Combined Corrective Lens and Shield via Ultrasonic Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional corrective lenses for severe farsightedness are excessively thick, limiting frame options and causing issues with sport goggles and safety goggles due to poor construction, which leads to cracking, refractive defects, and vision problems like fogging and glare.
Innovation Solution
A lens system featuring a thinner panoramic lens with pre-configured, separately formed projecting portions joined via ultrasonic welding, laser welding, or adhesive, creating a hermetic seal to prevent cracking and refractive issues, allowing for customizable progressive lenses and integrated light filtering media.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional corrective lenses are made thicker to correct severe farsightedness, then vision correction effectiveness is improved, but lens weight and perimeter thickness increase causing a 'bottle' look and limiting frame options
Solution Approach 1:
The lens is divided into multiple segments: a central thick portion for optical correction and a thinner peripheral portion for structural support. This segmentation allows the lens to provide adequate correction power where needed while reducing overall weight and perimeter thickness through the thinner edges.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional corrective lenses are positioned inside goggle cavities, then protective coverage is improved, but vision quality deteriorates due to fogging, shadow images, and glare from lens interactions
Solution Approach 1:
The corrective lens and goggle lens are merged into a single integrated optical assembly. The corrective lens is optically coupled to the goggle lens such that light passes through both surfaces without creating shadow images or excessive glare, eliminating the vision problems caused by spaced positioning while maintaining protective coverage.
3Ease of manufacture
If projecting portions are injection molded as a unitary structure, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but structural integrity deteriorates due to cracking at perimeter intersections and refractive defects from sidewall light refraction
Solution Approach 1:
The lens is segmented into a main body and separate projecting portions that are joined through ultrasonic welding rather than injection molding. This segmentation prevents cracking at perimeter intersections by avoiding the stress concentrations inherent in unitary injection-molded structures, while the welding process maintains structural integrity without creating refractive defects from thick sidewalls.
4Reliability
If a hermetic seal is formed between projecting portions and lens surface, then prevention of moisture and dust intrusion is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to additional sealing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The joining and sealing functions are merged into a single ultrasonic welding operation. The welding process that joins the projecting portions to the lens surface simultaneously creates a hermetic seal, eliminating the need for separate sealing steps while providing protection against moisture and dust intrusion.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a lightweight, customizable lens system that minimizes refractive defects, prevents cracking, and reduces fogging, while enabling precise prescription correction and light filtering, suitable for various eyewear types, including sport goggles and safety goggles.
Implementation Method 1
joined via ultrasonic welding, laser welding, or adhesive
Implementation Method 2
joined via ultrasonic welding, laser welding, or adhesive
Data Source
AI summary
A combined corrective lens engaged with a lens shield and method therefor is provided. The lens shield is formed of a first lens portion which is subsequently engaged with an independently formed projecting portion. One surface of the projecting portion is configured for grinding to a prescription lens. The combined lens can include light filtering medium or layers only in the projecting portion or in both the projecting portion and first lens portion since the components are formed in advance and joined.