Low-temperature fast photochromic lens assembly and ski goggles

Abstract

Provided in the present invention is a low-temperature fast photochromic lens assembly, comprising an outer protective layer, a heat insulation layer, and a photochromic layer, wherein the outer protective layer, the heat insulation layer and the photochromic layer are arranged in sequence from outside to inside. The heat insulation layer has a heat insulation function and thus can isolate the photochromic layer from an external cold environment, thereby keeping the photochromic layer away from a low-temperature environment. In addition, when ski goggles are worn on a human face, the heat from the human face can be transferred to the photochromic layer located on the inner side of the heat insulation layer, thereby further increasing the temperature of the photochromic layer, and significantly ameliorating the problem of the rate of response of the transmittance of the photochromic layer to changes in light intensity being reduced due to low temperatures.

Description

A low-temperature, rapidly photochromic lens assembly and ski goggles Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of eyewear technology, and in particular to a low-temperature rapidly photochromic lens assembly and ski goggles. Background Technology

[0002] Transmittance is the ratio of the intensity of light passing through a medium to the intensity of incident light, used to measure a material's ability to transmit light. Transmittance is usually expressed as a percentage; for example, glass and transparent plastics have high transmittance, with values ​​close to 100% or 1, while metals and dark filters have low transmittance, with values ​​close to 0.

[0003] There are many types of eyeglasses on the market that offer eye protection, featuring functions such as blue light blocking, infrared protection, anti-fog, photochromic, or polarized light. Photochromic lenses, which adaptively adjust their tint depth according to ultraviolet light intensity, thereby regulating transmittance, have gained widespread use. For example, photochromic lenses are increasingly used in ski goggles. When strong light shines on a photochromic lens, the lens appears dark; when the light dims, the lens lightens in color. One way to achieve photochromic lenses is by using lenses containing microcrystalline materials such as silver halides and copper oxide.

[0004] However, in cold environments, such as snowfields or high-altitude areas, the response rate of photochromic lenses to changes in ultraviolet light intensity significantly decreases. As shown in Figure 1, the solid and dashed lines represent the characteristic curves of the transmittance of photochromic lenses in response to changes in light intensity at room temperature and in cold environments, respectively. The vertical axis represents the transmittance of the photochromic lens, expressed as a percentage; the horizontal axis represents time, with the photochromic lens transitioning from a strong light environment to a weak light environment at time t0, and from a weak light environment to a strong light environment at time t1. It can be seen that in cold environments, the rate of increase in transmittance when the photochromic lens transitions from a strong light environment to a weak light environment is significantly lower than at room temperature; and the rate of decrease in transmittance when transitioning from a weak light environment to a strong light environment is also lower than at room temperature.

[0005] Therefore, it can be concluded that in low-temperature environments, the transmittance of photochromic lenses responds significantly to changes in light intensity at a significantly reduced rate. This characteristic can lead to blurred vision in some cold regions when users move from bright outdoor light environments to low-light indoor environments (e.g., a skier wearing photochromic goggles entering a ski resort lobby), as the photochromic lenses fail to change color promptly, causing unnecessary safety hazards. Furthermore, if the time spent in low-light environments is insufficient, the photochromic lenses may not even recover to their optimal transmittance in time, greatly impacting the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address at least one of the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides a low-temperature rapidly photochromic lens assembly and ski goggles.

[0007] This invention is implemented using the following scheme:

[0008] This invention proposes a low-temperature, rapidly photochromic lens assembly, comprising an outer protective layer, a heat insulation layer, and a photochromic layer. When the lens assembly is worn on the user's face, the side facing the wearer is defined as the inner side, and the opposite side as the outer side. The outer protective layer, the heat insulation layer, and the photochromic layer are arranged sequentially from the outside to the inside.

[0009] In one embodiment, the photochromic layer is a photochromic material layer that is sensitive to ultraviolet light, and it further includes an ultraviolet light blocking layer, which is disposed at a position further inside the photochromic layer.

[0010] In one embodiment, an auxiliary functional layer is also included, which includes one or more of the following: an anti-fog layer, an oleophobic and antifouling layer, an anti-reflective layer, a polarizing layer, an explosion-proof layer, an antistatic layer, and an antibacterial layer.

[0011] In one embodiment, the auxiliary functional layer is a functional film layer attached to the lens body or a functional material distributed within the lens body.

[0012] In one embodiment, the outer protective layer is constructed from an outer lens, the photochromic layer is constructed from an inner lens, and a spacer is provided between the outer lens and the inner lens to create an air gap between the outer lens and the inner lens to form the heat insulation layer.

[0013] In one embodiment, the spacer is a foam material, and the spacer is arranged around the periphery of the outer protective layer or the photochromic layer, so that the spacer, the outer protective layer and the photochromic layer together enclose and form a spatial structure.

[0014] In one embodiment, the outer protective layer is an impact-resistant lens.

[0015] In one embodiment, the photochromic layer is a photochromic film layer attached to the lens body; or a photochromic material distributed within the lens body; or it is made by immersing the lens body in a solution; or it is an interlayer located in the middle of the lens body.

[0016] In one embodiment, the heat insulation layer is a light-transmitting heat-insulating plastic lens layer.

[0017] The present invention also proposes a ski goggle, comprising a frame and a low-temperature rapidly photochromic lens assembly mounted on the frame as described above.

[0018] The technical solution provided by this invention has the following technical effects:

[0019] This invention provides a low-temperature rapidly photochromic lens assembly and ski goggles including the lens assembly. The lens assembly includes an outer protective layer, a heat insulation layer, and a photochromic layer, which are arranged sequentially from the outside to the inside. The heat insulation layer has a heat insulation function, thereby isolating the photochromic layer from the cold external environment, keeping the photochromic layer away from the low-temperature environment. When the ski goggles are worn on a person's face, the heat from the person's face can be transferred to the photochromic layer located inside the heat insulation layer, thereby further increasing the temperature of the photochromic layer. This greatly improves the problem of the photochromic layer's transmittance decreasing in response to changes in light intensity due to low temperatures. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 shows the characteristic curves of the transmittance of photochromic lenses at two different temperatures in response to changes in light intensity.

[0021] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the ski goggles according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the ski goggles in this embodiment from another direction;

[0023] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the lens assembly in this embodiment;

[0024] Figure 5 is an exploded view of the lens assembly in this embodiment;

[0025] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the lens assembly in this embodiment;

[0026] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of body temperature on ski goggles in this embodiment;

[0027] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the lens assembly according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a lens assembly in the prior art. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To further illustrate the various embodiments, the present invention provides accompanying drawings. These drawings are part of the disclosure of the present invention, primarily used to illustrate the embodiments and to explain the operating principles of the embodiments in conjunction with the relevant descriptions in the specification. With reference to these drawings, those skilled in the art should be able to understand other possible implementations and the advantages of the present invention. Components in the drawings are not drawn to scale, and similar component symbols are generally used to represent similar components.

[0030] The present invention will now be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Example 1

[0031] As shown in Figures 2-7, this embodiment provides a pair of eyeglasses, particularly a ski goggle 1. As shown in Figure 2, the ski goggle 1 includes a lens assembly 10, a frame 20, and a strap 30. The lens assembly 10 is mounted on the frame 20, and the strap 30 is connected to the frame 20 to substantially fix the ski goggle 1 in a fixed position on the wearer's head and face.

[0032] In traditional ski goggles, the structure of the lens assembly 10' is shown in Figure 9. It includes an outer protective lens 11' with UV blocking, an inner lens 14' with anti-fog properties, a spacer foam layer 12' between the outer and inner lenses 11', and a photochromic layer 13' bonded to the outermost layer of the outer protective lens 11'. The outer protective lens 11' is typically a UV400 filter. Those skilled in the art will understand that some implementations of UV400 filters have an average transmittance of less than or equal to 0.5% in the wavelength range from 280 nm to 400 nm. That is, the outer protective lens 11' has the function of filtering ultraviolet light. For example, the outer protective lens 11' is made of polycarbonate (PC) material such as CLS-2400 or CLS-3400 manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation. The photochromic layer 13' can typically be a photochromic lens.

[0033] Photochromic lenses respond to specific wavelengths of light and undergo reversible color changes to improve visual comfort and enhance protection against harmful light. Depending on the type of light, photochromic lenses include the following types:

[0034] 1. UV-sensitive photochromic lenses: These lenses respond to ultraviolet (UVA, UVB) radiation. The photochromic materials include organic molecules such as spiropyrans, oxazines, and spiroindolines, or inorganic materials such as silver halides (e.g., silver chloride, silver bromide). When exposed to ultraviolet radiation, the photochromic molecules undergo reversible structural changes, causing the lens to darken; when ultraviolet radiation decreases, the molecules return to their original state, and the lens lightens in color.

[0035] 2. Visible Light (High-Energy Blue Light) Sensitive Photochromic Lenses: These lenses respond to high-energy blue light (wavelength 400-500 nm). Their photochromic materials include modified spiropyrans and specific organometallic compounds (such as transition metal complexes). Under blue light irradiation, the photochromic molecules undergo electronic transitions or structural changes, causing the lens to darken, thereby reducing blue light transmittance and minimizing the potential damage to the eyes from blue light.

[0036] 3. Infrared-sensitive photochromic lenses: These lenses are responsive to near-infrared light (wavelength 700-1400 nm), and their photochromic materials include inorganic nanoparticles (such as tungsten oxide, WO3). ₃ Vanadium oxide (VO) ₂ And certain liquid crystal photochromic materials. Under infrared irradiation, the materials undergo changes in electronic structure or phase transitions (such as VOCs). ₂ (The lens changes from an insulating state to a conductive state), which alters the lens's color or transparency, thereby regulating the transmittance of infrared rays and improving the lens's optical adjustment performance.

[0037] Photochromic lenses can use a single type of photochromic material or a composite structure of multiple photochromic materials to achieve a comprehensive response to light of different wavelengths, thereby further improving their color-changing performance and application range.

[0038] For the photochromic layer 13' made of ultraviolet-sensitive material, in order to prevent ultraviolet light from being blocked by the outer protective lens 11', traditional ski goggles usually place the photochromic layer 13' on the outside of the outer protective lens 11' to achieve the color-changing effect. However, this also exposes the photochromic layer 13' to the low-temperature environment, which will cause the photochromic layer 13' to experience the problem described above, namely, in low-temperature environments, the transmittance of the photochromic lens responds to the rate of change of light intensity significantly reduced, as shown by the curve represented by the dotted line in Figure 1.

[0039] As shown in Figures 2-7, in this embodiment, the lens assembly 10 is a low-temperature, rapidly photochromic lens assembly. The lens assembly 10 includes an outer protective layer 11, a heat insulation layer 12, a photochromic layer 13, an ultraviolet light blocking layer 14, and an auxiliary functional layer 15. When the lens assembly 10 is worn on the user's face, the side facing the wearer is defined as the inner side, and the opposite side as the outer side. The outer protective layer 11, heat insulation layer 12, photochromic layer 13, ultraviolet light blocking layer 14, and auxiliary functional layer 15 of the lens assembly 10 are arranged sequentially from the outside to the inside. The outer protective layer 11 is located on the outermost side of the lens assembly 10, the heat insulation layer 12 is located on the inner side of the outer protective layer 11, and the photochromic layer 13 is located between the heat insulation layer 12 and the ultraviolet light blocking layer 14. Therefore, the photochromic layer 13 is located further outward than the ultraviolet light blocking layer 14 to prevent the photochromic layer 13 from malfunctioning. Of course, the ultraviolet light blocking layer 14 can also be disposed inside the auxiliary functional layer 15, thus placing the ultraviolet light blocking layer 14 further inside than the photochromic layer 13. In this embodiment, the ultraviolet light blocking layer 14 is composed of a UV400 filter and has the function of filtering ultraviolet light.

[0040] Because the heat insulation layer 12 has a heat insulation function, it can isolate the photochromic layer 13 from the cold external environment, keeping the photochromic layer 13 away from the low-temperature environment. The heat insulation function here refers to the physical function of hindering the transfer of heat between the hot and cold ends. The constituent material of the heat insulation layer 12 is usually a poor conductor of heat, such as air, organic plastics, or glass. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3-5 and 7, focusing on Figure 7, when the ski goggles 1 are worn on a person's face, the heat E from the person's face can be transferred to the photochromic layer 13 located inside the heat insulation layer 12, thereby further increasing the temperature of the photochromic layer 13. This greatly improves the problem of the photochromic layer 13's transmittance decreasing in response to changes in light intensity due to low temperatures.

[0041] In this embodiment, the photochromic layer 13 is a photochromic material layer sensitive to ultraviolet light. Specifically, the photochromic layer 13 is an inner lens containing a photochromic material sensitive to ultraviolet light. Therefore, the outer protective layer 11 in this embodiment is made of a common outer lens material that does not filter ultraviolet light, thus not affecting the photochromic function of the photochromic layer 13 to provide protection. For example, the lens material is Mitsubishi S1000 polycarbonate (PC) material. More specifically, the outer protective layer 11 is an impact-resistant outer lens made of PC material, providing impact protection. Of course, in other embodiments, optical lenses made of other materials with good impact resistance and light transmittance, such as Trivex, polyurethane, and polyamide (PA), can also be used.

[0042] In this embodiment, the photochromic layer 13 is an interlayer located in the middle of the lens body, but it is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the photochromic layer 13 can be a photochromic film layer, attached to the outer surface of the lens body, such as an auxiliary functional layer 15 or an ultraviolet light blocking layer 14. This structure occupies less space, making the product more compact. Of course, in some embodiments, the photochromic layer 13 can also be made by immersing the lens body in a solution. Alternatively, the photochromic layer 13 can be a photochromic material distributed within the lens body. The manufacturing methods of the photochromic layer 13 are relatively mature technologies in the existing eyewear industry, and will not be described in detail here.

[0043] In this embodiment, due to the intense nature of skiing, the inner environment of ski goggles experiences high temperature and humidity. Therefore, the auxiliary functional layer 15 is typically an anti-fog layer to prevent fogging during wear.

[0044] Of course, in other embodiments, the auxiliary functional layer 15 may also include one or more of the following: an oleophobic and antifouling layer, an antireflective layer, a polarizing layer, an explosion-proof layer, an antistatic layer, and an antibacterial layer, to provide more functions and further enhance the protective effect. Furthermore, other types of auxiliary functional layers 15 besides these antifog layers are not limited to being disposed on the inner side of the photochromic layer 13. Depending on the function of the auxiliary functional layer 15, it can be disposed on the inner side, outer side, or middle of the lens assembly 10 to adapt to the needs of actual applications. For example, in some embodiments, the auxiliary functional layer 15 includes a polarizing layer, thereby placing the polarizing layer on the outermost side, enabling the lens assembly to have a polarizing function, filtering out stray light, reducing glare caused by reflections from water, snow, or sunlight, and reducing strong light stimulation, improving visual clarity, and relieving eye strain. Alternatively, the auxiliary functional layer 15 may include an oleophobic and antifouling layer, which is placed on the innermost side to prevent the user's fingers from contaminating the inner lens; or the auxiliary functional layer 15 may include an explosion-proof layer, which is placed in the middle to prevent damage to the athlete's eyes caused by the inner lens breaking.

[0045] The auxiliary functional layer 15 can be a functional film layer attached to the lens body or a functional material distributed within the lens body. For example, the auxiliary functional layer 15 can be a functional film layer attached to the outer surface of the lens body; or, the auxiliary functional layer 15 can be a coating on the lens body. This structure occupies less space, making the product more compact. Of course, in some embodiments, the auxiliary functional layer 15 can also be formed by immersing the lens in a solution; or, the auxiliary functional layer 15 can be formed by distributing functional materials within the lens body; or, the auxiliary functional layer 15 can be a sandwich layer located in the middle of the lens body. The manufacturing methods for forming the auxiliary functional layer 15 are also relatively mature technologies in the existing eyewear industry, and will not be described in detail here.

[0046] The heat insulation layer 12 has a heat insulation function. The heat insulation layer 12 includes a spacer 121 disposed between the outer protective layer 11 and the photochromic layer 13. An air gap is directly constructed between the outer protective layer 11 and the photochromic layer 13 through the spacer 121 to form the heat insulation layer 12. This structure is simple and easy to implement, and air is a good heat insulation medium, which can improve the heat insulation effect of the heat insulation layer 12.

[0047] The spacer 121 may be made of foam, but is not limited to this; the spacer 121 may be made of other suitable materials, such as foam.

[0048] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4-5, the spacer 121 is arranged around the periphery of the outer protective layer 11 or the photochromic layer 13, thereby forming a spatial structure 122 together with the spacer 121, the outer protective layer 11, and the photochromic layer 13. The spatial structure 122 can be filled with air or other gases, or it can be a vacuum or near-vacuum environment, thus providing good thermal insulation performance and reducing the impact of cold external temperatures, thereby improving the thermal insulation effect of the thermal insulation layer 12. Of course, other thermal insulation materials can be filled into the spatial structure 122 to further improve the thermal insulation effect.

[0049] In some embodiments, the heat insulation layer 12 may also be a light-transmitting heat-insulating plastic lens layer disposed between the outer protective layer 11 and the photochromic layer 13 to provide heat insulation function. The light-transmitting heat-insulating plastic lens layer may be made of polyurethane (TR-90, MR series, etc.) material, and its heat insulation performance may be enhanced by nano-additives. Example 2

[0050] As shown in Figure 8, in this embodiment, the lens assembly 10a is provided with a composite functional layer 16, which simultaneously has the functions of the ultraviolet light blocking layer 14 and the auxiliary functional layer 15, and thus replaces the ultraviolet light blocking layer 14 and the auxiliary functional layer 15 in Embodiment 1. The rest of this embodiment is the same as that in Embodiment 1.

[0051] In this embodiment, the lens assembly 10a includes an outer protective layer 11, a heat insulation layer 12, a photochromic layer 13, and a composite functional layer 16. When the lens assembly 10a is worn on the user's face, the side facing the wearer is defined as the inner side, and the opposite side as the outer side. The outer protective layer 11, heat insulation layer 12, photochromic layer 13, and composite functional layer 16 of the lens assembly 10a are arranged sequentially from the outside to the inside. The composite functional layer 16, for example, simultaneously has ultraviolet light filtering and anti-fogging functions. Specifically, the inner surface of the composite functional layer 16, which already has ultraviolet light filtering function, is treated to achieve an anti-fogging effect; the treatment methods include, but are not limited to, impregnation and coating. This structure is more streamlined, saves materials, and reduces costs.

[0052] Although the invention has been specifically shown and described in conjunction with preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that various changes in form and detail may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims, all of which shall be within the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

1. A low-temperature, rapidly photochromic lens assembly, comprising an outer protective layer, a heat-insulating layer, and a photochromic layer, wherein when the lens assembly is worn on a user's face, the side facing the wearer is defined as the inner side, and the opposite side as the outer side, characterized in that... The outer protective layer, the heat insulation layer, and the photochromic layer are arranged sequentially from the outside to the inside.

2. The low-temperature rapid photochromic lens assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The photochromic layer is a photochromic material layer that is sensitive to ultraviolet light, and also includes an ultraviolet light blocking layer, which is disposed at a position further inside the photochromic layer.

3. The low-temperature rapid photochromic lens assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: It also includes an auxiliary functional layer, which includes one or more of the following: an anti-fog layer, an oleophobic and antifouling layer, an anti-reflective layer, a polarizing layer, an explosion-proof layer, an antistatic layer, and an antibacterial layer.

4. The low-temperature rapid photochromic lens assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The auxiliary functional layer is a functional film layer attached to the lens body or a functional material distributed within the lens body.

5. The low-temperature rapid photochromic lens assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer protective layer is constructed from an outer lens, and the photochromic layer is constructed from an inner lens. A spacer is provided between the outer lens and the inner lens to create an air gap between them, thereby forming the heat insulation layer.

6. The low-temperature rapid photochromic lens assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The spacer is made of foam material and is arranged around the periphery of the outer protective layer or the photochromic layer, so that the spacer, the outer protective layer and the photochromic layer together enclose and form a spatial structure.

7. The low-temperature rapid photochromic lens assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer protective layer is an impact-resistant lens.

8. The low-temperature rapid photochromic lens assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The photochromic layer is a photochromic film layer attached to the lens body; or a photochromic material distributed within the lens body; or it is made by soaking the lens body in a solution; or it is an interlayer located in the middle of the lens body.

9. The low-temperature rapid photochromic lens assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat insulation layer is a light-transmitting heat-insulating plastic lens layer.

10. A ski goggle, comprising a frame, characterized in that, It also includes a low-temperature rapidly photochromic lens assembly as described in any one of claims 1-9, mounted on the frame.

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