JP3884061B2 - Lens staining method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for dyeing a lens, and more particularly to a method suitable for half-dying a lens.

  As a method for dyeing a lens, it is known that after forming a dye film on the lens surface, the dye is diffused in the lens by heat treatment to dye the lens. As an example, in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, after a dye film is formed on the lens surface, the lens convex surface is placed on a donut-shaped jig that can be fixed around the lens. A method of dyeing by heating in an oven is described.

  However, in the methods described in these publications, it is possible to dye the entire surface of the lens, but a method of applying lens half-coloring (lens whose color density changes) often used in spectacle lenses. No specific proposal has been made about.

JP-A-8-20080 JP 2000-314801 A

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for half-dying a lens in a method for dyeing a lens on which a dye film is formed by heating.

  As a result of intensive research to achieve the above object, the present inventor used a heating furnace provided with an open insertion port for inserting a lens on the bottom surface, and a frame portion from the vicinity of the insertion port in the heating furnace. By setting the state where the temperature rises as it enters the inside, by inserting a part or all of the lens on which the dye film is formed into the furnace inside the heating furnace from the insertion port and heating the lens The inventors have found that the object can be achieved, and completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention
(1) A film forming process for forming a dye film on the lens surface, a frame part for forming a space, a heating part provided in the frame part, and an opening for inserting a lens provided on the bottom surface of the frame part. And a heating / diffusion process for diffusing the dye into the lens by heating the lens on which the dye film has been formed by a heating furnace having an insertion port. It has a heating furnace temperature setting process in which the heated air is set by moving the heated air upward in the furnace, and the heating / diffusion process is a heating in which the condition is set. A process consisting of inserting a part or all of the lens on which the dye film is formed from the lower part of the furnace into the furnace of the heating furnace through the insertion port and heating the lens, from the lower part to the upper part of the lens. The coloring density gradually increases Method of dyeing a lens to be colored so that,
(2) In the heating / diffusion step, a part or all of the lens on which the dye film is formed is inserted into the inside of the furnace from the insertion port, and the lens is moved in the vertical direction and heated. The method for dyeing a lens according to (1) above,
(3) The lens dyeing method according to (1) or (2) above, wherein a heating furnace further provided with a cooling mechanism is used at a position corresponding to a portion in the frame portion that does not require coloring.
Is to provide.

  According to the present invention, a lens can be efficiently subjected to half dyeing.

In the present invention, the first step is a film forming step for forming a dye film on the lens surface. In this step, for example, it is disclosed in JP-A-8-20080 and JP-A-2000-314801. The method is used. As specific examples of the method, a dyeing solution containing a disperse dye is prepared, and this dyeing solution is applied by brush coating, spin coating method, ink jet method, or the like, or a dyeing solution containing a disperse dye and a water-soluble polymer. And a method of immersing the lens in this staining solution at room temperature.
As the medium for the staining liquid, an aqueous medium is preferably used from the viewpoint that the lens surface is not roughened and from the viewpoint of work.

As the dye used in the dye solution, it is preferable to use a disperse dye conventionally used for coloring a lens. Examples include Dianix Blue AC-E and Dianix Red AC-E manufactured by Daistar Japan, and Kayalon Polyester Color Yellow disperse dye manufactured by Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd. Colors Yellow) 4G-E and Kayalon Polyester Colors Scarlet 2R-E.
When the water-soluble polymer described later is not added, the dye concentration is preferably 10% by weight or more, particularly preferably 20% by weight or more based on the total weight of the dye solution, but is not limited thereto. When adding the water-soluble polymer mentioned later, it is 0.1-20 weight% normally, Preferably, it selects in the range of 3-10 weight%.

In addition, a water-soluble polymer can be added to the staining solution, as in the case of the invention disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-314801.
Examples of the water-soluble polymer include polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylic acid, polyacrylic acid metal salt, polyacrylamide, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether and the like. Polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol and the like that are inexpensive and inexpensive are preferred. These water-soluble polymers may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
This water-soluble polymer increases the viscosity of the dyeing liquid to make it difficult for the dyeing liquid attached to the lens surface to flow, and after the heat treatment, the lens surface is washed with water to easily remove the disperse dye remaining on the surface. Plays. In addition, since the affinity with the disperse dye is poor, it also plays a role of facilitating the disperse dye to penetrate into the lens and diffuse when heated.
The water-soluble polymer is advantageously dissolved in an aqueous medium before adding the disperse dye. Disperse dyes can be used even in a partially suspended state without being completely dissolved in an aqueous medium, but since a water-soluble polymer must be used in a state completely dissolved in an aqueous medium, a colorless and transparent aqueous solution It is for confirming that it melt | dissolved in this state. The amount of the water-soluble polymer to be dissolved is usually selected in the range of 0.1 to 50 parts by weight, preferably 1 to 10 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the dye solution. Since water-soluble polymers generally have a low dissolution rate in water, they must be completely dissolved by forced stirring or stirring for a long time. As the aqueous medium, water is used. If necessary, water to which an organic solvent having miscibility with water is appropriately added can be used as long as the object of the present invention is not impaired.

In addition to the water-soluble polymer, a surfactant not included in the concept of water-soluble polymer can be added. A preferred surfactant is a nonionic surfactant. The addition amount is 1 to 30 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the dye solution when no water-soluble polymer is added, and 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the dye solution when the water-soluble polymer is added. 5 to 20 parts by weight is preferable.

The lens to which the staining method of the present invention is applied is an optical plastic lens, and examples thereof include optical lenses used for contact lenses, spectacle lenses, camera lenses, projector lenses, telescope lenses, magnifier lenses, and the like. In particular, vision correction lenses such as contact lenses and spectacle lenses are suitable. Specifically, polydiethylene glycol bisallyl carbonate, methyl methacrylate homopolymer, copolymer of methyl methacrylate and one or more other monomers, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, polythiourethane, other sulfur-containing Mention may be made of lenses made of polymers and the like.
From the viewpoint of controlling the degree of coloration of the lens, the temperature of the dyeing liquid when forming the dye film is preferably a temperature at which the dye does not diffuse into the lens substrate.

A lens having a dye film formed on the surface by the dyeing solution and method as described above is diffused in the lens by heating and dyed in a heating / diffusion process for dyeing the lens. In the method of the present invention, In the diffusion step, using a heating furnace having a frame part that forms a space, a heating part provided in the frame part, and an open insertion port for inserting a lens provided on the bottom surface of the frame part, A heating furnace temperature setting step is set in the heating furnace to set a state in which the temperature increases as it enters the frame portion from the vicinity of the insertion port, and the heating / diffusion step is performed below the heating furnace in which the state is set. Then, a part or all of the lens on which the dye film is formed is inserted into the furnace from the insertion port and heated.
After the heating is completed, the remaining dye film can be removed by washing with water or with a washing solution.

Next, the staining apparatus used in the method of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state of an example of a staining apparatus used in the present invention before a lens is inserted into a furnace from a lens insertion port.
The dyeing apparatus 1 basically includes a heating furnace 10, a lens holding mechanism 20, and a lens moving mechanism 30, which are supported by a support base 50.
The heating furnace 10 includes a frame portion 11 that forms a space, and a heater 13 provided on a side surface in the frame portion 11. The furnace interior 12 forms a space for heating the lens on which the dye film is formed. Further, a lens insertion port 14 for inserting a lens is provided on the bottom surface of the frame portion 11 and is open. The shape of the frame portion 11 is not limited to the rectangular parallelepiped as shown in FIG. 1, and may be a cube or other shapes.
In the present invention, in the heating furnace 10, it is important that the lens insertion port 14 is provided on the bottom surface of the frame portion 11. That is, the air heated by the heater 13 moves upward in the furnace interior 12, and furthermore, only the lens insertion opening 14 below is opened in the furnace interior 12 and the others are sealed. In the furnace interior 12, the temperature in the vicinity of the lens insertion opening 14 is low, and the temperature rises as it enters the interior.
In the present invention, the lens is heated using the temperature distribution inside the furnace 12 set by the heating furnace temperature setting step, and the lens is subjected to half dyeing.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the lens is inserted into the furnace from the lens insertion port of the staining apparatus shown in FIG. Thus, when the lens 21 having the dye coating is inserted into the furnace interior 12 through the lens insertion port 14, the temperature in the furnace interior 12 increases from the location holding the lens upward. The tip of the lens (upper part in the figure) away from the holding part is heated to the highest level, and the heating temperature becomes lower as it approaches the holding part of the lens (lower part in the figure). As a result, the tip of the lens far from the portion holding the lens is most intensely colored, and the color is lighter toward the bottom.

If the lens has a portion that does not require coloring, a cooling mechanism is provided at a position corresponding to the portion in the frame that does not require coloring.
3 is a perspective view showing a state before the lens is inserted into the furnace from the lens insertion port of the staining device in which a cooling mechanism is further attached to the staining device of FIG. 1, and FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state inserted in the furnace inside.
In these drawings, a cooling mechanism 40 including an elliptical cooling pipe 41 is provided around the lens insertion opening 14 in the furnace interior 12. This cooling mechanism has a structure in which a coolant such as water or air is circulated in the cooling pipe 41, and the corresponding portion of the lens 21 is cooled so as not to be colored. The material of the cooling pipe 41 is not particularly limited, but a material having good thermal conductivity, for example, copper is used.
The temperature inside the furnace 12 is not particularly limited, but is preferably in the range of 90 to 150 ° C. in consideration of the coloring speed of the lens and the heat resistance of the lens. And in order to detect and control the temperature of the furnace inside 12, a thermometer can be provided in arbitrary positions.

The lens holding mechanism 20 has a horizontal member 24 for holding the lens by holding the lower end portion of the lens so that the two lenses 21 can be inserted into the lens insertion port 14, and a center position on the bottom surface of the horizontal member 24. It is basically composed of a shaft portion 22 extending in the vertical direction and a lens holder 23 for holding a lens provided on the upper surface of the horizontal member. The shaft portion 22 and the moving member 36 of the lens moving mechanism 30 are detachable.
In order to obtain an appropriate temperature distribution in the furnace interior 12, even when the lens holding mechanism 20 is moved and a part or all of the lens is inserted into the furnace interior 12, a part of the lens insertion opening 14 is The open state is preferable, and the size of the horizontal member 24 and the size of the lens insertion opening 14 are preferably adjusted. The position on the bottom surface where the lens insertion opening 14 is provided is not particularly limited as long as the temperature in the furnace interior 12 increases from the vicinity of the lens insertion opening to the top of the furnace interior 12. The shape of the lens insertion port is not particularly limited as long as the lens can be inserted and the above-described temperature distribution is achieved.

The lens moving mechanism 30 moves up and down between the lens setting position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 and the lens setting position in the furnace interior 12 of the heating furnace 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, respectively. Is provided. The lens moving mechanism 30 includes a T-shaped moving member 36 that supports the shaft portion 22 of the lens holding mechanism 20, two shafts 31 and 35 for moving the moving member 36 up and down, a pulse motor 32, -Basically composed of a reel 33 and a belt 34.
In the T-shaped moving member 36, holes for screwing and engaging with the shafts 31, 35 are provided in the member 36 a parallel to the horizontal member 24 of the lens holder 23 to hold the lens holder 23. Are provided in a member 36 b perpendicular to the horizontal member 24 of the lens holder 23. The shafts 31 and 35 are provided in the direction from the support base 50 to the heating furnace 10 so that the lens 21 can move into the furnace interior 12 of the heating furnace 10.
One of the two shafts 31 is provided with a screw around it. And the screw hole is provided in the member 36a of the moving member 36 screwed together with the shaft 31 in which this screw is provided. A pulley 33 is provided at the lower end of the shaft 31 and is connected to a pulse motor 32 via a belt 34. The other one of the two shafts 35 is not provided with a screw. In such a configuration, the lens 21 can be moved up and down by driving the pulse motor 32. Further, by connecting the control unit 60 to the pulse motor 32, the height position of the lens 21 can be controlled by time as required.
The support base 50 is provided to support the heating furnace 10, the lens holding mechanism 20, and the lens moving mechanism 30.

FIG. 5 shows the temperature distribution inside the furnace 12 (33 cm in length, 36 cm in width, 26 cm in height) when the set temperature is 130 ° C. in the dyeing apparatus of FIG. It is a figure shown by temperature.
As shown in FIG. 5, the temperature portion inside the furnace 12 has a lower temperature near the lens insertion opening, and the temperature increases as it enters the back. As for the inserted lens, the temperature is higher at the position where the tip of the lens is away from the position where the lens is held, and the temperature is lower as the position is closer to the lens holding position. From this, it can be confirmed that the temperature distribution is suitable for the lens half dyeing.

EXAMPLES Next, although an Example demonstrates this invention further in detail, this invention is not limited at all by these examples.
Example 1
70% by weight of pure water, dye [Sumikaron Orange SE-RPD (trade name, distributor: Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.), Diacelliton Fast Yellow GL (trade name, distributor: Dystar Japan Co., Ltd.), Dianix Blue AC-E (Trade name, distributor: Dystar Japan Co., Ltd.), Disperse Red 802 (trade name, distributor: Futaba Sangyo Co., Ltd.)] 20% by weight and water-soluble polymer [polyoxyethylene alkyl ether (product name: NIKKOL BT-7, Nippon Surfactant Co., Ltd.] A 10% by weight dyeing solution at room temperature was applied to an Airy (trade name: HOYA Corporation, refractive index 1.71, diameter 80 mmφ) substrate. Thus, a lens on which a dye film was formed was obtained.
This lens was heated and dyed by a dyeing apparatus having the structure shown in FIGS.
First, after holding the lens in the lens holding mechanism, the lens is moved by the lens moving mechanism, inserted into a furnace having a temperature distribution shown in FIG. 5 at a set temperature of 130 ° C., and heated for 60 minutes for dyeing. went.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 6 (the coloring density gradually increases from the bottom to the top), a half-colored lens colored at a high density was obtained.
In addition, a present Example is the result of coloring using the dyeing | staining apparatus which does not provide the cooling mechanism mentioned above.

Comparative Example 1
Using the same dyeing solution as in Example 1, a conventionally known method, that is, a method of immersing an irony base material in a dyeing solution heated to 90 ° C. and half dyeing, the same is true even after 5 hours. It was not possible to obtain a colored lens.

It is a perspective view which shows the state before inserting a lens into a furnace from a lens insertion port of one example of the dyeing | staining apparatus used by this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which inserted the lens into the furnace from the lens insertion opening of the dyeing | staining apparatus shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state before inserting a lens in a furnace from the lens insertion port of the dyeing | staining apparatus which attached the cooling mechanism to the dyeing | staining apparatus of FIG. 1 which is another example of the dyeing | staining apparatus used by this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which inserted the lens into the furnace from the lens insertion opening of the dyeing | staining apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows temperature distribution when the furnace temperature is 130 degreeC in the state of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the lens colored with the method and apparatus of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1: Dyeing apparatus 10: Heating furnace 11: Frame part 12: Furnace interior 13: Heater 14: Lens insertion port 20: Lens holding mechanism 21: Lens 22: Shaft part 23: Lens holder 24: Horizontal member 30: Lens moving mechanism 31: Screwed shaft 32: Pulse motor 33: Pulley 34: Belt 35: Screwed shaft 36: Moving member 40: Cooling mechanism 41: Cooling pipe 50: Support base 60: Control unit

Claims (3)

Film forming process for forming a dye film on the lens surface, a frame part for forming a space, a heating part provided in the frame part, and an open insertion port for inserting a lens provided on the bottom surface of the frame part And a heating / diffusion process for diffusing the dye into the lens by heating the lens on which the dye film is formed, and further entering the inside of the frame from the vicinity of the insertion port in the heating furnace. A heating furnace temperature setting step in which the heated air is set by moving the heated air upward in the furnace, and the heating / diffusion step is below the heating furnace in which the state is set. From the lower part of the lens toward the upper part, the color density is increased by inserting a part or all of the lens on which the dye film has been formed into the furnace of the heating furnace through the insertion port and heating the lens. Will gradually become thicker Dyeing method of lens to be colored in. 2. In the heating / diffusion step, a part or all of a lens on which a dye film is formed is inserted into an inside of a heating furnace through an insertion port, and the lens is moved up and down to be heated. A method for dyeing a lens according to 1. 3. The lens dyeing method according to claim 1, wherein a heating furnace further provided with a cooling mechanism is used at a position corresponding to a portion in the frame portion that does not require coloring of the lens.

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