Plastic lens systems, compositions, and methods

• US 6,634,879 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vision Dynamics LLC (New England Low Vision & Blindness)
• Original Assignee: Q2100, Inc.
• Inventors: Lattis, Matthew C., Buazza, Omar M., Luetke, Stephen C., Powers, Galen R., Joel, Larry H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mackey, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HECKENBERG JR, DONALD H
• Application Number:
  US09/780,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20020006452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 425/162, 425/174.4, 425/808, 522/173, 522/178, 522/181, 118/52, 118/64, 118/320, 118/620
• US Class Current: 425/162
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0827 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0833 using actinic light
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0805 using electromagnetic radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0888 using transparant moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/005 Compensating volume or shape change during moulding, in general
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00442 Curing the lens material
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/00 Functional layers of liquid crystal optical display excluding electroactive liquid crystal layer characterised by chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/041 Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/043 Contact lenses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 425/808 Lens mold

Abstract

An apparatus for preparing a plastic eyeglass lens includes a coating unit and a lens curing unit. The apparatus is preferably configured to allow the operation of both the coating unit and the lens curing unit. The apparatus may also include a post-cure unit and a controller. The controller is configured to control the operation of the coating unit, the lens curing unit and the post-cure unit. A lens forming composition may include an aromatic containing polyether polyethylenic functional monomer, a photoinitiator, and a coinitiator. The lens forming composition may be cured by the application of activating light or activating light and heat.

Claims

1. A system for preparing an eyeglass lens, comprising:

a first mold member having a casting face and a non-casting face;

a second mold member having a casting face and a non-casting face, the second mold member being spaced apart from the first mold member during use such that the casting faces of the first mold member and the second mold member at least partially define a mold cavity;

a lens forming composition adapted to be disposed within the mold cavity during use, comprising;

a monomer composition comprising an aromatic containing polyether polyethylenic functional monomer;

a co-initiator composition configured to activate curing of the monomer composition to form the eyeglass lens during use; and

a photoinitiator configured to activate the co-initiator composition in response to being exposed to activating light during use;

a lens curing unit configured to direct activating light and heat toward the mold members during use; and

a coating unit for applying a coating to an eyeglass lens.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the aromatic containing polyethylenic polyether functional monomer comprises an ethoxylated bisphenol A containing at least one group selected from acrylyl or methacrylyl.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the co-initiator composition comprises an acrylyl amine.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the co-initiator composition comprises an acrylyl amine, the acrylyl amine comprising monoacrylated amines, diacrylated amines, or mixtures thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the lens forming composition further comprises an activating light absorbing compound.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the lens forming composition further comprises a photochromic compound.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the lens forming composition further comprises an ultraviolet absorbing compound for inhibiting at least a portion of ultraviolet light from being transmitted through the eyeglass lens during use.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to form non-photochromic lenses and photochromic lenses.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to form aspheric single vision lenses, flat-top bifocal lenses and progressive multifocal lenses.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to substantially simultaneously apply a coating to an eyeglass lens disposed within the coating unit and direct activating light and heat toward mold members disposed within the lens curing unit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the coating unit is a spin coating unit.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the coating unit comprises:

a holder for holding the eyeglass lens or at least one of the mold members, wherein the holder is configured to revolve during use; and

a coating unit activating light source configured to direct activating light towards the coating unit during use.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the coating unit activating light source is an ultraviolet light source.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the coating unit activating light source has a peak light intensity at a range of about 200 nm to about 300 nm.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a cover for covering the coating unit, wherein the coating unit activating light source is positioned on an inner surface of the cover.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the lens curing unit comprises a first light source configured to generate and direct activating light toward the first mold member, and wherein the lens curing unit further comprises a second light source configured to generate and direct activating light toward the second mold member.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a first filter disposed between the first light source and the first mold member, and a second filter disposed between the second light source and the second mold member.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first and second filters are configured to thermally isolate the first and second light sources from the lens curing chamber.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a first thermal barrier disposed between the first light source and the first mold member, and a second thermal barrier disposed between the second light source and the second mold member.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the first and second light sources comprise fluorescent light sources configured to emit light at a wavelength of about 385 nanometers to about 490 nanometers.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the lens curing unit comprises a lens drawer for positioning the mold members within the lens curing unit, the lens drawer being configurable to be inserted within and removed from an irradiation chamber of the lens curing unit.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the lens curing unit comprises a heater, the heater configured to heat the interior of the lens curing unit to a temperature of up to about 250°

F.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the lens curing unit comprises a conductive heating apparatus, the conductive heating apparatus being adapted to conductively apply heat to a face of at least one of the mold members during use.

24. The system of claim 1, further comprising a programmable controller configured to substantially simultaneously control operation of the coating unit and the lens curing unit during use.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the lens curing unit comprises a first light source and a second light source, and further comprising a programmable controller configured to individually control the first and second lights.

26. The system of claim 1, further comprising a programmable controller configured to control operation of the lens curing unit as a function of the eyeglass lens prescription.