Patents Examined by Mathieu D. Vargot
  • Patent number: 11318691
    Abstract: A mold includes: a first molding surface configured to form a lens surface of a scanning lens being elongated in a main-scanning direction; and a first coolant passage, which is disposed within the mold and through which a coolant to control the temperature of the first molding surface flows, wherein the first coolant passage includes: a first passage portion corresponding to a first lens portion which is a portion protruding most in an optical axis direction in the lens surface; and a second passage portion corresponding to a second lens portion which is a portion retreated most in the optical axis direction in the lens surface, and the second passage portion is located to be closer to the second lens portion than a virtual plane, which passes through the first passage portion and is orthogonal to the optical axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuomi Jibu, Hiroki Goto
  • Patent number: 11307436
    Abstract: A finished uncut spectacle lens has a curved front surface including an optical bowl with a convex curvature and a peripheral lentic zone surrounding the optical bowl. The curvature of the curved front surface in the peripheral lentic zone is flatter than in the optical bowl. The optical bowl size is large enough that a lens filling the entire frame can be glazed from it. The inclusion of a flatter peripheral lentic zone enables a larger diameter of the finished unglazed lens (d) with larger edge thickness than would be possible if the same back surface was cut on a semi-finished blank having a uniform spherical front, without compromise to the finished lens center thickness. In addition, a method of manufacturing such a spectacle lens and a semi-finished lens blank used in the method are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Vision International GmbH
    Inventors: Angela Nolan, Michael Gall
  • Patent number: 11279105
    Abstract: A method of making a waveguiding optical component includes processing a polymer optical material to form a billet having an axis of light transmission and having residual stress maintaining a transverse extent of the billet; placing the billet into a mold, the mold being configured to constrain transverse expansion of the billet according to a desired shape of the waveguiding optical component; and heating the billet in the mold to induce relaxation of the residual stress and corresponding transverse expansion of the billet, thereby forming the billet into the waveguiding optical component with the desired shape. An alternative method begins with a collection of individual canes or fiber segments which are fused during the heating process, bypassing a separate process of forming a billet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Incom, Inc.
    Inventors: David James Welker, Kenneth Christopher Nardone, Evan Franklin DeBlander, Eric Robert Davidson
  • Patent number: 11254049
    Abstract: A photocurable composition is supplied onto an auxiliary table provided to be capable of being adjacent to a fabrication table. One of the fabrication table and the auxiliary table is moved relative to the other one of the fabrication table and the auxiliary table in an up-and-down direction. The photocurable composition that has been supplied to the auxiliary table is drawn and spread by a recoater on a fabrication surface of the fabrication table or on a cured composition layer. The photocurable composition on the fabrication surface of the fabrication table is exposed by an exposure device, so that a cured composition layer is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Inventors: Akio Matsubara, Tamotsu Katayama, Masami Tamamizu, Akihiro Morita, Takahiro Uno
  • Patent number: 11254076
    Abstract: The invention provides a contact lens manufacturing method comprising a process for removing unprocessed molded silicone hydrogel contact lenses from mold halves in a relatively efficient and consistent manner. A method of the invention comprising the steps of formulating a lens formulation by dissolving/blending all polymerizable components in a mixture a hydrophobic acrylic monomer as a reactive diluent and an organic solvent as a non-reactive diluent at a weight ratio of least 0.24 (reactive diluent over the sum of reactive and non-reactive solvents) per gram of the polymerizable composition and using a relatively low ultrasonic vibration energy for delensing. This method of the invention can be easily implemented in a production environment for enhancing the production yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Junhao Ge, Daqing Wu, Richard Charles Breitkopf, Steve Yun Zhang, Augustine Twum Kumi
  • Patent number: 11254075
    Abstract: The invention provides a contact lens manufacturing method comprising a process for removing unprocessed molded silicone hydrogel contact lenses from mold halves in a relatively efficient and consistent manner. A method of the invention comprises the combination of using a hydrophilic (meth)acrylamido monomer as one of major polymerizable components in a lens formulation for cast-molding of contact lenses, adding a post-curing treatment step which involves heating molds with molded lenses therewithin in an oven at a post-curing temperature higher than the curing temperature and under nitrogen gas flow at a higher flow rate, and using ultrasonic vibration energy for delensing. This method of the invention can be easily implemented in a production environment for enhancing the production yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Charles Breitkopf, Daqing Wu, Junhao Ge, Steve Yun Zhang
  • Patent number: 11247422
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for optical element fabrication with optical scanner feedback includes initiating the optical scanner to obtain an optical measurement of an optical layer of a multi-layer film. A rotational orientation for an optical element that is to be cut from the multi-layer film is then determined based on the optical measurement. The method also includes initiating a cutting instrument to cut the optical element from the multi-layer film at the rotational orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Silvio Grespan, Aiqing Chen
  • Patent number: 11247368
    Abstract: Provided is a silicone mold with which a curable composition containing an epoxy resin can be molded with good precision even if used repeatedly. The silicone mold according to an embodiment of the present invention is a silicone mold for use in molding a curable composition containing an epoxy resin, the silicone mold including a cured product of a silicone resin composition, wherein the cured product has a light transmittance at a wavelength of 400 nm of 80% or higher at a thickness of 1 mm, an elongation at break in accordance with JIS K 7161 of 250% or less, and a thermal linear expansion coefficient of 350 ppm/° C. or less at 20 to 40° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: DAICEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Fujikawa, Sadayuki Fukui
  • Patent number: 11248011
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to a polymerizable composition comprising a phosphorus-based mold releasing agent for an optical use whose preparation process is improved, and a process for preparing the phosphorus-based mold releasing agent. The phosphorus-based mold releasing agents can be prepared more easily and conveniently by using phosphorous pentoxide, which can easily react with a monoalcohol and/or water at room temperature in the absence of a catalyst or a solvent. In addition, byproducts are not generated during the reaction. Thus, when a lens is produced by using the mold release agent obtained therefrom, it is possible to prevent a defective appearance of the lens that may be caused by byproducts, thereby further enhancing the appearance properties thereof. Further, since separate steps for removing byproducts, specifically, such steps as washing and filtration, are not required, wastewater is not generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: SKC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seung Mo Hong, Jongmin Shim, Jung Hwan Myung, Junghwan Shin
  • Patent number: 11235543
    Abstract: A photo-alignable object has a thickness of more than 2 ?m. The photo-alignable object can be in the form of a free standing film. Also, the photo-alignable object can have a topographical surface structure. The depth of the topographical surface structure can be larger than 100 nm, and preferably the depth of the topographical surface structure is larger than 1 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: ROLIC AG
    Inventors: Qian Tang, Hubert Seiberle, Jean-François Eckert, Martin Roth, Thierry Becret, Herve Vissieres
  • Patent number: 11237307
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for manufacturing energy relays for energy directing systems. Methods and devices are disclosed for forming random and non-random patterns of energy relay materials with energy localization properties. Methods and devices are disclosed for forming energy relays of different shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Light Field Lab, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Sean Karafin, Brendan Elwood Bevensee, Ed Ibe, Jared Perez, Xudong Chen, Joseph W. Rickwalder
  • Patent number: 11230074
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing an optical film excellent in anti-fouling properties and scratch resistance as well as anti-reflection properties. The method includes the steps of: (1) applying a lower layer resin and an upper layer resin; (2) forming a resin layer having the uneven structure on a surface thereof by pressing a mold against the lower layer resin and the upper layer resin from the upper layer resin side in the state where the applied lower layer resin and upper layer resin are stacked; and (3) curing the resin layer, the lower layer resin containing at least one kind of first monomer that contains no fluorine atoms, the upper layer resin containing a fluorine-containing monomer and at least one kind of second monomer that contains no fluorine atoms, at least one of the first monomer and the second monomer containing a compatible monomer that is compatible with the fluorine-containing monomer and being dissolved in the lower layer resin and the upper layer resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidekazu Hayashi, Tokio Taguchi, Atsushi Niinoh, Kenichiro Nakamatsu
  • Patent number: 11215740
    Abstract: A retroreflector includes an arrangement of triples, each having three side surfaces, which are disposed in the manner of a cube corner and stand approximately perpendicular on one another. The retroreflector can be produced from a carrier material by injection molding. An optical silicone resin is used as the carrier material. The retroreflector is based on triple mirrors that are both easily unmolded from a die and easily applied to curved surfaces even after unmolding or are usable for reflection of ultraviolet light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Inventor: Hans-Erich Gubela
  • Patent number: 11215844
    Abstract: A production line (PL) for the production of ophthalmic lenses (7) comprises a manufacturing module (MM), an inspection module (IM), and a packaging module (PP) in which the lenses identified by the inspection module (IM) as being acceptable are packed into primary packages. The manufacturing module (MM) comprises a plurality of manufacturing stations (300, 301, 302, 310, 320, 321, 322, 330, 331, 340, 341, 342, 350, 351, 352). At least one of these manufacturing stations (310; 320, 321, 322, 330, 331) is configured to apply a lens identification code (70, 71, 72) to the respective lens. The lens identification code (70, 71, 72) includes information indicative of the type of the respective lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Roger Biel, Karin Stoller, Daniel Kessler, Burkhard Dietrich, Jens Hof
  • Patent number: 11207854
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing of an astigmatic contact lens having a toric portion and a thickness differential feature to provide lens orientation on eye portion such that said thickness differential causes the toric portion of the contact lens to properly orient in the eye of the wearer. The toric lenses are manufactured by an effective process control method for cylinder power in toric lens production by determining an amount of a mold cylinder compensation which is caused by processes in a toric lens manufacturing system including tool making, injection molding, casting and curing, wherein the mold cylinder is defined as the difference in measured radius of curvature at two orthogonal directions. A control metric is established by using the amount of a mold cylinder compensation and tolerance range and reject mold out of the control limits and improve the production yield for toric lens manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Yeming Gu, Curtis Dean McKenney, Cornelius Daniel Niculas
  • Patent number: 11207855
    Abstract: The invention provides a machine for manufacturing an ophthalmic article molded by casting and having a straight peripheral edge, comprising a mold assembly (2) having first and second molding shells (10, 13) provided with first and second predetermined molding surfaces (12, 14) and facing to each other, an adhesive tape member (20) joining said shells for forming a molding cavity (8), having a Young's modulus greater than 200 MPa and a maximum shear stress smaller than 0.05 MPa when measured at a temperature of polymerization of a molding material, and also configured to form a peripheral case of the mold assembly in which said first molding shell is able to be displaced relative to the second molding shell without affecting an intermediate portion (22) of the adhesive tape member which define said cavity, and a filling aperture formed in said adhesive tape member for introducing by casting said material into said cavity for forming the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Essilor International
    Inventors: Laurent Chippaux, Somporn Wichitworatham, Natrada Wiwattanapongpan
  • Patent number: 11204445
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an ophthalmic lens which efficiently absorbs light rays comprising a composition derived from a monomer or oligomer, a catalyst, at least one light-absorbing additive contained in nanoparticles which are dispersed in said monomer or oligomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Essilor International
    Inventors: Pierre Fromentin, Tipparat Lertwattanaseri, Waranya Phompan, Sanya Hokputsa
  • Patent number: 11198233
    Abstract: In an example method of forming a waveguide part having a predetermined shape, a photocurable material is dispensed into a space between a first mold portion and a second mold portion opposite the first mold portion. A relative separation between a surface of the first mold portion with respect to a surface of the second mold portion opposing the surface of the first mold portion is adjusted to fill the space between the first and second mold portions. The photocurable material in the space is irradiated with radiation suitable for photocuring the photocurable material to form a cured waveguide film so that different portions of the cured waveguide film have different rigidity. The cured waveguide film is separated from the first and second mold portions. The waveguide part is singulated from the cured waveguide film. The waveguide part corresponds to portions of the cured waveguide film having a higher rigidity than other portions of the cured waveguide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
    Inventors: Sharad D. Bhagat, Chieh Chang, Christophe Peroz
  • Patent number: 11167511
    Abstract: An apparatus for facilitating manufacturing an optical fiber connector termination is disclosed. The apparatus may include a resin dispenser configured for dispensing a resin and including a resin dispenser outlet configured to be coupled with a resin inlet of a molded part. Further, the apparatus may include a vacuum generator configured for generating a negative pressure. Further, the vacuum generator may include a vacuum generator outlet configured to be coupled to at least one vacuum outlet of the molded part. Further, the vacuum generator may be configured for generating the negative pressure utilizing electrical energy. Further, the apparatus may include a controller electrically coupled to each of the resin dispenser and the vacuum generator. Further, the controller may be configured for controlling operation of the resin dispenser and the vacuum generator. Further, controlling operation of the vacuum generator may be based on at least one characteristic of the resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Inventors: Anthony Nicholson, Vernon Ken Anderson
  • Patent number: 11155006
    Abstract: In the method and the apparatus for releasing a molded article from a mold according to the embodiments, the lateral of the molded article in the mold is pressed, so that it is possible to minimize the damage of the mold and the molded article at the time of the release, while the amount of a mold release agent used is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: SKC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junghwan Shin, Jung Hwan Myung, Hyuk Hee Han, Jongmin Shim