Method of coating a lens and lens support

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016288157-A1
Application number	US-201415037088-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 17, 2014
Priority date	Nov 20, 2013
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of coating a lens, such as a segmented multifocal lens. The method includes, providing a lens support ( 1 ), which is in the form of a ring, that includes a central axis ( 11 ), an outer wall ( 14 ), an inner wall ( 17 ) that is positioned between the central axis and the outer wall, an upper beveled surface ( 20 ) that converges downward toward the central axis, and a lower surface ( 29 ). The method further includes positioning a lens ( 3 ) such that an outer edge ( 74 ) of a forward surface ( 65 ) thereof abuts a portion of the upper beveled surface of the lens support. At least one coating composition is applied over the rear surface ( 68 ) of the lens, so as to form a coated lens ( 3 ′) having at least one coating layer ( 89 ) over the rear surface thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of coating a lens comprising:
(a) providing a lens support comprising,
a central axis,
an outer wall,
an inner wall that is positioned between said central axis and said outer wall,
an upper beveled surface that converges downward towards said central axis, said upper beveled surface having an outer diameter and an inner diameter, and
a lower surface,
wherein said lens support has a form of a ring, and said inner wall defines a central lens support hole; (b) providing a lens having a forward surface, a rear surface, and a side surface, wherein said forward surface of said lens has an outer edge; (c) positioning said lens support and said lens such that said outer edge of said forward surface of said lens abuts a portion of said upper beveled surface of said lens support; and (d) applying at least one coating composition over said rear surface of said lens, thereby forming at least one coating layer over said rear surface of said lens.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said outer edge of said forward surface of said lens defines an abutment line on said upper beveled surface of said lens support, said abutment line being positioned between said inner diameter and said outer diameter of said upper beveled surface.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said forward surface of said lens is a convex surface.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein said forward surface of said lens comprises a segmented optical power addition portion.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein said rear surface of said lens is a concave surface or a flat surface.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said upper beveled surface of said lens support has an angle, relative to horizontal, of from 10° to 50°.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said lower surface of said lens support resides on a base, said forward surface of said lens, said inner sidewall of said lens support, and an upper surface of said base together defining a central lens support chamber, said method further comprising,
forming negative pressure within said central lens support chamber, thereby maintaining said outer edge of said forward surface of said lens and said upper beveled surface of said lens support in fixed abutment with each other during application of at least one coating composition over said rear surface of said lens.

8 . The method of claim 1 further comprising,
contacting together a contact portion of said forward surface of said lens and a suction device, and
forming negative pressure between said contact portion of said forward surface of said lens and said suction device, thereby maintaining said outer edge of said forward surface of said lens and said upper beveled surface of said lens support in fixed abutment with each other during application of at least one coating composition over said rear surface of said lens.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein said suction device is attached to a base, and said lower surface of said lens support resides on said base.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said lens support further comrises an annular lip extending upward from said upper beveled surface of said lens support, said annular lip having an inner lip wall.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein said side surface of said lens and said inner lip wall of said annular lip are spaced from each other.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein said side surface of said lens has a height, said inner lip wall of said annular lip has a height, and said height of said side surface of said lens is greater than said height of said inner lip wall of said annular lip.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein said annular lip has an inner diameter, and said inner diameter of said annular lip and said outer diameter of said upper beveled surface of said lens support are substantially equivalent.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein applying each coating composition over said rear surface of said lens independently comprises an application method selected from the group consisting of spray application, spin application, curtain application, blade application, and combinations of two or more thereof.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each coating composition is independently selected from the group consisting of a photochromic coating composition, a primer coating composition, a protective coating composition, and an anti-reflective coating composition.

16 . A lens support comprising,
a central axis, an outer wall, an inner wall that is positioned between said central axis and said outer wall, an upper beveled surface that converges downward towards said central axis, said upper beveled surface having an outer diameter and an inner diameter, and a lower surface, wherein said lens support has a form of a ring, and said inner wall defines a central lens support hole, wherein said upper beveled surface of said lens support has an angle, relative to horizontal, that is selected such that an outer edge of a forward surface of a lens abutting a portion of said upper beveled surface of said lens support is abuttingly retained on said upper beveled surface.

17 . The lens support of claim 16 , wherein said outer edge of said forward surface of said lens defines an abutment line on said upper beveled surface of said lens support, and said abutment line is positioned between said inner diameter and said outer diameter of said upper beveled surface.

18 . The lens support of claim 16 , wherein said lens support further comprises an annular lip extending upward from said upper beveled surface, said annular lip having an inner lip wall.

19 . The lens support of claim 18 , wherein said annular lip has an inner diameter, and said inner diameter of said annular lip and said outer diameter of said upper beveled surface of said lens support are substantially equivalent.

20 . The lens support of claim 18 , wherein said annular lip is dimensioned such that a side surface of said lens and said inner lip wall of said annular lip are spaced from each other.

21 . The lens support of claim 16 , wherein said angle of said upper beveled surface is from 10° to 50°.

Assignees

• Transitions Optical Inc

Inventors

• Lynch Paul J
• Mullen Gerard P

Classifications

• G02C7/06

  bifocal; multifocal {; progressive (G02C7/041 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B05D1/005

  Spin coating · CPC title

• G02C7/102

  Photochromic filters · CPC title

• B24B13/0012

  for multifocal lenses · CPC title

• B29D11/00865

  Applying coatings; tinting; colouring (printing, marking or copying processes B41M; identification in general G09F3/00; producing decorative effects in general B44C; positioning or marking of lenses B24B13/0055) · CPC title