Adhesive mountable stack of removable layers

• US 10,321,731 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2018
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Racing Optics LLC
• Original Assignee: Racing Optics Incorporated
• Inventors: Wilson, Bart E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ostrup, Clinton T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sutton, Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US15/914,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20180235306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/26 with cleaning means, e.g. wipers ; Movable or interchangeable vision films or sheets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/025 Special attachment of screens, e.g. hinged, removable; Roll-up protective layers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/045 Eye-shades or visors; Shields beside, between or below the eyes caps with means for protecting the eyes A42B1/018
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/244 All polymers belonging to those covered by group B32B27/36
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/412 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/418 Refractive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2367/00 Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/365 comprising polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/023 Optical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/06 permitting easy separation
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 133/12 Homopolymers or copolymers of methyl methacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/30 characterised by the adhesive composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/14 Layer or component removable to expose adhesive

Abstract

An eye protector includes a lens configured to protect the wearer from projectiles, and an optically clear stack attached to the lens. The stack can have one or more removable layers. The eye protector also includes an optically clear dry mount adhesive layer attaching the stack to the lens. The dry mount adhesive may be self-wetting to attach the stack to the lens so that air between the stack and the lens can be removed after the stack is attached and/or adhered to the lens, for example, by applying pressure across the surface of the stack. The refractive indices of the lens, the dry mount adhesive, and each removable layer are matched to within about 0.2.

Claims

1. A method of protecting an eye protector, the eye protector haying a center portion defining a center of gaze of a wearer, the eye protector also having a lens configured to protect the wearer from projectiles, the lens having a continuous surface without holes or pins, the method comprising:

selecting an optically clear lens stack haying a plurality of lens layers laminated to one another with a removable adhesive layer;

removing a protective liner from a bottom surface of the optically clear lens stack to expose an optically clear dry mount adhesive layer on the lens stack, the optically clear dry mount adhesive layer fanning an outer periphery configured to correspond with the center portion of the eye protector, and

dry mounting the optically clear lens stack to the lens via the other periphery of the dry mount adhesive layer,

wherein the dry mounting comprises positioning the optically clear lens stack so that it covers the center of gaze defined by the center portion of the eye protector,

wherein the dry mounting establishes a dry mounting adhesive peel strength between the optically clear stack and the lens that is greater than a peel strength between each removable layer of the optically clear lens stack,

wherein the outer periphery of the dry mount adhesive layer is configured to form a physical barrier that prevents debris from accumulating between a lower lost layer of the optically clear lens stack and the lens, and

wherein the dry mounting is performed without applying tension to the stack.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dry mount adhesive layer forms a continuous and uninterrupted adhesive layer over at least the center portion of the eye protector.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the dry mounting adhesive layer is self-wetting.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of breaking an adhesive bond between the stack and an uppermost removable layer of the stack to remove the uppermost removable layer, the breaking step further comprising gripping and pulling a tab on the uppermost layer of the stack to remove the uppermost layer and expose a lower layer of the stack.

5. An optically transparent stack for affixing to a lens to form an eye protector, the eye protector having a center portion defining the center of gaze of a wearer, the stack comprising:

at least one optically transparent removable layer; and

an optically transparent dry mount adhesive layer applied to a lower surface of the stack, for attaching the stack to the lens, the dry mount adhesive layer forming, a continuous and uninterrupted adhesive surface, the surface being sized and shaped to cover at least the center portion, the dry mount adhesive layer being capable of attaching the stack to the lens so that air between the stack and the lens can be removed after the stack is attached to the lens.

6. The stack of claim 5, wherein the dry mount adhesive layer comprises a polymethyl methacrylate material.

7. The stack of claim 5, wherein the stack comprises a plurality of removable layers, each of the removable layers attached to at least one other removable layer with an optically transparent stack adhesive layer, each stack adhesive layer having, a stack adhesive refractive index, each removable layer having a removable layer refractive index, each removable layer refractive index and each stack adhesive refractive index are matched to within 0.2.

8. The stack of claim 7, wherein opposed outer portions of each removable layer form a stepped configuration that facilitates gripping of an uppermost removable layer of the stack.

9. The stack of claim 7, wherein the dry mount adhesive is capable of establishing a peel strength between the stack and the lens that is greater than a peel strength between each removable layer and the stack.

10. The stack of claim 5, wherein the dry mount adhesive is self-wetting.

11. An eye protector having a center portion defining a center of gaze of a wearer, the eye protector comprising:

a lens configured to protect the wearer from projectiles, the lens having a lens refractive index;

an optically clear stack attached to the lens, the stack comprising at least one removable layer, each removable layer having a removable layer refractive index; and

an optically clear dry mount adhesive layer attaching the stack to the lens, the dry mount adhesive layer forming a continuous and uninterrupted adhesive surface over at least the center portion, the dry mount adhesive layer having a dry mount adhesive refractive index, the dry mount adhesive layer being self-wetting and attaching the stack to the lens so that air between the stack and the lens can be removed after the stack is attached to the lens, and

wherein the lens refractive index, the dry mount adhesive refractive index, and each removable layer refractive index are selected to cooperate for reducing perceptible internal reflections through the center portion.

12. The eye protector of claim 11, wherein the stack comprises a plurality of removable layers, each of the removable layers attached to at least one other removable layer with an optically clear stack adhesive layer, each stack adhesive layer having a stack adhesive refractive index, wherein the lens refractive index, the dry mount adhesive refractive index, each removable layer refractive index and each stack adhesive refractive index are matched to within 0.2.

13. The eye protector of claim 12, wherein the lens comprises a polycarbonate material having a refractive index between about 1.58 and about 1.59.

14. The eye protector of claim 13, wherein each of the removable layers comprises a polyethylene terephalate material having a refractive index between about 1.57 to about 1.67.

15. The eye protector of claim 14, wherein the dry mount adhesive layer comprises a polymethyl methacrylate material.

16. The eye protector of claim 15, wherein each of the stack adhesive layers comprises a high index silicone adhesive.

17. The eye protector of claim 13, wherein the dry mount adhesive layer and each stack adhesive layer comprise a high index silicone adhesive.

18. The eye protector of claim 13, wherein the lens is attached to at least one of a helmet, an eyeglass, a face shield, or a goggle.

19. The eye protector of claim 12, wherein the stack is configured so that opposed outer portions of each removable layer form a stepped configuration that facilitates gripping of an uppermost removable layer of the stack.

20. The eye protector of claim 12, wherein the dry mount adhesive establishes a peel strength between the stack and the lens that is greater than a peel strength between each removable layer and the stack.