Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B5/00—Optical elements other than lenses
  • G02B5/20—Filters
  • G02B5/22—Absorbing filters
  • G02B5/23—Photochromic filters
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
  • C03C17/00—Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by coating
  • C03C17/22—Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by coating with other inorganic material
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
  • C03C2217/00—Coatings on glass
  • C03C2217/20—Materials for coating a single layer on glass
  • C03C2217/29—Mixtures
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
  • C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
  • C03C2218/00—Methods for coating glass
  • C03C2218/10—Deposition methods
  • C03C2218/15—Deposition methods from the vapour phase

Definitions

• This invention relates to a process for forming a film and a product such as a lens blank or any transparent or like material including glass, plastic which exhibits photochromic characteristics when the
• Such a preferred photochromic film should be capable of being adhered to any material base including plastic, glass, or even infra-red filters.
• a photochromic film would not be limited to use in combination with optical lenses but could be applied to windshields, windows, or any application where photochromic characteristics would be desirable.
• the film also solves 'another problem in the industry by providing a relatively hard surface that is scratch resistant.
• the present invention is directed towards a photochromic film which among other things provides a relatively hard surface which is not easily scratched and is also directed toward methods of forming such a 0 film and further including a resulting product such as a lens blank or like base on which the subject photochromic film has been disposed.
• the subject photochromic film is produced by forming a mixture of a predetermined quantity of a 5 silica base material or phosphate base material and an additive of a silver halogenide compound. Such mixture is placed within a closed environment subject to a vacuum of predetermined negative pressures and a predetermined temperature defined within an activat- o ing temperature range.
• activating temperature range is herein defined as a range of temperature at which evaporation of the formed mixture takes place dependent upon the existing negative pressure within the closed environment. Further, such activating temperature range has an upper limit at the tempera ⁇ ture at which a glass material, such as that material from which the mixture is formed, has its photo ⁇ chromic characteristics, if such exist, begin to deteriorate. Generally, it is well accepted that photochromic characteristics of a given glass material degenerate if such material is exposed to a temperature of 700°C. Accordingly, the upper limit of the activating temperature range is not to exceed any temperature at which such photochromic character ⁇ istics begin to deteriorate. The lower limit of such temperature range is again variable and depends upon the given and selected negative pressure of the
• the negative pressure of the closed environment in which the mixture is vaporized must be selected to always maintain the resulting temperature of evaporation to be less than the aforementioned temperature at which a glass material loses its photochromic characteristics.
• Adhering or disposing of the formed film is accomplished by condensing the vaporized compound of the mixture on a predetermined surface of a blank, such as a lens blank, prepositioned within the closed environment.
• mate ⁇ rial can be formed on any given blank or base other than lens blanks and therefore used for a wide variety of commercial applications including wind ⁇ shields for automobiles, windows for houses and buildings, etc.
• the process as generally described above is controlled such that the thickness of the formed photochromic film is such as to be preferably between 1 and 4 microns. This gives the formed film sufficient flexibility to be adhered to any given material base including plastic. Due to the extreme thinness of the formed photochromic film, any differ ⁇ ence in coefficience of expansion between a plastic base or blank and the film itself will not result in destruction of the film due to the inherent flexi ⁇ bility of a glass material film of a thickness of approximately 4 to 5 microns.
• the present invention relates to the production of a photochromic film of predetermined thickness capable of being applied to a lens blank or other material, either glass, plastic or other applicable material such that the resulting product itself demonstrates desired photochromic characteristics.
• a mixture is placed within a closed environment. The mixture is formed from a silica base material or a phosphate base material in predetermined proportions to an additive of a silver halogenide compound.
• the mixture was formed by adding four parts by weight of silicium monoxide to an additive of one part by weight of the total resulting mixture of a silver halogenide compound.
• the halo ⁇ genide may be selected from any of the Halogen Group and preferably from the group consisting of silver chloride and/or silver bromide.
• the subject mixture was formed from three parts by volume silicium monoxide, one part by weight of a silver halogenide compound, and 1.5 parts by weight of a glass material previously structured to include photochromic characteristics before adding to the mixture.
• the mixture is placed within a closed environment of a vacuum in which both the negative pressure and temperature can be regu- lated.
• the mixture is vapor ⁇ ized at a temperature and negative pressure to ac ⁇ complish vaporization while at the same time main ⁇ taining the vaporization temperature within an acti ⁇ vating temperature range, as set forth above, and below an upper temperature limit at which glass material begins to lose its photochromic character ⁇ istics.
• the process is further controlled to cause condensation of the vaporized mixture on a predeter ⁇ mined surface of a blank which itself is predisposed or positioned within the closed environment prior to vaporization.
• the resulting formed film has a thick ⁇ ness of approximately 4 to 5 microns and, the thick ⁇ ness of the formed film may vary between 1 and 5 microns as desired.
• the parameters of the above set forth process can be regulated through the application of equipment of the type set forth above which is specifically designed for the production of thin films.
• the resulting product therefore exhibits substan ⁇ tially complete and in any event highly satisfactory photochromic characteristics from a commercial view ⁇ point when viewing therethrough regardless of any variations in the thickness of the blank or base on which it is formed.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Eyeglasses (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=24031319

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

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Family Cites Families (3)

• 1983
  • 1983-07-20 BR BR8303872A patent/BR8303872A/pt unknown
  • 1983-09-02 AU AU20321/83A patent/AU2032183A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1983-09-02 EP EP19830903064 patent/EP0149607A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1983-09-02 WO PCT/US1983/001372 patent/WO1985000432A1/en unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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