Optical component with cells

• US 8,079,702 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2006
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Essilor International SA
• Original Assignee: Essilor International SA
• Inventors: Ballet, Jerome, Bovet, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilkes, Zachary
• Application Number:
  US11/996,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20080225402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,986 Days
• Field of Search: 351/41, 351/44, 351/159, 351163-166, 351/172, 351/177, 351/160.R, 351/178, 156/102, 359/721, 359618-622, 359294-296, 359/237, 359/642, 359/724, 349/13
• US Class Current: 351/159
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00009 Production of simple or compound lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00634 Production of filters
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/0073 Optical laminates
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/18 Cellular lens surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/083 Electrooptic lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/101 having an electro-optical light valve electro-optical elements per se G02F
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/102 Photochromic filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/12 Polarisers

Abstract

An optical component (10) comprises a transparent set of cells (15; 25) juxtaposed in parallel to a surface of the component. Each cell is hermetically sealed and contains a substance with an optical property. The set of cells comprises cells of several sizes. The size of the cells can be varied between various locations of the surface of the component (10), for making it possible to cut out the component without altering its optical properties. Furthermore, the variation in size of the cells serves to prevent diffraction or scattering from being visible in certain zones of the component.

Claims

1. An optical component, comprising at least one transparent set of cells juxtaposed in parallel to a surface of the component in which the cells are microtanks separated from one another by cell-separating walls which extend perpendicular to the surface of the component, each individual microtank being hermetically sealed and containing an optical-property substance,

wherein the set of cells comprises cells of several sizes, measured parallel to the component surface such that

the set of cells includes at least one large cell in a central zone of the component surface, and small cells located in the component surface between said central zone and one edge of said surface, and

the large cell has one dimension greater than 0.5 mm, and some of the small cells have one dimension smaller than 200 μ

m,

wherein the one dimension of the at least one large cell and the one dimension of the small cells each correspond to an outer diameter of the cell.

2. Optical component according to claim 1, in which at least one cell has one dimension of between 0.5 mm and 5 mm, measured parallel to the component surface.

3. Optical component according to claim 1, in which some of the cells have one dimension smaller than 200 μ

m, measured parallel to the component surface.

4. Optical component according to claim 1, in which some of the cells have one dimension smaller than 100 μ

m, measured parallel to the component surface.

5. Optical component according to claim 1, in which the size of the cells varies in a continuous size gradient between the central zone of the surface of the optical component and the edge of said surface.

6. Optical component according to claim 1, in which the size of the cells varies in a discontinuous size gradient between the central zone of the surface of the optical component and the edge of said surface.

7. Optical component according to claim 1, in which the size of the cells varies according to a combination of continuous and discontinuous size gradients between the central zone of the surface of the optical component and the edge of said surface.

8. Optical component according to claim 1, in which the optical-property substance contained in at least some of the cells is in liquid or gel form.

9. Optical component according to claim 1, in which the optical property is selected from a property of tinting, photochromism, polarization, and refractive index.

10. Optical component according to claim 1, in which the substance contained in the cells is configured to modify light absorption through the cell so that the amount of light absorption varies with respect to a position of the cell along a direction parallel to the component surface.

11. Optical component according to claim 1, wherein the small cells are non-concentric with the at least one large cell.

12. Optical component according to claim 1, in which at least some of the cells contain substances having respective optical refractive indices which differ between said cells.

13. Optical component according to claim 12, in which some of the cells containing substances of different refractive indices have variable dimensions.

14. Optical component according to claim 13, in which the dimensions of the cells containing substances of different refractive indices are adapted according to the estimated ametropy of an eye to be corrected.

15. Optical component according to claim 1, in which at least one cell of the set is arranged between two transparent elements for retaining the optical-property substance in said cell, said two transparent elements being parallel to the surface of the optical component, the cell being separated from other cells of the set by walls connecting the two transparent elements, and in which the cell is provided with at least one spacer in contact with the two transparent elements, said spacer being separate from the walls separating the cell from other cells of the set.

16. Optical component according to claim 15, in which the two transparent elements are common to several cells of the set.

17. Optical component according to claim 15, in which the spacer is located at a distance from the walls separating the cell from the other cells of the set.

18. Optical component according to claim 15, in which the spacer has a thickness lower than 5 μ

m, measured parallel to the component surface.

19. Optical component according to claim 15, in which at least one of the spacer and the walls comprise an absorbing material.

20. Optical component according to claim 15, in which the spacer and the walls separating the cell comprise respective portions of the same material.

21. Optical component according to claim 15, in which the spacer is an added-on element arranged in the cell.

22. A transparent optical element selected from ophthalmic lenses, contact lenses, ocular implants, lenses for optical instruments, filters, optical sighting lenses, ocular visors, and optics of lighting devices that is fabricated from an optical component according to any one of the preceding claims.

23. Spectacle lens, made by cutting out an optical component according to claim 22.

24. Spectacle lens according to claim 23, in which the substance contained in the cells is a photochromic substance.

25. Spectacle lens according to claim 23, in which at least one hole is drilled through the component to fasten the spectacle lens to a frame.

26. Spectacle lens according to claim 23, in which the optical property of the substances contained in some of the cells and the dimensions of said cells are adapted to vary along the lens surface according to the estimated ametropy of an eye to be corrected.

27. Spectacle lens according to claim 26, of the progressive lens type.

28. Optical component, comprising

at least one transparent set of cells juxtaposed in parallel to a surface of the component in which the cells are separated from one another by cell-separating walls which extend perpendicular to the surface,

each individual cell being hermetically sealed and containing an optical-property substance,

wherein the set of cells comprises cells of several sizes, measured parallel to the component surface,

the set of cells includes at least one large cell in a central zone of the component surface, and small cells located in the component surface between said central zone and a peripheral edge of said surface,

the cells being arranged such that when the optical component is sectioned

along a first annular line that bounds the central zone that is co-centric with the optical component and disposed between a center of the optical component and the peripheral edge of the optical component, no cell walls are intercepted, and

along a second annular line that bounds a second zone that is co-centric with the optical component, is disposed between the first annular line and the peripheral edge of the optical component, and is spaced apart from the first annular line, more than one cell wall is intercepted.