Dyeing method and dyeing apparatus

Abstract

A dyeing method in which a transparent resin body having a surface applied with a dye is heated to fix the dye to the transparent resin body comprises a heating step of irradiating a laser beam having a wavelength less likely to be absorbed by the dye toward the transparent resin body applied with the dye on the surface while relatively scanning the laser beam with respect to the transparent resin body to heat a to-be-dyed region of the transparent resin body to fix the dye, wherein the laser beam is irradiation to heat by changing a laser beam irradiating condition with respect to a portion of the transparent resin body to be heated so that a heating temperature on the transparent resin body by irradiation of the laser beam is substantially equal throughout an entire area of the to-be-dyed region.

1 . A dyeing method in which a transparent resin body having a surface applied with a dye in a to-be-dyed region of the transparent resin body is heated to fix the dye to the surface of the transparent resin body, the method comprising:
 irradiating a laser beam toward the transparent resin body applied with the dye on the surface while relatively scanning the laser beam with respect to the transparent resin body to heat the to-be-dyed region of the transparent resin body to fix the dye, wherein the laser beam is irradiated to heat according to a laser beam irradiating condition with respect to a portion of the transparent resin body to be heated;   detecting a heating temperature on the transparent resin body under irradiation of the laser beam; and   changing the laser beam irradiating condition based on a detection result so that the heating temperature on the transparent resin body is substantially equal throughout an entire area of the to-be-dyed region,   wherein the laser beam has a wavelength having a lower absorbance by the dye as compared to an absorbance by the transparent resin body.   
     
     
         2 . The dyeing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the transparent resin body is a plastic lens. 
     
     
         3 . The dyeing method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 changing the laser beam irradiating condition comprises changing the laser beam irradiating condition between a first laser beam irradiating condition and a second laser beam irradiating condition being different from the first irradiation condition, and   the irradiating comprises:
 irradiating the laser beam to heat under the first laser beam irradiating condition with respect to a first region in the to-be-dyed region of the transparent resin body; and 
 irradiating the laser beam to heat under the second laser beam irradiating condition with respect to a second region in the to-be-dyed region of the transparent resin body having a thinner thickness than the first region. 
   
     
     
         4 . The dyeing method according to  claim 3 , wherein each of the first and second laser beam irradiating conditions includes at least one of a speed condition of the scanning and an output power condition of the laser beam. 
     
     
         5 . The dyeing method according to  claim 4 , wherein the second laser beam irradiating condition includes at least one of a condition that the scanning speed is set faster than in the first laser beam irradiating condition and a condition that the irradiation power is set lower than in the first laser beam irradiating condition. 
     
     
         6 . The dyeing method according to  claim 5 , wherein the transparent resin body is a plastic lens.