Method of casting optical surfaces on lens blanks

Claim 1

A method of casting resinous lens blanks having a finished concave optical surface by the steps of providing a cylindrical shaped resinous mold cavity having an inside diameter equal to or larger than the outside diameter of the lens blank and a curved optical surface aligned with a peripheral orientation ring present at the bottom of the resinous cylindrical shaped mold, filling the resinous mold with a selected liquid lens monomer covering the optical surface and the peripheral orientation ring, allowing the lens monomer to polymerize to form a solid monolithic mass adhering to the cylindrical sides of the mold and to the curved optical surface, cutting the cylindrical sides of the resinous mold from the sides of the solid lens blank, removing the lens blank from the optical surface of the resinous mold, truing the flat surface opposite the concave optical surface and the orientation ring parallel with the peripheral orientation ring.

Claim 2

A method of casting resinous lens blanks having a finished concave optical surface by the steps of providing a cylindrical shaped resinous mold cavity having an inside diameter equal to or larger than the outside diameter of the lens blank and a curved optical surface aligned with a peripheral orientation ring present at the bottom of the resinous cylindrical shaped mold, filling the resinous mold with a selected liquid lens monomer covering the optical surface and the peripheral orientation ring, allowing the lens monomer to polymerize to form a solid monolithic mass adhering to the cylindrical sides of the mold and to the curved optical surface, cutting the cylindrical sides of the resinous mold from the sides of the solid lens blank, removing the lens blank from the optical surface of the resinous mold, truing the flat surface opposite the concave optical surface and the orientation ring parallel with the peripheral orientation ring.

Claim 3

A method of casting resinous lens blanks having a finished concave optical surface by the steps of providing a cylindrical shaped resinous mold cavity having an inside diameter larger than the outside diameter of the lens blank and a curved optical surface aligned with a peripheral orientation ring present at the bottom of the resinous cylindrical shaped mold, filling the resinous mold with a selected liquid lens monomer covering the optical surface and the peripheral orientation ring, closing the mold to prevent evaporation of the liquid lens monomer, allowing the lens monomer to polymerize to form a solid monolithic mass adhering to the cylindrical sides of the mold and to the curved optical surface, cutting the cylindrical sides of the resinous mold and the sides of the solid lens blank to the required lens blank diameter, removing the lens blank from the optical surface of the resinous mold, truing the flat surface opposite the concave optical surface and the orientation ring parallel with the peripheral orientation ring.

Claim 4

A method of casting resinous lens blanks having a finished concave optical surface by the steps of providing a cylindrical shaped resinous mold cavity having an inside diameter larger than the outside diameter of the lens blank and a curved optical surface aligned with a peripheral orientation ring present at the bottom of the resinous cylindrical shaped mold, filling the resinous mold with a selected liquid lens monomer covering the optical surface and the peripheral orientation ring, closing the mold to prevent evaporation of the liquid lens monomer, allowing the lens monomer to polymerize to form a solid monolithic mass adhering to the cylindrical sides of the mold and to the curved optical surface, cutting the cylindrical sides of the resinous mold and the sides of the solid lens blank to the required lens blank diameter, removing the lens blank from the optical surface of the resinous mold, truing the flat surface opposite the concave optical surface and the orientation ring parallel with the peripheral orientation ring.

Claim 5

A method of casting lens blanks having a finished optical surface by the steps of providing a cylindrical shaped resinous mold having an inside diameter equal to the outside diameter of the lens blank and an optical surface aligned with a peripheral orientation ring present at the bottom of the resinous cylindrical shaped mold, filling resinous cylindrical shaped mold, filling the resinous mold with a selected liquid lens monomer covering the optical surface and the peripheral orientation ring, allowing the lens monomer to polymerize to form a monolithic mass adhering to the sides of the mold and to the curved optical surface, cutting the sides of the resinous mold from the sides of the solid lens blank, removing the lens blank from the optical surface of the resinous mold.

Claim 6

A method of casting lens blanks having a finished optical surface by the steps of providing a cylindrical shaped resinous mold having an inside diameter equal to the outside diameter of the lens blank and an optical surface aligned with a peripheral orientation ring present at the bottom of the resinous cylindrical shaped mold, filling resinous cylindrical shaped mold, filling the resinous mold with a selected liquid lens monomer covering the optical surface and the peripheral orientation ring, allowing the lens monomer to polymerize to form a monolithic mass adhering to the sides of the mold and to the curved optical surface, cutting the sides of the resinous mold from the sides of the solid lens blank, removing the lens blank from the optical surface of the resinous mold.