JP2004115280A - Apparatus and process for molding optical element - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve a heating efficiency, etc., by establishing a lamp heater for exclusively heating a molding material for an optical element such as a glass material, etc., in addition to lamp heaters for heating a press die. <P>SOLUTION: The lamp heater 14 for exclusively heating gob is established between the upper and lower lamp heaters 11a and 11b for heating the die, and radiation from the gob-heating lamp heater 14 is reflected by reflectors 15a and 15b and concentrated on the molding material W<SB>1</SB>. By controlling the gob-heating lamp heater 14 with a temperature-controlling machine 16 independent from a temperature-controlling machine 13 which controls the upper and lower lamp heater 11a and 11b, a cope member 1, a drag member 2 and the molding material W<SB>1</SB>are each heated to an optimum temperature. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical element molding apparatus and an optical element molding method for obtaining an optical element by press-forming a heated glass material or the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as a method of heating a mold such as a press mold and a glass material, a method of heating a mold with a built-in heater and heating the glass material with heat transfer from the mold, and a method of radiating heat from a lamp heater with the mold. There is a method of integrally heating a glass material.
[0003]
FIG. 4 shows a press forming apparatus according to a conventional example. This apparatus has an upper die member 101 and a lower die member 102. The upper die member 101 is an upper trunk die 103, and the lower die member 102 is a lower trunk member. It is held in the mold 104.
[0004]
The upper mold member 101 is housed in an upper body mold 103, and the upper body mold 103 is fixed to an upper shaft 106 via an upper joint 105. The upper shaft 106 is connected to a drive source (not shown), and is configured to move the upper mold member 101 so as to be able to freely contact and separate from the lower mold member 102 and to perform a press operation.
[0005]
On the other hand, the lower mold member 102 is housed so as to be slidable in the direction toward the upper mold member 101 with respect to the lower body mold 104, and the lower body mold 104 is fixed to a base 108 via a lower joint 107. ing. A lower shaft 109 is on standby below the lower mold member 102, and the lower shaft 109 is connected to a drive source (not shown) to push up the lower mold member 102 in the direction of the upper mold member 101 to perform a pressing operation. Configuration.
[0006]
Heating unit 110 for heating the upper mold member 101 and the lower mold member 102 glass material W ₀ to and placed on the lower mold 102, is to surround the outer periphery of the upper die member 101 and the lower mold 102 It has a plurality of lamp heaters 111 arranged and a lamp mirror 112 located on the back of each lamp heater 111. As shown in FIG. 5, the temperature controller 113 controlling each lamp heater 111 responds to the output of a temperature sensor (not shown) such as an infrared radiation thermometer for detecting the temperature of the upper mold member 101 or the lower mold member 102. Control the temperature.
[0007]
Normally, as shown in the graph of FIG. 5, even when the mold reaches the press set temperature, the temperature of the glass material does not immediately reach the press set temperature, causing a time lag (delay in temperature rise). After the temperature reached the press set temperature, the mold temperature was maintained for a while, and the press was performed after waiting until the temperature of the glass material reached the press set temperature.
[0008]
When not using a lamp heater, prepare a glass material heater separately from the built-in heater that heats the mold, and bring the glass material heater close to the glass material placed in the mold being heated. By taking the method of heating the material, the heating time of the glass material was shortened.
[0009]
On the other hand, the heating of a mold or a glass material by a lamp heater is used because of its advantages such as relatively excellent temperature uniformity. In such a case, the mold is usually configured so that the entire mold is surrounded by a lamp heater, and the temperature of the mold is usually increased. The method of controlling the output of the lamp heater from above and heating the mold and the glass material integrally has been performed, and the method of actively heating the glass material has not been performed for the purpose of uniform heating.
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when a lamp heater is used, since the method of actively heating the glass material is not performed as described above, it takes time to heat the glass material, and the molding cycle becomes longer. was there. This becomes even more remarkable in the case of molding an optical element having a large glass capacity, such as a lens having a large aperture or a concave lens.
[0011]
Therefore, a so-called gob dedicated heater for heating the glass material may be prepared, and during heating, the gob dedicated heater may be brought close to the vicinity of the glass material placed in the mold to heat the glass material. Because of the configuration in which the lamp heater surrounds the mold, it is difficult to make the dedicated gob heater close to the glass material in the lamp heater in terms of space.
[0012]
In the method of controlling the output of the lamp heater from the temperature of the mold and heating the mold and the glass material integrally, when the temperature of the mold reaches the set temperature of the press, the temperature of the glass material rises with a delay. Nevertheless, the output of the lamp heater drops to an output that only maintains the temperature of the mold, so the heating of the glass material is almost exclusively heat transfer from the mold, and heating from the lamp heater cannot be expected. The heating efficiency of the glass material may be reduced.
[0013]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned unresolved problems of the related art, and separately from a lamp heater for heating a mold for optical element molding, a gob dedicated lamp heater for exclusively heating a molding material. By using a heater unit configured to independently control the heating independently of each other, the mold and the molding material can be heated to desired temperatures in a short time, and the quality of the molded product can be improved, An object of the present invention is to provide an optical element molding apparatus and an optical element molding method which can greatly contribute to shortening of a cycle time by improving heating efficiency.
[0014]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an optical element molding apparatus of the present invention is configured to heat both mold members by surrounding a pair of mold members that can be approached and separated from each other and the pair of mold members that are separated from each other. A mold heating lamp heater, first control means for controlling heating of the mold heating lamp heater, and heating the molding material held between the pair of mold members separated from each other. And a second control means for controlling the heating of the molding material heating lamp heater independently of the mold heating lamp heater.
[0015]
The first and second control means control the heating of the mold heating lamp heater and the molding material heating lamp heater based on the outputs of the temperature sensors for detecting the respective temperatures of the mold member and the molding material. It may be configured.
[0016]
It is preferable to provide a reflection condensing means for concentrating radiant heat of the molding material heating lamp heater on the molding material.
[0017]
In addition, a pair of mold members that can be freely approached and separated from each other, a plurality of lamp heaters disposed annularly around the pair of mold members that are separated from each other, and at least one of the plurality of lamp heaters A reflection condensing means for concentrating radiant heat of the lamp heater on the molding material held between the pair of mold members, and heating control of the at least one lamp heater independently of the remaining lamp heaters An optical element molding apparatus having the control means described above.
[0018]
An optical element molding method according to the present invention includes a step of holding a molding material between a pair of mold members that are freely approachable and separable from each other in a state where the mold members are separated from each other; A step of individually heating the molding material held in between by a mold heating lamp heater and a molding material heating lamp heater, and bringing the two mold members closer to each other with the heated molding material interposed therebetween, thereby forming an optical element shape. Molding step.
[0019]
The heating of the molding material heating lamp heater and the mold heating lamp heater may be controlled by two independent control means.
[0020]
It is preferable that the radiant heat of the molding material heating lamp heater is concentrated on the molding material by the reflection and light condensing means.
[0021]
[Action]
In addition to a mold heating lamp heater for heating a pair of mold members, a so-called gob dedicated lamp heater (molding material heating lamp heater) for heating and softening the molding material exclusively is provided in the heater unit to raise the molding material. Control temperature independently.
[0022]
Thereby, the heating efficiency of the molding material can be improved, and the time spent in the heating step can be reduced.
[0023]
In addition, since the molding material and the mold member can be heated to their respective optimum temperatures, the shape accuracy of the molded product can be improved, which contributes to the improvement of the optical performance of the optical element and the prevention of poor appearance.
[0024]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0025]
FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment. This apparatus has an upper mold member 1 and a lower mold member 2 which are a pair of mold members. The mold member 2 is held by the lower body mold 4.
[0026]
In FIG. 1, an upper mold member 1 is housed in an upper body mold 3, and the upper body mold 3 is fixed to an upper shaft 6 via an upper joint 5. The upper shaft 6 is connected to a drive source (not shown), and is configured to move the upper mold member 1 to and away from the lower mold member 2 so as to be able to press and operate.
[0027]
On the other hand, the lower mold member 2 is housed so as to be slidable toward the upper mold member 1 with respect to the lower body mold 4, and the lower body mold 4 is fixed to the base 8 via the lower joint 7. ing. A lower shaft 9 is on standby below the lower mold member 2, and the lower shaft 9 is connected to a drive source (not shown) to push up the lower mold member 2 in the direction of the upper mold member 1 to perform a pressing operation. Configuration.
[0028]
Further, a plurality of annular lamp heaters 11a and 11b, which are lamp heaters for mold heating, and a lamp mirror 12 located on the back of the lamp heaters 11a and 11b are arranged so as to surround the outer periphery of the upper body mold 3 and the lower body mold 4. A built-in heater unit 10 is installed. In the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, two upper and two lower lamp heaters 11a and 11b separate the upper mold member 1 and the lower mold member 2 from each other. Are installed at the heights of the upper body mold 3 and the lower body mold 4 in the heating step, and the lamp heaters 11a and 11b are connected to a temperature controller 13 as first control means, and the upper mold member 1. Heating control is performed so that the lower mold member 2 reaches a set temperature.
[0029]
Further, an annular gob-dedicated lamp heater 14, which is a molding material heating lamp heater disposed between the upper and lower lamp heaters 11a and 11b opposed to the upper mold member 1 and the lower mold member 2, is provided with a lower part in the heating step. It is installed at a height of the forming material W ₁ held on the molding surface of the mold member 2.
[0030]
Also, the reflection and condensing means is used to separate the heating area between the heater unit 10 and the upper body mold 3 and the lower body mold 4 and the heating area of the intermediate gob dedicated lamp heater 14 and the upper and lower lamp heaters 11a and 11b. Certain upper and lower reflectors 15a and 15b are provided.
[0031]
A temperature sensor (for example, a thermocouple) (not shown) installed on one of the upper mold member 1, the lower mold member 2, the upper trunk mold 3, and the lower trunk mold 4, and the upper and lower lamp heaters 11a and 11b are a temperature controller 13 To control the temperature of the mold to the set temperature.
[0032]
Further, installed in a temperature sensor (not shown) to measure the temperature of the molding material W ₁ (eg, infrared radiation thermometer), and gob dedicated lamp heater 14 is connected to a temperature controller 16 is a second control means , heated to the set of molded material W ₁ temperature, performs control so as to soften.
[0033]
However, if it is difficult to measure the temperature of the molding material W ₁ connects only the gob dedicated lamp heater 14 to temperature controller 16 may control the output and time of the heater.
[0034]
Next, a procedure for forming a glass lens as an optical element by the above-described apparatus will be described.
[0035]
First, the heater unit 10 and the upper mold member 1 are moved upward with respect to the lower mold member 2, and the molding material W ₁ , which is a glass material, is placed on the molding surface of the lower mold member 2 by a handling member (not shown). Place. And lowers the heater unit 10 and the upper mold member 1, upper mold 1 was stopped at a set position prior to contact with the molding material W _1, a heater unit 10 is a lamp heater 11a of the upper the upper barrel die 3, the lower the height of the position of the lamp heater 11b is lower barrel die 4, gob dedicated lamp heater 14 is stopped at a location that the position of the height of the forming material W ₁ (the state in FIG. 1).
[0036]
Lamp heater 11a in this state, the 11b and the gob dedicated lamp heater 14, respectively form the starting heating of the molding material _{W 1.} In addition, usually, since the glass molded from the mold is taken out at a temperature higher than room temperature, the mold at the time of starting the next molding is already higher than room temperature.
[0037]
In this case the lamp heater 11a, radiant heat 11b is upper body mold 3 as reflected light by directly or lamp mirror 12, heats the lower barrel die 4, the forming material W reflector 15a is to _1, the direct heating by 15b Not to do it. Further, radiation heat of the gob dedicated lamp heater 14, heating the molding material W ₁ as reflected light by directly or lamp mirror 12, but is softened, the upper body mold 3, the reflecting plate 15a to bottom barrel die 4, directly by 15b No heating is performed.
[0038]
Lamp heater 11a, 11b the mold is controlled by temperature controller 13 so as to press the set temperature, the gob dedicated lamp heater 14 is determined the forming material W ₁ in advance and the heating time and the output so as to press the set temperature The temperature is set to the temperature controller 16 and heating is performed.
[0039]
In this way, when the mold and the forming material W ₁ reach the respective press set temperatures, the upper mold member 1 is lowered to start pressing of the forming material W ₁ , and the upper body mold 3 contacts the lower body mold 4. At this point, the shape of the optical element is formed, and the press is completed (the state shown in FIG. 2).
[0040]
At the time of pressing, since the position of the upper body mold 3 moves downward with respect to the heater unit 10, in order to prevent the gob dedicated lamp heater 14 from heating the upper body mold 3, after pressing is started, the gob dedicated lamp heater 14 is pressed. The output of the gob-specific lamp heater 14 may be stopped when the press time is short, for example, by lowering the output of the heater or by switching to the mold temperature control.
[0041]
When the pressing is completed, the cooling process is started, the outputs of the lamp heaters 11a and 11b and the gob-specific lamp heater 14 are stopped, and the cooling of the mold is promoted by a nitrogen gas spray nozzle (not shown). When the set temperature is equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature, the lower mold member 2 is raised to apply pressure to the molded product, and when the temperature reaches the set temperature near the glass transition temperature, the pressure by the lower mold member 2 is increased. The upper mold member 1 and the heater unit 10 are lifted when the temperature has reached a predetermined temperature, and the molded product on the molding surface of the lower mold member 2 is taken out by a handling member (not shown). Examples will be described below.
[0042]
(Example 1)
Here, the lens used for the camera is molded.
[0043]
The glass used as the material is a heavy crown glass (refractive index 1.58, Abbe number 59.4, transition point 506 ° C.), and a biconvex lens having an outer diameter of 32 mm is formed.
[0044]
First, when the temperature of the upper mold member and the lower mold member is 470 ° C. (corresponding to a glass viscosity of ^10.15.2 poise), the molding material is put on the molding surface of the lower mold member, and the upper and lower lamp heaters and the gob dedicated lamp heaters Then, heating of the mold and the molding material is started. When the temperature of the mold reaches 580 ° C. (equivalent to 10 ^9.0 poise) and the temperature of the molding material also reaches 580 ° C. (equivalent to 10 ^9.0 poise), the upper mold member is lowered together with the upper body mold. To operate for 30 seconds with a force of 11800 N (Newton), and the pushing operation of the upper die member is completed. After that, the pressure of the upper torso in a state where it abuts against the lower torso is kept as it is.
[0045]
Thereafter, cooling was started. When the temperature reached 560 ° C. (corresponding to 10 ^9.8 poise), a force of 7800 N (Newton) was applied to the molded product by the lower mold member, and cooling was continued as it was to continue the cooling at 490 ° C. (10 ¹³ poise). ⁽ Equivalent to ^0.5 poise), the pressure of the lower mold member was released. Then, after further cooling to 480 ° C. (corresponding to ^1014.3 poise), the upper mold member was raised to open the mold, and the molded product was taken out.
[0046]
As described above, since a heater different from that of the mold was used for heating the molding material, and the control was also performed separately, the temperature of the mold reached around the press set temperature of 580 ° C., and the output of the lamp heater dropped. After that, the molding material can be sufficiently heated by the output of the gob dedicated lamp heater, and the molding material can be heated to the press setting temperature of 580 ° C. with almost no delay in the time when the mold temperature reaches the press setting temperature of 580 ° C. It was possible to shorten the entire molding time by 2 minutes or more. In addition, the heating of the mold by the lamp heater can be controlled normally by the reflection plate without being affected by the heating of the molding material of the gob-only lamp heater, and a molded product having excellent accuracy and appearance can be obtained. I was able to.
[0047]
FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment. This device has an upper mold member 21 and a lower mold member 22. The upper mold member 21 is held by an upper body mold 23 and the lower mold member 22 is held by a lower body mold 24.
[0048]
In FIG. 3, the upper mold member 21 is housed in an upper body mold 23, and the upper body mold 23 is fixed to an upper shaft 26 via an upper joint 25. The upper shaft 26 is connected to a drive source (not shown) so that the upper mold member 21 can be freely moved toward and away from the lower mold member 22 to perform a pressing operation.
[0049]
On the other hand, the lower mold member 22 is housed so as to be slidable toward the upper mold member 21 with respect to the lower body mold 24, and the lower body mold 24 is fixed to the base 28 via the lower joint 27. I have. A lower shaft 29 is on standby below the lower mold member 22, and the lower shaft 29 is connected to a drive source (not shown) to push up the lower mold member 22 in the direction of the upper mold member 21 to perform a pressing operation. Configuration.
[0050]
Further, a plurality of annular lamp heaters 31a and 31b, which are lamp heaters for mold heating, and a lamp mirror 32 located on the back of the lamp heaters 31a and 31b are arranged so as to surround the outer circumferences of the upper body mold 23 and the lower body mold 24. A built-in heater unit 30 is installed. In the apparatus shown in FIG. 3, the upper two lamp heaters 31a and the lower two lamp heaters 31b have heights of the upper body mold 23 and the lower body mold 24 in the heating process, respectively. Each of the lamp heaters 31a and 31b is connected to a first temperature controller 33, and is controlled so that the upper mold member 21 and the lower mold member 22 reach a set temperature.
[0051]
Further, a gob dedicated lamp heater 34 which is a molding material heating lamp heater intermediate the upper and lower lamp heaters 31a and 31b opposed to the upper mold member 21 and the lower mold member 22, forms the lower mold member 22 in the heating step. together are installed in the height position of the placed molded material W ₂ on the surface, the upper and lower lamp heaters 31a, reflecting the shape formed by extending the ends of the lamp mirror 32 between 31b and gob dedicated lamp heater 34 Protrusions 35a and 35b, which are light condensing means, are provided so as to divide the area between the gob-dedicated lamp heater 34 and the upper and lower lamp heaters 31a and 31b.
[0052]
Then, similarly to the first embodiment, the lamp heaters 31a and 31b and the gob-specific lamp heater 34 are respectively controlled by a temperature controller 33 as a first controller and a temperature controller 36 as a second controller. Heating control is performed independently of each other.
[0053]
Next, a procedure for forming a lens by the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 will be described.
[0054]
First, placing the forming material W ₂ on the molding surface of the lower mold member 22, to lower the heater unit 30 and the upper mold member 21, the upper mold member 21 is stopped at the set position prior to contact with the forming material W ₂ , heater unit 30 and below the lamp heater 31a, 31b are upper barrel die 23, the height position of the lower barrel die 24, gob dedicated lamp heater 34 is stopped at a location that the position of the height of the forming material W _2.
[0055]
Lamp heater 31a in this state, the 31b and the gob dedicated lamp heater 34, respectively type and to start heating of the forming material _{W 2,} this time the lamp heater 31a, 31b includes an upper barrel die 23, the outer periphery of the lower barrel die 24 upper cylindrical die 23 together with the reflected light from the lamp mirror 32 for condensing the light beam, heats the lower barrel die 24, is to the forming material W ₂ so as not to directly heated by the protruding portions 35a, 35b, and efficiently The mold can be heated. Further, gob dedicated lamp heater 34 heats the reflected light together with the forming material W ₂ by the lamp-mirror 32 for condensing the light beam in the vicinity of the forming material W _2, the upper cylindrical die 23, the lower barrel die 24 It has to be heated to not directly heated, and efficiently forming material W ₂ by protrusions 25a, 25b are.
[0056]
The shape of the periphery of the lamp mirror 32 of the gob dedicated lamp heater 34, for example an elliptical shape, a gob dedicated lamp heater 34 in one of its two focal positions, and arranged so that the forming material W ₂ comes to the other Thus, the heating efficiency may be further increased.
[0057]
Further, the upper and lower lamp heaters 31a, 31b the mold is controlled by temperature controller 33 so as to press the set temperature, the gob dedicated lamp heater 34 is the forming material W ₂ time heated and its output so that the press set temperature Is determined in advance and then set, and heating is performed.
[0058]
Thus type as to lower the upper die member 21 at the time of molding material W ₂ reaches the respective press set temperature, but starts to press the forming material W _2, subsequent pressing, cooling, demolding Steps are the same as those in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted. Next, an embodiment will be described.
[0059]
(Example 2)
Molding was performed under the same molding conditions using the same lens used in the camera of Example 1 under the same molding conditions, and a molded product excellent in accuracy and appearance was obtained. In particular, the lamp mirror of the gob dedicated lamp heater that heats the molding material is designed to have a shape such that the light of the lamp is condensed near the molding material, and there is also the effect of the reflective surface of the projection, so it is implemented As compared with Example 1, the molding material could be heated more efficiently.
[0060]
Accordingly, the molding material can be heated to the press set temperature of 580 ° C. earlier than the time when the temperature of the mold reaches the press set temperature of 580 ° C. In this case, the condition for starting the press is as follows. Since both the mold and the molding material must reach the press set temperature, the heating start time of the gob dedicated lamp heater that heats the molding material is delayed, or the output is reduced and the mold and the molding material are simultaneously Adjustments were made to reach the press set temperature, which reduced power consumption.
[0061]
In addition, since the heating capacity of the gob-dedicated lamp heater has sufficient power, the molding time can be shortened, and even if the press set temperature of the molding material is set higher than that of the mold for reasons such as improving the appearance of the molded product, The molding material can also be heated without delay in reaching the press set temperature.
[0062]
The present invention is to heat at least one molding material placed on a molding surface of a mold by using at least one of a plurality of lamp heaters provided in a heater unit, The molding material is not particularly limited to glass, but can be applied to plastics and the like, and can also be applied to products other than lenses.
[0063]
In addition, the upper and lower molds are moved by the same distance, and pressing is performed so that the height of the center of the heater unit and the mating surface of the upper and lower molds are at the same height. The position can be changed according to the situation, and the lamp heater for heating the mold and the gob-only lamp heater for heating the molding material are not necessarily required to be an integrated unit, but may be configured separately.
[0064]
Further, the present invention may be applied to a preheated molding material before being put into a mold, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied not only to a single-cavity mold but also to a multi-cavity mold.
[0065]
【The invention's effect】
Since the present invention is configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained.
[0066]
By heating the molding material by a lamp heater that is controlled independently of the lamp heater that heats the mold, the molding material can be efficiently heated without being affected by the temperature of the mold.
[0067]
Therefore, the heating of the molding material is not delayed with respect to the heating of the mold by the lamp heater, and a highly accurate molded product can be obtained, and the entire molding time can be shortened and the throughput can be improved.
[0068]
Further, when the molding material is heated by heat conduction from the mold as in the conventional example, it is difficult for the molding material to exceed the temperature of the mold, but according to the present invention, the molding material is heated to a temperature higher than the mold. It is possible to further shorten the heating time, and to reduce the viscosity of the molding material at the time of pressing, thereby preventing the appearance of the molded product from being poor and reducing the damage to the mold. There are notable advantages such as the ability to
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an optical element molding apparatus according to a first embodiment in a state in a heating step.
FIG. 2 is a view showing the apparatus of FIG. 1 in a state in a press molding step.
FIG. 3 is a view showing an optical element molding apparatus according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a conventional example.
FIG. 5 is a graph showing a temperature change in a molding process of an optical element according to a conventional example.
[Explanation of symbols]
1, 21 Upper die member 2, 22 Lower die member 3, 23 Upper trunk die 4, 24 Lower trunk die 5, 25 Upper joint 6, 26 Upper shaft 7, 27 Lower joint 8, 28 Base 9, 29 Lower shaft 10, , 30 Heater units 11a, 11b, 21a, 21b Lamp heaters 12, 32 Lamp mirrors 13, 16, 33, 36 Temperature controllers 14, 34 Gob dedicated lamp heaters 15a, 15b Reflectors 35a, 35b Projection

Claims (7)

A pair of mold members that are freely movable toward and away from each other, a mold heating lamp heater configured to heat the two mold members by surrounding the pair of mold members that are separated from each other, and the mold heating lamp heater. A first control unit for controlling heating, a molding material heating lamp heater configured to surround and heat the molding material held between the pair of mold members separated from each other; An optical element molding apparatus having second control means for controlling the heating of the material heating lamp heater independently of the mold heating lamp heater. The first and second control means control the heating of the mold heating lamp heater and the molding material heating lamp heater based on the outputs of the temperature sensors for detecting the respective temperatures of the mold member and the molding material. The optical element molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured. 3. An optical element molding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reflection / condensing means for concentrating radiant heat of the molding material heating lamp heater on the molding material. A step of holding a molding material between the pair of mold members that are freely approachable and separable from each other, and a step of holding the molding material held between the pair of mold members and the two mold members separated from each other. An optical element molding method comprising: a step of individually heating by a mold heating lamp heater and a molding material heating lamp heater; and a step of molding an optical element shape by bringing both mold members closer to each other with the heated molding material interposed therebetween. Method. 5. The optical element molding method according to claim 4, wherein the heating of the molding material heating lamp heater and the mold heating lamp heater are controlled by two independent control means. 6. The optical element molding method according to claim 4, wherein the radiant heat of the molding material heating lamp heater is concentrated on the molding material by a reflection and condensing means. A pair of mold members that can be freely approached and separated from each other, a plurality of lamp heaters disposed annularly around the pair of mold members that are separated from each other, and at least one lamp heater of the plurality of lamp heaters Reflection condensing means for concentrating the radiant heat on the molding material held between the pair of mold members, and control for controlling heating of the at least one lamp heater independently of the remaining lamp heaters Means for molding an optical element.

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