Optical article having a photoluminescent mark

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10444537-B2
Application number	US-201515544615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2015
Priority date	Jan 22, 2015
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

The present invention relates to an optical article that includes, a mark that is positioned on and/or within the first surface of an optical substrate thereof, and a photochromic layer that includes at least one photochromic compound and which resides over at least a portion of the first surface. The mark includes a photoluminescent material. The first surface of the optical substrate is exposed to a source of actinic radiation, the photochromic compound has an activation time after exposure to the source of actinic radiation, and the mark luminesces and is visually observable during at least a portion of the activation time. The present invention also relates to: an optical article that includes, a mark that is positioned within the first surface of an optical substrate thereof, and at least one photochromic compound that is also positioned within the first surface; and methods of making such optical articles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical article comprising:
(a) an optical substrate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein said first surface is exposed to a source of actinic radiation;
(b) a mark positioned at least one of on and within said first surface of said optical substrate, wherein said mark comprises at least one photoluminescent material; and
(c) a photochromic layer comprising at least one photochromic compound, wherein said photochromic layer resides over at least a portion of said first surface of said optical substrate,
wherein said photochromic compound has an activation time after exposure to said source of actinic radiation, and said mark luminesces and is visually observable during at least a portion of said activation time, and
wherein during at least a portion of said activation time,
said mark is visually observable when viewed from said second surface of said optical substrate, and
said mark is substantially visually unobservable when viewed from said first surface of said optical substrate.

2. The optical article of claim 1 , wherein after said activation time, said mark is substantially visually unobservable.

3. The optical article of claim 1 , wherein said source of actinic radiation comprises ultraviolet light.

4. The optical article of claim 1 , wherein said second surface of said optical substrate is free of photochromic material therein, and said second surface of said optical substrate is free of a layer comprising photochromic material thereover.

5. The optical article of claim 1 , wherein said mark resides within said first surface of said optical substrate.

6. The optical article of claim 1 , wherein said optical substrate comprises an optical material selected from an inorganic material, an organic material, and combinations thereof.

7. The optical article of claim 1 wherein,
said first surface of said optical substrate is defined by a first layer,
said mark resides at least one of on and within said first layer, and
said photochromic layer resides over at least a portion of said first layer.

8. The optical article of claim 7 , wherein said first layer comprises a matrix material selected from thermoplastic polymer matrix materials, crosslinked polymer matrix materials, and combinations thereof.

9. The optical article of claim 1 , wherein said photochromic layer comprises a matrix material selected from thermoplastic polymer matrix materials, crosslinked polymer matrix materials, and combinations thereof.

10. The optical article of claim 1 , wherein said photochromic compound is selected from indeno-fused naphthopyrans, naphtho[1,2-b]pyrans, naphtho[2,1-b]pyrans, spirofluoroeno[1,2-b]pyrans, phenanthropyrans, quinolinopyrans, fluoroanthenopyrans, spiropyrans, benzoxazines, naphthoxazines, spiro(indoline)naphthoxazines, spiro(indoline)pyridobenzoxazines, spiro(indoline)fluoranthenoxazines, spiro(indoline)quinoxazines, fulgides, fulgimides, diarylethenes, diarylalkylethenes, diarylalkenylethenes, thermally reversible photochromic compounds, and non-thermally reversible photochromic compounds, and mixtures thereof.

11. The optical article of claim 1 , wherein said photoluminescent material is selected from a fluorescent dye, a fluorescent pigment, a phosphorescent dye, a phosphorescent pigment, and combinations thereof.

12. The optical article of claim 1 wherein said optical article is selected from ophthalmic articles, display articles, windows, mirrors, and active liquid crystal cells, and passive liquid crystal cells.

13. The optical article of claim 12 wherein said optical article is selected from ophthalmic articles, and said ophthalmic articles are selected from corrective lenses, non-corrective lenses, contact lenses, intra-ocular lenses, magnifying lenses, protective lenses, visors, sport masks, face shields, and goggles.

14. An optical article comprising:
(a) an optical substrate having a first surface and a second surface, wherein said first surface is exposed to a source of actinic radiation;
(b) a mark positioned within said first surface of said optical substrate, wherein said mark comprises at least one photoluminescent material; and
(c) at least one photochromic compound positioned within said first surface of said optical substrate,
wherein said photochromic compound has an activation time after exposure to said source of actinic radiation, and said mark luminesces and is visually observable during at least a portion of said activation time, and
wherein during at least a portion of said activation time,
said mark is visually observable when viewed from said second surface of said optical substrate, and
said mark is substantially visually unobservable when viewed from said first surface of said optical substrate.

15. The optical article of claim 14 , wherein after said activation time, said mark is substantially visually unobservable.

16. The optical article of claim 14 wherein,
said optical substrate comprises an optical material selected from an inorganic material, an organic material, and combinations thereof,
said photochromic compound is selected from indeno-fused naphthopyrans, naphtho[1,2-b]pyrans, naphtho[2,1-b]pyrans, spirofluoroeno[1,2-b]pyrans, phenanthropyrans, quinolinopyrans, fluoroanthenopyrans, spiropyrans, benzoxazines, naphthoxazines, spiro(indoline)naphthoxazines, spiro(indoline)pyridobenzoxazines, spiro(indoline)fluoranthenoxazines, spiro(indoline)quinoxazines, fulgides, fulgimides, diarylethenes, diarylalkylethenes, diarylalkenylethenes, thermally reversible photochromic compounds, and non-thermally reversible photochromic compounds, and mixtures thereof,
said photoluminescent material is selected from a fluorescent dye, a fluorescent pigment, phosphorescent dye, phosphorescent pigment, and combinations thereof, and
said actinic radiation comprises ultraviolet light.

17. The optical article of claim 14 wherein,
said first surface of said optical substrate is defined by a first layer,
said mark resides within said first layer, and
said photochromic compound resides within said first layer,
wherein said first layer comprises a matrix material selected from thermoplastic polymer matrix materials, crosslinked polymer matrix materials, and combinations thereof.

18. The optical article of claim 14 further comprising a photochromic layer comprising at least one second photochromic compound, wherein said photochromic layer resides over said first surface of said optical substrate.

19. A method of preparing an optical article comprising:
(a) providing an optical substrate having a first surface and a second surface;
(b) forming a mark at least one of on and within said first surface of said optical substrate, wherein said mark comprises at least one photoluminescent material; and
(c) forming, over at least a portion of said first surface of said optical substrate, a photochromic layer comprising at least one photochromic compound,
wherein said first surface of said optical substrate is exposed to a source of actinic radiation, said photochromic compound has an activation time after exposure to said source of actinic radiation, and said mark luminesces and is visually observable during at least a portion of said activation time, and
wherein during at least a portion of said activation time,
said mark is visually observable when viewed from said second surface of said optical substrate, and
said mark is substantially visually unobservable when viewed from said first surface of said optical substrate.

20

Assignees

• Transitions Optical Inc

Inventors

• Kumar Anil
• Li Chenguang
• Carpenter William D
• Frease Jennine M

Classifications

• G07D7/205

  Matching spectral properties · CPC title

• G02B5/23

  Photochromic filters · CPC title

• G07D7/003

  using security elements (using digital security elements G07D7/004) · CPC title

• G07D7/1205

  Testing spectral properties · CPC title

• B41M3/003

  on optical devices, e.g. lens elements; for the production of optical devices (production by thermal imaging means B41M5/265) · CPC title