PRODUCTION OF AN OPHTHALMIC LENS SUITABLE FOR STEREOSCOPIC VISION

• US 20140157576A1
• Filed: 07/21/2011
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Essilor International SA
• Original Assignee: Essilor International Compagnie Generale D Optique (Essilor International SA)
• Inventors: Begon, Cedric, Nunez-Oliveros, Matthieu
• Application Number:
  US14/234,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20140157576A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/428
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/0073 of non-flat surfaces, e.g. curved, profiled B29C63/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/16 applied by "rubber" bag or diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00644 polarizing
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/0073 Optical laminates
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/25 using polarisation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 13/001 Assembling; Repairing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A process for producing an ophthalmic lens which is suitable for stereoscopic vision based on selection of circular light-polarization includes laminating a quarter-wave retarding layer (3) onto an ophthalmic base lens (1). Such process leads to low unit cost for the lenses produced, and a high optical quality. The ophthalmic base lens may be adapted for correcting an ametropia of a wearer of the ophthalmic lens, thereby combining ametropia correction with stereoscopic vision.

Claims

1. Process for producing an ophthalmic lens suitable for stereoscopic vision based on selection of circular light-polarization, said process comprising the following steps:

/1/ providing an ophthalmic base lens (1) having an optical surface (S1) of pseudo-spherical shape;

/2/ providing a film structure (10), which film structure includes a layer (3) of at least one doubly light-refracting material suitable for said layer to produce a quarter-wave retarding function for at least one wavelength of visible light; and

/3/laminating the film structure (10) onto the optical surface (S1) of the base lens (1), so that the film structure conforms to the pseudo-spherical shape.

2. Process according to claim 1, wherein step /3/ is performed by pressing the film structure (10) against the base lens (1) using an inflatable cushion (306) or a resilient stamp (501) applied onto the film structure opposite the base lens.

3. Process according to claim 1, wherein step /3/ comprises the following substeps:

/3-1/ arranging the film structure (10) above the optical surface (S1) of the base lens (1) with a gap (G1) therebetween;

/3-2/reducing the gap (G1) between the film structure (10) and the base lens (1) until a point-contact (A) is produced between said film structure and said base lens at a location in the optical surface (S1) apart from a peripheral edge of the base lens; and

/3-3/pressing the film structure (10) and the base lens (1) against each other so that a contact area (Z_CONTACT) between said film structure and the optical surface increases with a contact boundary moving progressively and radially outwards, starting from the initial point-contact (A) and until complete contact is obtained over the whole optical surface (S1).

4. Process according to claim 3, wherein the optical surface (S1) of the base lens (1) is convex, and an application surface of the film structure (10) which faces the base lens in substep /3-1/ is also convex, and wherein said application surface is turned to concave shape at the contact boundary during substep /3-3/.

5. Process according to claim 1, wherein step /3/ is performed with a layer (20) of adhesive material being arranged between the film structure (10) and the optical surface (S1) of the base lens (1).

6. Process according to claim 1, further comprising a preforming of the film structure (10) performed between steps /2/ and /3/, for modifying an initial shape of said film structure.

7. Process according to claim 1, wherein the film structure (10) as provided in step /2/ further includes a linear-polarizing film (2) arranged so that light entering into a wearer'"'"'s eye equipped with the ophthalmic lens produced passes through the linear-polarizing film after the layer of at least one doubly light-refracting material (3), and an angle between a polarization axis (LP) of the linear-polarizing film and a slow axis (SA) of the layer of at least one doubly light-refracting material is 45°

±

3°

or 135°

±

3°

within the film structure.

8. Process according to claim 1, wherein the base lens (1) is provided in step /1/ with a linear-polarizing film (2) arranged so that light entering into a wearer'"'"'s eye equipped with the ophthalmic lens produced passes through the linear-polarizing film after the layer of at least one doubly light-refracting material (3), and step /3/ is performed so that an angle between a polarization axis (LP) of the linear-polarizing film and a slow axis (SA) of the layer of at least one doubly light-refracting material is 45°

±

3°

or 135°

±

3°

in the ophthalmic lens produced.

9. Process according to claim 1, wherein the layer of at least one doubly light-refracting material (3) is self-supporting between steps /2/ and /3/.

10. Process according to claim 1, wherein step /2/ comprises the following substeps:

/2-1/ providing a substrate film; and

/2-2/ depositing the at least one doubly light-refracting material on the substrate film, using a material deposition process for forming the layer of at least one doubly light-refracting material (3), the film structure (10) as provided in step /2/ including the substrate film and the deposited layer of at least one doubly light-refracting material.

11. Process according to claim 1, wherein the layer of at least one doubly light-refracting material (3) comprises several superposed layers of respective doubly light-refracting materials.

12. Process according to claim 1, wherein the ophthalmic lens produced is ametropia-correcting, with the base lens (1) being adapted for correcting at least a part of a wearer'"'"'s ametropia.

13. Process according to claim 12, wherein the optical surface (S1) of the base lens (1) is a complex surface, with curvature values varying continuously between at least two points contained in said optical surface.

14. Process according to claim 1, wherein the base lens (1) is adapted for producing no ametropia correction at least within a vision area included in the optical surface (S1).

15. Process according to claim 14, wherein the base lens (1) is adapted for producing no ametropia correction over the whole optical surface (S1).

16. Method for producing a pair of spectacles suitable for viewing a stereoscopic display device based on selection of circular light-polarization, said method comprising:

producing two ophthalmic lenses dedicated respectively to left and right eyes of a wearer, by implementing a process according to claim 1 for each ophthalmic lens; and

assembling the two ophthalmic lenses with a spectacle frame.

17. Method according to claim 16, wherein the layer of at least one doubly light-refracting material (3) is oriented in each ophthalmic lens assembled in the spectacle frame so that each one of said ophthalmic lenses selects a different one of two opposed circular light-polarizations.

18. Method according to claim 16, wherein the layer of at least one doubly light-refracting material (3) is oriented in each ophthalmic lens assembled in the frame so that each one of said ophthalmic lenses selects a same one of two opposed circular light-polarizations.