Semi-finished Optical Element for Thin High-Index Lenses
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The current lens manufacturing industry faces challenges in producing thin ophthalmic lenses with high refractive indices greater than 1.78 and achieving sufficient optical power, especially for sunglasses with large frame curvature, as existing methods struggle to provide high negative optical correction power.
Innovation Solution
A semi-finished optical element is proposed, comprising a blank with unfinished and finished diopters, combined with an optical component layer featuring periodic or pseudo-periodic optical wave-front shaping elements smaller than 10 μm, which control incoming light and provide additional optical power distribution, allowing for thinner lenses and independent positive and negative optical corrections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If material with high refractive index greater than 1.78 is used to manufacture thin lenses, then lens thickness is reduced and aesthetics are improved, but manufacturing becomes very challenging in the current plastic blank industry
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the optical correction function into two separate components: a plastic blank providing base optical power and an additional optical component layer providing high refractive index optical power. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the plastic blank for ease of manufacture and the optical component layer for high refractive index performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite optical system combining plastic material (easy to manufacture) with optical component layer material (high refractive index greater than 1.78). The composite structure achieves both manufacturing feasibility and thin lens performance by leveraging the complementary properties of different materials.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional manufacturing methods are used for sunglasses with large frame curvature, then base curve requirements are met, but sufficient high negative optical correction power cannot be provided
Solution Approach 1:
The invention separates the optical correction function from the base curve adaptation function. The plastic blank is optimized for base curve adaptation to large frame curvatures, while the optical component layer provides the additional negative optical correction power that conventional methods cannot achieve on highly curved surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a new dimension to optical correction by introducing a separate optical component layer that provides optical power independent from the base curve geometry. This allows optical correction to be achieved in a dimension separate from the mechanical adaptation to frame curvature.
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
This solution enables the production of thin ophthalmic articles with strong vision correction capabilities, adaptable to various prescriptions, and reduces the number of optical components needed, thereby lowering manufacturing costs and enhancing the application range of semi-finished optical elements.
Implementation Method 1
an optical component layer comprising a periodic or pseudo-periodic arrangement of optical wave-front shaping elements that are smaller than 10 μm and configured to control incoming light at least in a part of the visible spectrum and providing a second optical power distribution
Data Source
AI summary
A semi-finished optical element for manufacturing an ophthalmic article for vision-correction including at least one blank having a front diopter and a rear diopter, the blank being configured to present a first optical power distribution, one of the diopters being unfinished and the other being finished, an optical component layer including a periodic or pseudo-periodic arrangement of optical wave-front shaping elements that are smaller than 10 μm and configured to control incoming light at least in a part of the visible spectrum and providing a second optical power distribution, wherein the optical component layer is transparent in transmission in the visible wavelength and is disposed on the finished diopter of the blank for cooperating together to achieve a third optical power distribution.