Patent US4880667A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4880667A
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US
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Photochromic plastic article and method for preparing same
Assignee: Micro Lithography Inc
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Filing: 1987-10-15
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Granted: 1989-11-14
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Expires: 2007-10-15
Abstract
Abstract Described is a method for imparting a photochromic response to a synthetic plastic article, e.g., an optical lens such as a sunglass lens prepared from an allyl diglycol carbonate monomer. The method described comprises depositing a thin uniform substantially dry film of a photochromic-bearing polymeric resin onto at least one planar surface of the synthetic plastic material, heating the plastic article and resin film substantially uniformly at temperatures near to but below the melting temperature of the photochromic substance for a time sufficient to transfer a photochromic amount of the photochromic material into the subsurface region of the plastic article, and thereafter removing the photochromic-lean resin film from the planar surface(s) of the plastic article.
Inventors
- 👤 Cletus N. Welch
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 07:26
CPC Classifications
B; B05; B05D; B05D5/00; B05D5/06; B05D7/00; B05D7/02; G; G02; G02B; G02B1/00; G02B1/10; G02B5/00; G02B5/20; G02B5/22; G02B5/23; G03; G03C; G03C1/00; G03C1/685
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
133 words
A method for imparting a photochromic response to a synthetic plastic surface, which comprises: (a) applying a substantially mottle-free, substantially homogeneous film of polymeric resin having a spiro(indoline) photochromic material dissolved therein onto said surface, said film having a substantially uniform thickness across the portion of the surface to which it is applied and being substantially dry as soon as it is applied, said polymeric resin being a solvent for the photochromic material and remaining solid at the incorporation temperatures of step (b), (b) heating the film-bearing plastic surface at temperatures near to but below the melting temperature of the photochromic material for a time sufficient to incorporate a photochromic amount of the photochromic material into the subsurface of the synthetic plastic surface, and (c) thereafter removing the photochromic-lean film from said surface.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
133 words
A method for imparting a photochromic response to a synthetic plastic surface, which comprises: (a) applying a substantially mottle-free, substantially homogeneous film of polymeric resin having a spiro(indoline) photochromic material dissolved therein onto said surface, said film having a substantially uniform thickness across the portion of the surface to which it is applied and being substantially dry as soon as it is applied, said polymeric resin being a solvent for the photochromic material and remaining solid at the incorporation temperatures of step (b), (b) heating the film-bearing plastic surface at temperatures near to but below the melting temperature of the photochromic material for a time sufficient to incorporate a photochromic amount of the photochromic material into the subsurface of the synthetic plastic surface, and (c) thereafter removing the photochromic-lean film from said surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the photochromic material constitutes between about 25 and 40 weight percent of the dry film applied to the synthetic plastic surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the film is applied by spraying a solution of the photochromic material and polymeric resin in a readily volatile organic solvent onto the synthetic plastic surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the solution has a viscosity of from about 1 to 20 centipoises.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the synthetic plastic surface is cleaned and substantially free of static charges.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature at which the film-bearing plastic surface is heated is between about 5° C. and 50° C. less than the melting temperature of the photochromic material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the heating time is between about 15 minutes and 60 minutes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the photochromic-lean film is removed from the surface by contact with an organic solvent.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the photochromic material is a spiro(indoline)pyrido benzoxazine or spir(indoline)naphthoxazine.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the synthetic plastic is selected from polymers and copolymers of polyol(allyl carbonate) monomers, polyacrylates, poly(alkyl acrylates), cellulose acetate, cellulose triacetate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, poly(vinyl acetate), poly(vinyl alcohol), polyurethanes, polycarbonates, polyethyleneterephthalate, polystyrene, poly (styrene-methylmethacrylate), poly (styrene-acrylonitrile) and polyvinylbutyral.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the synthetic plastic is selected from polymers of diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate), copolymers of diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate) and vinyl acetate, polcarbonate, polyvinylbutyral, cellulose acetate, cellulose propionate, cellulose butyrate, cellulose acetate butyrate, polystyrene and copolymers of styrene with methyl methacrylate, vinyl acetate or acrylonitrile.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the photochromic material is a spiro (indoline) pyrido benzoxazine or spiro (indoline) naphthoxazine.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 12 wherein the synthetic plastic surface is undercured.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 13 wherein the film is between about 0.5 and 3 mils thick.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the photochromic material constitutes between about 25 and 40 weight percent of the dry film applied to the synthetic plastic surface.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the film is applied by spraying a solution of the photochromic material and polymeric resin in a readily volatile organic solvent onto said synthetic plastic surface.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the temperature at which the film-bearing plastic surface is heated is between about 5° C. and 50° C. less than the melting temperature of the photochromic material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the heating time is between about 15 minutes and 60 minutes.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the temperature at which the film-bearing plastic surface is heated is between about 145° C. and 160° C.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 18 which further comprises the step of tinting the plastic surface with a color complementary dye after the photochromic-lean film is removed from the surface.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 18 wherein the plastic surface is tinted with a color complementary dye prior to applying the photochromic-bearing film to the surface.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the film is between about 0.5 and 3 mils thick.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 22 wherein the film is between about 1 and 2 mils thick.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 22 wherein the film is applied by spraying a solution of the photochromic material and polymeric resin in a readily volatile organic solvent onto the synthetic plastic surface, said solution containing sufficient photochromic material to produce a dry film containing from 25 to 40 weight percent of photochromic material.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 24 wherein the heating time is between 15 and 60 minutes at temperatures between 5° C. and 50° C. less than the melting temperature of the photochromic material.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
141 words
The method of claim 1 wherein: (a) the synthetic plastic is selected from polymers and copolymers of polyol (allyl carbonate) monomers, polyacrylates, poly(alkyl acrylates), cellulose acetate, cellulose triacetate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, poly(vinyl acetate) poly(vinyl) alcohol), polyurethanes, polycarbonates, polyethyleneterephthalate, polystyrene, poly (styrene-methylmethacrylate), poly (styrene-acrylonitrile) and polyvinylbutyral. (b) the photochromic material is selected from spiro(indoline)pyrido benzoxazines, spiro(indoline)naphthoxazines, spiro(indoline)benzopyrans, spiro(indoline)naphthopyrans, spiro(indoline) quinopyrans, spiro(indoline)benzoxazines, spiro(indoline) pyridopyrans, and spiro(indoline) pyridooxazines; and (c) the polymeric resin is selected from polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylacetate, polyurethanes, polyvinylbutyral, copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate, copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride, polyvinyl propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, polymerizates of C 1 -C 4 esters of acrylic or methacrylic acid, and mixtures of polyvinyl chloride and said acrylate polymerizates, said mixtures containing from 10 to 90 parts of polyvinyl chloride and from 90 to 10 parts of acrylate polymerizates.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
119 words
The method of claim 26 wherein: (a) the synthetic plastic is selected from polymers of diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate), copolymers of diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate) and vinyl acetate, polycarbonate, polyvinylbutyral, cellulose acetate, cellulose propionate, cellulose butyrate, cellulose acetate butyrate, polystyrene and copolymers of styrene with methyl methacrylate, vinyl acetate or acrylonitrile, (b) the photochromic material is selected from spiro(indoline)pyrido benzoxazines and spiro-(indoline) naphthoxazines; and (c) the polymeric resin is selected from polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl butyral, copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate, polyvinyl propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, polymethylacrylate, polymethylmethacrylate and mixtures of polyvinyl chloride and said polyacrylates, said mixtures containing from 10 to 90 parts of polyvinyl chloride and from 90 to 10 parts of the polyacrylates.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 27 wherein the film is applied by spraying a solution of the photochromic material and polymeric resin in a readily volatile organic solvent onto the synthetic plastic surface, said solution containing sufficient photochromic material to produce a dry film containing from 25 to 40 weight percent of photochromic materials.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 28 wherein the temperature at which the film-bearing plastic surface is heated is between about 5° C. and 50° C. less than the melting temperatures of the photochromic material, and the heating time is between about 15 minutes and 60 minutes.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 29 wherein the temperature and times at which the film-bearing plastic surface is heated is between 145° C. and 160° C. and between 20 minutes and 45 minutes respectively.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 27 wherein the synthetic plastic surface is undercured.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-11-13 | 1993-05-15 | 1993-11-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-11-13 | 1997-05-15 | 1997-11-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-11-13 | 2001-05-15 | 2001-11-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |