Mirror-patterned safety eyeglass lenses with variable opacity

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dichroic mirror pattern on fashion protective eyewear that exhibits variable opacity on the exterior of the photochromic lens in response to changing lighting conditions, where the pattern can go from virtually transparent to opaque. The dichroic mirror pattern(s) can be coated with multicolored pattern portions, with some pattern portions having variable opacity and other pattern portions having a high, fixed opacity. This effect can also be created on optical films applied to many optical surfaces.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is based on and claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 073,365, filed October 18, 2020, and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 945,171, filed December 8, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present invention relates to safety eyeglass lenses, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a mirrored pattern on fashion safety eyeglasses that exhibits variable opacity from the outer surface of the photochromic lens in response to changing lighting conditions, where the pattern can go from transparent to opaque in nature. [Background technology]

[0003] The protective eyewear industry is constantly evolving lenses with numerous coatings to create superior practicality for the latest fashions in protective eyewear. Some coatings, such as anti-reflective, hard coat, water repellent, and photochromic coatings, increase lens durability, eliminate glare, and reduce eye fatigue caused by changes in ambient lighting. Other coatings, such as dichroic mirror coatings, are commonly used for aesthetic purposes. Dichroic mirror coatings are alternating layers of optical coatings with different refractive indices that are built onto the lens surface to selectively pass a few colors of light while reflecting others. These layers come in a variety of reflective colors, including blue, red, orange, violet, green, silver, and gold. One interesting use of dichroic mirror coatings is to mask portions of the lens before applying the dichroic mirror coating to create mirrored patterns and logos on the lens. One such implementation is U.S. Patent No. 9,651,801 (B2), assigned to Hoya Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, under the trade name "OPTICAL LENS." HOYA's technology creates a mirrored coating pattern on the lens, with a vibrant pattern on the outside of the lens and a transparent pattern when viewed through the inside of the lens. The mirrored pattern is reflected off the top surface of the lens with a high, fixed opacity.

[0004] Photochromic lenses are optical lenses that darken or lighten based on exposure to ultraviolet light. In the presence of ultraviolet light, the lenses darken; in the absence of ultraviolet light, the lenses return to a clear state. Photochromic lenses can be made of polycarbonate, glass, or acrylic. Photochromic lenses are primarily used in safety eyewear, darkening in bright sunlight but clearing in low ambient light to reduce eye strain. Photochromic lenses darken significantly within 60 seconds of exposure to bright sunlight, but may take longer to clear upon subsequent exposure to low UV light. Indoor lighting generally contains little UV light, so the lenses generally remain clear indoors. Photochromic lenses are intended for use as a pair of glasses for indoor and outdoor use, providing comfortable vision in both environments. Different ranges of clear and dark transmittance can be created. For the purposes of simplifying the present invention, all specific coating layers and structures comprising stock photochromic lenses are considered well known in the art, but may also be constructed in various structures, which may include proprietary elements from different manufacturers.

[0005] It can be appreciated that the coating arrangement on safety eyeglass lenses made from polycarbonate or acrylic can also be applied to laminate films made from the same materials or similar plastics, and the laminate can be applied to other optical lenses or virtually any other surface to produce a similar optical effect.

[0006] Without a specific anti-reflective coating layer to maximize the opacity of the reflective coating, photochromic lenses appear nearly transparent when applied to stock, untinted lenses. As the tint level increases, the apparent opacity of the dichroic reflective coating also increases. Thus, variable tint levels in photochromic lenses can affect the opacity of the reflectively patterned surface. This effect forms the basis of this unique combination of coatings, which provides protective eyewear lenses with decorative patterns of variable opacity. Summary of the Invention

[0007] What is needed is to create a patterned dichroic mirror coating on an optical lens that has variable opacity.

[0008] A further need exists to have multiple dichroic mirror coatings to create multicolor patterns with variable opacity.

[0009] A further need exists to provide both fixed opacity dichroic mirror patterns and variable opacity mirror patterns on the same lens.

[0010] A further need exists to create patterned dichroic mirror coatings on optical films with variable opacity.

[0011] What is further needed is a patterned dichroic mirror coating on an optical film laminated to an optical lens.

[0012] What is further needed is a patterned dichroic mirror coating on an optical film laminated to an optical surface.

[0013] What's more, a patterned mirror coating would provide variable opacity when viewed from the outside of the lens. of However, when viewed from the inside of the lens, it always appears transparent.

[0014] What is further needed is a fashionable protective eyewear made using a pair of photochromic lenses that include a coated pattern of dichroic mirrors cut and mounted in a frame. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] The present invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of example only and therefore are not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a photochromic lens in use, as is well known in the art. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a top view of a photochromic lens in use, as is well known in the art. [Figures 3A-3D] 10A-10C are top views of one embodiment illustrating variable opacity of a mirrored pattern while in use in accordance with the present invention. [Figures 4A-4D] 1 is a top view of a masking device for forming a mirrored pattern in use according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a front view of safety glasses including a mirrored pattern in use according to the present invention; [Figure 6] 1 is a front view of an automobile having an optical film including a mirrored pattern attached to a windshield while in use, according to the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 is shown. The photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 is a typical stock safety eyeglass lens with a photochromic color coating that has a size, thickness, and round shape suitable for being cut to the appropriate circumference or shape and fitted to any style of safety eyeglass frame. The photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 can be made from a variety of materials, such as polycarbonate, acrylic, or glass. The photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 can have transition colors, such as blue, violet, green, gray, and brown. It can also be understood that the coating arrangements used to create the photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 made from polycarbonate or acrylic can also be applied to an optical film 11 made from the same material or a similar plastic. The optical film 11 can be applied to a safety eyeglass lens or virtually any other optical surface 15 to create similar optical effects from the various coatings. For example, the optical film 11 can be laminated or adhered with an optical adhesive to an optical surface 15, such as a window or the windshield of an automobile 60, as shown in FIG. 6. Stock photochromic safety eyeglass lenses 10 are generally formed with a convex outer surface 12 and a concave inner surface 14. When used for fashion glasses, the optical power between the convex outer surface 12 and the concave inner surface 14 is 1x. Stock photochromic safety eyeglass lenses 10 may also be custom-made for prescription correction of many eye conditions, such as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. Prescription lenses may have the lens surface pre-formed or polished to the convex outer surface 12 or the concave inner surface 14, or both. Techniques for forming prescription lens surfaces are well known in the art, with many different processes to achieve the same result. When a prescription is polished into a stock photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10, it may be necessary to add a hard coating and / or an anti-reflective coating to the polished surface in preparation for adding a mirror coating. These coating steps may be required based on which surface(s) are polished and which coatings may have been removed in the process.

[0018] 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D, on the convex outer surface 12 of the photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10, there are dichroic mirror pattern(s) 20 that exhibit various opacity levels for the dichroic mirror pattern(s) 20. In FIG. 3A, the dichroic mirror pattern(s) 20 are highly opaque with maximum darkness along with the photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 due to exposure to intense UV light. Note that the darkness of the photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 is not shown in FIGS. 3A-3D to better illustrate the opacity of the dichroic mirror pattern(s) 20. In FIG. 3B, the dichroic mirror pattern(s) 20 are mostly opaque with medium darkness along with the photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 due to exposure to moderate UV light. In Figure 3C, the dichroic mirror pattern(s) 20 are minimally dark and mildly opaque with the photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 because the lens is exposed to mild UV light. In Figure 3D, the dichroic mirror pattern(s) 20 are highly transparent with the photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 because the lens is exposed to no or minimal UV light. Alternatively, the dichroic mirror pattern(s) 20 can be formed on an optical film 11 having a photochromic coating and exhibit the same variable opacity in response to UV light.

[0019] 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D, there is a photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 having a mask 32 with negative masking pattern 34, negative masking pattern 37, and negative masking reference pattern 31 used to mask areas on the photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10, where dichroic mirror pattern 33, dichroic mirror pattern 35, and dichroic mirror reference pattern 30 are coated onto the surface of the photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 in a process described in the next section. Once mask 32 is removed, mask 32 with negative masking pattern 34 and negative masking pattern 37 can be processed together with the dichroic mirror coating shown in FIGS. 3A-D to obtain dichroic mirror pattern(s) 20. Alternatively, the mask 32 on the photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 may have only the negative masking pattern 34 and the negative masking reference pattern 31, which, when coated with a dichroic mirror, produces only half of the dichroic mirror pattern(s) 20, including the dichroic mirror pattern 33 and the dichroic mirror reference pattern 30. After removing the mask 32, the resulting photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 has the dichroic mirror pattern 33 with an additional coating that may have a given reflective color or full opacity independent of the photochromic tinted lens. Repeating this process with the mask 32 on the same photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 having only the negative masking pattern 37 and the negative masking reference pattern 31 produces only half of the dichroic mirror pattern(s) 20, including the dichroic mirror pattern 35, when coated with a dichroic mirror, producing the dichroic mirror pattern(s) 20, with each mask portion of the mirror reflecting a different color, producing a multicolored mirror pattern. The dichroic mirror reference pattern 30 coated on the photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 is used to calibrate subsequent masking steps for additional colors. It can be appreciated that the masking operation can be performed over and over again to produce portions of the pattern in as many colors or opacity variations as desired.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 5, there is a pair of safety glasses 40 comprised of photochromic safety eyeglass lenses 10 having dichroic mirror pattern(s) 20 mounted in a frame 45. The process according to the present invention for producing safety eyeglasses 40 begins with the selection of blank photochromic lenses 10. Photochromic safety eyeglass lenses 10 can be either a variety of prescription / non-prescription photochromic color lenses, hard-coated photochromic lenses in a finishing factory with clear / colored lenses, or semi-finished lens blanks that must be processed through an optical laboratory.

[0021] When starting from a semi-finished blank, the typical process is: Calculating the appropriate lens blank required for the prescription; Placing a surface protection tape on the front surface of the lens; Applying a blocking agent to the block in step 1, using a lens-safe wax that allows the lens to be adsorbed to the surface machine, creating a bond to the lens; The SL2 lens generator is a process that grinds a curvature into the back surface of the lens. During this process, each lens is finished with a generator mark, which can be fine or deep depending on the lens material. A-Refining is the process of leveling the generator mark using a high grit abrasive pad specifically designed for refinement, and this process requires a tool otherwise known as a lap that matches the curvature of the generated lens, and a refinement pad that is glued to the top of the lap and run through a wet abrasion process until the mark is leveled; B - Lens polishing is a process in which the lenses are then buffed using the same lap's specific buffing pad and aluminum oxide liquid polishing compound for approximately 3-5 minutes until each lens is clear and flawless; unblocking the lens from the first step block and removing the surface tape; The lenses are pressure washed to ensure there is no dust on the surface, then spun through a hard coat, which is then cured by ultraviolet light; each lens is sent through a three-step coating machine, cleaned, and prepared to be sent to the backside coating machine. Includes.

[0022] At this stage, both semi-finished lens blanks represent factory-hard-coated photochromic lenses with various photochromic color lenses, clear lenses, and colored lenses, with or without prescription (photochromic safety eyeglass lenses 10). This process continues after they are transported to a clean room to keep them dust-free for the next process. Before applying the dichroic mirror coating, each photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 undergoes a thorough cleaning step.

[0023] The washing step consists of the following stages: Quickly soak all photochromic safety eyeglass lenses 10 in medical-grade 99.9% isopropyl to remove all impurities and factory markings that may have been applied to each photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 during manufacturing, then dry each lens by wiping with a cleanroom lint-free tissue; Here, the photochromic protective eyeglass lenses 10 are placed on a holder to be placed in an ultrasonic processing machine, Satis Loh T5 ultrasonic, which has four compartments to clean the photochromic protective eyeglass lenses 10 and prepare them for the next process. The first compartment contains powdered soap NGL Technology Optical 17.40sp, 9.3 pH (3% DI) concentration 5-20 g / L tc 30-70 c / 86-158 F, 1% (40 g) used for 2-5 minutes. The next compartment contains filtered distilled rinse solution to remove soap from the lenses. The next compartment contains DI (deionized) water to rinse again any residue remaining from the ultrasonic process. The last compartment also contains DI water, which is slowly emptied to become a spotless drying compartment with light heat to dry each photochromic lens 10. The photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 is then placed in an oven at 110 degrees Fahrenheit for 90-120 minutes for degassing.

[0024] The next process step at this stage is the application of a lens mask, which is used to create a mirror pattern on each photochromic lens 10. There are various masking techniques that accomplish this function. The mask can be inkjet printed, as cited in the Hoya patent. There are photomasking techniques in which a light-sensitive coating is placed on each lens and exposed to light through pattern openings that harden the coating in the mask. The mask is placed or formed on the convex outer surface of each photochromic lens 10. Once the mask is applied, the photochromic safety eyeglass lenses 10 are prepared for processing in an MC280x Satis Loh anti-reflective coating machine, where the following steps occur: Each photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 is disposed on a ring holder that goes into a machine dome, where the photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 is present with the convex side facing inward with the mask for the mirror coating process; The dome is placed in a machine that uses a vacuum pump to evacuate the coating chamber to a starting pressure of 5.00E-3 psi; Once at the proper pressure, the machine begins a cleaning cycle that etches the photochromic protective eyeglass lenses 10 to help absorb burnt minerals in the next process, the cleaning process is performed using a tungsten filament based ion source, Mark 1 Plus, which dispenses argon and oxygen to facilitate the etching process. The process involves the combustion of two minerals, silicon dioxide (SiO2) and zirconium dioxide (ZRO2), The first layer, SiO2, was applied by electron beam (EB gun) and had a deposition thickness of 48.86 nanometers (NM); The second layer, ZRO2, evaporated and applied a 49.83NM deposit on top of the first layer. A new cleaning cycle is initiated and the SIO2 and ZRO2 processes are repeated once more. After these deposition processes are complete, the mirror coating on each photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 is complete, the machine is removed from the vacuum, the dome is removed, the photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 is taken out of the dome, and the mask is removed from the photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 to reveal the mirror pattern.

[0025] The photochromic safety eyeglass lenses 10 bearing the dichroic mirror pattern(s) 20 are sent to the benching department, where they are edged and mounted in frames 45. Edging begins with tracing a frame or rimless lens pattern, which can be customized by shape and size. Once the frame pattern is traced, each lens is then blocked with a finishing blocker using a standard hydrophobic safety blocking pad. Each lens image is centered relative to the shape of the frame 45. Once blocked, the lens is suction-mounted onto an edging machine and cut to shape. After any necessary size or drill coordinate adjustments are made to each photochromic lens 10, the photochromic safety eyeglass lenses 10 are prepared for safe insertion into the frames 45 by smoothing any sharp edges with a stone wheel. The photochromic safety eyeglass lenses 10 bearing the dichroic mirror pattern(s) 20 are then mounted in the frames 45 as safety eyeglasses 40. The photochromic safety eyeglass lens 10 with dichroic mirror pattern(s) 20 and frame 45 is then cleaned with a dry microfiber eyeglass wipe to remove fingerprints and dust, and is then finished. It can be understood that the above process represents different processes using different equipment and different process steps that may alternatively be used to create the same result.

[0026] Thus, it is understood that the above needs, and those made apparent from the foregoing description, are effectively accomplished, and that certain changes can be made in the above structure without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention; therefore, it is intended that all subject matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

[0027] It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all general and specific features of the invention described herein, and all statements of the scope of the invention that may be said to lie therebetween, as a matter of language.

Claims

1. 1. A photochromic safety eyeglass lens having a patterned dichroic mirror coating, comprising: the photochromic safety eyeglass lenses are stock photochromic safety eyeglass lenses; the patterned dichroic mirror coating forms an image on the lens surface; the image has variable opacity ranging from transparent to opaque in response to ambient ultraviolet light; A photochromic safety eyeglass lens in which the image is visible only to an outside viewer.

2. 10. The photochromic safety eyeglass lens of claim 1, wherein said photochromic safety eyeglass lens comprises an optical material selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, acrylic, and glass.

3. 10. The photochromic safety eyeglass lens of claim 1, wherein the photochromic safety eyeglass lens has a transition color selected from the group consisting of blue, violet, green, gray, and brown.

4. 10. The photochromic safety eyeglass lens of claim 1, wherein the photochromic safety eyeglass lens (i) has a 1x fashion magnification, (ii) has a prescription correction for an ocular condition selected from the group consisting of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism, or (iii) is a clear or tinted photochromic safety eyeglass lens.

5. 10. The photochromic safety eyeglass lens of claim 1, wherein the patterned dichroic mirror coating produces at least one reflective color combination selected from the group consisting of blue, red, orange, violet, green, silver, and gold.

6. 10. The photochromic safety eyeglass lens of claim 1, wherein all elements of said patterned dichroic mirror coating reflect the same unique color combination.

7. 10. The photochromic safety eyeglass lens of claim 1, wherein some elements of the patterned dichroic mirror coating reflect the same unique color combination and other elements of the patterned dichroic mirror reflect at least one alternating color combination forming a polychromatic image.

8. 10. The photochromic safety eyeglass lens of claim 1, wherein some elements of the patterned dichroic mirror coating have variable opacity that is sensitive to ambient ultraviolet radiation, and other elements of the patterned dichroic mirror have complete opacity that is independent of ambient ultraviolet radiation.

9. 10. The photochromic safety eyeglass lenses of claim 1, wherein a pair of said photochromic safety eyeglass lenses are cut and attached to a frame to form fashion safety eyeglasses.

10. 10. The photochromic safety eyeglass lens of claim 1, wherein the image is transparent in low ambient light conditions and completely opaque in bright ambient light conditions.

11. 1. An optical film comprising a patterned dichroic mirror coating, a photochromic coating on one surface; the patterned dichroic mirror coating forms an image on an outer surface of the optical film; the image has variable opacity ranging from transparent to opaque in response to ambient ultraviolet light; An optical film wherein the image is visible only from the exterior side of the optical film.

12. 12. The optical film of claim 11, wherein the optical film has a transition color selected from the group consisting of blue, violet, green, gray, and brown.

13. 12. The optical film of claim 11, wherein the patterned dichroic mirror coating produces a combination of at least one reflected color selected from the group consisting of blue, red, orange, violet, green, silver, and gold.

14. 12. The optical film of claim 11, wherein all elements of the patterned dichroic mirror coating reflect the same unique color combination.

15. 12. The optical film of claim 11 , wherein some elements of the patterned dichroic mirror coating reflect the same unique color combination and other elements of the patterned dichroic mirror coating reflect at least one alternating color combination forming a multicolor image.

16. 12. The optical film of claim 11 , wherein some elements of the patterned dichroic mirror coating have variable opacity that is sensitive to ambient UV radiation, and other elements of the patterned dichroic mirror coating have complete opacity that is independent of ambient UV radiation.

17. 12. The optical film of claim 11, wherein the optical film is cut and laminated to a pair of safety eyeglass lenses mounted in a frame to create fashion safety eyeglasses.

18. The optical film of claim 11 , wherein the optical film is laminated or adhered to an optical surface with an optical adhesive.

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