Optical Components

Abstract

To provide an optical member and eyewear that suppress variations in yellowness of lenses and transmit violet light. [Solution] An optical element 10 having a laminated structure including a hard coat layer and a multilayer anti-reflection film layer, wherein the laminated structure has an average transmittance of 70% or more in the wavelength range of 360 nm or more and 400 nm or less, an average transmittance of 80% or more in the wavelength range of 380 nm or more and 500 nm or less, and an average transmittance of 5% or less in the wavelength range of 280 nm or more and 360 nm or less.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to optical elements and eyewear. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, it has become known that violet light, which is purple light in the wavelength range from about 360 nm to about 400 nm contained in sunlight, has a positive effect on mental and physical development, and that insufficient exposure to sunlight, particularly in children, increases the risk of myopia progression. For this reason, optical elements that actively transmit violet light have been developed. Patent Document 1 discloses an optical element that can reduce eye strain while preventing or delaying myopia by transmitting violet light. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent 6629343 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] On the other hand, in recent years, eyewear has been equipped with a function to block blue light, which is blue light in the wavelength range of around 380nm to 500nm emitted from the LCD screens of digital devices, in order to reduce eye strain. However, when lenses that block blue light in the wavelength range are mass-produced, there is an issue of variation in the yellowish tint of the lenses.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical element and eyewear that reduces variations in the yellowness of lenses and transmits violet light. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical element having an average transmittance of 70% or more in the wavelength range of 360 nm to 400 nm, an average transmittance of 80% or more in the wavelength range of 380 nm to 500 nm, and an average transmittance of 5% or less in the wavelength range of 280 nm to 360 nm.

[0007] According to this aspect, it is possible to reduce variations in the yellowness of lenses when mass-producing lenses that transmit violet light, which is expected to have health benefits.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical element having an average transmittance of 70% or more in the wavelength range of 360 nm to 400 nm, an average transmittance of 80% or more in the wavelength range of 380 nm to 500 nm, an average transmittance of 5% or less in the wavelength range of 280 nm to 360 nm, and an average transmittance of 90% or more in the wavelength range of 400 nm to 780 nm.

[0009] According to this aspect, it is possible to further suppress variations in the yellowness of the lenses, and mass-produce lenses with higher transparency.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical element comprising a hard coat layer and a multilayer anti-reflection coating layer, the optical element having an average transmittance of 70% or more in the wavelength range of 360 nm to 400 nm, an average transmittance of 80% or more in the wavelength range of 380 nm to 500 nm, and an average transmittance of 5% or less in the wavelength range of 280 nm to 360 nm.

[0011] In the above-described embodiment, the multilayer anti-reflection coating layer may be configured to be present only on the front side of the lens, which has the effect of adding decorativeness to the appearance of the lens when used as eyewear because the interference color becomes purple.

[0012] In the above-described embodiment, the multilayer anti-reflection coating layer may be configured to be present only on the back side of the lens, which has the effect of reducing reflections of objects and eyes behind the lens, thereby improving the user's field of vision when used as eyewear.

[0013] In the above-described aspect, the optical member may be configured to include a hard coat layer and a multilayer antireflection film layer, but not to include an ultraviolet absorbing film.

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided eyewear having an optical element having an average transmittance of 70% or more in the wavelength range of 360 nm to 400 nm, an average transmittance of 80% or more in the wavelength range of 380 nm to 500 nm, and an average transmittance of 5% or less in the wavelength range of 280 nm to 360 nm.

[0015] According to this aspect, a user of the eyewear can enjoy the benefits of violet light, which is expected to have health benefits. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide optical components and eyewear that transmit violet light while reducing variations in yellowness during mass production. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of the structure of an optical member according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a transmission spectrum of an optical member according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating an example of a layered structure of an optical member according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a multilayer antireflection film layer of an optical member according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a multilayer antireflection film layer of an optical member according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6]1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of eyewear using an optical member according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples, and are not intended to exclude various modifications or technological applications not explicitly stated below. In other words, the present invention can be implemented in various modifications within the scope of its spirit. Furthermore, in the following description of the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by identical or similar reference numerals. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions, proportions, etc. Parts in the drawings may have different dimensional relationships or proportions.

[0019] <Optical component characteristics> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an optical member 10 according to this embodiment. The optical member 10 according to this embodiment is intended to be, for example, a lens used in eyewear, and exhibits the property of transmitting violet light, which is expected to have health benefits. In order to exhibit this property, the optical member 10 has a hard coat layer 102 and a multilayer anti-reflection film layer 103 provided on one or both sides of a substrate layer 101 of the optical member 10. The layered structure of the optical member 10 will be described later with reference to FIG. 3. This makes it possible to provide an optical member 10 that transmits violet light. The optical member 10 may be appropriately shaped and attached to the frame of eyewear.

[0020] In this specification, violet light refers to light in the wavelength range of approximately 360 nm to 400 nm, which is located in the short wavelength region of visible light. Violet light is light with an even shorter wavelength and higher energy than adjacent blue light (wavelength region of approximately 380 nm to 500 nm), and is located in the border region of visible light close to the ultraviolet (UV) region. Recent research suggests that violet light may be involved in suppressing the progression of myopia and regulating circadian rhythms, and that moderate exposure may contribute to maintaining eye health.

[0021] In this specification, the transmittance refers to the ratio of the intensity of transmitted light to the intensity of light incident on a sample, expressed as a percentage. Methods for measuring transmittance are well known to those skilled in the art, and can be measured using any known measuring device and method.

[0022] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the transmission spectrum of the optical member 10 according to this embodiment. The transmission spectrum shown in Fig. 2 shows that the transmittance in the wavelength region from about 280 nm to about 330 nm is about 5% or less, the transmittance in the wavelength region from about 280 nm to about 360 nm is about 5% or less, the average transmittance in the wavelength region from about 360 nm to about 400 nm is about 70% or more, the average transmittance in the wavelength region from about 380 nm to about 500 nm is about 80% or more, the average transmittance from about 400 nm to about 780 nm is about 90% or more, and the average transmittance from about 500 nm to about 780 nm is about 90% or more.

[0023] The transmission spectrum shown in Fig. 2 has a maximum value in the wavelength region from about 400 nm to about 450 nm in the domain of 280 nm to 780 nm, and the average transmittance in the wavelength region from about 400 nm to about 450 nm is approximately 96% or more. Also, the transmission spectrum shown in Fig. 2 has a minimum value in the wavelength region from about 450 nm to about 500 nm in the domain of 280 nm to 780 nm, and the average transmittance in the wavelength region from about 400 nm to about 450 nm is approximately 96% or less.

[0024] 2 shows an example of the transmission spectrum when light is incident approximately perpendicularly to the surface of the optical member 10. Note that the transmission spectrum characteristics shown in FIG. 2 may also be obtained for light that is incident obliquely to the surface of the optical member 10. Therefore, the transmission spectrum characteristics shown in FIG. 2 do not necessarily apply only to light that is incident perpendicularly.

[0025] The optical element 10 of this embodiment has an average transmittance of approximately 70% or more in the wavelength region from approximately 360 nm to approximately 400 nm, and therefore can transmit violet light, which is contained in natural light and is expected to have health benefits such as suppressing myopia. Furthermore, because the average transmittance in the wavelength region around 280 nm is approximately 5% or less, it can selectively block light with wavelengths shorter than violet light without the need for an ultraviolet absorbing film.

[0026] <Structure of optical components> Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the layered structure of the optical member 10 according to this embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 3, hard coat layers 102 are provided on both sides of the base layer 101, but the hard coat layer 102 may also be provided on only one side of the base layer 101. The base layer may be any material known to those skilled in the art. The base layer 101 in the optical member 10 may be, for example, CR-30, a standard lens having a refractive index of 1.50, but is not limited thereto.

[0027] The hard coat layer 102 can be prepared by a method known to those skilled in the art. For example, the hard coat layer 102 in the optical member 10 is prepared as follows, but is not limited thereto. (Preparation of coating liquid) A glass container was charged with 142 parts by weight of the organosilicon compound γ-glycidoxypropyl methoxysilane, and while stirring, 1.4 parts by weight of 0.01N hydrochloric acid and 32 parts by weight of water were added dropwise. After the addition was completed, stirring was continued for 24 hours to obtain a hydrolyzed solution of γ-glycidoxypropyl trimethoxysilane. To this solution, 460 parts by weight of stannic oxide-zirconium oxide composite sol (methanol dispersion, total metal oxide 31.5 wt%, average particle size 10-15 millimicrons), 300 parts by weight of ethyl cellosolve, 0.7 parts by weight of a silicone surfactant as a lubricant, and 8 parts by weight of aluminum acetylacetonate as a curing agent were added. The mixture was thoroughly stirred and then filtered to obtain a coating solution.

[0028] The hard coat layer 102 can be formed by a method known to those skilled in the art. The hard coat layer 102 of the optical member 10 is formed, for example, as follows, but is not limited to this. (Formation of hard coat layer) The plastic lens for glasses, which had been pretreated with an alkaline aqueous solution, was immersed in the coating solution, and after immersion, the plastic lens was pulled up at a pulling rate of 20 cm / min and heated at 120°C for 2 hours to form a hard coat layer 102.

[0029] In the example shown in FIG. 3, a multilayer antireflection coating layer 103, which is a multilayer film, is provided on one side of the hard coat layer 102, and the optical member 10 as a whole is provided with the multilayer antireflection coating layer 103 on only one side. Those skilled in the art may adopt a configuration in which the entire optical member is provided with the multilayer antireflection coating layer 103 on both sides, or may provide the multilayer antireflection coating layer 103 on both sides of the hard coat layer 102, depending on the application. The multilayer antireflection coating layer 103 in the optical member 10 has a structure in which high refractive index layers (H layers) and low refractive index layers (L layers) are repeated. The structure of the multilayer antireflection coating layer 103 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0030] The multilayer anti-reflection coating layer 103 can be formed by a method known to those skilled in the art. The multilayer anti-reflection coating layer 103 in the optical member 10 is formed, for example, as follows, but is not limited to this. (Formation of multi-layer anti-reflection coating layer) The plastic lens having a hard coat layer was heated to 80°C, and a thin film was deposited on the hard coat layer by vacuum deposition (vacuum degree 2×10 -5 A low refractive index layer (L layer) was formed using a vacuum evaporation method (at 1000 MPa (Torr)). A high refractive index layer (H layer) was formed on this L layer using the vapor deposition composition, thereby obtaining a multilayer antireflection coating layer 103, which is an antireflection coating having a repeating structure of L layers and H layers.

[0031] 4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating an example of the multilayer antireflection coating layer 103 of the optical member 10 according to this embodiment. In the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, low-refractive-index layers (L layers) made of SiO2 are provided in the odd-numbered layers, and high-refractive-index layers (H layers) made of ZrO2 are provided in the even-numbered layers. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the L layers have a refractive index of approximately 1.45 to approximately 1.50. The H layers have a refractive index of approximately 2.00 to approximately 2.20. The thicknesses of the H and L layers are adjusted as desired within a range that allows the optical member according to this embodiment to transmit violet light. For example, the thickness of at least one H layer may be 10 nm or less, and the thickness of at least one L layer may be 400 nm or more. The number of repeating structures of the H and L layers is adjusted as desired within a range that allows the optical member according to this embodiment to transmit violet light. For example, the repeating structure of the H and L layers may be repeated 4 to 10 times, 5 to 9 times, or 6 to 8 times.

[0032] 4 shows an example of a multilayer antireflection coating layer 103 having a structure in which H layers and L layers are repeated up to the seventh layer. The transmission spectrum shown in FIG. 2 was measured using an optical element 10 having a multilayer antireflection coating layer 103 having the structure shown in FIG.

[0033] 5 shows an example of a multilayer antireflection coating layer 103 in which a repeating structure of H layers and L layers is provided up to the seventh layer. The structure shown in Fig. 5 is designed to slightly reduce the average transmittance in the wavelength range of 360 nm or more and 400 nm or less, compared to the structure shown in Fig. 4.

[0034] Each layer of the multilayer anti-reflection coating layer 103 is made of an inorganic compound. The inorganic compound of the H layer may be, for example, any of titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, aluminum oxide, yttrium oxide, tantalum oxide, hafnium oxide, tin oxide, niobium oxide, cerium oxide, indium oxide, etc. Furthermore, the inorganic oxide having a high refractive index may be substoichiometric titanium oxide (TiOx, x<2 and close to 2), or at least one layer may be an ITO film.

[0035] As the inorganic compound of the L layer, for example, any one of thiolite, cryolite, aluminum fluoride (AlF3), aluminum fluoride (MgF2), calcium fluoride (CaF2), and the like may be used.

[0036] By adjusting the thickness of each of the H and L layers of the multilayer antireflection coating layer 103, the total reflectance waveform of the multilayer antireflection coating layer 103 can be changed, allowing light having a wavelength range of 360 nm to 400 nm to be transmitted. The thickness of each of the H and L layers of the multilayer antireflection coating layer 103 can be determined by optical simulation based on the refractive index difference between the H and L layers. Therefore, once the materials for the H and L layers described above are determined, the thicknesses of each layer can be determined by optical simulation to achieve a predetermined transmission spectrum (or reflection spectrum).

[0037] The number of repeating structures of the H layer and the L layer in the multilayer antireflection coating layer 103 can also be determined by optical simulation according to the same principle as described above.

[0038] The optical element 10 of this embodiment, which includes the substrate layer 101, the hard coat layer 102, and the multilayer antireflection film layer 103, has a laminated structure that can reduce variations in yellowness that occur when blue light-blocking lenses are mass-produced. Furthermore, the optical element 10 can transmit violet light without blocking blue light.

[0039] <Example> Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of eyewear 20 using the optical member 10 described above in the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, by using the optical member 10 as a lens, the eyewear 20 can deliver violet light, which is expected to have health benefits, to the user's eyes.

[0040] It should be noted that application examples of the optical member 10 are not limited to the eyewear 20, and as described above, the optical member 10 can also be applied to vision correction devices (eyeglass lenses, contact lenses, intraocular lenses, etc.), eye protection devices (sunglasses, protective glasses, goggles, etc.), face protection devices (helmet shields, etc.), sunshades (parasols, sun visors, etc.), display screens of display devices (televisions, PC monitors, game consoles, portable media players, mobile phones, tablet terminals, wearable devices, 3D glasses, virtual glasses, portable book readers, car navigation systems, imaging devices such as digital cameras, in-car monitors, in-aircraft monitors, etc.), curtains (cloth curtains, vinyl curtains, etc.), windows (windows or front or rear windows of buildings, vehicles, aircraft, etc.), walls (glass curtain walls, etc.), coverings for light sources (lighting covers, etc.), coating materials (stickers, coating liquids, etc.), etc.

[0041] Embodiments of the present disclosure further include the following aspects. [1] An optical element, The average transmittance in the wavelength range of about 360 nm or more and about 400 nm or less is about 70% or more, The average transmittance in the wavelength range of about 380 nm to about 500 nm is about 80% or more, and The average transmittance in the wavelength range of about 280 nm or more and about 360 nm or less is about 5% or less. Optical components. [2] The optical member according to [1], comprising a hard coat layer and a multilayer antireflection film layer. [3] The optical member according to [2], wherein the multilayer antireflection film layer is present on only one surface of the optical member. [4] The optical member according to any one of [2] and [3], wherein the multilayer antireflection film layer has a structure in which high refractive index layers (H layers) and low refractive index layers (L layers) are repeated. [5] The optical member according to [4], wherein the H layer has a refractive index of about 2.00 to about 2.20, and the L layer has a refractive index of about 1.45 to about 1.50. [6] The optical member according to any one of [4] and [5], wherein the repeating structure of the H layer and the L layer is repeated about 4 to about 10 times. [7] The optical member according to any one of [4] to [6], wherein at least one of the H layers has a thickness of about 10 nm or less, and at least one of the L layers has a thickness of about 400 nm or more. [8] The optical member according to any one of [1] to [7], which does not contain an ultraviolet absorbing film. [9] The optical member according to any one of [1] to [8], for preventing myopia and / or adjusting circadian rhythm.

[10] Eyewear comprising the optical member according to any one of claims [1] to [9].

[0042] The above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The elements of the embodiments, as well as their arrangement, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, etc., are not limited to those shown in the examples and can be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, the configurations shown in different embodiments can be partially substituted or combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 10... engineering component, 101... substrate layer, 102... hard coat layer, 103... multilayer anti-reflection film layer 103, 20... eyewear

Claims

1. An optical element, The average transmittance in the wavelength region of 360 nm or more and 400 nm or less is 70% or more, The average transmittance in the wavelength range of 380 nm or more and 500 nm or less is 80% or more, and The average transmittance in the wavelength region of 280 nm or more and 360 nm or less is 5% or less. Optical components.

2. 2. The optical member according to claim 1, which has an average transmittance of 90% or more in a wavelength region of 400 nm or more and 780 nm or less.

3. The optical member according to claim 1 , comprising a hard coat layer and a multilayer anti-reflection coating layer.

4. 4. The optical member of claim 3, wherein the multilayer anti-reflection coating layer is present on only one side of the optical member.

5. 4. The optical member according to claim 3, wherein the multilayer antireflection film layer has a structure in which high refractive index layers (H layers) and low refractive index layers (L layers) are repeated.

6. 6. The optical member according to claim 5, wherein the H layer has a refractive index of 2.00 to 2.20, and the L layer has a refractive index of 1.45 to 1.

50.

7. The optical element according to claim 1 , which does not include an ultraviolet absorbing film.

8. Eyewear comprising the optical member according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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