Three-state optical article and method for controlling same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12386202-B2
Application number	US-202117317206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2021
Priority date	May 13, 2020
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an optical article which comprises a hollow chamber and a separator separating the hollow chamber into a first subspace and a second subspace.
The separator comprises an aperture.
The optical article comprises a deformable membrane, attached, in the second subspace, along a closed line surrounding the aperture.
The optical article is switchable, by deformation of the membrane, between at least three states (ST 1 , ST 2 , ST 3 ).
Each state corresponds to a different optical function.
The disclosure also comprises a corresponding method for switching said optical article between at least two of the three states.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical article comprising:
a hollow chamber delimited by an outer wall;
a separator extending from the outer wall inwards, comprising a first side facing a first surface of the outer wall and a second side facing a second surface of the outer wall, the separator separating the hollow chamber into a first subspace and a second subspace,
wherein the separator comprises an aperture; and
a deformable membrane, attached, in the second subspace, along a closed line surrounding the aperture, the deformable membrane separating the hollow chamber into a first cavity extending towards the first surface of the outer wall and a second cavity extending towards the second surface of the outer wall,
wherein the optical article is switchable, by deformation of the membrane, between at least three states,
the first cavity being filled with a first fluid having a first optical property and the second cavity being filled with a second fluid having a second optical property, the optical article has a different optical function for each of the at least three states,
wherein the optical article is further configured to be switched, by deformation of the membrane, between two of the at least three states,
said two of the at least three states include a first state wherein the deformable membrane is pressed against the second side of the separator such that the membrane extends across the aperture in the extension of the separator, and
wherein the separator is non-planar and the membrane is thermoformed to passively keep the shape of the separator in the first state, providing a reference optical function related to the shape of the separator and based on a prescription value of a user.

2. The optical article according to claim 1 , wherein the separator and the outer wall are non-deformable.

3. The optical article according to claim 1 , wherein the outer wall comprises a fluid inlet linked to the first subspace for adjusting an amount of fluid inside the first cavity to deform the membrane to switch the active optical function from one state to another.

4. The optical article according to claim 1 , wherein the outer wall comprises a fluid inlet linked to the second subspace for adjusting an amount of fluid inside the second cavity to deform the membrane to switch the active optical function from one state to another.

5. The optical article according to claim 1 , wherein in a second state the deformable membrane protrudes through the aperture such that the second cavity extends to part of the first subspace.

6. The optical article according to claim 5 , wherein in a third state at least part of the deformable membrane is lifted off the separator such that the first cavity extends to at least part of the second subspace.

7. The optical article according to claim 1 , wherein the at least part of the deformable membrane has an area larger than the aperture.

8. The optical article according to claim 6 , wherein in the third state at least part of the deformable membrane is pressed against the second surface of the outer wall.

9. The optical article according to claim 1 , wherein the optical article is an optical lens comprising a front shell and a back shell and wherein the hollow chamber is formed between the front shell and the back shell.

10. The optical article according to claim 1 , wherein, the first cavity being filled with the first fluid and the second cavity being filled with the second fluid, the optical article has a first optical power P1 in the first state and a second optical power P2 in a second state with P2−P1 having an absolute value greater than 0.25 diopters.

11. The optical article according to claim 1 , wherein, the first cavity being filled with the first fluid and the second cavity being filled with the second fluid, the optical article has a first optical power P1 in the first state and a third optical power P3 in a third state with P3−P1 having an absolute value greater than 0.25 diopters.

12. The optical article according to claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises a plurality of apertures and the membrane is attached, in the second subspace, across a closed shape surrounding the plurality of apertures.

13. A method for switching an optical article between a plurality of states, the optical article comprising:
a hollow chamber delimited by an outer wall,
a separator extending from the outer wall inwards, comprising a first side facing a first surface of the outer wall and a second side facing a second surface of the outer wall, the separator separating the hollow chamber into a first subspace and a second subspace, the separator comprising an aperture,
a deformable membrane, attached, in the second subspace, along a closed line which surrounds the aperture, the deformable membrane separating the hollow chamber into a first cavity extending towards the first surface of the outer wall and a second cavity extending towards the second surface of the outer wall,
the optical article being switchable, by deformation of the membrane, between at least three states,
the first cavity being filled with a first fluid having a first optical property and the second cavity being filled with a second fluid having a second optical property, the optical article has a different optical function for each of the at least three states,
the method comprising switching the optical article between two of the at least three states by deforming the membrane, wherein said two of the at least three states include a first state wherein the deformable membrane is pressed against the second side of the separator such that the membrane extends across the aperture in the extension of the separator, and
wherein the separator is non-planar and the membrane is thermoformed to passively keep the shape of the separator in the first state, providing a reference optical function related to the shape of the separator and based on a prescription value of a user.

14. The optical article according to claim 1 , wherein the optical article provides a reference optical function in the first state, the reference optical function being related to a shape of the separator and the reference optical function being based on a prescription value of a user.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the optical article provides a reference optical function in the first state, the reference optical function being related to a shape of the separator and the reference optical function being based on a prescription value of a user.

16. The optical article of claim 1 , wherein the optical functions provided in the second and third states are configured to correct different visual conditions, with the first state adapted for an intermediate vision task, the second state adapted for a near vision task and the third state is adapted for a far vision task.

17. The optical article of claim 1 , wherein the second cavity is free of any additional separator.

18. The optical article of claim 17 , wherein in the second state, the membrane protrudes through the aperture to form a lens adapted to prevent myopia progression by requiring active accommodation from the user.

19. The optical article of claim 18 , wherein in the third state at least part of the deformable membrane is pressed against the second surface of the outer wall.

20. The optical article of claim 17 , wherein the optical functions provided in the second and third states are configured to correct different visual conditions, with the first state adapted for an intermediate vision t

Assignees

• Essilor Int

Inventors

• Hamlaoui Samy
• Chene Sylvain
• Fermigier Bruno

Classifications

• G02C7/085 Primary

  Fluid-filled lenses, e.g. electro-wetting lenses · CPC title

• G02B26/004

  based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid · CPC title

• G02B3/14 Primary

  of variable focal length · CPC title