Methods, apparatuses, and systems for edge sealing laminate wafers containing a soft deformable inner film

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11833772-B2
Application number	US-202017120638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2020
Priority date	Dec 17, 2019
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure includes systems, apparatuses, and methods for an optical system. In some aspects, the systems and devices may produce a wafer for use in the manufacture of an optical article. The wafer includes a laminate having a first layer that includes a first matrix material having a lower surface and an upper surface opposite the lower surface and a second layer that includes a second matrix material, the second layer is coupled to the first layer and covers at least a portion of the lower surface or the upper surface. The first layer includes a first thickness at a central portion that is greater than a second thickness at an edge portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of forming a wafer for use in an optical article, the method comprising:
liquefying at least a portion of a thermoplastic layer of a laminate;
applying pressure with an imprinting apparatus to an annular portion of the laminate to displace the liquefied portion of the thermoplastic layer to reduce a thickness of the laminate at the annular portion; and
cutting the wafer from the laminate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein liquefying the at least the portion of the thermoplastic layer of the laminate comprises heating the at least the portion of a thermoplastic layer of the laminate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein cutting the wafer occurs subsequent to displacing the liquefied portion of the thermoplastic layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
displacing the liquefied portion of the thermoplastic layer comprises compressing the portion of the thermoplastic layer of the laminate.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sealing a sidewall of the wafer.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein cutting the wafer from the laminate occurs prior to liquefying the at least the portion of a thermoplastic layer of the laminate.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
thermoforming the wafer; and
placing the thermoformed wafer into a mold cavity to form an optical article.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein compressing the portion of the thermoplastic layer of the laminate displaces the liquefied portion in a direction outward from a center of the wafer.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein cutting the wafer comprises cutting the laminate to define an outer edge of the wafer.

Assignees

• Essilor Int

Inventors

• Tokarski Zbigniew
• Begg Eric
• Drammeh Ahmed
• Chiu Hao-Wen

Classifications

• B29D11/0048 Primary

  Moulds for lenses (moulds for plastic articles in general B29C33/00) · CPC title

• B29B11/02

  by dividing preformed material, e.g. sheets, rods · CPC title

• B29K2101/12

  Thermoplastic materials · CPC title

• G02C7/02

  Lenses; Lens systems {; Methods of designing lenses} · CPC title

• G02C2202/16

  Laminated or compound lenses · CPC title