Abstract: A polarizing structure comprising a polarizing film, a protective film provided on at least one face of the polarizing film with an adhesive layer which is a glyoxal-based adhesive or a water based polymer adhesive such as a PVOH-based adhesive layer, and wherein at least one face of said protective film oriented towards said polarizing film further comprises an adhesion primer structure. The adhesive avoids delamination of the polarizing structure, which withstands edging processing conditions, and which also show excellent dry peel force. Other aspects of the invention relates to a method for manufacturing such a polarizing structure, and a polarized ophthalmic lens comprising such polarizing structure.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of manufacturing an ophthalmic lens, comprising the steps of providing, mounting and blocking a substrate (10) on a machining support unit (65), surfacing an upper face (12) of said substrate, edging a peripheral edge (13) of said substrate, wherein said machining support unit comprises a surfacing member (40) and an edging member (30) which are separable, said surfacing member having a cavity (51) in which said edging member is located during said step of surfacing, said surfacing and edging members being configured so that said substrate is mounted and blocked on said machining support unit in a first predetermined position for the surfacing and the edging and, between said steps of surfacing and edging, the method comprises the step of withdrawing said surfacing member from said machining support unit by retaining said substrate on said edging member.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an ophthalmic lens, includes the steps of providing, mounting and blocking a substrate (10) on a machining support unit (65), surfacing an upper face (12) of the substrate, edging a peripheral edge (13) of the substrate, wherein the machining support unit includes a surfacing member (40) and an edging member (30) which are separable, the surfacing member having a cavity (51) in which the edging member is located during the step of surfacing, the surfacing and edging members being configured so that the substrate is mounted and blocked on the machining support unit in a first predetermined position for the surfacing and the edging and, between the steps of surfacing and edging, the method further includes the step of withdrawing the surfacing member from the machining support unit by retaining the substrate on the edging member.

Abstract: Eyeglass lenses have at least a portion of their edge shaped to reflect light away from an eye of a wearer, such as the edge being disposed at an acute angle with respect to a principal axis of the lens, toward the back surface of the lens. Alternatively or additionally, the edge may include a plurality of edge surfaces disposed at an acute angle with respect to a principal axis of the eyeglass lens, toward the back surface of the eyeglass lens, or at least one edge surface may be disposed at an acute angle with respect to the front surface of the lens and at least one other edge surface may be disposed at an acute angle with respect to the back surface of the lens. As yet another alternative, the edge may be rounded with progressive angles to have an edge axis directed away from the wearer's eye.

Abstract: An optical adhesive product and a process for manufacturing an optical adhesive product, laminated film ensembles, and laminated lenses. The optical adhesive product includes a glyoxal water solution that is pH adjusted for use as an optical adhesive that demonstrates a wet peel force strength above about 6 Newtons. A water based polymer, such as PVOH, may be added to the adhesive system. According to the process, the glyoxal adhesive system is manufactured and utilized to laminate TAC-PVA-TAC films together to form a polar film ensemble. The polar film ensemble is laminated to an optical substrate and in the case of an ophthalmic lens, surfaced, coated and edged. The optical adhesive product avoids film separation in the polar TAC-PAV-TAC film ensemble during edging.

Abstract: A self-service kiosk for dispensing eyewear is disclosed. The kiosk includes a display for depicting available frame and lens options to customers. A user interface accepts eyewear order information from a customer including the customer's prescription information and frame selection. The kiosk also includes a lens manufacturing device that is wholly contained within the kiosk for manufacturing optical lenses in the prescription of the customer, which are adapted for the selected frame. Further, the kiosk includes a dispensing mechanism for dispensing from the kiosk the manufactured lenses, along with the customer selected frame.

Abstract: A self-service kiosk for dispensing eyewear is disclosed. The kiosk includes a display for depicting available frame and lens options to customers. A user interface accepts eyewear order information from a customer including the customer's prescription information and frame selection. The kiosk also includes a lens manufacturing device that is wholly contained within the kiosk for manufacturing optical lenses in the prescription of the customer, which are adapted for the selected frame. Further, the kiosk includes a dispensing mechanism for dispensing from the kiosk the manufactured lenses, along with the customer selected frame.

Abstract: User configurable eyeglasses employing retention of lenses in eyeglass frames using elastic cushion connectors may include a pair of lenses, each lens comprising at least one tab extending from the lens. An eyeglasses frame may define at least two fittings, each fitting positioned to receive one tab extending from a lens and each fitting sized larger than the tab to be received. A plurality of eyeglass lens retention cushions are each adapted to be disposed in one of the fittings and to receive one of the tabs. Each eyeglass lens retention cushion might have an elastic cushion body having a relaxed, or in situ, exterior size larger than an interior socket of the fittings and may have an interior opening with a relaxed, or in situ, size smaller than a tab extending from an eyeglasses lens.

Abstract: A composition includes: a continuous liquid phase including an acrylic monomer and an epoxy monomer; and a dispersed nanoparticulate including ZrO2 modified with an acrylic silane; and wherein the composition is transparent to visible light when coated on a lens. In addition, a method including the steps of: mixing an acrylic silane and a methanol-based ZrO2 sol to create a methanol-based silane-modified ZrO2 sol; then mixing at least an acrylic monomer, an epoxy monomer, and the methanol-based silane-modified ZrO2 sol to obtain the composition. The composition can be adapted for coating and curing onto another substrate, such as an ophthalmic lens.

Abstract: Eyeglass lenses have at least a portion of their edge shaped to reflect light away from an eye of a wearer, such as the edge being disposed at an acute angle with respect to a principal axis of the lens, toward the back surface of the lens. Alternatively or additionally, the edge may include a plurality of edge surfaces disposed at an acute angle with respect to a principal axis of the eyeglass lens, toward the back surface of the eyeglass lens, or at least one edge surface may be disposed at an acute angle with respect to the front surface of the lens and at least one other edge surface may be disposed at an acute angle with respect to the back surface of the lens. As yet another alternative, the edge may be rounded with progressive angles to have an edge axis directed away from the wearer's eye.

Abstract: A polarizing structure comprising a polarizing film, a protective film provided on at least one face of the polarizing film with an adhesive layer which is a glyoxal-based adhesive or a water based polymer adhesive such as a PVOH-based adhesive layer, and wherein at least one face of said protective film oriented towards said polarizing film further comprises an adhesion primer structure. The adhesive avoids delamination of the polarizing structure, which withstands edging processing conditions, and which also show excellent dry peel force. Other aspects of the invention relates to a method for manufacturing such a polarizing structure, and a polarized ophthalmic lens comprising such polarizing structure.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a Fresnel lens or other lens having a structured surface such as refractive and/or diffractive bi-focal or other multi-focal lenses includes press-coating the structured surface with a low or very low refractive index coating material. The coating is sufficient thick to adequately cover the structured surface so that a smooth coating surface with good optical properties is obtained, for example in the case of a Fresnel structure a thickness greater than 1.5 times and less than 5 times the Fresnel structure height, and is cured in situ. A film, e.g., of PET, PC or PU or a film stack, e.g. a TAC/PVA/TAC film stack is prepared and a heat melting adhesive is applied to the side of the film or film stack to be contacted with the coated structured surface of the lens blank. The film or film stack is then laminated to the cured coating.

Abstract: An inflatable membrane apparatus (10) comprising (a) a fluid accumulator (11) having an upper and a lower face and a fluid entrance (12), said lower face being partly formed by an inflatable membrane (14), and (b) a trunconical part (15) projecting outwardly from the lower face of the accumulator whose greater base is closed by at least part of the inflatable membrane (14) and smaller base forms a circular opening, whereby, when pressurized fluid is introduced into the accumulator (11), deformation of the inflatable membrane (14) is guided by the trunconical part.

Abstract: A composition includes: a continuous liquid phase including an acrylic monomer and an epoxy monomer; and a dispersed nanoparticulate including ZrO2 modified with an acrylic silane; and wherein the composition is transparent to visible light when coated on a lens. In addition, a method including the steps of: mixing an acrylic silane and a methanol-based ZrO2 sol to create a methanol-based silane-modified ZrO2 sol; then mixing at least an acrylic monomer, an epoxy monomer, and the methanol-based silane-modified ZrO2 sol to obtain the composition. The composition can be adapted for coating and curing onto another substrate, such as an ophthalmic lens.

Abstract: An optical adhesive product and a process for manufacturing an optical adhesive product, including laminated film ensembles, and laminated lenses, are described. The optical adhesive product includes a glyoxal water solution that is pH adjusted for use as an optical adhesive that demonstrates a wet peel force strength above about 6 Newtons. A water-based polymer, such as PVOH, may be added to the adhesive system. According to the process, the adhesive system is manufactured and utilized to laminate TAC-PVA-TAC films together to form a polar film ensemble. The polar film ensemble is laminated to an optical substrate and, when forming an ophthalmic lens, surfaced, coated and edged. The optical adhesive product avoids film separation in the polar TAC-PAV-TAC film ensemble during edging.

Abstract: A method for producing an ophthalmic lens comprised of a base lens and a film structure bound to said base lens includes a pressure-free heating. Said heating is performed after assembling the film structure with a semi-finished lens (1), and before said semi-finished lens is machined for obtaining the base lens. Although a maximum heating temperature is higher than a glass-transition temperature of the semi-finished lens, no image distortion and optical aberration is produced for the final ophthalmic lens. The maximum heating temperature is also lower than a glass-transition temperature of the film structure.

Abstract: A bi-layer adhesive and a method for laminating a film onto an optical article utilizing the bi-layer adhesive are described. A method for laminating the film onto an optical article and the bi-layer adhesive for use in the method are also described. The bi-layer adhesive includes a latex adhesive layer and an HMA layer sequentially disposed on the film and dried to form a solid layer of uniform thinness throughout to provide optical quality. Various types of films may be employed to provide an optical function. Following optional pre-treatment steps, the bi-layer adhesive is coated on to the film. An optical hot press technique is used to deliver heat and pressure over a short period of time to form a functionally-enhanced optical article with high adhesive strength.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an ophthalmic lens, includes the steps of providing, mounting and blocking a substrate (10) on a machining support unit (65), surfacing an upper face (12) of the substrate, edging a peripheral edge (13) of the substrate, wherein the machining support unit includes a surfacing member (40) and an edging member (30) which are separable, the surfacing member having a cavity (51) in which the edging member is located during the step of surfacing, the surfacing and edging members being configured so that the substrate is mounted and blocked on the machining support unit in a first predetermined position for the surfacing and the edging and, between the steps of surfacing and edging, the method further includes the step of withdrawing the surfacing member from the machining support unit by retaining the substrate on the edging member.

Abstract: A laminated optical lens having an edging-optimized laminar configuration and method for manufacturing same. The laminated optical lens includes an optical base lens and a film layered structure including an external film furthest from said lens. An adhesive layered structure is placed between the film layered structure and the optical base lens so as to permanently retain the film layered structure on the surface of the optical base lens. The laminated lens is manufactured by laminating a film layered structure having an external film to an optical base element with an adhesive layered structure. The external film has a thickness of at least 100 ???, and preferably a thickness in the range of 150 microns to 300 microns inclusive.

Abstract: A method for depositing a topcoat layer on, at least, one face of a substrate, includes the steps of: a) providing a flexible deposition device including a flexible supporting medium having a supporting surface coated with a film of a topcoat material; b) bringing into contact the film of topcoat material of the flexible deposition device with the face of the substrate; c) applying a pressure on the flexible supporting medium so that the flexible deposition device conforms to the geometry of the face of the substrate; and d) peeling off the flexible supporting medium from the substrate, whereby the topcoat material is at least partially separated from the flexible supporting medium and deposited on the contacted face of the substrate to form the top coat layer.