Laminated mirror lens
A lens for eyewear is configured to reduce the appearance of scratches on the lens and/or increase the durability of the lens. The lens can include a functional stack bonded to a lens body. The functional stack can include a functional layer, such as a thin film coating, sandwiched between the lens body and an optical-grade transparent film. The functional stack can increase abrasion resistance and environmental durability of the lens, and can reduce the appearance of scratches on the lens. The combined lens body and functional stack can increase the durability of the lens relative to a lens with a thin film coating (e.g., a gradient or mirror stack) on an external surface of the lens.
1. A lens comprising:
a lens body comprising a substantially rigid material, the lens body having a convex surface and a concave surface; and
a functional stack bonded to the lens body, the functional stack comprising:
a first flexible thin polymeric material having a deposition surface and a surface opposite the deposition surface; and
a functional layer deposited onto the deposition surface of the first flexible thin polymeric material,
wherein the functional layer is positioned between the lens body and the first flexible thin polymeric material.
2. The lens of claim 1 , wherein the first flexible thin polymeric material has a thickness that is at least 80 microns and less than or equal to 500 microns.
3. The lens of claim 1 , wherein the functional layer comprises a thin film coating.
4. The lens of claim 3 , wherein the thin film coating comprises a mirror stack.
5. The lens of claim 1 , wherein the first flexible thin polymeric material comprises polycarbonate.
6. The lens of claim 1 , wherein the substantially rigid material is polycarbonate.
7. The lens of claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive configured to bond the functional stack to the lens body.
8. The lens of claim 7 , wherein the adhesive is configured to provide index matching between a thin film coating and the lens body.
9. The lens of claim 1 , further comprising a hard coat layer disposed on an exterior surface of the lens body and an exterior surface of the functional stack, wherein the hard coat layer comprises a substantially uniform layer of polymeric material configured to increase an abrasion resistance, a mechanical durability, and/or a chemical resistance of the lens.
10. The lens of claim 1 , wherein the functional stack further comprises a second flexible thin polymeric material having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and wherein the functional layer is positioned between the first and second flexible thin polymeric materials.
11. The lens of claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second flexible thin polymeric materials has a thickness that is at least 80 microns and less than or equal to 200 microns.
12. The lens of claim 10 , further comprising an adhesive layer configured to bond the functional layer to the second flexible thin polymeric material.
13. The lens of claim 12 , wherein the first flexible thin polymeric material includes one or more dyes configured to impart a gradient or solid color to the first flexible thin polymeric material.
14. The lens of claim 13 , further comprising a polarizer layer positioned between the first and second flexible thin polymeric materials.
15. Eyewear comprising a frame and the lens of claim 1 connected to the frame.
16. The lens of claim 1 , wherein the functional stack is bonded to the convex surface of the lens body.
17. A lens comprising:
a lens body comprising a substantially rigid material, the lens body having a convex surface and a concave surface; and
a functional stack bonded to the lens body, the functional stack comprising a first flexible thin polymeric material having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first flexible thin polymeric material having a dye applied to the first surface,
wherein the first surface of the first flexible thin polymeric material is positioned between the lens body and the second surface of the first flexible thin polymeric material,
wherein the functional stack further comprises a thin film coating positioned between the first flexible thin polymeric material and the lens body, and
wherein the thin film coating comprises a mirror stack.
18. The lens of claim 17 , wherein the dye is applied to the first surface of the first flexible thin polymeric material through a roll-to-roll sublimation process.
19. The lens of claim 18 , wherein the functional stack further comprises a second flexible thin polymeric material having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and wherein the first surface of the first flexible thin polymeric material is positioned between the second surface of the first flexible thin polymeric material and the second flexible thin polymeric material.
20. The lens of claim 17 , wherein the dye is applied so as to impart a gradient to the first flexible thin polymeric material.
21. The lens of claim 17 , wherein the functional stack is bonded to the convex surface of the lens body.