JP2004115361A - Apparatus and method for sucking and transporting press-molded article and method for manufacturing optical element using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and method whereby a press-molded article is surely sucked without being damaged; and a method for producing the press-molded article. <P>SOLUTION: The sucking apparatus 10 for a press-molded article comprises an opening 12 for sucking the press-molded article, a contact part 21 surrounding the opening and contacting with the press-molded article, a sucking member 11 having a through-hole 13 communicating with the opening, a supporter 15 supporting the sucking member so as to allow an up-and-down motion in a specified amount, and a suction nozzle 19 communicating with a suction means. By bringing the press-molded article into contact with the contact part, starting sucking, and making the inside pressure of the opening negative, the press-molded article is sucked by the contact part. Then, the pressure in a space formed by the upper surface of the suction member, the inner surface of the supporter, and a part of the peripheral surface of the suction nozzle is made negative through the clearance between the through-hole and the periphery of the suction nozzle. The method for manufacturing an optical glass element comprises press-molding a heated and softened glass material in a mold, cooling the molded material, and taking the resultant press-molded article out of the mold by using the sucking apparatus and method. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for adsorbing a press-formed body, which can reliably adsorb a press-formed body having a high-precision molding surface, such as an aspherical lens, and can surely convey the press-formed body from within a molding die. About. Further, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a glass optical element employing a method capable of reliably transporting a glass optical element manufactured by a precision press which does not require a grinding and polishing step after molding.

(4) The so-called mold press method of press-forming a heat-softened glass material is widely used. Then, the press-formed body after the press-forming is, for example, vacuum-adsorbed by a jig on the forming surface on the forming surface and taken out of the forming die.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vacuum chuck type release device for press-formed articles. After the press is completed, the upper die is raised, and when the press molded body is taken out from the die, the vacuum chuck enters the upper part of the lower die, and the suction plate attached to the vacuum chuck through the bellows is formed into a molded product. The molded article is taken out by contact with a vacuum and suction.

取 り 出 す When removing the press-formed body from the mold, it is necessary to take care not to damage the molding surface of the press-formed body. However, the height (thickness) of the press-formed body may vary due to uneven thickness due to temperature, pressure fluctuations and misalignment. If the suction surface of the suction member makes strong contact, the press-formed body will be damaged. If the contact is incomplete, the stability of removal is impaired. In order to absorb the height fluctuation, it is conceivable that the elastic body is brought into contact with the press-formed body.

However, press molding by press molding is performed at a high temperature of several hundred degrees. Further, in order to shorten the cycle time (the manufacturing time of one press-formed body), the temperature of the press-formed body at the time of adsorption is necessarily increased. Therefore, it is not possible to use an elastic body such as rubber for the suction member or the tray used for suction conveyance.

Therefore, as a method taking such points into consideration, Patent Document 2 discloses a method of adsorbing a glass optical element, in order to prevent the glass optical element from being damaged by the adsorbing member, and to prevent the glass optical element from being damaged. A method of performing vacuum suction with a gap of 2 mm or less provided between optical elements is disclosed.

Furthermore, Patent Document 3 describes an adsorption device for taking out a glass molded body (for example, FIG. 8 (FIG. 4 in the present application) described in the publication). The suction device 80 has a suction hole 84a on a lower surface of a suction pad 84, a flange portion 84b on an upper portion, and a slight gap 86 for play above and below the support 82. Can be moved up and down slightly. With such a configuration, the shock generated when the suction pad 84 suctions the glass molded body G is absorbed.
JP-A-63-297229 Japanese Patent No. 2970790 JP-A-2002-12431

However, in the suction method in which a gap is provided in advance as in Patent Literature 2, there is a problem that if the distance between the suction member and the upper part of the pressed body changes, the pressed body cannot be stably sucked. Further, if the distance between the suction member and the press-formed body is too large, a predetermined suction force cannot be obtained, and the suction itself becomes difficult. This is more likely to occur as the press-formed body is heavier.

In the suction device shown in FIG. 8 of Patent Document 3 (FIG. 4 in the present application), a gap 86 is provided in which the suction pad 84 slightly moves up and down. Also, the suction pad 84 can be brought into contact with the press-formed body. However, since the gap 86 is reduced in pressure before the suction hole 84a in the suction pad 84 is reduced in pressure by the start of suction, when the suction is started, the gap 86 first becomes a negative pressure, and the press Before the suction hole 84a in the upper part of the compact is sufficiently depressurized, only the suction pad 84 is sucked and rises, and as a result, the press compact may not be stably sucked. Such adsorption failure is more likely to occur as the press molded body is heavier. If suction of the press-formed body fails and the take-out is not performed normally, it is necessary to temporarily stop the apparatus and take out the press-formed body separately, which causes a problem that production efficiency is reduced.

Furthermore, although a plurality of press-formed bodies are simultaneously formed and taken out at the same time, the thickness and shape of the plurality of press-formed bodies may vary. This is because the temperature of the mold at the time of pressing varies among a plurality of molds, the temperature of the glass material used for molding varies between the plurality of glass materials, and the arrangement position of the glass material on the forming mold is different from that of the plurality of molds. This is because there are multiple factors, such as variation between Further, depending on the case, a lens having a poor press may appear. If there is a difference in the thickness of the pressed body or a change in the position of the pressed body after pressing, a height variation occurs on the upper surface of the pressed body, and the suction surface of each suction member is changed to all the pressed bodies. It is difficult to make uniform and good contact with the upper surface.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of reliably adsorbing and holding a press-formed body without taking damage to the press-formed body when removing the press-formed body from a molding die.
Further, an object of the present invention is to remove a plurality of press-formed bodies formed by a plurality of molds from each of the molds and securely adsorb and hold the press-formed bodies without damaging the press-formed bodies. It is an object of the present invention to provide a device capable of performing the above.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for adsorbing a press-formed body and a method for manufacturing an optical element using the above-mentioned apparatus.

[Claim 1]
An opening for adsorbing the press-formed body, an abutment member surrounding the opening, a contacting portion that comes into contact with the press-formed body, and a through-hole communicating with the opening;
A support for supporting the suction member by allowing a predetermined amount of up and down movement, and
A suction device for a press-formed body having a suction nozzle communicating with a suction means,
The suction device, wherein the suction nozzle is slidably extended into a through hole of the suction member.
[Claim 2]
The clearance between the through-hole and the outer periphery of the suction nozzle, the press-formed body abuts on the contact portion, and when the suction means is started, the opening is formed by the press-formed body abutted on the contact portion. 2. The suction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inside of the section has a range in which a negative pressure capable of suction-holding the press-formed body can be formed.
[Claim 3]
The said support body is comprised integrally with the said suction nozzle, and the said suction nozzle is connected with the suction means via the through-hole provided in the support body, The Claims characterized by the above-mentioned. Suction device.
[Claim 4]
The support may surround an upper portion of the suction member such that a space formed by an upper surface of the suction member, an inner surface of the support, and an outer peripheral surface of a part of the suction nozzle is a closed space except for the clearance. 4. The adsorption device according to claim 3, wherein:
[Claim 5]
The suction nozzle has a length such that the distance from the lower end of the suction nozzle to the contact portion when the suction member is at the lowermost position is longer than the allowable length of vertical movement of the suction member. The adsorption device according to claim 1.
[Claim 6]
A multi-suction device provided with a plurality of suction devices according to any one of claims 1 to 5 on a support arm.
[Claim 7]
A method for adsorbing a molded body using the adsorption device according to claim 4,
The press-formed body is brought into contact with the contact portion, and suction is started, the inside of the opening is negatively pressured to adsorb the press-formed body to the contact portion, and then, through the clearance, between the upper surface of the suction member and the support. The suction method, wherein a space formed between the inner surface and a part of the outer peripheral surface of the suction nozzle is set to a negative pressure.
[Claim 8]
The heat-softened glass material is press-molded in a mold, and a press-molded body obtained by cooling is taken out of the mold using the suction device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A method for manufacturing a glass optical element.
[Claim 9]
A method for manufacturing a glass optical element, comprising: pressing a heat-softened glass material in a forming die and cooling; and removing a pressed product obtained from the forming die by the adsorption method according to claim 7.

Using the apparatus of the present invention or according to the method of the present invention, even if the press-formed body has a relatively large weight, without impairing the shape accuracy and surface accuracy of the press-formed body such as a glass optical element, it is ensured. The press-formed body can be stably taken out of the mold by adsorbing the press-formed body. Furthermore, according to the apparatus of the present invention or according to the method of the present invention, when taking out a plurality of press-formed bodies at the same time, even if the shapes and thicknesses of the respective formed bodies vary, the press-formed bodies can be reliably removed. It can be adsorbed and removed from the mold. For this reason, in any case, the press-molded product can be automatically and continuously taken out of the mold, so that the productivity can be remarkably improved. Furthermore, using the apparatus of the present invention, or according to the method of the present invention, even when press-formed bodies having different specifications (shape, thickness) are simultaneously formed, each press-formed body is reliably discharged from the forming die. be able to.
Furthermore, according to the method for manufacturing a glass optical element of the present invention, which includes removing the press-formed body from the mold using the suction apparatus or the suction method of the present invention, the press-formed body can be surely formed. , The production efficiency can be further improved.

The suction device for a press-formed body of the present invention includes: (1) an opening for adsorbing the press-formed body, a contact portion surrounding the opening, and abutting with the press-formed body; and a through-hole communicating with the opening. A suction member having holes; (2) a support for supporting the suction member by allowing a predetermined amount of up and down movement; and (3) a suction nozzle communicating with suction means.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a molding die (lower die) 1 and a suction device 10 which is an example of a suction device of the present invention. The suction device 10 has a suction member 11 and a support 15.
The suction member 11 has an opening 12 for sucking the press-formed body G and a through hole 13 communicating with the opening 12. The opening 12 is surrounded by a contact portion 21 that contacts the press-formed body. The support 15 has a gap 16 between the suction member 11 and the suction member 11 so as to allow a predetermined amount of vertical movement, and has a projection 17 for supporting the suction member 11. On the other hand, the suction member 11 has a collar portion 14 at the upper portion, and is supported by the projection portion 17 of the support 15 by the collar portion 14. By having such a structure, the suction member 11 can move upward according to the amount (height) of the gap 16 at the upper part thereof, and a slight vertical movement is allowed. The height of the gap 16 can be appropriately determined in accordance with the variation in height of the press-formed body G, and can be, for example, about 0.5 to 5 mm.

The suction device further includes a suction nozzle 19 that communicates with suction means (not shown) such as a vacuum pump and extends into the through hole 13 of the suction member 11. The suction nozzle 19 extends slidably into the through hole 13 of the suction member 11. The suction nozzle 19 is supported by an arm (not shown) that supports the suction device 10 or the like.

The suction device of the present invention has a simple structure in which a gap 16 is provided above the suction member 11 for sucking the press-formed body G, so that even if the press-formed body has a variation in height, The height variation is absorbed by the degree of freedom of vertical movement of the suction member due to the gap 16, and the contact portion 21 of the suction member 11 can be reliably brought into contact with the press-formed body. Furthermore, when the pressing member comes into contact with the press-formed body, the pressing force is only the own weight of the suction member 11, and the pressing force is surely secured without causing optically harmful scratches on the surface of the pressed-formed body. Can be performed. From such a viewpoint, it is appropriate that the weight of the suction member 11 is a weight that does not cause optically harmful scratches on the surface of the press-formed body.
The suction member 11 is slidable in the through hole 13 with respect to the suction nozzle 19, and has a predetermined clearance between the through hole 13 and the outer periphery of the suction nozzle 19. The clearance between the through-hole 13 and the outer periphery of the suction nozzle 19 is such that the press-formed body G comes into contact with the contact part 21 and when the suction means is activated, the press-formed body abuts on the contact part 21. It is preferable that the pressure G is in a range where the inside of the opening 12 can form a negative pressure enough to suck and hold the press-formed body G. When the suction is started, the inside of the opening 12 has a negative pressure. However, since the press-formed body G is in contact with the contact portion 21, the atmospheric gas leaks into the opening 12 through the clearance. Come. The extent to which the negative pressure in the opening 12 can be maintained depends on the degree of leakage and the strength of suction, but the degree of leakage of the atmospheric gas into the negative pressure space in the opening 12 depends on the press forming. It is appropriate that the above-mentioned clearance is set so as to be in a range where the suction of the body G to the contact portion 21 is not hindered. This is because the negative pressure in the opening 12 is the source of the suction force on the press-formed body G.
Specifically, it is preferable that the outer diameter of the suction nozzle 19 and the inner diameter of the through hole 13 of the suction member 11 be approximated within a range in which the suction member 11 can move up and down. For example, in the apparatus of FIG. 1, the clearance between the suction nozzle 19 and the through hole 13 of the suction member 11 is in the range of 0.05 to 0.1 mm, and the clearance between the suction nozzle 19 and the suction nozzle 19 is determined. It is preferable from the viewpoint that the movability is maintained and the leak of the atmospheric gas does not become excessive.
Further, the degree of leakage of the atmospheric gas into the opening 12 varies depending not only on the amount of the clearance but also on the length of insertion of the suction nozzle 19 into the through hole 13. Therefore, the degree of leakage is adjusted not only by the amount of clearance but also by adjusting the length of insertion of the suction nozzle 19 into the through hole 13, specifically, the thickness of the suction member 11 and the degree of insertion of the suction nozzle 19. You can also.

In the suction device of the present invention, the suction nozzle 19 is extended into the through hole 13 of the suction member 11 as described above. If the suction nozzle 19 is too short, the leakage of outside air increases, and it becomes difficult to adsorb the press-formed body G. Preferably, the tip of the suction nozzle 19 extends to the vicinity of the opening 12, that is, the vicinity of the upper surface of the press-formed body G. As used herein, the vicinity of the upper surface of the press-formed body G refers to a range within which a negative pressure space can be formed in the opening so that suction of the press-formed body G to the contact portion 21 can be maintained. It means to make it exist. For example, the suction nozzle 19 is preferably inserted and extended with a length in a range of 60% or more of the length of the through hole. The suction force from the suction means directly acts on the inside of the opening 12 through the suction nozzle 19, that is, the space directly above the press-formed body. Can be surely sucked.
Further, the longer the length of the suction nozzle 19 is, the easier it is to make the inside of the opening 12 a negative pressure. However, if the length is too long, there is a possibility that the tip of the suction nozzle 19 contacts the press-formed body G. Therefore, the distance between the lower end of the suction nozzle 19 and the contact portion 21 when the suction member 11 is at the lowermost position is equal to the allowable length of vertical movement of the suction member 11 (in the device 10 of FIG. , Corresponding to the height of the gap 16).
In FIG. 1, the support 15 is integrally formed. However, the support 15, for example, the projection 17 is made of a separate member from the other part (support main body), the suction member is fitted into the support main body, and then the projection is attached. Is also good.
The operation of the adsorption device 10 shown in FIG. 1 will be described.
After the press molding, the arm (not shown) to which the support 15 is attached is moved above the lower die 1 in order to take out and transport the press molded product G left on the molding die (lower die), The press-formed body G is lowered (by a lifting means (not shown)) to a position where the press-formed body G is removed. Instead of lowering the arm, the lower mold 1 may be raised. However, it is preferable that the adsorption apparatus 10 of the present invention is provided with an elevating means for elevating and lowering the support or the arm to which the support is attached. Thus, the contact portion 21 of the suction member 11 is stopped at a position where it comes into contact with the press-formed body G.
When the contact portion 21 comes into contact with the press-formed body G, the suction member 11 is appropriately moved upward by sliding between the through hole 13 and the suction nozzle 19 according to the thickness of the press-formed body G. For this reason, the gap 16 is provided so as to allow the upward movement of the suction member. Note that the height of the gap 16 is appropriately determined in advance in consideration of the thickness variation of the press-formed product. Next, a suction means communicating with the suction nozzle 19, for example, a solenoid valve (not shown) of a vacuum pump (not shown) is opened to start suction. As a result, the inside of the opening 12 has a negative pressure, and the press-formed body G is sucked into the opening 12 and adheres to the contact portion 21. At this time, since there is a clearance between the outer periphery of the suction nozzle 19 and the through-hole 13 of the suction member, a slight leak of outside air to the negative pressure space occurs. Therefore, as described above, in consideration of this point, it is possible to appropriately set the suction force together with the clearance amount and the length of insertion of the suction nozzle 19 into the through hole 13 based on the weight of the press-formed body to be suctioned. it can.
In this state, the press-formed body G sucked by the abutting portion 21 is pulled up by the lifting device of the arm attached to the support 15, for example, and then the lower device 1 is lowered. As a result, the suction device 10 can be retracted and transported to a storage device (not shown).
In the present invention, for example, the press-formed body may be one whose upper and lower formed surfaces form an optical function, and more specifically, the press-formed body may be a glass optical element.
In the suction device of the present invention, it is preferable that the support is formed integrally with the suction nozzle, and the suction nozzle communicates with the suction unit via a through hole provided in the support. Furthermore, the support surrounds the upper part of the suction member so that a space formed by the upper surface of the suction member, the inner surface of the support, and the outer peripheral surface of a part of the suction nozzle is a closed space except for the clearance. Is preferred.
This suction device will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 shows a molding die (lower die) 1 and an adsorption device 10 'which is a further preferred embodiment of the present invention. The suction device 10 'has a suction member 11' and a support 15 '.
Here also, the suction member 11 'has an opening 12' for sucking the press-formed body G and a through-hole 13 'communicating with the opening 12'. The opening 12 ′ is surrounded by a contact portion 21 ′ that contacts the press-formed body G. The support 15 'has a gap 16' between the suction member 11 'and the suction member 11' so as to allow the suction member 11 'to move up and down by a predetermined amount, and a protrusion for supporting the suction member 11'. 17 '. On the other hand, the suction member 11 'has a collar portion 14' at the upper portion, and is supported by the projection portion 17 'of the support 15' by the collar portion 14 '. As in the apparatus of FIG. 1, the suction member 11 'can move upward according to the amount (height) of the gap 16' at the top thereof, and a slight vertical movement is allowed.

Here, the support 15 'is formed integrally with the suction nozzle 19'. The support 15 'has a through-hole 18, and the suction nozzle 19' communicates with a suction means (not shown) via the through-hole 18.
Here, being integrally configured means that the suction nozzle 19 ′ and the support 15 ′ are fixed to each other, may be formed of the same member, or may be formed of different members and directly or mutually. It may be fixed indirectly.
When the suction nozzle 19 'is configured as a separate member from the support 15', the suction nozzle 19 'is appropriately adjusted according to the height of the suction member 11' and the inner diameter of the through hole 13 'of the suction member 11'. There is the advantage that you can choose. Further, when the suction nozzle 19 'is made of the same member as the support 15', there is an advantage that the positional accuracy of the suction nozzle 19 'can be easily obtained.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the suction nozzle 19 'and the support 15' are integrally formed as described above, and the support 15 'is formed on the upper surface 11'a of the suction member 11' and the inner surface 15 'of the support. a (lower surface), 15'b (inner peripheral surface) and a part of the outer peripheral surface 19'a of the suction nozzle 19 ', a space S2 formed by the suction member 11' so as to be a closed space except for a clearance. Surround the top. This space S2 communicates with the space S1 directly above the press-formed body G through a clearance between the through hole 18 of the suction member 11 'and the suction nozzle 19'. Therefore, the suction means (not shown) communicates with the space S2 formed in the gap 16 via the space S1 and the clearance. When the press-formed body G comes into contact with the contact portion 21 ', the press-formed body G and the suction member 11' form a space S1, and the space S1 communicates with the space S2 via a clearance. Therefore, the suction force by the suction means surely reduces the pressure in the spaces S1 and S2 without leaking to the outside.
That is, when the suction is started after the contact portion 21 'of the suction member 11' is brought into contact with the press-formed body G, a negative pressure space S1 is formed in the opening 13 '. As a result, the compact is securely adsorbed to the contact portion 21 '. When suction is subsequently performed, a negative pressure space S2 is generated in a gap 16 ′ between the suction member 11 ′ and the support 15 ′ through a clearance between the through hole 13 ′ and the suction nozzle 19 ′, and the press-formed body G is formed. The suction member 11 'moves upward while being suctioned. As the suction member 11 'moves upward, the negative pressure space S2, that is, the gap 16' disappears, and the suction member 11 'comes into close contact with the support 15'. In addition, the suction member 11 ′ which contacts the press-formed body G and plays a role of absorbing the height variation thereof does not need to move up and down after securely sucking the press-formed body G, and the support member 15 ′ There is no problem in being closely attached and fixed.

In other words, in the apparatus of the present invention, the suction pressure at which the suction member 11 'rises is not applied until the press-formed body G is securely suctioned to the contact portion 21' of the suction member 11 '. Therefore, even if the press-formed body is somewhat heavy, the contact between the pressed-formed body G and the contact portion 21 'is maintained. Only after the negative pressure space S1 formed by the opening 12 ′ and the press-formed body G is formed, pressure is transmitted to the gap 16 ′, and the negative pressure space S2 is formed and its volume is reduced. The force for reducing the force acts, and the suction member 11 'rises. As a result, the gap 16 'is completely occupied by the suction member 11' and disappears, and the small space becomes more compact and airtight. For this reason, the press-formed body is firmly sucked, stably held, and does not fall during conveyance.

In the structure in which the suction acts on the suction pad before acting on the opening as in the device described in Patent Document 3, the suction pressure on the suction pad is applied to the suction pad prior to the press molding. It is likely to be applied, and the suction pad may be lifted by the thickness of the gap before the press-formed body is sucked. In such a case, a situation may occur in which contact between the upper part of the press-formed body and the suction pad cannot be maintained.

も Also in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, it is preferable that the outer diameter of the suction nozzle 19 ′ and the inner diameter of the through hole 13 ′ of the suction member 11 ′ are approximated within a range in which the suction member 11 ′ can move up and down. More specifically, it is appropriate that the clearance between the suction nozzle 19 'and the through hole 13' of the suction member 11 'is about 0.05 to 0.15 mm on one side. In the embodiment of FIG. 2 as well, by setting the clearance between the suction nozzle 19 'and the through hole 13' of the suction member 11 'in a predetermined range, the above-described order of forming the negative pressure space is maintained, and press molding is performed. The suction of the body G and the subsequent suction into the gap 16 'of the suction member 11' can be performed more smoothly.

The suction nozzle 19 'communicating with the suction means (for example, a vacuum pump) extends into the through hole 13 of the suction member 11', and preferably extends to the vicinity of the opening 12 '. Therefore, the suction nozzle 19 'passes through the inside of the suction member 11', and the suction member 11 'moves up and down around the suction nozzle 19' while sliding with the suction nozzle 19 '. In this way, the center of the suction member 11 'is supported by the suction nozzle 19', and there is also an effect that the suction member 11 'can move up and down smoothly without tilting. This is the same in the apparatus shown in FIG.
The suction nozzle 19 ′ has a length that does not protrude from the opening 12 ′ of the suction member 11 ′ even if the suction member 11 ′ moves up to the maximum and occupies the entire gap 16 ′ with the support 15 ′. It is appropriate to have If the suction nozzle 19 'is too short, it is difficult to form the negative pressure spaces S1 and S2 sequentially, and the negative pressure space S2 may be formed almost simultaneously with the formation of the negative pressure space S1. Therefore, it is preferable that the suction nozzle 19 'is inserted and extended with a length in a range of 60% or more of the length of the through hole 13'.
On the other hand, when the suction member 11 'is at the highest position, that is, when the gap 16' with the support 15 'is almost completely filled, the tip of the suction nozzle 19' moves from the opening 12 'of the suction member 11'. If it comes into contact with the protruding and adsorbed press-formed body G, the press-formed body G may be damaged. Therefore, the position of the suction nozzle tip (the length of the suction nozzle) is determined so that the tip of the suction nozzle 19 'does not contact the press-formed body G. Specifically, the suction nozzle 19 'is configured such that the distance from the lower end of the suction nozzle 19' to the contact portion 21 'when the suction member 11' is at the lowermost position is equal to the allowable length of vertical movement of the suction member 11 '. It is appropriate to have a length that is longer than the height (corresponding to the height of the gap 16 'in the device 10' of FIG. 2). More specifically, when the suction member 11 'is at the highest position, the tip of the suction nozzle 19' is slightly (for example, 0.2 mm to 2 mm) inside the opening 12 'of the suction member 11'. Is preferred.

Hereinafter, common points between the above two embodiments will be described. However, the description will be made based on FIG. 1 and the following description is common to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 unless otherwise specified.
As the material of the suction member, a known material can be used as long as it has heat resistance and is lightweight so as not to damage the press-formed body. For example, carbon, cermet, ceramic, or the like can be used. Further, those obtained by coating these surfaces with pyrolytic carbon, silicon carbide, glassy carbon, or the like can also be used. Note that a material that is inert to high-temperature glass is preferable.

(4) The contact portion 21 provided in the opening 12 of the suction member 11 comes into contact with and adheres to the press-formed body G, so that an appropriate shape can be devised. The contact portion 21 can be formed in the shape of the cylindrical projection 20 as necessary. The provision of the cylindrical projection 20 has an advantage that even if the upper surface (the surface to be adsorbed) of the press-formed body G is a concave surface, it can be easily and favorably adsorbed. The inner diameter of the cylindrical projection 20, that is, the inner diameter of the opening 12 is suitably smaller than the outer diameter of the press-formed body G from the viewpoint of easily and satisfactorily adsorbing the press-formed body G.

Further, the tip of the cylindrical projection 20, that is, the contact portion 21, can be chamfered so as not to damage the press-formed body. Further, the shape can be adjusted to the shape of the press-formed body. For example, when the upper surface of the press-formed body is spherical or aspherical and concave, the contact surface can be widened by forming the convex surface with substantially the same curvature.
The present invention includes a method for adsorbing a press-formed body using the adsorption device of the present invention. In particular, the present invention includes a method for adsorbing a press-formed body using the adsorption device shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 2, according to this method, the press-formed body G is brought into contact with the contact portion 21 ′, and suction is started by activating a suction unit (not shown), and the space S1 in the opening 12 ′ is negatively charged. The pressure is applied to adsorb the press-formed body G to the contact portion 21 '. The contact of the contact portion 21 'with the press-formed body G is preferably before the start of suction, but may be performed simultaneously with or after the start of suction. However, when the contact of the contact portion 21 ′ to the press-formed body G is performed after the start of suction, the suction force is adjusted so that the contact of the contact portion 21 ′ to the press-formed body G due to suction does not become sudden. Is preferred.

Then, through the clearance between the through hole 13 'and the suction nozzle 19', the upper surface 11'a of the suction member 11 ', the inner surfaces 15'a and 15'b of the support 15', and the outer periphery of a part of the suction nozzle 19 '. The space S2 formed by the surface 19′a is set to a negative pressure. In this manner, by setting the space S1 and the space S2 to a negative pressure, the contact of the contact portion 21 ′ with the press-formed body G and the suction holding of the press-formed body G by the suction member 11 ′ can be reliably performed. it can. The press-formed body G sucked by the suction member 11 ′ is taken out of the molding die (lower die) 1 by moving the suction member 11 ′ upward or by lowering the molding die (lower die) 1.

When the contact portion 21 'comes into contact with the press-formed body G, the suction device 10' is positioned above the forming die (lower die) 1, and the suction member 10 ' It is appropriate to adjust the mutual positions of the suction device 10 'and the forming die (lower die) 1 so as not to apply a load exceeding its own weight. In addition, the thickness fluctuation of the press-formed body G caused by the fluctuation of conditions in the press forming step and the subsequent cooling step is predicted, and the height of the gap 16 ′ and the length of the suction nozzle 19 ′ are appropriately set. It is appropriate to do so.

The present invention also encompasses a multi-suction apparatus provided with a plurality of the above-described suction apparatuses of the present invention. The multi-suction device of the present invention is obtained by disposing a plurality of the above-described suction devices of the present invention on a support arm. It is preferable that this support arm has the same number of through holes for communicating with the suction means as the suction device, or has the same number of pipes for communicating with the suction device as the suction device. The through hole or pipe of the support arm communicates with the through hole of the support of the suction device.

The multi-suction apparatus of the present invention will be further described with reference to FIG.
In the multi-suction device 30 shown in FIG. 3, a plurality (four) of suction devices 10 ′ a to 10 ′ d are fixed to the suction arm 31. This multi-suction device is for taking out a plurality (four) of press-formed bodies Ga to Gd simultaneously from the lower dies 1a to 1d.
In the suction arm 31, pipes 32a to 32d connected to vacuum suction means (not shown) are provided inside the arm 31, and the pipes 32a to 32d of the support arm 31 and the suction devices 10'a to 10'd are provided. The through holes of each support are in communication.

The present invention further brings the openings (including the case where cylindrical protrusions are provided) of the respective suction members of the multi-suction device of the present invention into contact with the respective press-formed bodies formed by a plurality of forming dies. And a method of adsorbing a press-formed body, the method including a step of activating suction.

Hereinafter, a method of adsorbing a press-formed body using the adsorption device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
In order to take out and transport the pressed compact G that has been pressed, the suction arm 31 on which the suction members 11'a to 11'd are set is moved above the forming dies (lower dies) 1a to 1d, and the press is performed. The molded bodies Ga to Gd are lowered to a predetermined position where the molded bodies Ga to Gd are to be taken out (by means of elevating means not shown). If necessary, the forming dies (lower dies) 1a to 1d are raised to predetermined positions so that the suction members 11'a to 11'd and the press-formed bodies Ga to Gd come into contact with each other. At this time, no matter which one of the suction member and the press-formed body is moved, the suction member and the press-formed body may be relatively close to each other and in contact with each other. It is preferable that the suction device of the present invention includes an elevating means for raising and lowering the support or the suction arm.

The press-formed bodies Ga to Gd come into contact with the suction members 11'a to 11'd, and the position of each suction member moves upward according to the height variation caused by a change in lens thickness or displacement. . The height of the gap provided between the suction member and the support is determined in advance by predicting the height variation of the press-formed body. Making it unnecessarily large is not preferable.

Next, the electromagnetic valve of a vacuum pump (suction means, not shown) communicating with the suction nozzle for performing suction is opened, that is, suction is started. Thereby, the press-formed body comes into close contact with the suction member. When the press-formed body comes into close contact with the suction member, the press-formed body and the suction member are drawn upward. Thereafter, the press-formed body can be taken out of the molding die by moving the suction member upward with respect to the molding die by a lifting / lowering means (not shown). The press-formed body taken out of the molding die can be conveyed to a storage device (not shown) or the like as necessary.
By these operations, four press-formed bodies (lenses) having variations in height due to a change in wall thickness or displacement can be reliably taken out of the molding die.

Using the adsorption device of the present invention or the adsorption method of the present invention, the step of taking out from the molding surface of the press-formed body is performed as soon as possible, for example, when the temperature of the press-formed body reaches a viscosity corresponding to a temperature of Tg or less. It is preferable to perform the process from the viewpoint of shortening the cycle time of the press forming process. At this time, the timing of taking out the press-formed body can be appropriately selected according to the shape of the press-formed body and the type of glass, but preferably, the temperature of the press-formed body is in the range of Tg-50 ° C to Tg ° C. More preferred. By using the suction device of the present invention or the suction method of the present invention, even at a high temperature where an elastic body such as rubber cannot be used, a press formed body (such as an optical lens) can be damaged by a pressing force from a jig. It can be avoided and securely held and transported. In particular, the present invention is remarkable in that, even at a high temperature of Tg-50 ° C. to Tg ° C., at which the press-molded glass body can be released from the mold, the press-molded body can be reliably sucked and taken out of the mold. It works.

Further, the present invention provides a method for press-molding a heat-softened glass material in a molding die, and removing a press-molded body obtained by cooling from the molding die using the above-described adsorption apparatus or adsorption method of the present invention. And a method for manufacturing an optical element.

Heat softening, press molding, and cooling of the glass material can be performed by a known method, and for example, a method disclosed in JP-A-2001-19445 can be used. This is a method in which a molding glass material is adjusted to a predetermined viscosity by heating, introduced into a molding die preheated to a predetermined temperature, and press-molded by the molding die. It is preferable that the glass material is heated to a temperature higher than the preheating temperature of the molding die, and is transferred to the preheated molding die, and then immediately press-molded. The viscosity of the glass material at the time of heating is preferably less than 10 ⁸ poise, and the viscosity of the molding die can be in the range of 10 ⁸ to 10 ^12.5 poise. Further, a plurality of glass materials may be adjusted to the predetermined viscosity and introduced into a plurality of molds. In this case, the multi-adsorption device of the present invention can be used for taking out the press-formed body.

ガ ラ ス Examples of the glass material to be molded include those having a shape such as a spherical shape and a flat spherical shape. The material of the glass material to be molded and the shape of the optical element obtained by molding are not particularly limited. Examples of the glass optical element obtained by the method of the present invention include an aspherical or spherical biconvex lens, a convex meniscus lens, a concave meniscus lens, and the like. That is, the press-formed body to be suctioned by the suction apparatus and method of the present invention can be an aspherical or spherical biconvex lens, a convex meniscus lens, a concave meniscus lens, or the like.

In the method of manufacturing an optical element according to the present invention, a glass material to be molded heated to a predetermined temperature is moved to a preheated mold. The glass to be formed can be supplied to the forming die using a known supply means such as an adsorption member, but it is preferable to use a floating plate, preferably a split type floating plate. For example, on a plurality of split-type floating dishes arranged in a longitudinal direction on a support arm, a plurality of heat-softened glass materials to be molded are floated and conveyed by an airflow ejected from below, and a plurality of molding dies are formed. By dividing the floating plate directly above the lower mold and simultaneously dropping the glass material to be molded, the glass material can be simultaneously moved to each of the preheated molds. As such a floating plate, for example, the one described in JP-A-8-133758 can be used.

In the non-isothermal pressing method (a method using a mold and a glass material having different temperatures), heat is exchanged between the glass and the mold from the moment when the glass material to be molded is introduced into the mold. . Therefore, it is preferable that the deformation of the glass due to the subsequent press forming and the relationship between the glass and the heat history of the forming die be equal in each glass material to be formed. Therefore, it is preferable to simultaneously supply a plurality of glass materials to be molded to the corresponding molding dies.

Further, when using the split mold floating plate as described above, in order to drop without misalignment to the center of the lower mold (the center of the lower mold forming surface and the glass material to be formed are shifted), the glass material to be formed is Can be dropped through the opening of the misalignment prevention funnel member disposed between the floating plate and the lower mold. Further, in the case where a position shift (center shift) occurs from the center of the lower mold of the glass material to be molded, the center shift can be corrected by shifting the width using the guide means.

(5) Next, the glass material to be molded is pressed by a molding die and molded into a shape corresponding to the molding surface of the molding die. With respect to the press forming of the glass material to be formed, for example, a plurality of heat-softened glass materials to be formed are arranged in a row in a longitudinal shape in a matrix along the longitudinal direction. (See Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-29333). In addition, the shape, structure, material, and the like of a molding die used in the press molding method, and further, molding conditions and the like can be known ones, for example, those described in JP-A-8-133758. it can.

When a plurality of heat-softened glass materials to be molded are simultaneously pressed and molded with a plurality of molds, the thermal conditions are the same among the plurality of molds, and the temperature of the molding surface in each mold is reduced. It is preferably the same at a position that is equidistant from the center of the molding surface. In the method described in JP-A-11-29333, a plurality of molding dies are arranged in a line in a longitudinal shape in a matrix along a longitudinal direction, and are heated by heating means wound around the matrix. Since each mold is heated by heat conduction from the mother mold, it is possible to make the same thermal conditions among a plurality of molds. Further, each of the plurality of molds is heated by heat conduction from the matrix heated by the heating means wound around the matrix, and the heating is performed by at least a horizontal cross section of each mold. It is preferred that two opposing positions in are heated substantially evenly. As a molding apparatus capable of heating such a mold, a matrix has a long shape and a fixed width, and the molds are arranged in a row in the matrix at equal intervals in a longitudinal direction. A device in which the center of the molding die is located on the center line of the mother die, and the distance between the heating means and the mother die at least at the lateral end of the mother die is constant. . With such a structure, it is possible to minimize the occurrence of a temperature distribution on the molding surface of each mold due to a difference in the distance from the heating means. As a result, a plurality of glass optical elements having good surface accuracy and surface quality can be provided. It can be molded simultaneously. It is preferable that the elongated matrix has a substantially semicircular shape at both ends, from the viewpoint that the heating to the mold near the both ends can be made uniform.

に お い て In the above molding apparatus, the shape, structure and material of the molding die can be known ones, for example, those described in JP-A-8-133758. Specifically, a mold in which a silicon carbide film is formed on a silicon carbide sintered body by a CVD method and then an i-carbon film is formed by an ion plating method can be used. Furthermore, cermets of silicon, silicon nitride, tungsten carbide, aluminum oxide and titanium carbide, and those whose surfaces are coated with diamond, heat-resistant metal, precious metal alloy, or ceramics such as carbide, nitride, boride, oxide, etc. Can also be used. However, a carbon-based film such as an i-carbon film is particularly advantageous in that it has good releasability.

The heating means can be selected from various known ones, and is wound around the matrix so as to be positioned in a contact state or a non-contact state around the mold during molding. The heating means is an induction heating means such as an induction heating coil, and is preferably wound according to the shape of the matrix so as to be positioned in a non-contact state around the matrix during molding. The induction heating means such as an induction heating coil can be appropriately selected from known ones. By using the induction heating means as the heating means, the temperature of the mold can be quickly raised in the case of repeated molding, so that there is an advantage that the cycle time of molding can be shortened. Furthermore, the induction heating means has an advantage that the temperature reproducibility is extremely good, so that precise temperature control is possible.

In the apparatus and method of the present invention, the diameter and shape of the opening and the suction force of the vacuum suction means can be appropriately selected according to the shape, size and weight of the optical element. For example, an optical element having a weight of 2.5 to 6.0 g or a diameter of 8 to 35 mm is suitable for applying the apparatus and method of the present invention. When both the weight and the diameter are large, the wall thickness tends to fluctuate easily and a suction force is required, so that the effect of the present invention is increased.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples.
The molding apparatus used in this embodiment is one in which four molding dies are arranged on one mold base material as shown in FIG. The upper mold and the lower mold are formed of a tungsten alloy, and each mold member of the upper mold 202, the lower mold 203, and the body mold 210 is formed by coating silicon carbide with a carbon-based thin film.
Using this apparatus, a barium borosilicate glass (transition point: 514 ° C., yield point: 545 ° C.) 204 is pressed to form a concave meniscus lens having an outer diameter of 15 mm (one surface is spherical and the other surface is aspheric). Molded. A preform having no surface defects, which has been hot-formed into a flat sphere shape, is preheated to 470 ° C., and is placed on the four lower dies 203 preheated to about 470 ° C. below the forming chamber using a transfer hand. The pieces were transferred at the same time. Immediately, the lower mold 201b was raised by driving means (not shown) and was brought into contact with the upper mold 201a at 470 ° C., and each body mold was incorporated into each upper mold 202. Immediately after this, the upper and lower molds were started to be heated to 596 ° C. corresponding to a glass viscosity of 10 ⁸ poise by high-frequency induction heating. After soaking, the lower mold 201b was raised and pressed at a pressure of 70 kg / cm ² to transfer the shape of the upper and lower molding surfaces to glass. Next, while reducing the pressure and maintaining the lens surface in a pressurized state, the mold and the molded lens were cooled at a cooling rate of 50 ° C./min until the temperature became below the glass transition point.

In each mold, heating and cooling were performed almost equally. The mold was released at 490 ° C., the lower mold was lowered to below the molding chamber, and four lenses were simultaneously taken out using a suction member having four suction members shown in FIG. In addition, the next four preheated preforms were placed and moved on to the next press cycle.
This molding and removal process was repeated 500 times.
There was uneven thickness due to misalignment and thickness fluctuation due to temperature and pressure fluctuations that occurred when the preform was transferred to the lower die in these 500 times and 2000 presses, but its height variation (maximum 1 mm) 100% of the lens was able to be taken out of the mold without being affected by the above, and the surface quality of the obtained lens was good.

Also, one of the four molds was used as a concave menis lens molding mold having a curvature different from those of the other three, and two types of items were mixed and pressed 500 times. In this case as well, there was a difference in lens height of about 0.6 mm on average depending on the item.However, the vertical movement of each adsorption member absorbed the steps on each lens surface, and the lens could be taken out 100% from the mold. Was.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a molding die (lower die) 1 and an adsorption device 10 which is an example of an adsorption device of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a molding die (lower die) 1 and a suction device 10 ′ which is an example of a suction device of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a molding die (lower die) 1a to 1d and an example of a multi-suction device of the present invention. FIG. 8 of JP-A-2002-12431, a suction member for taking out a glass molded body (conventional example). Sectional explanatory drawing of the shaping | molding apparatus used in the Example.

Explanation of reference numerals

1, 1a-1d Lower dies 10, 10 ', 10'a-10'd Suction devices 11, 11', 11'a-11'd Suction members 12, 12 'Openings 13, 13' Through holes (suction members) of)
15, 15 'Support 16, 16' Gap 17, 17 'Projection 18 Through-hole (of support)
19, 19 'Suction nozzle 20, 20' Cylindrical projection 30 Multi-suction device 31 Suction arms 32a to 32d Pipes G, Ga to Gd Press molded body

Claims (9)

An opening for adsorbing the press-formed body, an abutment member surrounding the opening, a contacting portion that comes into contact with the press-formed body, and a through-hole communicating with the opening;
A support for supporting the suction member by allowing a predetermined amount of up and down movement, and
A suction device for a press-formed body having a suction nozzle communicating with a suction means,
The suction device, wherein the suction nozzle is slidably extended into a through hole of the suction member. The clearance between the through-hole and the outer periphery of the suction nozzle, the press-formed body abuts on the contact portion, and when the suction means is started, the opening is formed by the press-formed body abutted on the contact portion. 2. The suction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inside of the section has a range in which a negative pressure capable of suction-holding the press-formed body can be formed. The said support body is comprised integrally with the said suction nozzle, and the said suction nozzle is connected with the suction means via the through-hole provided in the support body, The Claims characterized by the above-mentioned. Suction device. The support may surround an upper portion of the suction member such that a space formed by an upper surface of the suction member, an inner surface of the support, and an outer peripheral surface of a part of the suction nozzle is a closed space except for the clearance. 4. The adsorption device according to claim 3, wherein: The suction nozzle has a length such that the distance from the lower end of the suction nozzle to the contact portion when the suction member is at the lowermost position is longer than the allowable length of vertical movement of the suction member. The adsorption device according to claim 1. A multi-suction device provided with a plurality of suction devices according to any one of claims 1 to 5 on a support arm. A method for adsorbing a molded body using the adsorption device according to claim 4,
The press-formed body is brought into contact with the contact portion, and suction is started, the inside of the opening is negatively pressured to adsorb the press-formed body to the contact portion, and then, through the clearance, between the upper surface of the suction member and the support. The suction method, wherein a space formed between the inner surface and a part of the outer peripheral surface of the suction nozzle is set to a negative pressure. The heat-softened glass material is press-molded in a mold, and a press-molded body obtained by cooling is taken out of the mold using the suction device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A method for manufacturing a glass optical element. A method for manufacturing a glass optical element, comprising: pressing a heat-softened glass material in a forming die and cooling; and removing a pressed product obtained from the forming die by the adsorption method according to claim 7.

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