摘要:
An optical element manufacturing method has a preparation step of preparing a lower mold having a lower mold surface for forming an optical function surface of an optical element to be manufactured and an upper mold having an upper mold surface for forming another optical function surface of the optical element, said lower mold having an outer shape restricting surface for the optical element or being combined with a member having the outer shape restricting surface, said upper mold being opposed to the lower mold; a reference surface formation step of forming a positioning reference surface on a rim of the optical element by heating the outer shape restricting surface of the lower mold or combined with the lower mold and the lower mold surface and dropping molten glass onto the lower mold surface so as to collide with the lower mold surface and spread to be in contact with the outer shape restricting surface; a pressing step of forming the two opposed optical function surfaces of the optical element by, after the formation of the reference surface, opposing the lower mold and the upper mold that is heated and bringing them relatively close to each other while the glass is still at a temperature at which it is deformable by pressing, and pressing the glass; and an element taking out step of, after the pressing step, releasing the glass from the pressing by the upper and the lower molds and taking out the molded optical element. A temperature of the outer shape restricting surface in the reference surface formation step and the pressing step is higher than a temperature which is a difference when 100null C. is subtracted from a glass transition temperature (null C.) of the glass.
摘要:
A glass material (4) is placed in a forming die including a pair of upper and lower dies (1, 2) and a control member (3) for controlling the space between the upper and the lower die, and then heated, softened, and molded by pressure into a glass substrate in the shape of a parallel plate. The amount of thermal contraction of the control member is smaller than that of the glass material. Therefore, the glass substrate is released from the die when cooled after molding. The present invention can provide a glass substrate that is excellent in smoothness and form accuracy of the surface, and that is suitable for recording media such as magnetic disks that are inexpensive and suitable for mass production.
摘要:
The present invention relates to a molding method of a microlens array with an enhanced transfer performance and a molding apparatus of the same. The invention addresses a method for molding a microlens array by heating and compressing a glass element between oppositely placed first and second cores, wherein a depression or projection part is formed for transferring and molding a plurality of concave lens elements on the compression molding surface of at least one of the cores. The glass element is set between each compression molding surface of the first and second cores, and is then compressed between them while providing restriction means for preventing the glass element from escaping in the direction perpendicular to the compression direction of the glass element, thereby compression molding the glass element with the restriction means and between the compression molding surfaces of the first and second cores.
摘要:
A method for forming a plurality of optical elements simultaneously includes placing a transfer material against an inner surface of a master die, which has a shape commensurate with a desired shape of a plurality of optical elements to form a molding die, which thereby has an inner surface substantially a negative of the master die's inner surface. A moldable sheet, such as glass, is pressed against the molding die to form a unitary molded sheet, and the molded sheet is cut apart to form a plurality of optical elements, including lenses or other optical elements as desired.
摘要:
A transfer arm holds a plurality of preforms arranged in a single line and simultaneously drops and supplies the preforms downward. A positioning arm has a pair of arm split members split in its widthwise direction. The arm split members have positioning surfaces formed on their contact surfaces to be brought into contact with outer peripheries of the preforms. After the preforms are dropped and supplied from the transfer arm, the arm split members of the positioning arm are opened and closed so that the positioning surfaces are brought into contact with the outer peripheries of the preforms. Thus, the performs are properly positioned.
摘要:
For producing large volume optical components of high optical quality from synthetic quartz glass blanks, the latter are heated in a component mold in a furnace with a protective gas atmosphere to a temperature 50null to 170null K above the softening point, this temperature being held for 20 to 90 minutes and, during this holding time, the quartz glass blank being pressed into the component mold. By these means, a gentle treatment of the quartz glass, a good yield, a decrease in the energy input and a complete filling up of the component mold are achieved.
摘要:
A system and method for forming infrared glass optical components are provided. The system includes first and second mold halves having first and second respective faces. The first and second mold halves are configured to be removably coupled such that the first face and the second face form an interface that defines a lens-shaped cavity. A tapered surface of the first face cooperates with a tapered surface of the second face to enhance centering of the first face with respect to the second face.
摘要:
The invention provides a molding die for an optical element with a lens-barrel preventing the position deviation and optical-axis deviation of the optical element integrally formed in the lens-barrel. According to the invention, in a molding die for an optical element with a lens-barrel in which the lens-barrel is set in the molding die comprising a tubular guide die, a upper die and a lower die sliding in the guide die, also an optical raw material is placed in the lens-barrel and the optical element is sandwiched, heated and pressurized between the upper die having a transfer surface and the lower die having a transfer die, thereby integrally forming the optical element in the lens-barrel, outside diameter portions designed to be equal to the inner diameter of the guide die are provided for the upper die and lower die, wherein the outside diameter portion is fitted in the guide die so as to be able to slide only in the axial direction and thereby the positioning of the upper die and the lower die is performed in the directions perpendicular to the axial directions thereof, causing the center axes of the upper die and the lower die to coincide with each other, and further a reference surface is molded on the lower die, the lens-barrel being placed on the reference surface, and also a fitting portion fitted in the lens-barrel for holding the lens-barrel is molded on the upper die or/and the lower die, and a transfer surface is provided on the end of the fitting portion.
摘要:
The forming apparatus has top and bottom die assemblies which form a heated silica glass material by press forming. These top and bottom die assemblies include, respectively, mold dies, which are made of isotropic carbon, and core molds, which are made of vitrified carbon. The heating and pressing time of a silica glass element, which requires a high forming temperature, is shortened by pinching the silica glass material between top and bottom core molds by controlling a torque so as to produce a close contact condition which permits heat transfer from the top and bottom core molds to the silica glass material between the top and bottom core molds.