Sola Usa, Inc.

Sola International Holdings Limited

Sola International, Inc.

Pilkington Visioncare, Inc. (a Ca. Corp.)

David P Spector

A N Ram

Jeffrey M Kingsbury

Disclosed is a lens wafer suitable for use in preparing a laminated lens which wafer has a coating on at least one surface thereof in the form of a peelable protective film.

Lens wafer with removable coating

Lens wafers with removable coating

A series of back wafers for a laminated ophthalmic lens, wherein successive members of the series have a diopter difference in their concave curvature which is sufficiently small to enable a member of the series to be used in combination with any design and power of front wafer to produce a finished lens within the normal tolerance for such a lens. Preferably the diopter difference is 1/8 of a diopter. The invention also comprises a method of producing a laminated lens from the wafers. The series of back wafers enables the production of a finished lens within the normal tolerances for such lenses.

Laminated lens wafers

A method for designing a molding apparatus, especially for molding lenses and the like, comprises defining a nominal mold reference curve disposed bewteen a pair of mold members having smooth, curved surfaces in confronting relationship to define a mold cavity therebetween. A plurality of concave and convex molding members are provided, all having differing molding surface curvatures but identical spacing from the respective curved surface to the nominal reference curve, measured from the point of closest approach of the curved surface to the reference curve. Any paired concave and convex molding surfaces have the same spacing from the reference curve and thus from each other, so that, for example, a universal gasket can be employed to hold any two paired convex and concave molding members in precise spacing, without regard to the curvature of the molding surfaces.

Method for designing parametric molding apparatus

A method and apparatus for the fabrication of optical lenses by injection/compression molding of thermoplastic includes a plurality of sleeves, each having a bore therethrough, and a plurality of mold inserts dimensioned to be received in the bore with minimal clearance for sliding fit. The mold inserts each include a precision optical surface adapted to form a front or back surface of a lens. A selected pair of mold inserts are placed in the bore of a sleeve with front and back surface forming optical surfaces in confronting relationship to define a mold cavity, and the assembly is heated to a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic to be molded. An injection port extends through the sleeve to the bore, and is positioned to inject thermoplastic that has been heated to a fluid state into the cavity. After injection of the thermoplastic, the mold inserts are compressed together, and excess thermoplastic is forced out of the mold cavity. The mold inserts are then translated together relative to the sleeve to uncouple the injection port from the cavity. Compressive pressure is then maintained on the mold inserts while the mold assembly is cooled below the glass transition temperature. The mold inserts are pulled from the sleeve, and the finished lens is removed.

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Sausalito, CA, United States of America

David P Spector