JP2010281964A - Method of producing dyed optical component and dyed semi-finish lens - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of producing a dyed optical component whereby a dyed optical component is efficiently obtained, and a hard coat is suitably adhered closely to the surface of the optical component, and to provide a dyed optical component obtained by using the method. <P>SOLUTION: The method of producing the dyed optical component comprises: a first step of dyeing one surface of a film made of transparent resin; and a second step of using the dyed film obtained in the first step to obtain a semi-lens integrally molded with the film by film insert molding, the dyed film being set to make a dyed surface of the dyed film contact with the lens material. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a dyeing optical component used for sunglasses, a spectacle lens, and the like, and a method for manufacturing the dyeing optical component.

  Conventionally, an optical component (plano lens) called a plano lens and a semi-finished lens called a semi-finished lens (hereinafter simply referred to as a semi-lens) are known. In the semi-lens, the convex side (front side) has a predetermined optical surface, and the concave side (rear side) is a simple concave surface that is later made into an optical surface by cutting, depending on the desired power Thus, the concave side is appropriately cut. On the other hand, when such a semi-lens is used as a dyed finished lens, first, the concave side of the semi-lens is cut so as to obtain the required power, and then immersed in a dyeing solution to be dyed, thereby protecting the lens. For this reason, a hard coat treatment is often performed (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2000-288891 A

  However, as described above, when a semi-lens is used to obtain a finished product lens, after the semi-lens is cut, a further dyeing operation must be performed, and it takes time to obtain a dyed finished lens. Will take. In order to shorten the dyeing process, it may be conceived that the semilens is preliminarily dyed and stored in a predetermined color. However, since the semilens scrapes the concave surface of the lens, the color density changes. Further, when a hard coat is applied to the dyed semi-lens, there is a problem that the hard coat is difficult to adhere to the dyed surface. In particular, the problem of adhesion and dyeability of the hard coat to the dyed surface becomes a problem particularly when polycarbonate is used as the lens material. In addition, in order to provide this type of lens such as a plano lens and a semi-lens as inexpensively as possible, they are generally mass-produced and stocked and the dyeing pattern is often determined in advance. For this reason, it is required to produce and dye as efficiently as possible.

  In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, in a mass-produced optical component such as a semi-lens or a plano lens, an optical component that has been dyed efficiently can be obtained, and a hard coat can be suitably adhered to the surface of the optical component. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing a dyeing optical component that can be produced and a dyeing optical component obtained by using the method.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is characterized by having the following configuration.
(1) In the method for producing a dyeing optical component, the first step of dyeing one surface of a film made of transparent resin, and the film is formed by film insert molding using the dyed film obtained in the first step. A step of obtaining an integrally formed semi-lens, and a second step of performing film insert molding so that the dyed surface of the film is in contact with the lens material.
(2) In the method for manufacturing a dyeing optical component according to (1), the dyeing in the first step is performed using a gas phase transfer dyeing method.
(3) In the method for manufacturing a dyed optical component according to (2), the second step is a step of performing film insert molding so that the other non-dyed surface of the film is a front surface of the optical component. Features.
(4) The method for manufacturing a dyeing optical component according to (3) further includes a third step of forming a hard coat on the front surface of the optical component after the second step.
(5) In the method for producing a dyeing optical component according to (4), the optical component is a semi-fish lens, and the film and the lens material are polycarbonate.
(6) A semi-finished lens having a predetermined optical surface on the lens front surface and a simple concave surface for the rear surface to be cut later, and a film having one surface dyed on the lens front surface. It is characterized by being bonded using a bonding surface.
(7) In the dyed semi-finished lens according to (6), a hard coat layer is formed on the surface of the film.
(8) In the dyed semi-finished lens according to (7), the film and the lens material are polycarbonate.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently obtain a dyed optical component in a mass-produced optical component such as a semi lens or a plano lens, and a hard coat can be suitably adhered to the surface of the optical component.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a view showing a configuration of a semi-finished lens (hereinafter abbreviated as a semi-lens) as a dyed optical component of the present embodiment. The dyeing semi-lens 10 includes a semi-lens 1 having a spherical or aspherical optical surface on the front surface (convex surface), a rear surface made of a simple concave surface to be cut later, and a dyed film 2 bonded to the front surface of the semi-lens 1. Become. The joint surface of the film 2 that contacts the semi-lens 1 has a dyed layer 3 dyed with a desired color. A hard coat layer 4 is formed on the surface of the film 2 opposite to the dyed layer for the purpose of surface protection. Note that the hard coat layer 4 may not be formed if the surface protection of the semi-lens is not necessary. The hard coat layer 4 may be a single hard coat layer, or may be a hard coat layer 4 composed of two layers in which a primer coat is applied to improve adhesion and a hard coat is formed thereon.

  As a lens material for forming the semi-lens 1, a conventionally known thermoplastic resin can be used. Specific examples include polycarbonate, polyamide, polyurethane, polystyrene, and acrylic resin. The film 2 may be a known transparent resin that can be used for film insert molding. Preferably, the resin is the same material as the lens material used for the semi-lens 1 or a resin having a refractive index close to the refractive index of the lens material constituting the semi-lens 1. Specific examples include the lens materials described above and polyethylene terephthalate. In addition, the film 2 does not need to be comprised from the single film, and the film which consists of a composite layer which bonded two or more films together may be sufficient. The thickness of the film 2 may be any thickness that can be softened by heat and can be adhered to the mold in film insert molding, and is preferably 0.005 mm to 5 mm, more preferably 0.1 mm to 1 mm. . In addition, when the thickness of the film 2 is less than 0.005 mm, shrinkage or the like due to heat easily occurs.

  The hard coat layer 4 formed on the front surface of the film 2 is formed using a conventionally known ultraviolet curing type or thermosetting type hard coating liquid such as acrylic type or silicon type (siloxane type). Such a hard coat liquid is applied to the front surface of the film 2 by a conventionally known method such as brush coating or spin coating, and is cured.

  Next, a method for obtaining the dyed semi-lens of this embodiment will be described below. First, dyeing is performed on the rear surface of the film 2 (surface to be joined with the semi-lens). Dyeing is not particularly limited as long as it is a method capable of dyeing the film 2, but dyeing by a gas phase transfer dyeing method can be suitably used.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the steps of the gas phase transfer dyeing method.
Three types of inks for gas phase transfer dyeing (red, blue and yellow) are put in commercially available ink cartridges 41 for ink jet printers, and these cartridges are mounted on an ink jet printer 40 (hereinafter referred to as a printer). A commercially available printer 40 is used. In addition, as a dye used for the gas phase transfer dyeing ink, a sublimation dye such as quinophthalone or anthraquinone is preferably used.

  Next, in order to print a desired color using the printer 40, a commercially available personal computer 50 (hereinafter referred to as PC) is used to adjust the hue and density to be printed. Since the hue is prepared by the drawing software of the PC 50, desired color data can be stored in the PC 50, and the same color tone can be obtained as many times as necessary. Also, since the color density is digitally managed, the same color density can be desired as many times as necessary.

Commercially available A4 paper is used for the substrate on which the sublimation dye is printed. The substrate 100 is not limited to paper but is not particularly limited as long as it can be printed by the printer 40. However, it is preferable to use a substrate that absorbs heat in order to apply heat during gas phase transfer.
The substrate 100 is placed in the printer 40, and printing is performed with a preset hue and density by operating the PC 50. On the printed substrate 100, a colored layer 100a coated with dyeing ink is printed. The size of the colored layer 100a is preferably slightly larger than the film 2 to be used.

  Next, the film 2 is dyed by the vapor phase transfer dyeing method using the colored substrate 100. In the gas phase transfer dyeing method, a substrate coated with a sublimable dye is heated in a vacuum atmosphere, the dye is sublimated and deposited on an opposing film, and then the film is heated at a predetermined temperature to fix the dye. Dyeing is performed. First, the colored substrate 100 and the film 2 are placed in the vacuum gas-phase transfer machine main body 20, and the sublimable dye of the colored layer 100 a is deposited on the film 2. Reference numeral 20 denotes a vacuum vapor-phase transfer machine main body, which is provided with a take-out port (not shown) for taking the substrate 100 and the film 2 in and out. Reference numeral 21 denotes a halogen lamp for sublimating the dye of the colored layer 100 a formed on the substrate 100. A rotary pump 22 is used to make the inside of the main body 20 almost vacuum. Reference numeral 23 denotes a leak valve, which opens the valve to bring the outside air into the main body 20 which has been almost evacuated to return to atmospheric pressure.

  Reference numeral 30 denotes a jig for setting the base 100 and the film 2. The jig 30 includes a film mounting table for mounting the film 2 and a substrate mounting table for mounting the substrate 100. After setting the surface to be dyed of the film 2 and the colored layer 100a side surface of the substrate 100 in a non-contact state on the jig 30, the main body 20 is sealed and the vacuum pump 22 is used in a vacuum state. To. When the main body 20 reaches a predetermined degree of vacuum, the halogen lamp 21 is turned on to heat the substrate 100 from above. It is preferable that the heating temperature on the substrate 100 be as high as possible without causing dye deterioration or film deformation.

Since the substrate 100 is heated by turning on the halogen lamp 21, the dye sublimates and evaporates from the colored layer 100 a and is deposited on the dyed surface of the film 2. The heating of the substrate 100 by turning on the halogen lamp 21 may be performed until the dye on the colored layer 100a is almost sublimated and evaporated.
When the heating is finished, the halogen lamp 21 is turned off and the leak valve 22 is opened to return to normal pressure. The door of the main body 20 is opened, and the film 2 on which the dye is deposited is taken out. Although the sublimated dye is deposited on the plastic lens 3, it can be easily removed as it is, so it is placed in the oven 60 shown in FIG. 1 and heated and fixed under normal pressure. In this step, the oven is heated to a temperature set as high as possible below the heat-resistant temperature of the film 2, and the film 2 is removed from the oven after a predetermined time has elapsed to obtain a desired hue and density. It is executed in the procedure of taking out. The heating temperature of the oven 60 is preferably as high as possible within a range that does not cause dye deterioration or film deformation. For example, the heating temperature is about 50 to 150 ° C. By being heated by the oven 60 for a predetermined time, the dye deposited on the film 2 is fixed, and one side of the film is dyed in a desired color.

  Next, a semi-lens to which the dyed film 2 is bonded is obtained by film insert molding. In the film insert molding, the dyed film 2 and the lens material melted by heating are placed in a semi-lens molding die, and the film 2 and the lens material are integrated. The film 2 is previously cut or punched so as to have substantially the same diameter and shape as the front surface of the lens. In the mold used for molding, the wall surface forming the lens front surface (convex surface) is designed in advance so as to obtain a predetermined optical surface, and the wall surface forming the lens rear surface (concave surface) is used for determining the lens power. It is designed to be a simple curved surface without an optical surface. In such a mold, the surface opposite to the dyed layer side of the film 2 is brought into close contact with the wall surface of the mold on the lens front side. In the case of close contact, the film 2 is heated in advance, and the softened film 2 is brought into close contact with the wall surface of the mold using air suction. When the film 2 is in close contact with the mold, a thermoplastic lens material is poured into the mold and cured to obtain a semilens (dyed semilens) in which the dyed film is bonded. In the obtained dyed semi-lens, the film 2 is integrally bonded to the front surface of the lens, and the surface of the unstained film is the front surface of the lens.

Since the front surface of the semilens thus obtained is not dyed, even if a hard coat with high scratch resistance is applied to the front surface of the lens, the coat layer is hardly peeled off, and a suitable dyed semilens can be obtained. In addition, although the film shown in this embodiment shall use the film which does not have an optical function, it is not restricted to this, For example, a polarizing film can also be used. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the film insert molding is performed so that the dyed film 2 is bonded to the front surface of the lens. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the dyed film is positioned inside the semi-lens as shown in FIG. It is also possible to perform film insert molding as described above. In the present embodiment, the film is dyed with a desired color using a gas phase transfer dyeing method, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is a method capable of suitably dyeing only one side of the film. I just need it. For example, only one side can be dyed by masking one side of the film and immersing it in a dyeing solution. However, polycarbonate is a material that is very difficult to dye and hardly dyes when immersed in a normal dyeing solution. When such a hardly dyeable material is used for the film, the dyeing by the above-mentioned gas phase transfer dyeing method is particularly effective. In the present embodiment, the semi-lens has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a large number of lenses (plano lenses) that are rarely used for sunglasses can be prepared in advance. The present invention can be particularly suitably applied to a dyed optical component.
Examples / Comparative Examples are listed below, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Example 1
A polycarbonate film (380 mm × 310 mm) having a thickness of 0.5 mm was dyed on one side using a vapor phase transfer dyeing method. Using the drawing software attached to a commercially available personal computer, set the output amounts of red, blue, and yellow to 44%, 70%, and 88%, respectively, and output them to A2 size printer paper using a printer. Went. As the ink used, Red NK-1, Yellow NK-2, and Blue NK-3 manufactured by Nidec Co., Ltd. containing an anthraquinone sublimation dye were used. The printer used was Seiko Epson's PX-6250S. Using the vacuum gas phase transfer machine described above, the dye was sublimated from the ink-coated paper to the film for vapor deposition. As the vapor deposition conditions, the halogen lamp was turned on until the degree of vacuum was 0.2 kPa and the heating temperature was 230 ° C. on paper. The film having the dye deposited on one side was heated in an oven (DKN612, manufactured by Yamato Kagaku Co., Ltd.) at 135 ° C. for 2 hours to perform the dye fixing operation.

After the dyed film is made into a circular shape having a diameter of 78 mm by punching, the film is brought into close contact with the mold wall so as to be on the convex side of the mold, and polycarbonate is injected and molded by insert molding. A semilens bonded to the front surface of the lens was obtained. The mold temperature was about 90 ° C., and the resin temperature was about 290 ° C. In addition, for the purpose of improving adhesion on the front surface (convex surface side) of the obtained dyeing semi-lens, Nippon Seika Co., Ltd. primer hard solution NSC-PR was applied, and after drying in an oven at 80 ° C. for 5 minutes, A silicon hard coat solution (NSC-5140 manufactured by Nippon Seika Co., Ltd.) was applied, heated in an oven at 130 ° C. for 3 hours, polymerized and cured to form a hard coat.
The obtained dyed semi-lens had a good appearance without uneven dyeing. Further, the dyeing semilens obtained by the above treatment was tested by the following method. The results are shown in Table 1.

(1) Scratch test: The scratch test was performed by visually observing the state of the film after the surface of the coating film was reciprocated five times at a load of 1500 g using # 0000 steel wool. Judgment was made as follows: ◯: scars hardly (0 to 5), Δ: slightly scratched (6 to 10), x: scratches frequently (11 or more).
(2) Adhesion test: The adhesion test was performed by making 100 squares at 1 mm intervals on the lens surface with a cutter and performing a peel test (cross-cut tape test) with a cellophane adhesive tape three times. I investigated.

(Comparative Example 1)
After molding a polycarbonate semi-lens using the same mold as in the example, the front surface (convex surface) of the semi-lens was directly dyed using a gas phase transfer dyeing method. After dyeing, a hard coat was formed on the dyed surface. Dyeing conditions and hard coating were performed under the same conditions as in Example 1. The obtained dyed semi-lens had a good appearance without uneven dyeing. Further, the scratch test and the adhesion test were conducted in the same manner as in Example 1. The results are shown in Table 1.

It is a figure showing composition of a dyeing semi-finished lens with a hard coat in this embodiment. It is the schematic diagram which showed the outline of the process of the gaseous-phase transfer dyeing method used by this embodiment. It is the figure which showed the example of a change in this embodiment.

1 Semi-Lens 2 Dyed Film 3 Dye Layer 4 Hard Coat Layer 10 Dye Semi-Lens

Claims (8)

A first step of dyeing one side of a film made of transparent resin;
Using the dyed film obtained in the first step to obtain a semi-lens in which the film is integrally molded by film insert molding, wherein the film insert molding is performed so that the dyed surface of the film is in contact with the lens material A second step of performing
A method for producing a dyeing optical component, comprising: 2. The method for manufacturing a dyeing optical component according to claim 1, wherein the dyeing in the first step is performed using a gas phase transfer dyeing method. 3. The method of manufacturing a dyed optical component according to claim 2, wherein the second step is a step of performing film insert molding so that the other undyed surface of the film is a front surface of the optical component. Manufacturing method of dyeing optical components. The method for producing a dyeing optical component according to claim 3, further comprising a third step of forming a hard coat on the front surface of the optical component after the second step. 5. The method for manufacturing a dyeing optical component according to claim 4, wherein the optical component is a semi-fish lens, and the film and the lens material are polycarbonate. A semi-finished lens having a predetermined optical surface on the front surface and a concavo-convex surface for rear cutting on the rear surface, and a film having one surface dyed on the front surface of the lens. Dyeing semi-finished lens characterized by being joined as 7. The dyed semi-finished lens according to claim 6, wherein a hard coat layer is formed on the surface of the film. 8. The dyed semi-finished lens according to claim 7, wherein the film and the lens material are polycarbonate.