Anti-Reflective Lens Edge Coating for Myopia Ring Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing opaque coatings for optical lenses are aesthetically unpleasing and difficult to process, especially for high myopic prescriptions, leading to visible myopia and white rings.
Innovation Solution
An anti-reflective coating comprising a multilayer stack of absorbent and low-index layers is applied to the edge of optical lenses, designed to reduce and/or eliminate myopia and white rings by controlling reflections at high angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If an opaque coating is applied to the edge of the lens to eliminate myopia rings and white rings, then the visibility of these rings is reduced, but the coating becomes aesthetically unpleasing and visible on high myopic prescriptions
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using an opaque coating to block light, the invention uses an anti-reflective coating that reduces reflections at the lens edge. This inverts the approach from absorption/blocking to reflection reduction, achieving the same visual effect without the aesthetic drawbacks of opacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the optical parameters of the coating by selecting specific refractive indices for the anti-reflective coating layers. By optimizing the refractive index matching between the coating and the lens material, the coating becomes less visible while still effectively reducing myopia rings and white rings.
2Manufacturing precision
If an opaque coating with complex chemistry is used to achieve good homogeneity and opacity, then myopia rings are eliminated, but processing difficulties increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention simplifies processing by changing from opaque coating chemistry to anti-reflective coating chemistry with optimized refractive indices. This parameter change allows for better manufacturing precision while reducing processing complexity, as anti-reflective coatings have more established and simpler deposition processes.
3Reliability
If the lens thickness is increased for high myopic prescriptions, then the optical correction is improved, but the opaque coating becomes more visible and less aesthetic
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the approach by using anti-reflective coating instead of opaque coating. This allows high myopic prescriptions with thicker lenses to maintain aesthetic appearance, as the anti-reflective coating reduces reflections rather than adding visible opaque material.
Solution Approach 2:
By optimizing the refractive index parameters of the anti-reflective coating layers, the invention enables thicker lenses to maintain aesthetic appearance. The parameter optimization ensures that the coating remains invisible while effectively reducing reflections on thick high myopic lenses.
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 anti-reflective coating effectively reduces and/or cancels the visibility of myopia and white rings, maintaining aesthetic appeal and durability while minimizing processing complexities.
Implementation Method 1
Myopia rings may be caused total internal reflections of light from one or both of the optical surfaces and/or the edge surface
Implementation Method 2
an anti-reflective coating disposed on at least part of the edge of the base material, the anti-reflective coating being suitable for reducing and/or cancelling the visibility of at least one myopia ring and/or white ring
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an optical article comprising an anti-reflective edge coating, and to processes for coating an edge an surface of optical article, such as an optical lens, with an anti-reflective coating. The anti-reflective edge coating of optical article according to the invention is suitable for reducing and/or cancelling the visibility of at least one myopia ring and/or white ring.