Waterman's sunglass lens

Abstract

An improved ten-layer performance polarized lens for sunglasses. The lens design maximizes the benefit to watermen, giving them a combination of outer hydrophobic overcoat to protect the lens from seawater and smudging, multi-layer dielectric mirror which further reduces glare and overall light transmission, two layers of high-contrast blue-blocking amber or color-discriminating grey ophthalmic CR-39 plastic or polycarbonate, sandwiching a polarizing layer. The foregoing layers are arranged to provide a balanced light transmission profile optimum for use on the water in which 100% of UV-A & B light is absorbed to at least 400 nm. An alternative embodiment is described in which a Rugate filter is incorporated in place of or in addition to the multi-layer dielectric mirror. The resulting watermens' dielectric-mirrored sunglass lens reduces both overall light transmission and ocular photochemical damage, and is available in either high-contrast blue-light blocking amber or grey coloration.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A sunglass lens, comprising: 
 a dielectric mirror for reducing glare and overall light transmission;    a first layer ophthalmic plastic;    a second layer ophthalmic plastic;    a polarizing layer encapsulated between said first and second plastic layers;    whereby said layers are arranged to provide a balanced light transmission profile in which substantially 100% of UV-A & B light is absorbed to at least 400 nm.    
     
     
         2 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 1 , wherein said first and second ophthalmic plastic layers are colorized with one from among the group of high-contrast blue-blocking amber-tint and color discriminating grey tint.  
     
     
         3 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 2 , wherein said first and second layers are CR-39 plastic.  
     
     
         4 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 3 , wherein said first and second layers are polycarbonate.  
     
     
         5 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 1 , wherein said dielectric mirror further comprises a multi-layered dielectric mirror.  
     
     
         6 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 5 , wherein said multi-layered dielectric mirror further comprises at least six thin film layers vacuum deposited atop said first layer of plastic for further reducing light transmission and glare.  
     
     
         7 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 2 , wherein said polarizing filter layer is molecularly bonded between said first and second ophthalmic plastic layers to avoid haze and delamination.  
     
     
         8 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 1 , wherein said first and second ophthalmic plastic layers are colorized with a color discriminating grey tint, and the average blue light transmission of said lens is less than 7%.  
     
     
         9 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 1 , wherein said first and second ophthalmic plastic layers are colorized with a high-contrast blue-blocking amber-tint, and the average blue light transmission of said lens is less than 0.4%.  
     
     
         10 . A sunglass lens, comprising: 
 a first layer hydrophobic overcoat for protection from seawater and smudging;    a second layer dielectric mirror for further reducing light transmission and glare;    a third layer blue-blocking amber-tinted ophthalmic plastic material;    a fourth polarizing layer;    a fifth layer blue-blocking amber-tinted ophthalmic plastic material;    whereby said layers are arranged to provide a balanced light transmission profile optimum for use on the water in which substantially 100% of UV-A & B light is absorbed and with at least 99% absorption of blue light at up to 490 nm.    
     
     
         11 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 10 , wherein said dielectric mirror further comprises a multi-layered dielectric mirror.  
     
     
         12 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 11 , wherein said multi-layered dielectric mirror further comprises at least six thin film layers vacuum deposited atop said first layer of ophthalmic plastic for further reducing light transmission and glare.  
     
     
         13 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 12 , wherein said polarizing filter layer is molecularly bonded between said first and second ophthalmic plastic layers to avoid haze and delamination.  
     
     
         14 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 13 , wherein said said first and second ophthalmic plastic layers are CR-39 plastic.  
     
     
         15 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 14 , wherein said first and second ophthalmic layers are polycarbonate.  
     
     
         16 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 14 , wherein said first and second ophthalmic plastic layers are colorized with a high-contrast blue-blocking amber-tint, and the average blue light transmission of said lens is less than 0.4%.  
     
     
         17 . A sunglass lens, comprising: 
 a first layer hydrophobic overcoat for protection from seawater and smudging;    a second layer dielectric mirror for further reducing light transmission and enhancing UV obstruction;    a third layer color-discriminating grey-tinted ophthalmic CR-39 plastic;    a fourth polarizing layer;    a fifth layer color-discriminating grey-tinted ophthalmic CR-39 plastic;    whereby said layers are arranged to provide a balanced light transmission profile optimum for use on the water in which substantially 100% of UV-A & B light is absorbed and with at least 99% absorption of blue light at up to 410 nm.    
     
     
         18 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 17 , wherein said first and second layers are CR-39 plastic.  
     
     
         19 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 17 , wherein said first and second layers are polycarbonate.  
     
     
         20 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 17 , wherein said dielectric mirror further comprises a multi-layered dielectric mirror.  
     
     
         21 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 20 , wherein said multi-layered dielectric mirror further comprises at least six thin film layers vacuum deposited atop said first layer for further reducing light transmission and glare.  
     
     
         22 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 21 , wherein said polarizing filter layer is molecularly bonded between said first and second CR-39 lenses to avoid haze and delamination.  
     
     
         23 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 20 , wherein said first and second ophthalmic plastic layers are colorized with a color discriminating grey tint, and the average blue light transmission of said lens is less than 7%.  
     
     
         24 . A sunglass lens comprising a rugate filter formed as a transparent coating with an incrementally varying refractive index profile along its width arranged to provide a balanced light transmission profile in which substantially 100% of UV-A & B light is absorbed to at least 400 nm.  
     
     
         25 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 24 , wherein said rugate filter is encapsulated between a first lens layer and a second lens layer.  
     
     
         26 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 25 , wherein said first lens layer and second lens layer are ophthalmic plastic.  
     
     
         27 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 25 , wherein said first lens layer and second lens layers are glass.  
     
     
         28 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 25 , further comprising a dielectric mirror for reducing glare and overall light transmission.  
     
     
         29 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 26 , wherein said first and second ophthalmic plastic layers are colorized with one from among the group of high-contrast blue-blocking amber-tint and color discriminating grey tint.  
     
     
         30 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 26 , wherein said first and second layers are CR-39 plastic.  
     
     
         31 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 26 , wherein said first and second layers are polycarbonate.  
     
     
         32 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 28 , wherein said dielectric mirror further comprises a multi-layered dielectric mirror.  
     
     
         33 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 32 , wherein said multi-layered dielectric mirror further comprises at least six thin film layers vacuum deposited atop said first layer of plastic for further reducing light transmission and glare.  
     
     
         34 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 29 , wherein said first and second ophthalmic plastic layers are colorized with a color discriminating grey tint, and the average blue light transmission of said lens is less than 7%.  
     
     
         35 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 29 , wherein said first and second ophthalmic plastic layers are colorized with a high-contrast blue-blocking amber-tint, and the average blue light transmission of said lens is less than 0.4%.  
     
     
         36 . A sunglass lens comprising rugate filter means for selectively filtering wavelengths of light to preserve macular integrity.  
     
     
         37 . A sunglass lens, comprising: 
 a rugate filter formed as a transparent coating with an incrementally varying refractive index profile along its width;    a polarizing layer;    said rugate filter and polarizing layer being encapsulated between first and second plastic layers;    whereby said polarizing layer, rugate filter, and first and second plastic layers are arranged to provide a balanced light transmission profile in which substantially 100% of UV-A & B light is absorbed to at least 400 nm.    
     
     
         38 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 37 , wherein said first lens layer and second lens layer are ophthalmic plastic.  
     
     
         39 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 39 , further comprising a dielectric mirror for reducing glare and overall light transmission.  
     
     
         40 . The sunglass lens according to  claim 38 , wherein said first and second ophthalmic plastic layers are colorized with one from among the group of high-contrast blue-blocking amber-tint and color discriminating grey tint.