JP3512725B2 - Method and apparatus for coloring plastic lens - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method and a coloring device for uniformly coloring a plastic lens by a vapor phase method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a method for coloring plastic,
The dipping method and the vapor phase method have been conventionally used. Among these, as an example of the vapor phase method, Japanese Patent Publication No. 35-1384 discloses a method of coloring a plastic by sublimating it radially using an organic dye pigment. In addition, JP-A-59-1
Japanese Patent No. 53321 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 56-159376 disclose a method of coloring a plastic lens by sublimating a solid sublimable dye. Further, JP-A 1-2
In Japanese Patent Publication No. 77814, it is attempted to color a plastic by applying a sublimable dye to a substrate in a non-contact state from a heating means and using a taper type lens holder. A method for coloring a plastic by heating a colored layer having a shape smaller than the range (see FIG. 1 of JP-A-1-277814) is described.

[0003]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, Japanese Patent Publication Sho 3
In the method described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-1384, since an organic pigment is used as a colorant, an opaque thin film of pigment is merely formed. Further, in the methods described in JP-A-59-153321 and JP-A-56-159376, it is impossible to quantitatively fly the solid sublimable dye to the lens surface, and it is possible to uniformly heat the coloring source. There is a problem that it is impossible to adjust the dyeing density. Further, in the method described in JP-A 1-277814, further improvement in leveling property is required for commercialization, and further improvement in control of dyeing density is required. It is also desired to develop a method of easily coloring a plastic lens, which has been difficult to color by the conventional dipping method. The present invention has been made for the purpose of solving the above-mentioned problems, and its main purpose is to provide a coloring method by a vapor phase method which is superior in leveling property of a plastic lens as compared with a conventional coloring method by a vapor phase method. To provide.

[0004]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of intensive studies to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present inventor has found that by applying sublimable dyes applied at predetermined intervals on a substrate and sublimating them, In a coloring method for coloring a plastic lens , before applying a sublimable dye onto a heat conductive substrate,
Uniformly coloring the plastic lens by heating the substrate in advance and setting the range of the sublimable dyes scattered on the substrate to a range having a size larger than the range to be colored in the plastic lens. The inventors have found that the above can be achieved and have completed the present invention. That is, the present invention applies a sublimable dye on a substrate at predetermined intervals to be scattered, and the substrate surface on which the sublimable dye is scattered and the colored surface of the plastic lens are opposed to each other with a space therebetween. A coloring method for coloring a plastic lens by heating the medium in a vacuum or a vacuum by a heating means to sublimate the sublimable dye, wherein the substrate is a heat conductive plate.
That, when applying the sublimable dye on the substrate,
A method for coloring a plastic lens, characterized in that the substrate is preheated, and that the scattered range of the applied sublimation dye is a range having a size larger than a range to be colored in the plastic lens. Is provided. Further, according to the present invention, a plastic lens to be colored is held by supporting the peripheral portion thereof, and an opening is formed in the direction of the colored surface of the lens, and a step portion for engaging a substrate sealing the opening is provided. A lens holding member having, and a sublimable dye which is disposed on the side of the plastic lens facing the surface to be colored and has a size larger than the range to be colored in the plastic lens, at a predetermined interval on the surface. A substrate that is applied and scattered, and a substrate that seals the opening of the lens holding member, and a heating member that is provided in contact with the entire surface of the substrate opposite to the surface on which the sublimable dye is scattered, A container having an opening for housing the lens holding member and capable of being sealed by the heating member; and a vacuum mechanism for bringing the container into a vacuum state. There is provided a plastic lens coloring system.

[0005]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In the present invention, the sublimable dye used in the present invention is a dye which has the property of sublimating when heated in air or in vacuum. Dianix Red, the dyes described in the lower left column, lines 6 to 13 of JP-A 1-277814.
TA-N (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), Kayalon Microester Red
C-LSconc (Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.), Kayalon Microester
Red AQ-LE (Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.), Miketon Fast Red
Z (Mitsui Chemicals), Kayalon Microester Red DX-L
S (manufactured by Nippon Kayaku), Dianix Blue UN-SE (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical), DisperseFast Blue Z (manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals), Di
anix / Samaron Navy Blue TA-N (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), Ka
yalon Microester Blue C-LS conc (Nippon Kayaku), Kayalon Microester Blue AQ-LE (Nippon Kayaku), Kayalon Microester Blue DX-LS conc (Nippon Kayaku), Dianix / Samaron Orange TA- N (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), Dianix Yellow TA-N (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), Kayal
on Microester Yellow AQ-LE (Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.), Kay
alon Microester Yellow DX-LS conc (Nippon Kayaku), Miketon Fast Yellow Z (Mitsui Chemicals)
, Kayalon Microester Yellow C-LS (Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.)
And the like dyes are preferably used.

The substrate on which the sublimable dye is scattered is not particularly limited as long as it can coat the dye, but a heat conductive plate such as an aluminum plate is preferable so that the dye can be heated and sublimated. . The size of the board is
The size needs to be larger than the range to be colored in the plastic lens. The position on the substrate where the sublimable dye is applied may be a position where the dye is scattered in a predetermined range on the substrate, but from the viewpoint of uniformly coloring the plastic lens, the X-axis and the Set the Y axis,
Lines parallel to the X-axis and the Y-axis are assumed to be at intervals of 0.2 to 3.0 cm, particularly preferably at intervals of 0.2 to 1.5 cm, and it is preferable to apply the dye at the intersection points. The position on the substrate where the dye is applied may be marked so that the application position can be easily recognized. By such means
It is possible to control the coloring density of the lens. Examples of marking methods include printing using an ink that does not peel off due to heating or washing during processing, or marking.

In order to disperse the sublimable dye on the substrate, a compound liquid prepared by mixing the above-mentioned sublimable dye with a solvent such as water or a binder such as a water-soluble acrylic resin is applied at each intersection point, A dye layer is formed on the substrate. The use amount of these solvents and the like can be 1 to 30 with respect to 1 of the sublimable dye in a weight ratio. The coating of the compounded liquid on the substrate can be performed using, for example, a microsyringe or a dispenser capable of applying a small amount. The coating amount can be changed according to the color density, and can be, for example, in the range of 0.01 to 500 microliters at each intersection position. In order to fix the sublimable dye on the substrate, it is preferable to heat the substrate in advance when applying the compounding solution to the substrate. The preferred heating temperature is 80 ° C. or higher.

Further, a color to be colored on the lens is manufactured by a personal computer, the color information is stored in a computer, and a predetermined sublimation dye is scattered at a predetermined position on the substrate based on the color information. It is also possible to let. The dotted range of the sublimable dye applied to the substrate needs to be larger than the range to be colored in the plastic lens in order to uniformly color the plastic lens. When the range of the sublimable dye scattered on the substrate is smaller than the range of the plastic lens to be colored, the dye is sublimated radially but uneven coloring is likely to occur. Incidentally, when the substrate on which the sublimable dye is scattered and the plastic lens to be colored are opposed to each other, the positional relationship is such that the range to be colored on the plastic lens is included in the range on which the sublimable dye is scattered on the substrate. To face each other.

The sublimable dye scattered on the substrate is heated by a heating means to be sublimated. As the heating means, a method of heating the substrate using a heating member is preferable, and a dyeing layer formed by a dye sublimated by heating the substrate is formed on the surface of the plastic lens to color the plastic lens. From the viewpoint of uniformly heating the dyes scattered on the substrate, the heating member is preferably in contact with the substrate on which the dyes are scattered. Specific examples of the heating member include a current resistance heater, a far-infrared heater, etc., whose temperature is easily adjusted and which is practical. The substrate is heated by the heating member,
The operation of sublimating the sublimable dye to color the lens may be carried out either in the air or in a vacuum, but when dyeing in a short time, it is preferably carried out in a vacuum atmosphere. The degree of vacuum is appropriately selected according to the material of the plastic lens to be colored and the type of sublimation dye used. The heating temperature of the heating member varies depending on the material of the lens to be colored, the sublimable dye used, and the like, but it is preferable to set the heating member to 100 ° C. or higher for coloring in a short time. further,
The dyeing time can be appropriately selected according to the material of the plastic lens to be colored, the type of sublimable dye used, and the like.

When the dyeable layer is formed on the surface of the plastic lens by sublimating the sublimable dye, the temperature of the plastic lens varies depending on the type of the lens and is not particularly limited, but is usually maintained in the range of 70 to 150 ° C. Is preferred. The plastic lens used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include methyl methacrylate.
Homopolymers, copolymers containing methyl methacrylate and one or more other monomers as monomer components, diethylene glycol bisallyl carbonate homopolymers, diethylene glycol bisallyl carbonate and 1 Copolymer containing at least one other monomer as a monomer component, sulfur-containing copolymer, halogen copolymer, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, unsaturated polyester, polyethylene terephthalate Examples include lenses made of polyurethane, polythiourethane, and the like. In addition, a publicly known primer layer and a known
A lens provided with a coat layer can also be colored by the coloring method of the present invention.

Next, the plastic lens coloring device of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an example of each member constituting the plastic lens coloring device of the present invention. The coloring device includes a lens holding member 1, a substrate 2 on which the applied dye 3 is scattered, and a heating member. It comprises a member 4, a container 5, and a vacuum pump 6. The holding member 1 is a member that supports the peripheral portion of the plastic lens 7 to be colored and holds the lens. The holding member 1 is opened in the direction of the colored surface of the lens, and the substrate 2 that seals the opening is engaged. It has a step portion 8 for. Reference numeral 9 is a ring for adjusting the position of the plastic lens 7 to be colored. The substrate 2 has the dyes 3 scattered in the vertical and horizontal directions on the side facing the colored surface of the plastic lens 7 to be colored.
(See FIGS. 2 and 3), and the scattered area of the dye 3 is larger than the area to be colored in the plastic lens (see FIG. 2). The substrate 2 is used to seal the opening of the lens holding unit 1. The scattered dyes 3 may be directly formed on the surface of the substrate 2 and the substrate 2 and the dyes 3 may be integrated, or a fiber molding having the dyes 3 attached thereto may be applied to the substrate 2. Good.

The heating member 4 is provided on the back surface of the substrate 2 (colored layer 3).
It is used for dyeing the colored surface of the plastic lens 7 to be colored by contacting the entire surface (opposite side to) and heating to sublimate the dye. In this coloring apparatus, specifically, an upper iron (hot plate) can be used as the heating member 4. The container 5 is a combination of the lens holding member 1, the plastic lens 7 to be colored, and the base material 3 having the dye 3.
A member for accommodating a set or a plurality of sets, having an opening for accommodating them, and sealed by the heating member 4. The storage container 5 includes a plastic lens 7 to be colored.
In order to maintain the temperature at a predetermined temperature, the heating mechanism 1
It may have zero. Further, a temperature measuring sensor and a vacuum degree measuring device (not shown) can be provided at appropriate positions. In addition, 11 is a packing.

The vacuum pump 6 is for keeping the inside of the container 5 in a vacuum state. In this coloring device,
The distance between the colored plastic lens 7 and the colored layer 3 is appropriately selected according to the heating temperature of the lens and the colored layer, the coloring time, the degree of vacuum, the desired dyeing density, and the like.
Generally, it is selected in the range of 1 to 1000 mm. If this distance is less than 1 mm, the heat of the heating member during sublimation of the dye may be transferred to the plastic lens, and the optical characteristics of the lens may be impaired. If this distance exceeds 1000 mm, the sublimated dye may be transferred to the plastic lens. The arrival amount becomes extremely small, the time for forming the dyeing layer on the plastic lens to be colored becomes long, and it becomes difficult to color it to a desired density, which is not preferable. In addition, in order to perform the half-dyeing of the lens, it is preferable to apply a sublimation dye to the half of the substrate 2 and to make it scattered as shown in the upper side of FIG.

[0014]

[Example] 1. Preparation of dye solution Dianix Red -ACE (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), Dianix Blue AC
(Mitsubishi Chemical Co., Ltd.) and Fast Yellow GL (Mitsui Chemicals Co., Ltd.) were mixed at a weight ratio of 5: 2: 24, and pure water was added 10 times the weight of this dye to prepare a dyeing solution. did. Further, the dyeing solution was applied in a grid pattern at 70 points at 1 cm intervals to a circular aluminum plate having a diameter of 103 mm and a thickness of 1 mm which had been heated in advance to 100 degrees. The coating amount was 1 microliter (Example 1), 3 microliters (Example 2), 5 microliters (Example 3), and 10 microliters (Example 4) per point. In Comparative Example 1, the range in which the dye is scattered is a circular range having a diameter of 70 mm.

2. Coloring Device Used The coloring device shown in FIG. 1 was used. 3. The used plastic lens material was an unprocessed Tesla lid (trade name, manufactured by HOYA Co., Ltd., diameter: 80 mm) which is a sulfur-containing plastic lens.

Example 1 A dye layer was formed on an aluminum plate so that the area where the dye was scattered was 103 mm in diameter, and the aluminum plate was placed on the upper iron (hot plate) with a jig in the apparatus shown in FIG. The temperature of the hot plate is 115 ° C. and the degree of vacuum is 3.5 kPa.
Stained for minutes. Staining was performed on the concave surface of the lens. The light transmittance measured at a wavelength of 575 nm was 76.8%. Moreover, when the uniformity of coloring was visually examined, it was found that the coloring was uniform. In addition, the lens was not deformed. Even if this coloring treatment was repeated many times, almost the same result was obtained.

Examples 2 to 4 The same procedure as in Example 1 was carried out except that the dye amount at each point was changed. As a result, a uniformly colored plastic lens was obtained, and an increase in the coloring density was observed with an increase in the dye amount.

[0018]

[Table 1]

Example 5 Example 5 was repeated except that the distance between the aluminum plate and the hot plate was set to 2 mm. The light transmittance of the obtained colored plastic lens at a wavelength of 575 nm is 83.0%.
Met. Comparative Example 1 The procedure of Example 1 was repeated, except that the dye layer was formed on an aluminum plate so that the area where the dyes were scattered was circular with a diameter of 70 mm. When the obtained colored plastic lens was visually inspected for color uniformity, some color unevenness was observed. Comparative Example 2 Dianix Red-TA-N (Mitsubishi Chemical) 3 g and Dianix Blue
3 g of UN-SE (Mitsubishi Chemical) was added to 1 liter of pure water to prepare a dyeing solution, and the dyeing solution was heated to 95 ° C. and the same plastic lens as in Example 1 was immersed for 30 minutes. I couldn't.

[0020]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a dyeing method by the vapor phase method, which is superior in the level dyeing property of the lens as compared with the conventional coloring method by the vapor phase method and which can control the dyeing density. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an example of a plastic lens coloring device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a photograph showing a substrate and a plastic lens according to the present invention in which a sublimable dye is scattered.

FIG. 3 is a photograph showing a substrate according to the present invention in which a sublimable dye is scattered and an apparatus used for applying the dye.

Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-56-153321 (JP, A) JP-A-56-159376 (JP, A) JP-A 1-229885 (JP, A) JP-A 1-277814 (JP , A) JP-A-2-23314 (JP, A) JP-A-2000-329901 (JP, A) JP-A-2001-66401 (JP, A) JP-A-2002-258002 (JP, A) JP-B-35-1384 (JP, B1) European Patent Application Publication 982432 (EP, A 1) European Patent Application Publication 1237035 (EP, A 1) European Patent Application Publication 1249334 (EP, A 1) (58) Fields searched (Int. Cl. ⁷⁾ , DB name) G02B 1/10 B29C 71/04 C08J 7/00-7/02 C08J 7/12-7/18 D06P 1/00-7/00

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A substrate is coated with a sublimable dye at predetermined intervals to be scattered, and a substrate surface on which the sublimable dye is scattered and a colored surface of a plastic lens are opposed to each other with a space therebetween, and in the atmosphere. Alternatively, in a vacuum, by heating by a heating means to sublimate the sublimable dye, a coloring method for coloring a plastic lens, wherein the substrate is a heat conductive plate, the sublimable dye is
When applying on the substrate, preheat the substrate
And a method of coloring a plastic lens, wherein the dotted range of the applied sublimable dye is a range having a size larger than a range to be colored in the plastic lens. 2. The method of coloring a plastic lens according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is marked so that the position for applying the sublimable dye can be recognized at predetermined intervals. 3. A plastic lens to be colored is held by supporting a peripheral portion thereof, and a colored surface of the lens is opened, and a step portion for engaging with a substrate sealing the opening is provided. The lens holding member and the plastic lens are arranged on the side facing the surface to be colored, and a sublimation dye is applied to the surface at a predetermined interval in a range having a size larger than the range to be colored in the plastic lens. A substrate that is scattered around and seals the opening of the lens holding member, and a heating member that is provided in contact with the entire surface of the substrate opposite to the surface on which the sublimable dye is scattered, A container having an opening for housing the lens holding member and capable of being sealed by the heating member; and a vacuum mechanism for bringing the container into a vacuum state. Plastic lens coloring apparatus.