Abstract
A unitary lens structure and method yielding a lens for eyewear formed to a unitary structure of a first lens portion and projecting portion adapted for grinding to a prescription lens. The unitary lens can include filtering material or layers only in the projecting portion or in both the projecting portion and first lens portion. Such structure is provided through forming the projecting portions to cured optical material first, and then positioning them in a mold for the first lens portion to be formed in the unitary structure upon curing of heated material forming the first lens portion.
Claims
1. A unitary lens structure comprising: a first lens portion having a first surface opposite a second surface; a projecting portion having a sidewall defining a perimeter thereof; a first side of said projecting portion adapted for grinding to form said projecting portion to an ophthalmic corrective lens; a second side of said projecting portion formed in a unitary structure with said first lens portion; and only said projecting portion includes one or more filtering materials from a group including polarizing filter layer, photo chromic filter layer, a reflective film filter layer, and a dye or light filtering particulate infused in optical material forming said projecting portion.
2. A unitary lens structure comprising: a first lens portion having a first surface opposite a second surface; a projecting portion having a sidewall defining a perimeter thereof; a first side of said projecting portion adapted for grinding to form said projecting portion to an ophthalmic corrective lens; a second side of said projecting portion formed in a unitary structure with said first lens portion; and a curved surface formed at an intersection of said sidewall and said first side surface of said first lens.
3. The unitary lens structure of claim 1, further comprising: a curved surface formed at an intersection of said sidewall and said first side surface of said first lens.
4. The unitary lens structure of claim 1 additionally comprising: a tooling member having a first end engaged with said first lens portion and extending to a distal end thereof adapted for engagement to a grinding machine for grinding said first side of said projecting portion.
5. The unitary lens structure of claim 2 additionally comprising: a tooling member having a first end engaged with said first lens portion and extending to a distal end thereof adapted for engagement to a grinding machine for grinding said first side of said projecting portion.
6. The unitary lens structure of claim 3 additionally comprising: a tooling member having a first end engaged with said first lens portion and extending to a distal end thereof adapted for engagement to a grinding machine for grinding said first side of said projecting portion.
7. A method of forming a unitary lens structure having a first lens portion having a first surface area surrounding a projecting portion extending from a portion of said first surface area of said first lens portion, comprising: forming a projecting portion having a first side adapted for grinding to a prescription lens and having a second side opposite said first side, from optical material and curing said projecting portion to solid form; positioning said projecting portion with said first side in communication with a mold having a cavity to form said first lens portion; filling said cavity with heated said optical material; and curing said heated optical material and removing said first lens portion formed to a unitary structure with said projecting portion from said mold.
8. The method of claim 7, additionally comprising: during forming said projecting portion, positioning one or more filtering materials from a group including polarizing filter layer, photo chromic filter layer, a reflective film filter layer, a dye, and a light filtering particulate, within the optical material forming said projecting portion.
9. The method of claim 8, additionally comprising: including in said first lens portion, one or more filtering materials from a group including polarizing filter layer, photo chromic filter layer, a reflective film filter layer, a dye, and a light filtering particulate, within the optical material forming said projecting portion.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES
[0036] FIG. 1 depicts a view of the first surface of a first lens portion having a plurality of raised portions with a shape defined by a perimeter sidewall, fused to permanent positions thereon to form a unitary structure.
[0037] FIG. 2 depicts a view of the opposite side of the first lens portion from FIG. 1 showing the second surface and the shadowless appearance of the second surface provided by the unitary structure formed with the projecting portions.
[0038] FIG. 3 depicts a view of a panoramic first lens portion having projecting portions with a shape defined by a perimeter sidewall extending from the first surface of the first lens component.
[0039] FIG. 4 is a front view of the first lens portions of FIG. 3.
[0040] FIG. 5 shows the formation of the unitary structure of first lens portion and projecting portions, using pre formed projecting portions which are co molded during formation of the first lens portion.
[0041] FIG. 6 shows the unitary structure of first lens portion and rearward positioned projecting portions resulting from the formation in FIG. 5.
[0042] FIG. 7 shows the formation of a unitary structure of first lens portion with one or more projecting portions using a co molding and showing the projecting portions pre formed with a colored material and/or included filter material such as polarizing film, or the like.
[0043] FIG. 8 shows the formed unitary structure from the molding of FIG. 7, where only the projecting portions have the film, color, or included material to filter or change light refraction.
[0044] FIG. 9 shows formation of the unitary structure herein, where the projecting portions are preformed with one or more filtering films, or dyes, or other material, and the formed first lens portion also includes film, or colorizing, or other features.
[0045] FIG. 10 shows the resulting unitary structure where the first lens portion has one or a combination of a film or dye or particulate therein and is fused to the unitary structure with the raised portions which may have the same or different films, dyes, colorizing, or the like.
[0046] FIG. 11 shows the method of formation of unitary structure where the first lens portion and one or plurality of raised portions are machined from a block of optical material.
[0047] FIG. 12 depicts the unitary structure of first lens portion and projecting portions having identical optical properties.
[0048] FIG. 13 shows a mode of the device herein, formed in any of the noted methods, where the first lens portion perimeter is adapted to engage an eyeglass frame while the projecting portions may be ground to any prescription for corrective lenses.
[0049] FIG. 14 depicts a similar construction to that of FIG. 13 but showing rectangular first lens portions.
[0050] Other aspects of the present invention shall be more readily understood when considered in conjunction with the above noted accompanying drawings, and the following detailed description, neither of which should be considered limiting.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0051] Now referring to drawings of FIGS. 1-14, where similar structures are described with like numerals, there is seen in FIG. 1 a view of the unitary device 10 and method herein, showing the first surface 12 of a first lens portion 14 which has one, or as shown, a plurality of raised portions 16 extending from the first surface 12. The raised portions 16 have a shape defined by a perimeter sidewall 17 extending from first side 19 which is ground for user lens requirements, to an intersection 18 with the first surface 12 in the formed unitary structure of the device 10. Also shown are the preferred curve or radius R2 at the intersection 18 of the sidewall 17 and the first surface 12 of the first lens portion 14 in the preferred radius noted above.
[0052] Extending from one side edge of the first lens portion 14 is shown a removable tooling member 20. It has been found in experimentation, that the tooling member 20 can be engaged with a grinding machine used to grind the individual projecting portions 16 to form the prescription or corrective lenses for a user.
[0053] FIG. 2 shows a view of the opposite or second surface 22 of the first lens portion 14 from the first surface 12 of FIG. 1. Also shown is the shadowless appearance of the second surface 22 provided by the unitary structure formed with the projecting portions 16. It should be noted that both the first surface 12 and second surface 22 will preferably have the same base curve of between 5 mm to 7 mm, with 6.8 being a current favored curve.
[0054] FIG. 3 depicts a view of a panoramic first lens portion 14 having projecting portions 16 with a shape defined by a perimeter sidewall 17 extending from the radius R2 at the intersection 18 at the first surface 12 of the first lens component 14. The shape of the projecting portions 16 can be any shape adapted to the operation of the formed device 10 for use by a user. Also shown are the radius R1 at the upper edge of the sidewall 17 which would curve as noted above. FIG. 4 is a front view of the second surface 22 of the first lens portion 14 of FIG. 3.
[0055] One method of formation of the unitary structure of first lens portion 14 and projecting portions 16 is shown in FIG. 5. As shown, pre formed projecting portions 16, are co molded in a mold 24 having a cavity 26 shaped to form the first lens portion 14 of the proper curve and thickness herein noted. The pre formed projecting portions 16, are operatively inserted into the mold 24 and the material forming the projecting portions 16 is fused to that forming the first lens portion 14 in the cavity 26 during formation of the first lens portion 14. This yields a unitary structure with no gaps between the projecting portions 16 and first lens portion 14.
[0056] The resulting device 10 from the method of FIG. 5 is shown in FIG. 6 which shows the unitary structure of the first lens portion 14 and projecting portions 16 extending from their respective intersections 18 with the first surface 12 of the first lens portion 14. As noted the radius R2 at the intersection 18 is formed during the molding process, and the radius R1 can be pre formed on the pre formed projecting portions 16.
[0057] FIG. 7 depicts a method of forming the device 10 herein in a unitary structure in a mold 24 which shows the projecting portions 16 pre formed to include with one or both of a layer of film 28 or reflective material or polarizing material or other light filtering, or a photo-chromatic layer or film, and/or colorization of the material forming the projecting portions. These preformed projecting portions 16 can be formed with either or both of one or more film 28 or similar filter layers, and/or can include particulate dyes or other light filtering medium within the material forming the projecting portions 16.
[0058] The resulting device 10 is shown in FIG. 8 where the first lens portion 14 is clear and only the projecting portions 16 include one or more filtering materials such as the film 28 or filter layer such as polarizing filter layer or photo chromic filter layer, or reflective film filter layer or dye or light filtering particulate infused in the material forming the projecting portion, or other light filtering material therein.
[0059] In FIG. 9 is shown the method of formation of the unitary structure herein, where the projecting portions 16 are preformed with one or more filtering films 28, or dyes, or other particulate or filtering material in the optical material of the formed projecting portions 16. During formation in the cavity 26 the first lens portion 14 is also formed to include any of a film 28 or filter layer, or may have optical material with colorizing, or other light filtering features. This shows the significant enhancement in utility provided by forming the projecting portions 16 first and engaging them to form a unitary structure in a second step.
[0060] FIG. 10 shows the resulting unitary structure from the method shown in FIG. 9, where the first lens portion 14 has one or a combination of a film 28 or filter layer, or dye or particulate or light filtering material therein, and is fused to the unitary structure with the raised portions 16 which may have the same or different films 28, dyes, colorizing, or the like.
[0061] FIG. 11 shows the method of formation of unitary structure herein, where the first lens portion 14 and one or plurality of raised portions 16, are machined from a block of optical material 30 using a machine such as a CNC machine 32. The resulting unitary structure of first lens portion 14 and projecting portions 16 as shown in FIG. 12 which are identical in light filtering and refractive nature since they are formed from one block of optical material. A similar unitary structure can be formed using 3D printing, however like the machined version, the light filtering and refraction must be identical in both components.
[0062] FIG. 13 depicts the unitary structure of first lens portion 14 and projecting portions 16 formed to individual lenses rather than as a panoramic lens, as in other modes. The first lens portion 14 as with the above panoramic modes, will have thinner material than that where the projecting portions 16 engage, to allow for engagement of thick lenses to small and light eyeglass frames or the like. FIG. 14 depicts a similar construction to that of FIG. 13 but showing rectangular first lens portions. The methods noted above may be employed to make the unitary structures of FIGS. 13 and 14 and yield any of the combinations noted above, where the projecting portions 16 are clear or have film 28 or filtering layers or other light filtering dyes or particulate or the like, and the first lens portion 14 as none, some, or all of the filtering layers or light filtering dyes or particulate, or reflective film, or photo chromatic material, of other filter material can be employed.
[0063] While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of corrective lens and shield in unitary structure and method have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features or steps in the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features or steps without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
