WO2015149251A1

WO2015149251A1 - Improved dual-lens eyeglasses and method of fabricating the same

Info

Publication number: WO2015149251A1
Application number: PCT/CN2014/074462
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yin Sang Lam; Yan Zhang
Original assignee: Yin Sang Lam
Priority date: 2014-03-31
Filing date: 2014-03-31
Publication date: 2015-10-08

Abstract

Disclosed is a structure used in dual-lens eyeglasses for fitting the lenses and facilitating their installation into frame front of the eyeglasses. The structure provided is a groove (103) of the frame front (101) of the eyeglasses frame comprising a defined width of gap and depth and in various shapes. A UV-shaped groove with a defined vertex angle at the bottom into which the lenses (104, 105) are perfectly fitted is preferred. Also provided is a method of fabricating the dual-lens eyeglasses using the groove and optimizing the installation procedure of the lenses into the frame front of the eyeglasses frame.

Description

IMPROVED DUAL-LENS EYEGLASSES AND METHOD OF FABRICATING

THE SAME

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to improved dual-lens eyeglasses. More particular, the present invention relates to improved dual-lens eyeglasses with substantially no watermarks and no distortion of optical properties of lenses. The present invention also relates to a method of fabricating the improved dual-lens eyeglasses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In the field of fabricating dual-lens eyeglass frame, most of the conventional methods cannot avoid the problems arising from the process of installing two lenses into the eyeglass frame and after the installation, including the dual-lens eyeglasses of the US Patent No. 8,545,010. Since there is substantially a space between two lenses in these conventional eyeglasses, it becomes very difficult to perfectly fit the two lenses into the eyeglass frame. During the process of lens rinsing, residual water is easily remained in the space between the two lenses. During installation of two lenses into the eyeglass frame, external force applied to the lenses unavoidably creates watermarks on the surface of each lens in contact with each other. The external force applied to the second lens (normally the front lens) needs to be limited during installation in order to avoid any adverse effect on the first lens already installed on the eyeglass frame. The lenses after installation into the eyeglass frame are easily distorted by other external forces such as stress when the eyeglasses are in use which may deform the lenses, leading to=distortion in optical properties, and/or even cracking on the edge of the lens. To resolve these existing problems, a specially designed structure for facilitating installation of lenses and fitting the lenses of a dual- lens eyeglass frame, and the corresponding fabrication method appear to be a promising solution and highly demanded in the respective industry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] A first objective of the present invention is to provide a pair of improved dual- lens eyeglasses where the two lenses have substantially no watermarks during installation, good fitting of the lens without stress and distortion of optical power (e.g., spherical cylinder, prism power). The improved dual-lens eyeglasses of the present invention incorporate an adhesive material between the two lenses during installation. The adhesive material used in the present invention includes but not limited to silicone glue, epoxy glue (AB glue) and polyurethane glue. A desirable adhesive material for the present invention should have a suitable curing nature, e.g. in terms of the curing time, and a suitable hardness. Among the above three examples, silicone glue is the best, but it should be understood that any other adhesive materials which have similar properties can be a desirable adhesive material for the present invention. The adhesive material is applied to at least a groove of the frame front into where the lenses are installed. The curing of the adhesive material is performed at room temperature before the installation of both the first and second lenses or after the installation of the two lenses. The adhesive material is preferably applied to the groove on both left and right sides of the frame front of the dual-lens eyeglass frame. The installation of the first and/or second lens can be done either before the adhesive material is totally cured or after the adhesive material is cured. In order to facilitate the installation of two lenses, the groove of the frame front is also configured to have a width gap, i.e., the difference between the total width of two lenses and the groove width, which is from 0mm to 0.5mm, more preferably is from 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm, and the most preferable width gap is 0.2 mm. The depth of the groove is also specially selected to be at least 0.5 mm, more preferably is 0.5 mm to 0.75 mm, and the most preferable depth is 0.75 mm. In addition to the dimension of the groove, the present invention also provides different shapes of the groove, namely U-shaped, V-shaped, or a combination of both shapes (UV-shaped.) The UV-shaped groove is considered to be the best among the three examples with respect to the feasibility of lens installation, relief of stress, and fitness of lens. The V-shaped bottom in either the V- shaped groove or UV-shaped groove is also provided with different degrees of angle at the vertex ranging from 95° to 115°, and preferably from 95° to 105°, and more preferably is 105°.

[0004] A second objective of the present invention is to provide a method of fabricating a pair of improved dual-lens eyeglasses. The method of the present invention includes providing an eyeglass frame for installation of dual lenses, where each side of the front frame includes a groove having a width gap of 0 to 0.5mm, a depth of 0.5-0.75mm, and/or a V-shaped, U-shaped, or a UV-shaped groove with an angle at the vertex of the V-shaped bottom ranging from 95° to 115°; filling up the groove of each side of the front frame with an adhesive material; installing each of the dual lenses into each side of the frame front of the eyeglass frame prior to the adhesive material is totally cured or after the adhesive material is cured. Optionally, the adhesive material can be additionally filled into the groove of the frame front after the first lens is installed. The adhesive material used in the present invention can be a rubberized adhesive material which is capable of reducing the risk of forming watermarks during lens rinsing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-section view of the V-shaped groove of one side of the frame front of the presently claimed dual-lens eyeglasses filled with the adhesive material and installed with two lenses sequentially.

[0006] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-section view of the V-shaped groove of one side of the frame front of the presently claimed dual-lens eyeglasses filled up with the adhesive material and installed with two lenses simultaneously.

[0007] FIG. 3 illustrates three different types of groove, namely V-shaped (A), UV- shaped (B), and U-shaped (C).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The following examples are used to depict the present invention in more detail but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0009] FIG. 1 depicts one of the embodiments of the presently claimed dual-lens eyeglasses includes a frame front 101, a V-shaped groove 103 on each side of the frame front 101 into where the first lens 104 and the second lens 105 are installed. A rubberized adhesive material 102 is placed in the middle of the V-shaped groove 103 on each side of the frame front 101. The first lens 104 and the second lens 105 are sequentially installed into the groove 103 on each side of the frame front 101 after the rubberized adhesive material 102 is totally cured at room temperature. In this embodiment, the space between the first lens 104 and the second lens 105 is filled with the rubberized adhesive material 102 which is placed in the middle of the groove 103. The rubberized adhesive material 103 filled between the two lenses provides elasticity for installation of the two lenses in order to increase the extent of the movement of the two lenses during installation. As such, the installation of the two lenses becomes easier and more controlled. In addition, because there is substantially no space between the two lenses in the presence of the rubberized adhesive material, no watermark is formed even the lenses are rinsed in water. Watermarks are very common in conventional dual-lens eyeglasses because residual water is left in the space between the two lenses after lens rinsing.

[0010] FIG. 2 depicts another embodiment of the presently claimed dual-lens eyeglasses includes a frame front 101, a groove 103 on each side of the frame front 101 into where the first lens 104 and the second lens 105 are installed. A rubberized adhesive material 102 is filled up the groove 103 on each side of the frame front 101. Before the rubberized adhesive material 102 is totally cured, the two lenses (104, 105) are installed simultaneously into the groove 103 on each side of the frame front 101. The rubberized adhesive material 102 before totally cured provides fluidity for installation of the two lenses. In addition, there is substantially some space between the two lenses when the two lenses are installed before the rubberized adhesive material is totally cured.

[0011] In all embodiments of the present invention, the rubberized adhesive material acts as a cushion for the lenses installed into the frame front of the dual-lens eyeglasses such that external force applied to any of the two lenses can be minimized. External force such as stress applied to any of the two lenses can lead to and distortion of optical properties of the lenses. The rubberized adhesive material also avoids deformation of the lens due to external force applied to the lenses.

EXAMPLES

[0012] Example 1 [0013] The width of gap is the difference between the total width of lenses and the groove width, which affects the installation of lens, stress and fitness directly. When the width of groove is less than that of the lenses 0.5mm, it is too narrow to install the lenses, however, when the width gap (width of groove minutes that of the lenses is from -0.2mm to 0.5mm, the groove is wide enough to accommodate the dual lens. Furthermore, the stress coming from the lens and groove is related to the width of gap which leads the lens to crack when it is lower than 0.2mm, so the width of gap rising up to a range of 0.2mm~0.5mm is a sensible choice for avoiding any adverse effect on the lens, whereas a too large gap, e.g. larger than 0.5mm, may lead the dual lens to fall out of the groove. The fitness of the groove with the lens also depends on the width of gap. When the width of gap is among 0-0.2mm, the fitness is perfect. Table 1 shows a range of width of gap values and their qualitative effect on feasibility of the installation of lens, stress relief, and fitness. Considering all aspects, the best choice of the width of gap is 0.2mm which is favorable to installation of lens, stress and fitness.

Table 1

The effect of the width of gap on installation of lens,

stress and goodness of fit

Width gap (mm) Installation Stress Fitness Remark

of lens

-0.5 X X X Considering from all

-0.2 V X X aspects, the best

0 V X V choice of the width

0.2 V V V gap is 0.2mm.

0.5 V V X [0014] Example 2

[0015] Effect of varying depths of the groove under a given width gap of 0.2mm which is the most preferred width gap in example 1 and after filling with the adhesive material is demonstrated in this example. Firstly, the depth of the groove plays an important role in the installation of lens. When the depth is lower than 0.3mm, the installed lenses in the groove slides out easily. Only when the depth is up to a range of 0.5mm to 0.75mm, the lens installed in the groove becomes stable. Secondly, stress is also related to the depth. When the depth is lower than 0.5mm, the stress will result in bending of the lens, so the depth needs to rise up to 0.75mm for stabilizing the lens. At last, the depth also affects the fitness of the lens with the groove. When the depth is lower than 0.3mm, the depth has an adverse effect on the fitness; while the depth rises to a range from 0.5mm to 0.75mm, the fitness of the lens with the groove becomes perfect. Table 2 shows a range of depth values and their qualitative effect on feasibility of installation of lens, stress relief and fitness. Considering from all aspects, the best choice of the depth is 0.75mm.

Table 2

The effect of the depth of the groove after filling with glue

on installation of lens, stress and fitness

Depth(mm) Installation Stress Fitness Remark

of lens

0.3 x x x Considering from all

0.5 V aspects, the best choice

0.75 V V of the depth is

0.75mm. [0016] Example 3

[0017] Effect of different groove types under a given depth of groove at 0.75mm which is the most preferred depth in example 2 and after filling with the adhesive material is demonstrated in this example. Several groove types including U-shaped, V-shaped, UV-shaped (where the vertex angle of the groove bottom is 95°), UV- shaped (where the angle at vertex of the groove bottom is 105°), UV-shaped (where the angle at vertex of the groove bottom is 115°) are selected for demonstration (FIG. 3). The U-shaped groove, UV-shaped (where the angle at vertex of the groove bottom is 95°) and another UV-shaped (where the angle at vertex of the groove bottom is 105°) groove are shown to be beneficial to the installation of lens because the U- shaped groove provides enough depth and appropriate width for accommodating the dual lens. In contrast, the V-shaped groove alone has an adverse effect on that because the depth of V-shaped groove bottom is shallower than that of the bottom of the U- shaped groove alone, which leads to the installed lenses sliding out easily. The vertex angle of the UV-shaped groove also affects the installation of lens, stress and fitness. When the vertex angle is 95°, it has a positive effect on the installation of lens. However, the vertex angle at 115° is too large for installation of lens, which leads to the installed lenses falling out of the groove. Considering the fitness of the lens with grooves, only the vertex angle of the UV-shaped groove at 105° exhibits a positive effect on that. Table 3 shows a series of groove type. Considering from all aspects, the best choice of groove type is UV-shaped (where the vertex angle of the groove bottom is 105°). Table 3

The effect of the groove shaped on

installation of lens, stress and fitness

Groove type Installation Stress Fitness Remark

(vertex angle) of lens

U-shaped X Considering from all

V-shaped X X X aspects, the best

UV-shaped (95°) V X X choice of groove type

UV-shaped(105°) V V V is

UV-shaped (115°) X V X UV-shaped (The vertex angle of groove bottom is 105°)

[0018] Example 4

[0019] Several adhesive materials containing silicone glue, AB glue and polyurethane (PU) glue are selected to demonstrate in this example under a given groove type, UV- shaped (where the vertex angle of the groove bottom is 105°) which is considered as the most preferred groove type in Example 3. The main ingredient of silicone glue is silicone; epoxy resin for AB glue; and polyurethane for the PU glue, respectively. The silicone glue and the PU glue are single component, whereas AB glue is a two- component glue which solidifies quickly after mixing two components. Comparing with the silicone and PU glues, using AB glue is more complicated. Besides convenience, the hardness of a glue plays an important role in the installation of lens. Comparing with the silicone glue and AB glue, the hardness of PU glue is less suitable for installation of lens because it leads the lens to bend. In addition, the curing time of silicone glue is relatively longer than AB glue, which is somehow a better choice for a precise installation procedure such as the installation of lens. The properties of different glues are shown in Table 4. Considering the curing nature and hardness of the glue, the silicone glue is the most preferred in this example.

Table 4

The properties of glue

Category Main Curing Nature Hardness Remark ingredient (Surface drying (HB)

time, min)

Silicone glue Silicone 25 30-35 Considering

Epoxy glue (AB Epoxy resin 5-10 30-40 from the curing glue) nature and

Polyurethane Polyurethane 15-50 45-60 hardness, the glue(PU glue) silicone glue is the best choice.

[0020] Although various aspects of the invention are set out in the independent claims, other aspects of the invention comprise other combinations of features from the described embodiments and/or the dependent claims with the features of the independent claims, and not solely the combinations explicitly set out in the claims.

[0021] It is also noted herein that while the above describes exemplary embodiments of the invention, these descriptions should not be viewed in a limiting sense. Rather, there are several variations and modifications which may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating dual-lens eyeglasses comprising:

a) providing a dual-lens eyeglasses frame with a frame front having at least one groove on each side of said frame front;

b) applying a rubberized adhesive material to the at least one groove on each side of frame front of an eyeglass frame; and

c) installing dual lenses to said eyeglass frame prior to or after curing of said rubberized adhesive material;

wherein the groove comprises a gap between the installed lenses and the groove with a width of 0 to 0.5mm, a depth from 0.5 to 0.75mm, and at least a vertex angle of 95° to 115° at the bottom of the groove.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the width of the gap between the installed lenses and the groove is 0.2mm to 0.5mm.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the width of the gap between the installed lenses and the groove is 0.2mm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the depth of the groove is 0.75mm.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the bottom of the groove is V-shaped with the vertex angle of 105°.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the groove further comprises a U- shaped groove, V-shaped groove and UV-shaped groove with the vertex angle of 105° at the V-shaped bottom.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the adhesive material comprises silicone-based glue, a two-component epoxy glue and polyurethane glue.

8. A dual-lens eyeglasses fabricated by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.