Method for forming coated plastic optical elements

Claim 2

A process for producing a coated ophthalmic lens, the process comprising: applying a coating composition to the face of a mold, the coating composition including substantially only polymeric reactants having at least triacrylate functionality, a photoinitiator and a polymerization inhibitor reactive with oxygen and in an amount insufficient to affect substantial curing of the coating composition and in an amount insufficient to substantially affect abrasion resistance of the coating; subjecting the coating to ultra-violet radiation in oxygen environment such that the reactants are substantially polymerized so that the coating is in a hard abrasion resistant state with sufficient acrylate functionality at a lens/coating interface for further reaction; filling the lens mold with a lens-forming material; permitting the lens-forming material to harden and react with the acrylate groups at the lens/coating interface; and removing the hardened lens with coating from the mold.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein the reactants are reactants for forming pentaerythritol tetracrylate.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 wherein the photoinitiator is selected from the group consisting of aroketones and aromatic-containing ketones.

Claim 5

The process of claim 3 wherein the photoinitiator includes 1-hydroxy-cyclohexyl-phenyl ketone.

Claim 6

The process of claim 4 wherein the concentration of 1-hydroxy-cyclohexyl-phenyl ketone is in the approximate range of 0.1% to 10% by weight of the polymeric reactants.

Claim 7

The process of claim 5 wherein the concentration of 1-hydroxy-cyclohexyl-phenyl ketone is in the approximate range of 2% to 5% by weight of the polymeric reactants.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1 wherein the polymerization inhibitor is monoethyl ether hydroquinone.

Claim 9

The process of claim 7 wherein the concentration of monoethyletherhydroquinone is in the approximate range of 100 to 2000 parts per million by weight of the polymeric reactants.

Claim 10

The process of claim 8 wherein the concentration of methylethylhydroquinone is approximately 350 parts per million by weight of the polymeric reactants.

Claim 11

The process of claim 1 wherein the coating composition further includes methylene chloride solvent.

Claim 12

The process of claim 1 wherein the reactants having triacrylate functionality have a molecular weight of less than 2000.

Claim 13

The process of claim 11 wherein the reactants having triacrylate functionality have a molecular weight of less than 600.

Claim 14

The process of claim 1 wherein the lens-forming material is selected from the group consisting of monomer or prepolymer for forming methylmethacrylate, allyldiglycol carbonate and blends thereof.

Claim 15

A process for producing a coated ophthalmic lens, the process comprising: applying a coating composition in a solvent to the face of a mold, the coating composition including monomeric or polymeric reactants having at least triacrylate functionality, a photoinitiator and a polymerization inhibitor reactive with oxygen and in an amount insufficient to affect substantial curing of the coating composition and in an amount insufficient to substantially affect abrasion resistance of the coating; subjecting the coating prior to filling the mold with lens-forming material to ultraviolet radiation of at least approximately 1 Joule/cm 2 in oxygen environment such that the reactants are polymerized so that the coating is in a hard abrasion resistant state with sufficient acrylate functionality at a lens/coating interface for further reaction; filling the lens mold with a lens-forming material; permitting the lens-forming material to harden and react with the acrylate groups at the lens/coating interface; and removing the hardened lens with coating from the mold.

Claim 16

A process for producing a coated ophthalmic lens, the process comprising: applying a coating composition in a solvent to the face of a mold, the coating composition including monomeric or polymeric reactants having at least triacrylate functionality, a photoinitiator and a polymerization inhibitor reactive with oxygen and in an amount insufficient to affect substantial curing of the coating composition and in an amount insufficient to substantially affect abrasion resistance of the coating; subjecting the coating prior to filling the mold with lens-forming material to ultraviolet radiation of at least approximately 1 Joule/cm 2 in oxygen environment such that the reactants are polymerized so that the coating is in a hard abrasion resistant state with sufficient acrylate functionality at a lens/coating interface for further reaction; filling the lens mold with a lens-forming material; permitting the lens-forming material to harden and react with the acrylate groups at the lens/coating interface; and removing the hardened lens with coating from the mold.

Claim 17

The process of claim 14 wherein the reactants are reactants for forming pentaerythritol tetracrylate.

Claim 18

The process of claim 14 wherein the photoinitiator is selected from the group consisting of aroketones and aromatic-containing ketones.

Claim 19

The process of claim 14 wherein the photoinitiator includes 1-hydroxy-cyclohexyl-phenyl ketone.

Claim 20

The process of claim 17 wherein the concentration of 1-hydroxy-cyclohexyl-phenyl ketone is in the approximate range of 0.1D to 10% by weight of the polymeric reactants.

Claim 21

The process of claim 18 wherein the concentration of 1-hydroxy-cyclohexyl-phenyl ketone is in the approximate range of 2% to 5% by weight of the polymeric reactants.

Claim 22

The process of claim 14 wherein the polymerization inhibitor is monoethyl ether hydroquinone.

Claim 23

The process of claim 20 wherein the concentration of monoethyletherhydroquinone is in the approximate range of 100 to 2000 parts per million by weight of the polymeric reactants.

Claim 24

The process of claim 21 wherein the concentration of methylethylhydroquinone is approximately 350 parts per million by weight of the polymeric reactants.

Claim 25

The process of claim 14 wherein the coating composition further includes methylene chloride solvent.

Claim 26

The process of claim 14 wherein the reactants having triacrylate functionality have a molecular weight of less than 2000.

Claim 27

The process of claim 24 wherein the reactants having triacrylate functionality have a molecular weight of less than 600.

Claim 28

The process of claim 14 wherein the lens-forming material is selected from the group consisting of monomer or prepolymer for forming methylmethacrylate, allyldiglycol carbonate and blends thereof.