Method for manufacturing a spectacle frame adapted to a spectacle wearer

• US 10,598,962 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2016
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maydo BV
• Original Assignee: Maydo BV
• Inventors: Zweerts, Jan Berend Benjamin, Jonckheer, Pieter Adriaan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack, Ricky L
• Assistant Examiner(s): O'Neill, Gary W
• Application Number:
  US15/578,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20180149886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 12/02 Spectacle frames constructional form G02C
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2012/005 Spectacle frames
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 13/003 Measuring during assembly or fitting of spectacles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/04 Constraint-based CAD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/18 Manufacturability analysis or optimisation for manufacturability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a spectacle frame adapted to a spectacle wearer, particularly by means of 3D printing or other additive manufacturing techniques. The present invention provides for this purpose a method comprising the steps of providing a virtual 3D model of a spectacle frame; providing a virtual 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer which comprises at least a part of the head of the spectacle wearer which is in contact with the spectacle frame when the spectacle frame is being worn; positioning the 3D model of the spectacle frame relative to the 3D model of the head in a virtual environment so that the 3D model of the head intersects the 3D model of the spectacle frame where said part of the head of the spectacle wearer is in contact with the spectacle frame when the spectacle frame is being worn; cutting a portion out of the 3D model of the spectacle frame along the intersecting plane of the 3D model of the spectacle frame and the 3D model of the head; and manufacturing at least a part of the spectacle frame on the basis of the part of the 3D model of the spectacle frame from which the portion has been cut.

Claims

1. Method for manufacturing a spectacle frame adapted to a spectacle wearer, wherein the spectacle frame comprises a frame front and frame temples, and the method comprises the steps of:

providing a 3D model of the spectacle frame to be manufactured which comprises at least a plurality of forms and lines of the frame front of the spectacle frame;

providing a 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer, which comprises at least a part of the head of the spectacle wearer which is in contact with the frame front when the spectacle frame is being worn;

adapting the 3D model of the spectacle frame to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer;

preventing the forms and lines of the frame front from being deformed while the 3D model of the spectacle frame is being adapted to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer; and

manufacturing the frame front of the spectacle frame based on the 3D model of the spectacle frame after being adapted to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer,

wherein providing the 3D model of the spectacle frame to be manufactured comprises;

providing a plurality of 3D models of the spectacle frame to be manufactured, each of the plurality of 3D models of the spectacle frame comprising a different width, at least the frame front of the spectacle frame, and at least one part of the spectacle frame which is to be in contact with the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer that is over dimensioned; and

selecting a 3D model of the spectacle frame from the plurality of 3D models of the spectacle frame to correspond to a width of the head of the spectacle wearer,

wherein adapting the 3D model of the spectacle frame to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer comprises;

positioning the frame front of the selected 3D model of the spectacle frame in a desired position of wear relative to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer in a virtual environment so that the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer intersects a rear side of the frame front of the selected 3D model of the spectacle frame; and

cutting a portion out of the rear side of the frame front of the selected 3D model of the spectacle frame along an intersecting plane of the frame front of the selected 3D model of the spectacle frame and the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer in order to adapt the frame front of the spectacle frame to be manufactured to the spectacle wearer, wherein the portion cut out of the rear side of the frame front of the selected 3D model of the spectacle frame corresponds to a portion of the frame front which makes contact with a nose of the spectacle wearer, and

wherein manufacturing the frame front of the spectacle frame based on the 3D model of the spectacle frame after being adapted to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer comprises;

maintaining an unadapted front side of the frame front; and

forming the rear side of the frame front according to the portion removed of the rear side of the frame front of the selected 3D model of the spectacle frame.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positioning of the frame front of the selected 3D model of the spectacle frame relative to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer comprises positioning the frame front of the 3D model of the spectacle frame at a location on the nose of the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer defining the desired position of wear of the frame front.

3. Method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising, before positioning of the frame front of the 3D model of the spectacle frame relative to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer, marking in the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer the location on the nose defining the desired position of wear of the frame front.

4. Method as claimed in claim 3, wherein marking in the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer the location on the nose defining the desired position of wear of the frame front comprises marking on the nose of the spectacle wearer a location which represents the location of the desired position of wear, before a 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer is provided, wherein the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer is provided on the basis of the nose of the spectacle wearer with the location marked thereon.

5. Method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the positioning of the frame front of the 3D model of the spectacle frame at the location on the nose of the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer defining the desired position of wear of the frame front is performed depending on the marked location in the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer.

6. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positioning of the frame front of the selected 3D model of the spectacle frame relative to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer comprises tilting the frame front of the 3D model of the spectacle frame in the sagittal plane of the head.

7. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the 3D model of the spectacle frame comprises the frame temples of the spectacle frame to be adapted, wherein the position of the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame is associated with the frame front of the 3D model of the spectacle frame, and

wherein the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer comprises at least a representation of the location on the head where the frame temples are in contact with the head of the spectacle wearer when the spectacle frame is being worn.

8. Method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the frame temples are manufactured on the basis of the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame.

9. Method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the method further comprises adapting the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame in the virtual environment.

10. Method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame are adapted to the position of the frame front of the 3D model of the spectacle frame relative to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer during or after the positioning of the frame front of the 3D model of the spectacle frame relative to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer.

11. Method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the position of the frame front of the 3D model of the spectacle frame relative to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer is maintained during adaptation of the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame.

12. Method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame are adapted depending on at least one of:

the constraints, defined between the frame front of the 3D model of the spectacle frame and the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame, in respect of the position of the frame front relative to the frame temples;

the curvature of a part of the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer along which the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame run; and

the location in the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer which represents the location on the ears of the spectacle wearer where the frame temples rest on the ears when the spectacle frame is being worn.

13. Method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the adaptation of the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame comprises adapting the length of the frame temples.

14. Method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the adaptation of the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame comprises adapting the curvature of the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame in an anatomical transverse plane of the head of the spectacle wearer.

15. Method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the adaptation of the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame comprises adapting the orientation of the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame relative to the frame front of the 3D model of the spectacle frame.

16. Method as claimed in claim 9, wherein during or after adaptation of the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame, mutually opposite parts of the frame front and the relevant frame temple of the 3D model of the spectacle frame are adapted to each other, this for each frame temple, by adapting at least one of the two parts.

17. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the virtual 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer comprises at least the face of the spectacle wearer, and

wherein during the positioning of the frame front of the 3D model of the spectacle frame relative to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer, the frame front of the 3D model of the spectacle frame is positioned relative to the 3D model of the head such that the 3D model of the head only intersects the frame front of the 3D model of the spectacle frame where the frame front is worn on the nose in the desired position of wear.

18. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer comprises at least the eyelashes of the spectacle wearer,

wherein the 3D model of the spectacle frame comprises at least a representation of the location of the lenses in the frame front, and

wherein during positioning of the 3D model of the frame front relative to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer, the 3D model of the frame front is positioned relative to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer such that the eyelashes of the 3D model of the head lie clear of the lenses to be positioned in the frame front.

19. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the 3D model of the spectacle frame comprises the frame temples,

wherein the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer comprises at least the part of the head of the spectacle wearer with which the frame temples are in contact in a desired position of wear thereof,

wherein the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame are positioned relative to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer in the virtual environment so that the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer intersects the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame where the frame temples of the spectacle frame are in contact with the head of the spectacle wearer in the desired position of wear thereof,

wherein a portion is cut out of the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame along the intersecting plane of the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame and the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer, and

wherein the frame temples are manufactured on the basis of the frame temples of the 3D model of the spectacle frame from which the portion has been cut.

20. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the virtual environment in which the 3D model of the spectacle frame is positioned relative to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer is a visual virtual environment.

21. Method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the locations where the 3D model of the spectacle frame and the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer intersect each other are visually marked in the virtual environment during the positioning of the 3D model of the spectacle frame relative to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer in the virtual environment.

22. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the positioning of the frame front of the chosen 3D model of the spectacle frame in a desired position of wear relative to the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer is performed in a first virtual environment,

wherein data relating to the desired position of wear are transferred to a second virtual environment after the positioning,

wherein cutting a portion out of the rear side of the frame front of the chosen 3D model of the spectacle frame is performed in the second virtual environment.

23. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the manufacturing on the basis of a 3D model comprises of manufacturing the 3D model by means of an additive manufacturing technique, preferably a 3D printing technique.

24. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein providing the 3D model of the head of the spectacle wearer comprises of scanning at least a part of the head of the spectacle wearer by means of a 3D scanning process or generating the 3D model on the basis of a series of 2D photos of at least a part of the head of the spectacle wearer.