. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Disclosed herein are systems, devices and methods for maximizing the wear resistance of lens elements while maintaining the required optical performance of the lens elements, particularly with respect to patterned lens elements incorporating multiple microlenses for inhibiting the onset of rapid myopia progression in patients such as children.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, the coated film may be used in a patterned lens injection molding process to create a base layer that provides increased surface hardness while accurately replicating the features of a mold insert.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, a base layer that improves the wear resistance of the lens may be combined with a conventional hard coating.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, a semi-cured or partially cured coating may be used on the film to enhance moldability during injection molding.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, a dual heat cure coating and / or a photocure coating, in which the coating is partially cured by heat treatment, may be used to provide sufficient adhesion and thermoformability to the film.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, a photocurable coating may be used, where the coating, after deposition on the film, is exposed to a low dose of a curing light source, such as a UV light source, an LED light source, or a visible light source.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, a coated film that is sufficiently flexible and formable may be used to prevent the coating on a flat film from cracking after it is thermoformed into a molded wafer or formed into a patterned lens in an injection molding process.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, a process may be used in which the patterned lens after injection molding is exposed to various light sources, such as a UV light source, an LED light source, or a visible light source, to complete the coating / curing, thereby improving wear resistance.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, a heat treatment process may be used on the patterned lens after injection molding to fully cure the coating, thereby improving its abrasion resistance.

[0016] In exemplary embodiments, in addition to monolayer films, coated laminates may be used. The thickness of the film may range from about 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm, and the thickness of the coating may range from about 0.5 microns to 20 microns.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, a semi-cured coating may be used on the film to improve adhesion of a hard coating that is applied after the lens is molded.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, polycarbonate film and lens materials may be used.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment, nylon lens material and films may be used.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, the coated film may be pre-formed prior to injection molding.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment, the finished lens may have an abrasion resistant coating applied to it.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, the coated film may be used without an additional hard coating after injection molding.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment, a single layer hard coating may be used.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment, a primer layer and a hardcoat layer may be used.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment, spin coating may be used to apply the coating onto the film.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment, roll-to-roll coating, such as gravure or slot die, may be used to apply the coating onto the film.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment, the coating may be deposited onto a film in the form of a flat wafer.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, the coating may be applied onto a film in the form of a molded wafer.

[0029] In an exemplary embodiment, a liquid containing a solvent may be applied onto the film such that evaporation of the solvent forms a coating layer on the film. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0030] These and other aspects, features, and advantages enabled by the practice of the present invention will become apparent and elucidated from the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a patterned lens with microlenses according to an example embodiment.

[0032] [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a patterned lens comprising a microlens having a hard coating deposited thereon, according to an example embodiment.

[0033] [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a patterned lens with a pre-coated film according to an example embodiment.

[0034] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a patterned lens with a base layer and hard coating combination according to an example embodiment.

[0035] [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating improved wear resistance in accordance with an example embodiment.

[0036] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a table illustrating the results of a defocus test, according to an example embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0037] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention can be embodied in many different forms, and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein, but rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and the scope of the present invention will be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. The terms used in the detailed description of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings are not intended to limit the present invention. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.

[0038] Although various embodiments may be described herein, it is specifically contemplated that any of the features of the various embodiments may be combined with each other in any combination. In other words, the features of the various embodiments may be mixed and matched with each other. Thus, although every permutation of the features of the various embodiments is not explicitly set forth, the specification is intended to encompass any such combinations.

[0039] For purposes of this specification, use of the terms "about," "approximately," or "roughly" when referring to values ​​can be understood to mean within 5% (either greater or less) of the stated value, inclusive.

[0040] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-section of an exemplary embodiment of a patterned ophthalmic lens 100, e.g., a lens element 110 having a plurality of microlenses 120 on its surface. As shown in FIG. 1, the patterned ophthalmic lens 100 may include a plurality of microlenses 120 on the surface of the ophthalmic lens 110. Each of the plurality of microlenses 120 may include a variety of shapes or configurations, including, but not limited to, spherical, toric, or aspheric. Each of the plurality of microlenses 120 may have a single focus (e.g., cylinder power) or may have no focus (e.g., used to prevent the progression of myopia or hyperopia).

[0041] By using multiple microlenses 120 on the surface of the Ophthalmic Lens 110, a variable refractive power configuration can be obtained. For example, the surface of the Ophthalmic Lens 110 can provide a first refractive power and the multiple microlenses 120 can provide a second refractive power that is different from the first refractive power. In some exemplary embodiments, the multiple microlenses 120 can provide multiple or multiple refractive powers that are different from the first refractive power of the surface of the Ophthalmic Lens 110. Thus, the multiple microlenses 120 can modify or change the correction provided by the prescription of the Ophthalmic Lens 110 due to the difference in curvature between the surface of the Ophthalmic Lens 110 and the surface of the multiple microlenses 120.

[0042] Several non-limiting examples are disclosed herein illustrating various dimensions of exemplary embodiments of lens element 110 with microlenses 120. It should be understood that such non-limiting examples are for illustrative purposes only and therefore should not be construed as limiting in scope.

[0043] In some non-limiting examples, each microlens 120 of the plurality of microlenses 120 on the surface of the ophthalmic lens 110 may have a diameter (D) in the range of about 0.1 mm to 2 mm, such as 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm. In some non-limiting examples, the height H of each microlens 120 of the plurality of microlenses 120 may be in the range of about 0.01 to 0.8 mm. In some other examples, the height H of each microlens 120 of the plurality of microlenses 120 may be in the range of about 0.0008 to 0.8 mm. The height H of each microlens 120 may be determined based on the desired second refractive power expected from that microlens 120.

[0044] As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,102,9540, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, describes a spectacle lens with a plurality of microlenses on the surface of the spectacle lens, each microlens having a diameter of 0.8 mm to 2 mm with a curvature sufficient to produce 2 to 5 diopters of additional refractive power.

[0045] In some non-limiting examples, the viewer-side surface of each microlens 120 may be formed in a convex spherical shape and may have a curvature that is greater than the curvature of the viewer-side surface of the ophthalmic lens 110. Thus, the refractive power of the convex spherical surface of each microlens 120 may be greater than the refractive power of the viewer-side surface of the ophthalmic lens 110. The performance of an ophthalmic lens 110 having microlenses 120 patterned thereon may depend on the sharp difference between the curvature of the convex spherical surface of the microlenses 120 and the curvature of the viewer-side surface of the ophthalmic lens 110.

[0046] As can be seen from Fig. 1, each microlens 120 may have a spherical shape convex towards the viewer side with a larger curvature than the viewer side surface of the ophthalmic lens 110. As shown in Fig. 1, the area between two microlenses 120 may be the viewer side surface of the ophthalmic lens 110. From Fig. 1, it can be seen that there may be an abrupt drop in curvature between the convex spherical shaped surface of the microlens 120 and the viewer side surface of the ophthalmic lens 110.

[0047] As mentioned above, a hard coating 130 may be applied to the surface of the lens 110 to increase the abrasion resistance of the ophthalmic lens. However, coating the surface of the ophthalmic lens 110 having the microlenses 120 with an abrasion-resistant coating 130 may reduce the "sharpness" of the transition from the curvature of the microlenses 120 to the curvature of the base lens 110. A larger deviation in curvature at the transition from the curvature of the microlenses 120 may reduce the desired defocus control and may degrade the performance of the patterned lens 100. As a result, both the refractive power of the microlenses 120 and the effect provided by the microlenses 120 may be reduced, thereby reducing their effectiveness for treating rapid myopia progression.

[0048] The reduction in the "sharpness" of the transition from the curvature of microlens 120 to that of base lens 110 due to the deposition of coating 130 can cause the curvature at the transition to deviate undesirably from the curvature of microlens 120 in the absence of hard coating 130, thereby reducing the performance of patterned lens 100. An example of such an effect is shown in FIG.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 2, the surface of the base lens 110 may be coated with a hard coating 130 that may have a coating thickness of, for example, but not limited to, “d”. The height of the thickness may be measured as the height between the viewer-side surface of the ophthalmic lens 110 and the outer surface of the hard coating 130 above the viewer-side surface of the ophthalmic lens 110. Although the thickness of the hard coating 130 above the convex spherical shaped surface of the microlens 120 is less than the height of “d”, the presence of the hard coating 130 above the convex spherical shaped surface of the microlens 120 may still reduce the “sharpness” of the transition from the curvature of the microlens 120 to the curvature of the viewer-side surface of the ophthalmic lens 110.

[0050] This loss in "sharpness" or "feature definition" of the transition from microlens 120 to base lens 110 can be exacerbated as the thickness d of hard coating 130 increases. In some embodiments, the height of a feature, e.g., microlens 120, can be of similar magnitude to the thickness of a typical hard coating 130. This can "blur" the feature and defeat the purpose of the patterned lens 100 function. As a result, it may be necessary to minimize the thickness of hard coating 130 to compensate for the degradation in optical quality.

[0051] To mitigate such undesirable effects of the hard coating 130 on the microlenses 120, one possible option may be to reduce the thickness of the hard coating 130. However, reducing the thickness of the hard coating 130 may also reduce the wear resistance properties provided by the hard coating 130.

[0052] To mitigate such effects, in some embodiments, a film or sheet 140 may be formed on the front surface of the base lens 110 during the injection molding process. In some non-limiting examples, the sheet or film 140 may have a thickness "T". In various embodiments, various types of films or sheets 140 may be used. In one non-limiting example embodiment, the film or sheet 140 may be made of polycarbonate (e.g., a polycarbonate film).

[0053] In some exemplary embodiments, the film or sheet 140 may have a formable abrasion and / or scratch resistant hard coating 130 applied to its surface prior to application to the lens 110. In some examples, the thickness of the abrasion and / or scratch resistant hard coating 130 applied onto the film or sheet 140 may have a height d', as shown in Figure 3. The thickness height d' may be measured as the height between the viewer side surface of the film or sheet 140 and the outer surface of the abrasion and / or scratch resistant hard coating 130 on the viewer side surface of the film or sheet 140.

[0054] In an exemplary embodiment, the abrasion and / or scratch resistant hard coating 130 may be selected from a group of various materials including, but not limited to, siloxanes, acrylates, and urethanes. In some non-limiting examples, the abrasion and / or scratch resistant hard coating 130 may be prepared from a curable or crosslinkable composition, and curing may be achieved by thermal curing or UV curing.

[0055] In some exemplary embodiments, an abrasion and / or scratch resistant hard coating 130 may be applied to the film or sheet 140 to increase the hardness of the surface of the film or sheet 140, thereby improving its abrasion resistance. The abrasion and / or scratch resistant hard coating 130 may be applied onto the film or sheet 140 prior to molding, thereby allowing the surface of the abrasion and / or scratch resistant hard coating 130 to replicate features of the mold, as shown generally in FIG.

[0056] 3, it can be seen that a film or sheet 140, such as a polycarbonate film, of thickness T may be provided on the front surface of the molded polycarbonate lens 110. The front, viewer-facing surface of the film or sheet 140 may be processed separately from the injection molding process and therefore may be precoated with a hard coating 130 of thickness d'. Such a hard coating 130 may be referred to as a base layer (BL) 130.

[0057] In some exemplary embodiments, the film or sheet 140 may be coated on the viewer side surface before the base lens 110 is introduced into the injection molding process with the film or sheet 140. During injection molding, the BL or hard coating 130 may replicate features of the mold, such as in the case shown in Figure 1, where features or patterns, such as microlenses 120, may be replicated in the thermoplastic lens material.

[0058] In one exemplary embodiment, the BL 130 may be formed from a material that is not fully cured, allowing for greater flexibility during the injection molding / molding process. Such a configuration aids in replicating the pattern of the mold insert without cracking. To maximize hardness, the cure of the hard coating 130 may be completed after injection molding.

[0059] In some exemplary embodiments, the microlens 120 may be formed on the BL 130 or first hard-coating layer 130. A final abrasion and / or scratch-resistant hard-coating 130' may then be deposited on the microlens at a thickness d less than that typically required to achieve a given level of abrasion resistance. By allowing the required thickness of the final hard-coating 130' to be reduced while still achieving the required abrasion resistance, the optical performance of the microlens function may be better maintained.

[0060] In some exemplary embodiments, a final hard coating 130' of thickness d may be applied over the plurality of microlenses 120, for example, by using dip coating. Such a configuration is shown diagrammatically in FIG.

[0061] The thickness d of the top outermost hard coating 130' can be thin enough to minimize blurring of the transition between features, such as microlenses 120, and the base lens curvature. Additionally, the BL 130 of the initial hard coating 130 can provide additional wear resistance by increasing the surface hardness compared to the underlying lens material 110.

[0062] As long as there is a deformation of the underlying sheet or film 140 or polycarbonate lens material 110 in the area of ​​the microlens 120, the materials used for the various layers in one embodiment may have refractive indices similar enough to minimize the associated errors. For example, the final hard coating 130' on the microlens 120 may have a refractive index of 1.5, the base layer BL hard coating 130 may also have a refractive index of 1.5, and the material of the sheet or film 140 and lens 110, e.g., polycarbonate, may have a refractive index of 1.59. In such an exemplary embodiment, the maximum refractive index step may be 0.09 between the polycarbonate film and the final hard coating 130' or BL hard coating 130 layer. Such a refractive index step may be much smaller than the 1.5 refractive index step from air to the hard coated patterned feature in the absence of a film, e.g., microlens 120, that may dominate the refractive effect. In some cases, when molding a base layer (BL) rather than an underlying lens material having a different refractive index, the configuration of the microlens elements may need to be modified to account for the difference in refractive index.

[0063] One advantage of the base layer BL130 is that it provides a superior base layer, improving wear resistance. One such advantage is shown in FIG.

[0064] Abrasion resistance can be measured in a variety of ways, including the Bayer abrasion test and the steel wool abrasion test. The data in FIG. 5 is for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting the range. For a target abrasion resistance value of 5, the hard coating alone may require a thickness approaching 2.75 microns. Such a thickness, as discussed above, may result in undesirable degradation of the optical properties of the lens. However, the use of BL as described above allows the thickness of the hard coating to be reduced to 1.3 microns for a target abrasion resistance value of 5 and still achieve the desired abrasion resistance and desired optical performance.

[0065] US Pat. No. 7,500,749 discloses a method for manufacturing optical articles using an injection molding process and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0066] Exemplary embodiments are described in more detail below. However, it should be understood that any methods, procedures, systems, devices, and / or values ​​disclosed and / or described below are for illustrative purposes only. Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited by the following exemplary embodiments.

[0067] In an exemplary embodiment, one side of a polycarbonate film may be pre-coated with a thermoformable coating. In an exemplary embodiment, a coating having a flexible coating polymer may be used. Another exemplary embodiment may be by partially curing the coating prior to in-mold injection molding, as described in U.S. Patent No. 7,500,749.

[0068] In another exemplary embodiment, a thermoformable coating may be combined with a UV-cure coating to provide a dual heat cure. After the coating solution is applied onto the polycarbonate film, the coated film can be heat cured, resulting in a clear coating that passes an initial cross-hatch adhesive tape test while retaining good adhesion to the polycarbonate. Such a heat-cure only coating can be flexible and thermoformable.

[0069] Such precoated polycarbonate films can be used in an in-mold injection molding process to produce precoated articles. The coating during injection molding can be flexible, allowing it to be molded into the shape of the article without cracking the coating. If a dual cure coating is used, the coating can then be completed with a UV cure to form a scratch resistant coating.

[0070] Non-limiting examples of commercially available coated polycarbonate films include, for example, Lexan HP92S and Lexan HP92T from Sabic, 5X36 Indoor AR PC and Poly 12323 from TechPlast, Makrolon HF312 and Makrolon HF278 from Covestro, and Planlite PC-710A and PC-SB50 from Teijin.

[0071] A first exemplary embodiment may include injection molding a polycarbonate lens with a precoated HF312 film and adding a conventional hard coating having a Bayer ratio of about 1.7. Such a first exemplary embodiment may use a 15 mil precoated polycarbonate film with a coating thickness of 14 microns. The polycarbonate film may be UV cured without completing a thermal cure.

[0072] The HF312 film may be laminated with another 12 mil polycarbonate film to form a photochromic laminate. This photochromic laminate may then be cut into flat round shaped wafers and fabricated into 6 base photochromic lenses using an in-mold injection molding process with the coating on the convex side of the lens. In such an exemplary embodiment, the coating may not be hazy and visual inspection may not show any signs of coating cracking. The lens may then be exposed to UV light using, for example, a mercury D bulb lamp with a UVA dose of 2000 mJ / cm2 to complete the curing of the coating.

[0073] A scratch resistant coating comprising a 0.2 micron primer layer and a 1.8 micron hard coat layer may then be applied onto the above lenses using a dip coating process and then cured for 6 hours at 235° F. An abrasion resistance test may be performed on the lenses, resulting in a Bayer ratio of about 1.7.

[0074] The second exemplary embodiment may include injection molding of a polycarbonate lens with an uncoated polycarbonate film and the addition of a conventional lens hard coating with a Bayer ratio of about 0.9. An uncoated, flat, round 6-base photochromic polycarbonate wafer may be injection molded into a lens. The lens itself may be coated with Crystalcoat 1165 and Crystalcoat 1154, and abrasion resistance testing results in a Bayer ratio of about 0.9. Thus, the first exemplary embodiment may show an improvement of about 89% when compared to the standard method of lens manufacturing included in the second exemplary embodiment.

[0075] A third exemplary embodiment may include injection molding of a polycarbonate lens with a precoated HF278 film and conventional hard coating of the polycarbonate lens with a Bayer ratio of about 1.9. In such an exemplary embodiment, a 15 mil precoated polycarbonate film may be used, as in the first exemplary embodiment. A 6-base polycarbonate lens may be manufactured using the same or similar process as described in the second exemplary embodiment, except that the 15 mil precoated polycarbonate film is a precoated HF278 film. In abrasion resistance testing, a Bayer ratio of about 1.9 may be obtained, which may indicate an improvement of about 100% when compared to the standard method of lens manufacturing included in the second exemplary embodiment.

[0076] A fourth exemplary embodiment may include injection molding of pre-coated polycarbonate lenses. In such an exemplary embodiment, samples may be prepared using an additional UV curable coating applied to the polycarbonate photochromic laminate sample. The UV curable coating may be applied in-house (e.g., not pre-coated) to allow for greater control over the degree of cure, which affects coating hardness and modulus when molded. The coated film may employ a 1 micron thick coating resin that may be partially cured with UV light prior to a thermal cure cycle (e.g., above 100° C.) or additional UV cure. The applied hard coating may have a thickness of about 2 microns with a primer layer of about 0.2 microns. The hard coating may be applied to the molded lens (with or without a laminate).

[0077] In the Bayer test of an embodiment with only a hard coating, a Bayer ratio of about 3.1 can be obtained. In the Bayer test of an embodiment with only a wafer coating on a laminate (e.g., molded into a lens), a Bayer ratio of about 1.3 can be obtained. In the Bayer test of an embodiment with a hard coating and a wafer coating on a laminate (e.g., molded into a lens), a Bayer ratio of about 5.6 can be obtained. In all three of these embodiments, the cross-hatch adhesion can pass the test.

[0078] It can be seen that the wafer coating itself provides some basic wear resistance. However, in combination with a hard coating, the Bayer abrasion value can be significantly increased, including the use of the wafer coating alone or the use of the hard coating alone. Thus, the effectiveness of the exemplary embodiment described above clearly demonstrates its effectiveness for improving wear resistance.

[0079] A fifth exemplary embodiment may demonstrate replication of features. A series of lenses may be prepared with and without coated films to compare the geometry of lenses from patterned molds. The coated films may be consistent with those of the exemplary embodiments described above. The mold pattern may be similar to that disclosed and / or described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,397,335, which discloses an array of isolated islands of greater curvature than the base curve of the mold insert (i.e., the "lenslet"), and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0080] The lenslets may have a typical nominal diameter of about 0.98 mm and a height of about 0.75 microns. The coated film may use a coating resin about 1 micron thick, which may be partially cured with UV light followed by a thermal cure cycle (e.g., above 100° C.) or an additional UV cure. The geometry of the molded lenses may be measured using an interferometer such as Zygo's Nuview.

[0081] The results of such an exemplary embodiment are shown in Figure 6, where "Fit R Seg Diameter Mean" represents the diameter of the microlenses, "Fit R Seg Height Mean" represents the average height of the microlenses, "Calib Fit R Defocus (D)" represents the optical power of the microlenses in diopters, and "Base Curve" represents the effective base curve of the lens, also measured in diopters. The p-values ​​may represent the results of a single factor ANOVA test comparing lenses formed with the coated laminate to lenses formed without the coated laminate.

[0082] The diameter and height may be statistically equivalent based on the p-value, but the curve power, expressed in diopters, may be statistically different. However, any deviations between the results obtained are small and can be easily corrected by modifications to the insert design, if necessary. The lens after molding may remain clear and show no signs of cracking or damage to the coating on the laminate surface after incorporation into the lens. Thus, the combined data as shown in FIG. 6 clearly shows that the use of a precoated laminate can improve the wear resistance of the lens while still allowing the replication of the patterned surface with the final lens geometry.

[0083] Although the present invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments and applications, those skilled in the art can, in light of the present teachings, derive further embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention. It is therefore to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are provided by way of example to facilitate understanding of the invention and should not be construed as limiting its scope.

Claims

1. 1. A method of forming a patterned lens with improved abrasion resistance, comprising: providing a film or sheet of polymeric material having a first surface coated with an abrasion-resistant coating; placing the film or sheet into a lens mold with the coated surface facing the mold cavity; injecting a thermoplastic resin into the lens mold behind the film or sheet to form a lens; replicating one or more optical features from the lens mold into the film or sheet and the abrasion-resistant coating; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical features include a plurality of microlenses.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wear-resistant coating is partially cured prior to injection molding.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of fully curing the abrasion resistant coating after the injection molding with heat, ultraviolet light, or visible light.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising curing the coating.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the film or sheet is made of polycarbonate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the abrasion-resistant coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of siloxanes, acrylates, and urethanes.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying an abrasion-resistant coating to the formed lens.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second abrasion-resistant coating applied to the formed lens is applied by spin coating.

10. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the film or sheet has a thickness of 0.1 to 2.0 millimeters and the coating has a thickness of 0.5 to 20 microns.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic resin comprises nylon.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coated film or sheet is formed into a wafer shape before being inserted into a mold.

13. 1. A method of forming a patterned lens with improved abrasion resistance, comprising: providing a film or sheet of polymeric material having a first surface coated with a first abrasion-resistant coating; placing the film or sheet into a lens mold with the coated surface facing the mold cavity; injecting a thermoplastic resin into the mold behind the film or sheet to form a lens; replicating one or more optical features from the mold into the abrasion-resistant coating and film; applying a second abrasion-resistant coating to the formed lens; A method comprising:

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second coating is applied to the first coating by spin coating.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the thickness of the second coating is less than the thickness of the first coating.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the film or sheet comprises a wafer.

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