Spectacle Lens Coating Patterning Without Thermal Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laser processing methods for anti-reflection films on spectacle lenses cause thermal damage to surrounding areas and result in undesirable thermal impacts, limiting design flexibility and fashionability.
Innovation Solution
Utilize non-heat processing with ultrashort pulse lasers to selectively remove layers of the anti-reflection film, creating distinct areas with controlled surface roughness to form visible design patterns without thermal damage, enhancing fashionability and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If heat processing using nanosecond or longer pulse width laser is applied to remove thin film, then the thin film can be removed by energy absorption, but thermal damage occurs in the surrounding area and multiple layers are removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pulse width parameter from nanosecond or longer to picosecond order (ultrashort pulse), which fundamentally alters the heating mechanism. This parameter change enables non-heat processing where the pulse duration is shorter than the thermal diffusion time, preventing heat accumulation and thermal damage to surrounding areas while achieving precise single-layer removal
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal processing mechanism with a mechanical/physical mechanism by using ultrashort pulse laser ablation. The picosecond pulse width creates a non-thermal ablation process where material is removed through direct energy coupling and phase transition without significant heat diffusion, substituting thermal processing with a cold ablation process
2Manufacturing precision
If heat processing is used to remove the outermost layer, then the outermost layer can be removed, but multiple layers including outermost layer are removed and thermal impact remains
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the pulse width to picosecond order, the patent achieves selective removal of only the outermost layer. The ultrashort pulse duration prevents heat diffusion to underlying layers, allowing precise control of removal depth to exactly one layer thickness without unintended removal of multiple layers
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies just enough energy through ultrashort pulse laser to remove exactly the outermost layer without excessive energy that would cause removal of underlying layers. The picosecond pulse width provides precise energy delivery that stops at the required removal depth, avoiding over-processing
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional laser processing is used, then film removal can be achieved, but design flexibility and fashionability are limited due to thermal damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses picosecond ultrashort pulse laser parameters to enable versatile design patterns on spectacle lenses. The non-heat processing capability allows creation of various decorative patterns, gradients, and complex geometries without thermal damage constraints, significantly expanding design flexibility and fashionability while maintaining optical quality
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 method allows for improved fashionability and comfortable field of vision by creating visible design patterns with controlled surface roughness, ensuring high transmittance and reflectance while minimizing thermal impact.
Implementation Method 1
perform non-heat processing by irradiation of an ultrashort pulse laser to an anti-reflection film having a multilayer structure in which a low refractive index layer and a high refractive index layer are laminated, to partially remove the low refractive index layer, which is the outermost layer of the multilayer structure, and to expose the high refractive index layer
Data Source
Figure 1~2A
Figure 2B~3
Figure 4
AI summary
There are provided a spectacle lens and a related technique, including: an object-side surface and an eyeball-side surface, wherein in two areas A and B in an area within a spectacle frame in a plan view on one surface of the spectacle lens, the spectacle lens has a film so that in one area A, at least a part of the film is absent, and in the other area B, the part of the film is present, the spectacle lens further including: a design pattern that is constituted due to a difference in appearance between the area A and the area B when a third party views the spectacle lens in a worn state from the object-side surface, wherein a visible transmittance in the area A and a visible transmittance in the area B are both 80% or more, and an arithmetic mean roughness RaA of the area A is 0.2 µm or less.