PRINTED MULTIFOCAL LENS AND METHOD FOR PRINTING A MULTIFOCAL LENS

Abstract

The present invention refers to a multifocal lens, in particular ophthalmic multifocal lens, being built in an inkjet printing process of depositing droplets of printing ink side by side and one above the other in several consecutive depositing steps and curing them in intermediate curing steps, wherein the multifocal lens comprises a first section providing a first optical function and a second section providing a second optical function that differs from the first optical function. The present invention further relates to a corresponding method.

Claims

1. A multifocal lens built in an inkjet printing process of depositing droplets of printing ink side by side and one above another in several consecutive depositing steps and curing the droplets in intermediate curing steps, wherein the multifocal lens comprises a first section providing a first optical function and a second section providing a second optical function that differs from the first optical function.

2. The multifocal lens according to claim 1, wherein the multifocal lens comprises a transition zone located between the first section and the second section.

3. The multifocal lens according to claim 2, wherein the transition zone extends substantially straight or curved from a first rim area of the transition zone to a second rim area of the transition zone of the multifocal lens.

4. The multifocal lens according to claim 3, wherein the first section is located in an upper part of the multifocal lens, wherein the second section is located in a lower part of the multifocal lens, and wherein the transition zone is located in a middle part between the upper part and the lower part of the multifocal lens.

5. The multifocal lens according to claim 2, wherein the multifocal lens comprises a kink located on at least one surface of the transition zone, wherein the kink preferably takes a form of a step.

6. The multifocal lens according to claim 5, wherein the kink extends substantially straight or curved from one rim area to another rim area of the multifocal lens.

7. The multifocal lens according to claim 5, wherein the step is sharp-edged having a curve radius of about 1 millimeter or less.

8. The multifocal lens according to claim 1, wherein the first section comprises a lens material having a first refractive index, and wherein the second section comprises a lens material having a second refractive index that differs from the first refractive index.

9. The multifocal lens according to claim 2, wherein the multifocal lens comprises a third section providing a third optical function, wherein the second section is located between the first section and the third section, and wherein a further transition zone is located between the second section and the third section.

10. A method for printing a multifocal lens comprising: depositing droplets of printing ink side by side and one above another in several consecutive depositing steps, and curing the droplets in intermediate curing steps, wherein the depositing and curing steps are performed in such a manner that the multifocal lens is built up such that a first section of the multifocal lens provides a first optical function and a second section of the multifocal lens provides a second optical function differing from the first optical function.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein a transition zone located between the first section and the second section and extending substantially straight or curved from one rim area to the another rim area of the multifocal lens is built up during the depositing and curing steps, wherein the multifocal lens is built up in such a manner that the transition zone comprises a kink located on at least one surface of the transition zone, and wherein the kink takes a form of a step.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the depositing steps are performed in such a manner that droplets deposited in an area of the kink have a reduced size in order to build up a sharp-edged kink having a curve radius of about 1 millimeter or less.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the curing steps are performed in such a manner that droplets deposited in an area of the kink have a reduced curing time in order to build up a sharp-edged kink having a curve radius of about 1 millimeter or less.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first section is cured with a UV light of a first curing specification providing the first section with a first refractive index and the second section is cured with a UV light of a second curing specification providing the second section with a second refractive index.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the depositing and curing steps are performed in such a manner that the multifocal lens has further a third section providing a third optical function, wherein the second section is located between the first section and the third section and wherein a further transition zone is located between the second section and the third section.

16. The multifocal lens according to claim 1, wherein the multifocal lens is an ophthalmic multifocal lens.

17. The multifocal lens according to claim 7, wherein the step is sharp-edged having a curve radius of about 1 micrometer or less.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the depositing steps are performed in such a manner that droplets deposited in the area of the kink have a reduced size in order to build up a sharp-edged kink having a curve radius of about 1 micrometer or less.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the curing steps are performed in such a manner that droplets deposited in the area of the kink have a reduced curing time in order to build up a sharp-edged kink having a curve radius of about 1 micrometer or less.

20. The method according to claim 10, wherein the multifocal lens is an ophthalmic multifocal lens.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0113] FIG. 1 illustrates schematically a multifocal lens providing two optical functions and a sharp-edged step located on the transition zone according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0114] FIG. 2 illustrates schematically a multifocal lens providing two optical functions and a transition zone according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0115] The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with target to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and for illustrative purposes may not be drawn to scale.

[0116] Where an indefinite or definite article is used when referring to a singular noun, e.g. a, an, the, this includes a plural of that noun unless something else is specifically stated.

[0117] Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

[0118] In FIG. 1, a multifocal lens 1 is schematically illustrated. In the present example, the multifocal lens 1 comprises a first section 2 and a second section 3. The first section 2 is located in the upper part of the lens, the second section 3 is located in the lower part of the multifocal lens 1. The first section 2 comprises a first inner surface 2a with a first inner radius of curvature and a first outer surface 2b with a first outer radius of curvature. In the present example, the first section is convex-concave. The second section 3 comprises a second inner surface 3a with a first inner radius of curvature and a second outer surface 3b with a second outer radius of curvature. In the present example, the second section is convex-concave. The first inner radius of curvature of the first inner surface 2a coincides with the second inner radius of curvature of the second inner surface 3a. The first outer radius of curvature of the first outer surface 2b preferably coincides with the second outer radius of curvature of the second outer surface 3b. The first section 2 comprises a first thickness and the second section 3 comprises a second thickness that differs from the first thickness. As a result, the transition zone 4a comprises a kink 4 which takes the form of a sharp-edged step. In the present example, the kink 4 lies exactly in the axis of sight 5. It is herewith advantageously possible to provide a multifocal ophthalmic lens 1 without peripheral and/or on-axis blurs.

[0119] In FIG. 2, a multifocal lens 1 is schematically illustrated. In the present example, the multifocal lens 1 comprises a first section 2 and a second section 3. The first section 2 is located in the upper part of the lens, the second section 3 is located in the lower part of the multifocal lens 1. Between the first section 2 and the second section 3, the multifocal lens 1 comprises a transition zone 4a.

KEY TO FIGURES

[0120] 1 Multifocal lens

[0121] 2 First section

[0122] 2a First inner surface

[0123] 2b First outer surface

[0124] 3 Second section

[0125] 3a Second inner surface

[0126] 3b Second outer surface

[0127] 4 Kink in the form of a step

[0128] 4a Transition zone

[0129] 5 Axis of sight

[0130] 6 Wearer's eye