Colored Contact Lens Gradient Density Band

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing colored contact lenses fail to make the overall eye appear beautiful naturally, as they primarily focus on making the dark part of the eye larger and the outer edge stand out, resulting in an artificial impression.

Innovation Solution

A colored contact lens with a ring-shaped colored band that covers the boundary line between the dark and white parts of the eye, featuring a density that decreases from the inner to the outer circumference, creating a transitional area that mimics the natural density change of a youthful eye, using blue or green hues to enhance the white part's appearance and avoid sharp lines.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Shape

If a clear, circular line is used at the outer edge of the colored area to make the dark part of the eye stand out, then the outer edge becomes clearly visible and the dark part appears larger, but the overall eye appearance becomes artificial and resembles robot eyes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveouter edge definitionVSAvoidartificial impression
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by varying the density of colored dots across different regions of the lens. The inner circumference area has higher dot density while the outer circumference area has lower dot density, creating a gradient effect that provides local differentiation to avoid uniform artificial appearance while maintaining overall naturalness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of dot density from the inner circumference to the outer circumference of the colored area. This parameter change creates a gradual transition effect that softens the outer edge definition, preventing the sharp clear line that causes artificial appearance while still maintaining enhanced dark part visibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Area of moving object

If the colored area extends to the white part of the eye to make the dark part appear larger, then the outer diameter exceeds the limbus and the eye looks brighter, but the boundary line becomes too sharp and creates an artificial impression

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedark part apparent sizeVSAvoidartificial impression
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating different dot density zones: higher density in the inner circumference area overlapping the dark part to enhance its appearance, and lower density in the outer circumference area near the white part to create a soft, natural transition that avoids artificial sharp boundaries

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using a clear, sharp line at the outer edge as in prior art, the patent inverts the approach by using a dense collection of small colored dots that create a soft, gradual transition effect. This inversion of the boundary creation method eliminates the artificial sharp line while maintaining the color enhancement effect

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Quantity of substance

If colored dots are densely packed to create a solid colored band, then the color coverage is strong and the dark part appears larger, but the transition to the white part becomes abrupt and unnatural

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor densityVSAvoidnatural transition
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by varying the spatial distribution of colored dots: dense packing in the inner circumference area provides strong color coverage over the dark part, while sparse packing in the outer circumference area creates a gradual, natural transition to the white part of the eye

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the colored area into multiple zones with different dot densities. The inner circumference area has one density level for strong coloration, while the outer circumference area has a different density level for natural transition, creating a segmented structure that resolves the contradiction between strong color and natural appearance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2584396B1Colored contact lens
Publication Date: 2018.12.26 MENICON CO LTD
  • EP2584396B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2584396B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2584396B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

Provided is a colored contact lens in which a colored band (22) is disposed at a boundary part between a dark part (12) and a white part (14) of an eye, and a density is gradually changed from the dark part to the white part of the eye such that the density of this colored band (22) decreases from an inner circumference side to an outer circumference side. As a result, a novel colored contact lens is provided with which it is possible to bring out beauty of the white part (14) of the eye, which has been ignored by conventional technology, while an impression is maintained that is as natural and elegant as possible by avoiding an artificial impression such as that found in conventional technology.