Electro-active spectacles and method of fabricating same
View Patent ↗A composite lens assembly comprising an electro-active lens assembly, a first lens wafer, and a second lens wafer is provided. The electro-active lens assembly has an upper substrate layer with a planar upper surface and a lower substrate layer with a planar lower surface. The first lens wafer has a planar lower wafer surface adjacent and parallel to the planar upper surface of the upper substrate layer of the electro-active lens assembly. The second lens wafer has a planar upper wafer surface adjacent and parallel to the planar lower surface of the lower substrate layer of the electro-active lens assembly.
1. A composite eyeglass lens assembly for an eyeglass frame, comprising:
a. a first lens having a fixed optical power;
b. a second lens having a fixed optical power;
c. a dynamic electro-active lens disposed between said first and said second lenses; and
d. a connecting element extending through said first lens, said second lens, and said electro-active lens for securing to the eyeglass frame, wherein said connecting element is adapted for conducting electricity to said electro-active lens from the eyeglass frame.
2. The composite lens assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second lenses is formed from a polymeric material.
3. The composite lens assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second lenses is formed from a glass material.
4. The composite lens assembly of claim 1 , wherein said connecting element is a bolt.
5. The composite lens assembly of claim 4 , wherein the dynamic electro-active lens comprises:
a. a first electrode layer;
b. a second electrode layer; and
c. a liquid crystal layer disposed between said first and said second electrode layers.
6. The composite lens assembly of claim 5 , wherein the dynamic electro-active lens further comprises:
a. a driver chip in electrical communication with the first and second electrode layers for controlling application of electrical power to the first and second electrode layers; and
b. at least one electrical contact layer in electrical communication with said driver chip, wherein said at least one electrical contact layer has a first contact area and a second contact area, wherein said second contact area is electrically isolated from the first contact area.
7. The composite lens assembly according to claim 6 , wherein said first and said second contact areas are formed from a substantially transparent material.
8. An electrical composite eyeglass lens assembly, comprising:
a. a first lens having a fixed optical power;
b. a second lens having a fixed optical power;
c. a dynamic electro-active lens disposed between said first lens and said second lens; and
d. a connecting element extending through said first lens, said second lens, and said electro-active lens, wherein said connecting element secures the first lens, the second lens, and the electro-active lens together, wherein said connecting element is adapted for providing electrical communication to said dynamic electro-active lens.