JPH0446907B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an optical element molding method and molding apparatus for molding an optical material.

[Prior art] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1983-1997 describes a method for transporting optical materials when press-molding glass products, such as glass lenses.
The invention disclosed in Publication No. 65117 is publicly known.

As shown in FIG. 8, the optical material conveying method of this invention is such that the optical material 3 is stored in the recess of the heating plate 1, which is shown in an inverted state in the drawing, with the heating plate 1 facing upward; Then, the heating plate 1 is conveyed to a predetermined position via the holding part 2 that holds the heating plate 1 .

Further, a cover plate 4 is attached to the heating plate 1 so as to be openable and closable with screws 5, and covers the recessed portion in which the optical material 3 is stored. The optical material 3 is covered in a predetermined position to prevent the adhesion of dust, etc.
That is, at the time when it is transported to the supply position for a press molding die consisting of a body die 7 having a core 6 shown in the drawing and an upper die (not shown), the heating plate 1 is turned over via the holding part 2 and the recessed part The optical material 3 is placed on the cover plate 4 from the inside.

Thereafter, by opening and tilting the cover plate 4 as shown in FIG. 8, the optical material 3 is slid down and fed into the body mold 7 of the press molding die via the tilted cover plate 4.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] However, in the conventional method of transporting optical elements,
The covering plate 4 can prevent dust from adhering to the optical material 3 that is stored and transported in the recess of the heating plate 1, but as shown in the figure, the optical material 3 is fed into the body mold 7 while being slid down on the covering plate 4. In this supply process, the surface of the optical material 3 is inevitably scratched and roughened.

Therefore, scratches remain on the surface of the optical element obtained by press-molding the optical material 3 with scratches on the surface in the body mold 7, and after press-molding, processing such as fine grinding and mirror polishing is not necessary. It was something that was required.

Therefore, the present invention has been made by focusing on this conventional problem, and provides an optical material that can be supplied to the molding section of a press molding device without causing scratches or other scratches on the surface of the optical material. Provided is a material conveyance device and an optical element molding method and molding device that can transport the optical element after press molding without causing scratches on the effective surface of the optical element. The purpose is to

[Means and effects for solving the problem] In the method of molding an optical element, when the circumferential side of an optical material is clamped and heated in a mold, the above-mentioned clamping is performed. A press molding method for an optical element, characterized in that the optical element is opened to allow the optical material to be freely deformed by molding, and after molding, the outer periphery of the molded optical element is held between the molds and the mold is released and carried out. , an optical element molding apparatus, comprising: a carrying-in means for supplying to a press-molding section; and an optical element carrying-out means provided with a U-shaped holding groove so as to sandwich the molding surface edge of a flange part of the optical element after molding. This is an optical element molding apparatus.

[Examples] Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view showing the first embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the optical material supply and conveyance means in the apparatus, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a means for carrying out and conveying a concave lens as an optical element after press molding.

In the figure, 10 is a press-molding part of a concave lens 11 as an optical element, and upper and lower molds 12 and 13 are disposed facing each other so as to be vertically movable in a relative direction, and each is connected and held to a drive mechanism (not shown) that moves vertically. It is composed of

Reference numeral 14 denotes a heater section on the supply side that heats and softens the optical material 15 (see FIG. 2), which is connected to the press forming section 1.
It is disposed on the supply side (on the right side in FIG. 1) of the optical material 15 of No. 0.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a heater section on the discharge side of the concave lens 11 after molding in the press molding section 10, and is disposed on the discharge side of the concave lens 11 of the press molding section 10 (on the left side in FIG. 1).

Reference numeral 17 denotes a supply conveyance means for supplying the optical material 15 to the press molding section 10, and this supply conveyance means 17 includes:
As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of clamping claws 18 that clamp the outer circumferential portion of the optical material 15 are connected to rotatably provided holding arms 19, and the holding arms 1
As shown in FIG. 1, the upper and lower molds 12 and 13 of the press molding section 10 are connected and held by a drive mechanism (not shown) that moves the molds 9 forward and backward in a direction perpendicular to the movable shafts of the upper and lower molds 12, 13.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a carry-out conveyance means for carrying out the concave lens 11 after being press-molded in the press-forming part 10, and this carry-out conveyance means 20 is a third
As shown in the figure, a pair of holding pieces 23 are provided with an engaging groove 21 that engages the flange portion 11b of the concave lens 11.
, the upper and lower molds 12 and 13 of the press molding section 10
An engaging portion 24 having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the main body 25 is disposed opposite to the distal end of the main body 25, and this main body 25 is connected to the first
As shown in the figure, the upper and lower molds 1 of the press molding section 10
It is constructed by being connected and held to a drive mechanism (not shown) that moves forward and backward in a direction orthogonal to the movable shafts 2 and 13.

Therefore, in the press molding apparatus for the concave lens 11 having such a configuration, the optical material 1 whose surface 15a has been finished to a mirror finish is supplied from a supply unit (not shown) in advance.
5 is supplied between the pair of clamping claws 18, and prior to this supply, by rotating the holding arm 19 in the opening direction,
Both the clamping claws 18, which had expanded in the opening direction,
It is closed by rotating the holding arm 19 in the closing direction, and the outer circumferential portion 15b of the optical material 15 is clamped and held.

Thereafter, the pair of clamping claws 18 that clamp the optical material 15 enter into the heater section 14 on the supply side by the drive of a drive mechanism connected to the holding arm 19, and the optical material 15 is held in the heater section 14 on the supply side. When the optical material 15 is softened to a viscosity, it advances into the press molding section 10, carries the optical material 15 to its molding position, and stops.

In connection with the optical material 15 being carried into the molding position of the press molding section 10, both the upper and lower molds 12, 13
are respectively movable in opposite directions by the drive of the drive mechanism and held by the clamping claws 18.
5 is held by the upper and lower molds 12, 13 by their molding surfaces, the holding arm 19 of the clamping claw
rotates in the opening direction to release the clamping state of the optical material 15 by both clamping claws 18 and return to the next supply position of the optical material 15 (the supply position of the optical material 15 to the clamping claws 18). , through the heater section 14, and then retreats back from inside the press molding section 10 through the heater section 14.

In addition, in connection with this backward movement of the supply conveyance means 17, the optical material 15 supplied between the molding surfaces of the upper and lower molds 12 and 13 is press-molded by the cooperative action of the upper and lower molds, and is press-molded as desired. A concave lens 11 is molded.

Furthermore, both upper and lower molds 1 of this press molding part 10
In connection with the molding operations No. 2 and 13, the unloading conveyance means 20
advances and passes through the heater section 16 to the press forming section 1
Enter 0.

The engaging portion 24 at the tip of the main body 25 is engaged with both the upper and lower molds 12 and 13, and the flange portion 11b that is bulged and molded on the outer periphery of the molding surfaces of both the molds 12 and 13 is held. It is engaged with the engagement groove 21 of the piece 23.

In connection with this, both the upper and lower molds 12 and 13 of the press molding section 20 are driven in directions away from each other, and the concave lens 11 after press molding is released from the mold and simultaneously held between both holding pieces 23 ( (See Figure 3).

After that, by the backward movement of the unloading conveyance means 20,
The concave lens 11 held between both holding pieces 23 is carried out from the press molding part 10 into the heater part 16, and after being slowly cooled in the same part 16, the carrying out conveying means 20 transports it to the carrying out part of the concave lens 11. By retreating and taking out the concave lens 11 held by both holding pieces 23 via a not-shown carrying-out means, preparation is made for carrying out the concave lens 11 after the next press molding.

Hereinafter, by repeating the operations of the respective parts 10, 17, and 20 similar to those described above, it is possible to continuously perform the molding of the concave lens 11, and also to supply the optical material 15 necessary for molding the concave lens 11 and to form the concave lens 11 after press molding. Able to carry out removal.

Therefore, according to this press molding apparatus, when supplying the optical material 15, the pair of clamping claws 18 clamp the outer peripheral part 15b of the mirror-finished molding surface 15a, and the upper and lower molds 12, 13 and press-molded by upper and lower molds 12 and 13 of press-molding section 10.
When carrying out, the flange portion 11b is engaged with the engagement groove 21 and carried out while being held by the holding piece 23, so that the molding surface 15a of the optical material 15 and the molding surface of the concave lens 11 are The feeding and unloading operations can be carried out without causing any scratches on the lens 11a, and the concave lens 11 can be molded without any scratches on the press molding surface.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the device of the present invention.

Thus, the apparatus of this embodiment is an example of an apparatus for press-molding a convex lens 26 instead of the apparatus of the first embodiment for press-molding a concave lens 11.

Therefore, both the upper and lower molds 12 and 13 in the press molding section 10 are provided with molding surfaces 12a and 13b, respectively, necessary for press molding the convex lens 26, and other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the drawings, the same constituent parts are given the same numbers, and the explanation thereof will be omitted, and the other constituent parts not shown are also the same as those of the first embodiment, so the explanation thereof will be omitted.

Also, since the actions and effects are the same,
The explanation will be omitted.

(Third Embodiment) FIGS. 5 to 7 show a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 shows a system in which both the supply of the optical material and the carrying out of the convex lens 26 after press molding can be carried out. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the supplying and unloading conveying means, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing how the optical material is held by the means, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing how the convex lens after press molding is held by the same means.

Therefore, the device of this embodiment is particularly suitable for the first and second
This is an embodiment in which a supply/unloading/transporting means 45 is used which functions as both the optical material supplying/transporting means and the press-molded optical element unloading/transporting means in each apparatus of the embodiments.

In the figure, reference numeral 30 denotes a pair of holding pieces, and as shown in FIG. 6, this holding piece 30 has an engagement groove 31 with a width corresponding to the thickness of the optical material 15, and as shown in FIG. The flange portion 2 of the convex lens 26 of
The engagement groove 32 has a width corresponding to the thickness of the step part 33.
Links 37 are formed through a link 37 and are rotatably connected to each other about a pin 34 as a fulcrum, and are pivotally supported at the tip of the transfer arm 35 via a pin 36.
It is connected and held to the transport arm 35 via.

Further, both holding pieces 30 are connected via a connecting member 38 to an operating rod 39 which is disposed on the transport arm 35 so as to be able to reciprocate in the front and rear directions, and this operating rod 39 is a driving force for reciprocating the same in the back and forth direction. The transport arm 35 is connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) that moves it forward and backward with respect to a press molding section (not shown).

In the figure, 40 is a connecting piece extending to the main body 41 of the holding piece 30, and 42 is a pin that pivotally supports the connecting piece 40 and the link 37.

In a device having such a configuration, the outer circumferential portion 15b of the optical material 15 whose surface 15a has been finished to a mirror finish is supplied from a supply portion (not shown) into the engagement groove of the operating piece 30 which is placed oppositely in the holding state by the forward movement of the operating rod 39. In connection with the feeding while being engaged, the conveyance arm 35 is operated to carry the optical material 15 held between the engagement grooves 31 of both holding pieces 30 into a heater section (not shown), and to carry it into the heater section (not shown). After the optical material 15 has been softened to the required viscosity, the transport arm 35 is operated again to transport the optical material 15 between the upper and lower molds of the press molding section (for example, the upper and lower molds 12 and 13 shown in FIG. 4).
(in between).

Thereafter, as the optical material 15 is held by the molding surfaces formed by both the upper and lower molds of the press molding section, the operating rod 39 moves backward, and the holding pieces 30 are connected to the pin 34 via the connecting member 38. At the same time, the holding state of the optical material 15 is released by rotating the fulcrum to open and expand, and at the same time, the transport arm 35 is moved to retreat both holding pieces 30 from inside the press molding section.

In connection with this, the convex lens 26 is press-molded on the molding surfaces of both the upper and lower molds in the press-molding section.

After that, the operating rod 39 moves forward again to return both the holding pieces 30 to the state shown in Figure 5, and then the transport arm 35 is moved to carry it into the press molding section again and to remove the post-forming material after the press molding. Flange portion 26 formed on the outer periphery of the convex lens 26
b is engaged with the engagement groove 32 as shown in FIG. After waiting for the mold to be released, the conveying arm 35 moves to carry the convex lens 26 held between both holding pieces 30 into the heater section, cool it down, and then carry it out to a predetermined unloading section.

The operation of carrying out the convex lens 26 from between both holding pieces 30 in the carrying-out section is performed by operating the operating rod 39.

Thereafter, the convex lens 26 can be press-molded while continuously supplying the optical material 15 and carrying out the press-molded convex lens 26 by similar operations.

In addition, in place of the press molding part 10 of the second embodiment,
By applying the press molding section 10 of the first embodiment, the concave lens 11 can also be press molded in the same manner.

According to this embodiment, in addition to being able to obtain the same effects as the first and second embodiments, the first embodiment has a first structure in which the supplying and transporting means for the optical material 15 and the carrying out and transporting means for the optical elements 11 and 26 are configured separately. This embodiment has the advantage that the device can be simplified compared to the second embodiment.

In the first to third embodiments, the optical element transporting means 20 of the first embodiment is configured with a pair of clamping claws for clamping the flange portion of the optical element, which is similar to the optical material supplying and transporting means 17. Or, conversely, it is also possible to configure both means with a configuration similar to the optical element carrying out and conveying means 20, and both the holding pieces 23 of the first embodiment can be formed separately like the holding pieces 30 of the third embodiment. It is also possible to form it independently and implement it with a configuration similar to that of the third embodiment via the link section and its operating section.

Furthermore, in each embodiment, only the embodiments applied to a press molding apparatus for both concave and convex lenses have been described, but the present invention can also be applied to press molding apparatuses for other lenses.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, the supply of the optical material required for press molding of an optical element and the transport of the optical element after press molding can be carried out without direct contact of the transport member with the molding surface. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing a first embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an optical material supply conveyance means, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an optical element carry-out conveyance means,
FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the device of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the device of the present invention;
Figure 6 is a sectional view showing the state in which the optical material is held;
The figure is a sectional view showing a state in which an optical element is held, and FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a conventional method of transporting an optical material. 10...Press molding part, 11...Concave lens, 11b
...Flange part, 12, 13...Both upper and lower molds, 14,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 16... Heater part, 15... Optical material, 17... Optical material supply conveyance means, 18... Holding claw, 19... Holding arm, 20... Optical element carrying out conveyance means, 21... Engagement groove, 23... Holding piece, 26 ... Convex lens, 26b... Flange portion, 30... Holding piece, 31, 32... Engagement groove,
45... Supply and unloading conveyance means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method for molding an optical element in which a heat-softened optical material is press-molded on the molding surfaces of a pair of molds, including the step of clamping the outer periphery of the optical material whose molded surface has been finished to a mirror finish with clamping claws. , a step of conveying the sandwiched optical material to a heater section on the supply side and heating and softening it to a moldable viscosity; conveying the heated and softened optical material between the pair of molds, and turning the molding surface of the material into a step of holding the material in a mold and expanding and retracting the clamping claws from the outer periphery of the material; press-molding the molding surface of the heated and softened optical material with the pair of molds; forming a flange portion of the optical element on the outer circumferential portion, a holding member having an engagement groove is advanced into a position of the mold so as to engage with the flange portion of the optical element; positioning the flange portion; releasing the molding surface of the optical element from the molding surface of each mold; and holding the flange portion of the optical element in the engagement groove of the holding member; from the mold position. A method for press-molding an optical element, comprising the steps of: retracting a holding member, slowly cooling the optical element, and then taking out the optical element from the holding member. 2. In an optical element molding device that transports and press-moldes a heat-softened optical material between a pair of molds, an opening is opened at the press-molding position of the pair of molds, and the supplied optical material is heated to a moldable viscosity. a heating unit that softens by heating; a pair of molds that press-molds the surface of the optical material softened by heating and forms a flange portion on the outer periphery of the optical element; and a pair of molds that clamp the outer periphery of the optical material to be molded. a supply means having a clamping claw that can be opened and closed, and conveying the optical material between the pair of molds after the optical material is heated and softened in the heating section; and a flange portion of the optical element formed in the mold. After molding the optical element, the flange part enters the press molding position of the mold and is stored in the engaging groove, and after the optical element and the mold are released, the optical element is press molded. 1. A molding apparatus for an optical element, comprising: a transporting means for transporting the optical element from a position. 3. In an optical element molding device that conveys and press-moldes a heat-softened optical material between a pair of molds, an opening is opened at the press-molding position of the pair of molds, and the supplied optical material is heated to a viscosity that can be molded. a heating section that softens the optical material by heating; a pair of molds that press-molds the surface of the optical material softened by heating and forms a flange on the outer periphery of the optical element; and a pair of molds that hold the outer periphery of the optical material to be molded. It has a pair of openable and closable holding pieces, each of which has a first engaging part that holds the flange of the optical element after molding, and a second concave engaging part that holds the flange of the molded optical element. The optical material held by the engaging part is heated and softened by the heating part and then supplied between the molds, and during press molding, the holding pieces are expanded and each first engaging part is separated from the outer periphery of the optical material. the holding piece closes after press molding to accommodate and hold the flange portion of the optical element in the second engaging portion, and transporting the optical element from the press molding position after the optical element and the mold are separated; An optical element molding apparatus comprising: and.