Vision-ease Lens, Inc.

Insight Equity A.p.x., L.p.

Eric J Woelfle

Michael S Boulineau

Hideyo Sugimura

Xuzhi Qin

Thomas J Moravec

Martin L Hage

Edward A Travnicek

Derek Harris

Alan D Maki

Darrell B Kroulik

A flat or curved photochromic laminate structure and a plastic photochromic lens blank can be produced in a simple and efficient manner from relatively low-cost polymeric sheet materials. These laminates can be used to provide goggles, face shields, windows, window coverings, skylights, and optical lenses having efficient, uniform and high quality photochromic properties. The use of a polyesterurethane as the binder for the photochromic material has been found to improve the performance of the photochromic material. There may be a desire to have a protective exterior layer (e.g., an abrasion resistant layer) in combination with the lens system, but that may be provided in various methods. In the case of using the laminate in a goggle application, the laminate may be hard coated on one or both outer surfaces with an abrasion resistant coating, antireflective coating, and/or an anti-fog hard coating.

Injection molding of lens

A functional wafer of the present invention is disclosed to solve manufacturing difficulties involved in the production of optical elements such as polycarbonate ophthalmic lenses. The functional wafer may include a front layer, a functional layer, and a back layer, whereas the front layer and the back layer are bonded to the functional layer with or without additional adhesive. Said functional layer is smaller than at least the front layer by about 0.5 mm to 5 mm along the perimeter edge. A functional wafer of this construction can be conveniently and effectively incorporated into a lens through an insert injection molding process, in which said back layer will be in contact with the lens material.

Laminated functional wafer for plastic optical elements

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Princeton, MN, United States of America

Eric J Woelfle