JP2005219989A - Device and method for conveying optical element - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for conveying an optical element, which can hold the element even when the shape is largely changed between the element stock materials before molding and the optical elements after molding. <P>SOLUTION: The device is provided with the 1st holding means 1 for holding an optical element stock material A before molding, the 2nd holding means 4 for holding an optical element after molding, a transportation means for transporting the 1st holding means 1 and the 2nd holding means 2 from a pallet on which the optical element stock material A is placed to a molding device for molding the optical element stock material A, and a switching means 6 for switching the use of the 1st holding means 1 and the 2nd holding means 2 upon holding the optical element stock material A or the optical element after molding in accordance with a shape of the optical element stock material A or the optical element after molding. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention conveys optical elements such as spherical lenses and aspherical lenses used in optical systems such as cameras, videos and microscopes, optical lenses such as aspherical lenses, and prisms, or glass materials used for these optical elements. The present invention relates to a transport apparatus and a transport method for transporting the optical element material.

  Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-72334 discloses a conveying device for conveying a press-molded glass molded product to a conveying path. This conveyance device conveys a molded product by a vacuum chuck that performs vacuum suction, and the vacuum chuck is disposed between a holder connected to a vacuum source, a heat-resistant suction plate, and the holder and the suction plate. By doing so, it has a bellows that connects the holder and the suction plate and can retain elasticity at high temperatures.

  The vacuum chuck is used in a state where it is heated to a predetermined temperature so as not to impair the shape of the press-molded glass molded product. And it enters between the lower mold and moves onto the glass molded product placed on the lower mold, and the suction plate vacuum-sucks the glass molded product. At this time, the bellows acts so that the glass molded product can be sucked even if the relative position between the vacuum chuck and the glass molded product is shifted due to the degree of freedom.

After adsorption of the glass molded product, the lower mold is lowered, and then the vacuum chuck is retracted from the press mold, and the glass molded product is dropped onto a shooter waiting outside the press mold. Thereby, the glass molded product slides down the slope of the shooter and is stored in the storage box.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-72334

  In the vacuum chuck described above, when the shape of the glass molded product changes greatly between before and after molding, only the contracted portion of the bellows can cope with the change in thickness, but the shape from concave to convex However, when the molded product is not centered on the axis, it is not possible to cope with the problem and the glass molded product cannot be adsorbed.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such conventional problems, and is a versatile optical element transportable even when the shape changes greatly between before molding and after molding. An object is to provide an apparatus and a conveying method.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical element transport device comprising: an optical element material; and an optical element transport device that transports an optical element formed from the optical element material. The first holding means that holds the optical element material; Second holding means for holding an element, moving means for moving the first holding means and the second holding means between a pallet on which the optical element material is mounted and a molding apparatus for molding the optical element material, And switching means for switching the use of the first holding means and the second holding means according to the shape of the optical element material or the optical element when holding the optical element material or the optical element. .

  In the first aspect of the invention, the moving means moves the first holding means and the second holding means between the pallet and the molding apparatus, so that the optical element material from the pallet by the first holding means and the second holding means can be removed. The optical element can be held from the holding and molding apparatus. The switching means switches between the first holding means and the second holding means in accordance with the optical element material and the shape of the optical element during the holding. Therefore, it is possible to hold the optical element according to the shape of the optical element material and the optical element, and when the shape change before and after molding is large, or even when the shape is not the center of the axis, the optical element can be reliably held. It is possible to handle a wide range of holding materials and optical elements.

  A second aspect of the invention is the optical element transport device according to the first aspect, wherein the first holding means and the second holding means are suction pads that vacuum-suck the optical element material or the optical element. It is characterized by.

  In the invention of claim 2, since the first holding means and the second holding means are made of suction pads and hold the optical element material and the optical element by vacuum suction, the optical element material and the optical element can be reliably held. it can.

  A third aspect of the invention is the optical element conveying apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the first holding means holds the optical element material exclusively, and the second holding means is the optical element. Is specially held.

  In the invention of claim 3, since the first holding means is dedicated to the optical element material and the second holding means is dedicated to the optical element, it is possible to cope with these shapes satisfactorily and securely hold them. Can do.

  A fourth aspect of the present invention is the optical element transport apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the first holding means exclusively holds an optical element material or optical element having a planar suction surface. The measure 2 holding means is for holding the optical element material or the optical element exclusively having a concave suction surface.

  In the invention of claim 4, the first holding means is dedicated to the planar optical element material or optical element, and the second holding means is dedicated to the concave optical element material or optical element. In addition, it is possible to reliably perform the holding corresponding to the shape of the optical element.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the optical element transport device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first holding means exclusively holds the optical element material having a convex suction surface. The two holding means is characterized in that the suction surface exclusively holds a convex optical element having a radius of curvature larger than the radius of curvature of the optical element material.

  In the invention of claim 5, the first holding means is dedicated to the convex optical element material, and the second holding means is dedicated to the optical element having a large curvature radius. The holding can be reliably performed in a good manner.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for transporting an optical element, wherein the optical element material and the optical element transport method for transporting an optical element formed by molding the optical element material, the optical element material loaded on the pallet is A first moving step of holding and moving the first holding means to a molding apparatus for molding the optical element material, and after supplying the optical element material to the molding apparatus, holding the optical element exclusively from the first holding means A switching step of switching to the second holding means, and a second moving step of holding the molded optical element by the second holding means and moving the second holding means to the pallet.

  In the sixth aspect of the invention, the first holding means moves from the pallet to the molding apparatus while holding the optical element material in the first moving step, and the second holding means is switched from the first holding means to the second holding means in the switching step. Since the second holding means moves to the pallet while holding the optical element in the moving step, the first holding means and the second holding means can be switched and held according to the shape of the optical element material and the optical element, The holding of the optical element material and the optical element can be continuously performed according to the molding, and the processing efficiency is improved. In addition, when the shape change before and after molding is large, or even when the shape is not the center of the axis, the shape can be reliably held, so that it is possible to widely support the holding of the optical element material and the optical element.

  According to the optical element transport device of the present invention, since holding according to the shape of the optical element material and the optical element can be performed, even when the shape change before and after molding is large, or even when the shape is not the center of the axis It can hold reliably, and can respond widely to holding of an optical element material and an optical element.

  According to the method for transporting an optical element of the present invention, since the optical element material and the optical element can be continuously held in accordance with the molding, the processing efficiency is improved and the shape change before and after the molding is large. In addition, since even a shape that is not the center of the axis can be reliably held, the optical element material and the holding of the optical element can be widely handled.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. In each embodiment, the same members are assigned the same reference numerals.

(Embodiment 1)
1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a plan view of the entire apparatus for press-molding optical elements, FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus for press-molding, and FIGS. FIG. 3 is a side view of an adsorption state.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus for performing press molding corresponds to a plurality of (three) press apparatuses 14 (14a, 14b, 14c) as the forming apparatuses and the respective press apparatuses (14a, 14b, 14c). A plurality of (three) pallets 12 (12a, 12b, 12c) are provided. The press devices 14a, 14b, 14c and the pallets 12a, 12b, 12c are arranged in an array so as to face each other at a position sandwiching the X-axis drive means 13 that moves the transport device 30 of the present embodiment. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each of the press devices 14 a, 14 b, and 14 c includes a lower mold 15 and an upper mold 16 that face each other, and a heater vertical drive means 19 that stands on a base 31. A heater support member 18 is attached to the heater vertical drive means 19 so as to be movable up and down, and the upper heater 17 is attached to the heater support member 18. The lower die 15 is supported by a lower shaft 21 connected to the pressing means 22, and a lower die heater 20 is disposed around the lower die 15. A work detecting means 23 for optically detecting the presence / absence of a work on the lower mold 15 is disposed at a position corresponding to the lower mold 15.

  On the other hand, each pallet 12a, 12b, 12c is formed with a plurality of pockets on the upper surface so as to accommodate the optical element material A before molding and the optical element B after molding made of glass material, respectively. It has become. In this embodiment, the optical element material A has a plate shape, and the optical element B has a concave shape. The optical element A is made of a glass material.

  The X-axis drive means 13 disposed between the aligned forming apparatuses 14a, 14b, 14c and the pallets 12a, 12b, 12c is disposed on the base 31. The X-axis drive unit 13 is configured by combining a timing belt, a stepping motor, and a guide, and moves the conveyance device 30 between the molding devices 14a, 14b, and 14c and the pallets 12a, 12b, and 12c.

  The transport device 30 includes a rotation driving unit 11 that moves along the X-axis driving unit 13 and an arm 7 that is attached to the rotation driving unit 11 and turns by driving the unit 11. As shown by the arrows in FIG. 1, the arm 7 pivots between the molding apparatuses 14a, 14b, 14c and the pallets 12a, 12b, 12c, and delivers the optical element material A between the corresponding pallet and the molding apparatus. I do.

  The structure of the tip portion of the arm 7 in the transport device 30 is shown in FIGS. A first suction pad 1 as first holding means and a second suction pad 4 as second holding means are attached to the tip of the arm 7.

  The first suction pad 1 is made of a heat-resistant resin made of a PEEK material or the like, and is formed in a cylindrical shape (for example, an outer diameter φ16 mm). The first suction pad 1 is a surface of the optical element material A. Resin material is more suitable than metal because it is necessary to prevent dirt and deposits from adhering to the metal.

  The second suction pad 4 has a smaller diameter (for example, outer diameter φ10 mm) than the first suction pad 1 and is disposed inside the first suction pad 1. The first suction pad 4 is attached to the tip of the support shaft 3 penetrating the arm 7. The second suction pad 4 is required not to damage the optical element B. However, since the optical element B is cleaned in a subsequent process, the dirt and attached matter on the optical element B have little influence. Since the first suction pad 1 is located on the outer periphery of the second suction pad 4, the structure is relatively easy to clean.

  The support shaft 3 is inserted into the cylindrical guide tube 2 penetrating the arm 7 and is slidable in the guide tube 2. If the fitting tolerance between the support shaft 3 and the guide cylinder 2 is small, the support shaft 3 cannot be smoothly slid. On the other hand, if the fitting tolerance is larger than necessary, the adsorption force at the tip of the first adsorption pad 1 Is damaged. For this reason, as a fitting intersection, about -0.01 mm--0.02 mm is favorable. A packing 24 is provided between the first suction pad 1 and the guide tube 2.

  The second suction pad 4 is made of silicon and has a bellows-like elasticity. Since it has elasticity, the suction tip of the second suction pad 4 can follow the shape of the optical element. In this case, a dedicated pad that matches the shape of the molded optical element is good.

  An exhaust hole for vacuum suction is provided inside the support shaft 3 and is sucked from a vacuum generator 5 such as an ejector as suction means. The exhaust hole of the support shaft 3 communicates with the tip of the second suction pad 4.

  The upper part of the support shaft 3 is attached to a support base 8, and a cylinder 6 as a switching means is connected to the support base 8 via a pin 9. When the cylinder 6 is driven up and down, the support base 8, the support shaft 3, and the second suction pad 4 are driven up and down. Furthermore, a Z-axis driving means 10 is provided as a driving means for moving the first suction pad 1 and the arm 7 in the vertical (vertical) direction (see FIG. 4). It is attached to the drive means 10 (refer FIG. 2).

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the optical element material A has a flat plate shape (see FIG. 3), and the first adsorption pad 1 adsorbs the optical element material A having this shape exclusively. The molded optical element B has a concave shape (see FIG. 4), and the second suction pad 4 sucks the optical element B having this shape exclusively.

  First, the first suction pad 1 sucks the optical element material A set in the pocket of the pallet 12a. In order to move the first suction pad 1 to the position of the pocket in which the optical element material A is set, an X-axis driving means 13 and a rotation driving means 11 as moving means are used. The first suction pad 1 moves immediately above the optical element material A, and then the tip of the first suction pad 1 comes into contact with the upper surface, which is a plane of the optical element material A, by the Z-axis driving means 10. At this time, the tip surface of the first suction pad 1 protrudes from the tip surface of the second suction pad 4.

  When suction is performed by the vacuum generator 5 after contact with the optical element material A, air passes through the support shaft 3 and sucks air from the tip of the second suction pad 4. At this time, since the second suction pad 4 is housed in the first suction pad 1 by driving the cylinder 6, the tip of the first suction pad 1 sucks and holds the optical element material A.

  The sucked optical element material A is conveyed to the press device 14a corresponding to the pallet 12a by driving the arm 7 by the rotation driving unit 11, the X-axis driving unit 13, and the Z-axis driving unit 10. Then, by releasing the suction by the vacuum generator 5, the optical element material A is mounted on the lower mold 15 in the press device 14a, and then the arm 7 moves in a direction parallel to the X-axis drive means 13 and waits. To do.

  After confirming that the optical element material A is mounted on the lower mold 15, the optical element material A is identified by the work detection means 23, and the press device 14 a performs molding.

  After molding of the press device 14a is started, the arm 7 moves to the pallet 12b for performing the next molding. In the same manner as described above, the optical element material A set in the pocket of the pallet 12b is adsorbed, and the optical element material A is conveyed onto the lower mold 15 of the lower mold 12b of the press device 12b. Further, similarly, the optical element material A is moved to the pallet 12c and conveyed to the press device 14c.

  The molding process time in the pressing device 14a is approximately 600 seconds for heating with the optical element material A heater 17, and 200 seconds for applying pressure to the material with the upper mold 16 and the lower mold 15, and after the press process is completed. The time for cooling the element B is 600 seconds, and a time of about 30 to 31 minutes is required for each press device. Since the transport time is about 120 seconds for performing the above operation, there is sufficient time to transport the three optical element materials A.

  The press molding by the press device 14a is completed when the temperature of the upper and lower molds 15 and 16 reaches 150 ° C. and the heater 17 and the heater support base 18 are raised.

  Receiving the press end signal from the press device 14 a, the transport device 30 drives the arm 7 by the rotation drive unit 11, the X-axis drive unit 13 and the Z-axis drive unit 10. As a result, the suction pads 1 and 4 move onto the optical element B of the lower mold 15 in the press device 14a, and suck the optical element B of the press device 14a. The suction at this time is performed by the second suction pad 4 having advanced by moving the second suction pad 4 from the tip of the first suction pad 1 by the vertical movement of the cylinder 6. The adsorbed optical element B is stored in a corresponding pocket of the pallet 12a.

  After the optical element B is stored in the pocket, the second suction pad 4 is stored in the first suction pad 1 by driving the cylinder 6. Thereafter, the first suction pad 1 sucks and picks up the optical element material A from the next pocket of the pallet 12a and mounts it on the lower mold 15 of the pressing device 14a. The same applies to the press device 14b and the press device 14c, and all the optical element materials mounted in the pockets of the pallet 12 are replaced with the optical element B.

  In this embodiment, the entire first suction pad 1 is made of a PEEK material that is a heat-resistant material. However, only the tip portion in contact with the optical element material A is a separate member made of PEEK material or polyimide resin. The tip portion may be removable. Similarly, the tip of the second suction pad 4 may be removable by making it a separate member made of metal. By doing so, there is an advantage that it becomes easy to cope with a change in the shape of the optical element material A and the optical element B.

  In such an embodiment, one transport device 30 is configured to transport and collect the optical element material A and the optical element B to a plurality of (three) press devices 14, and the optical element material A and the optical element Even if the shape before and after molding changes greatly between the elements B, stable suction can be achieved by using a suction pad that matches the shape. Further, since the suction is performed by putting in and out the double-structured suction pad, it is not necessary to change the suction position of the arm 7. For this reason, stable adsorption becomes possible.

  Furthermore, since the suction pad is switched and held between the optical element material A and the optical element B, it becomes easy to ensure the clean state of the suction pad, and the quality of the molded optical element B can be improved. . Moreover, since it corresponds to the three press apparatuses 14 and the pallets 12 with one conveyance apparatus 30, it can convey easily and can suppress the manufacturing cost and apparatus space of the whole apparatus small. Further, since the pallet 14 and the press device 12 are made to correspond to each other, the possibility of troubles in which the molded optical elements B are mixed with each other can be reduced, and different types of products can be easily molded for each molding device. It becomes.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5 shows a transport apparatus 30 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  In this embodiment, the first suction pad 1 as the first holding means is an elastic suction pad having a bellows shape, and the second suction pad 4 as the second holding means has a cylindrical shape. It has become. That is, the outer first suction pad 1 holds a material having a large diameter, the inner second suction pad 4 holds a material having a small diameter, and the first suction pad 1 is formed before molding. The optical element material A is held exclusively, and the second suction pad 4 holds the molded optical element B exclusively.

  In this embodiment, the optical element material A has a small radius of curvature (for example, a diameter of 8 mm), and the optical element B after press molding has a convex shape and has a larger radius of curvature (for example, a diameter of 30 mm). It can implement suitably.

(Embodiment 3)
6 and 7 show Embodiment 3 of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a side view of the optical element material before being molded, and FIG. 7 is a side view of the optical element after being molded.

  In this embodiment, a pad base 33 is used, and the first suction pad 1 as the first holding means and the second suction pad 4 as the second holding means are individually independent on the pad base 33. Attached. That is, these suction pads 1 and 4 are supported in parallel on the lower surface of the pad base 33. Each of the suction pads 1 and 4 is connected to a vacuum generator 5 (5a, 5b) as suction means. The first suction pad 1 is connected to the vacuum generator 5a, and the second suction pad 4 is connected to the vacuum generator 5a. Each is connected to the vacuum generator 5b.

  In order to connect the suction pads 1, 4 to the corresponding vacuum generators 5 a, 5 b, the pad base 33 is formed with exhaust holes for vacuum suction, and the respective exhaust holes are sucked by the suction pads 1, 4. Connected with hole.

  In this embodiment, the pad base 33 is connected to the cylinder 6 as the switching means via the pin 9 but is connected to the cylinder 6 so as to move in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. In this case, the pad base 33 is slidably attached to the arm 7, and when the cylinder 6 is driven, the pad base 33 moves on the lower surface of the arm 7 along the longitudinal direction.

  In the operation of this embodiment, the pad base 33 is moved by the turning of the arm 7 and the expansion and contraction drive of the cylinder 6. Thereby, for example, the first suction pad 1 sucks the optical element material A in which the suction surface set in the pocket of the pallet 12a has a ball shape with a curvature radius of 1 mm (see FIG. 6). The adsorbed optical element material A is transported to the press device 14a corresponding to the pallet 12a and placed on the lower mold 15 thereof. Thereafter, the conveying device 30 moves to the pallet 12b by turning the arm 7 and driving the cylinder 6 to expand and contract, picks up the optical element material A on the pallet 12b, and lowers the lower die 15 of the press device 14b corresponding to the pallet 12b. The optical element material A is placed thereon, and further conveyed to the pallet 12c and the press device 14c.

  When a press end signal is received from the press device 14a after this transport, the transport device 30 sucks the optical element material A for the next stage molding on the pallet 12a with the suction pad 1, and the press device corresponding to the pallet 12a. It moves onto the lower mold 15 of 14a. Then, by driving the cylinder 6, the second suction pad 4 moves onto the lower mold 15 and sucks the optical element B on the lower mold 15. At this time, the optical element B is formed into a convex shape having an adsorption surface with a curvature radius of 2 mm. Thereafter, by driving the cylinder 6, the first suction pad 1 moves onto the lower mold 15, and the sucked optical element material A before molding is placed on the lower mold 15. After this placement, the second suction pad 4 is moved onto a predetermined pocket in the pallet 12a by driving the arm 7 and the cylinder 6, and the optical element B attracted by the second suction pad 4 is placed in the pocket. Store. Thereby, the operation of one cycle is completed for the pallet 12a and the press device 14a.

  Similarly, a one-cycle operation is performed on the pallet 12b and the press device 14b, the pallet 12c, and the press device 14c in a set. In addition, the optical element after shaping | molding with respect to the curvature radius of the optical element material A so that the curvature radius of the adsorption surface of the optical element material A is 1-10 mm, and the radius of the adsorption surface of the optical element B is 2-20 mm. When the radius of curvature of B is about twice, a good molding surface can be obtained.

  In such an embodiment, in addition to having the same action as in the first embodiment, the pivoting operation of the arm 7 between the pallet 12 and the press device 14 may be one operation, so that it can be performed in a short time. Can be transported. Further, since the suction position by the suction pads 1 and 4 is changed by the movement of the pad base 33, the suction for the pick-up and the suction for the delivery can be performed in different places, there is no unnecessary operation, and the transport time Can be shortened. Furthermore, since the suction pads before and after molding are sucked by separate suction pads, the replacement of individual suction pads is facilitated, and the clean state of the suction pads can be ensured, and good for complex shapes. It becomes possible to cope with.

(Embodiment 4)
In this embodiment, the shape of the tip portion of the suction pads 1 and 4 corresponding to the optical element material A and the optical element B to be sucked will be described. That is, when the suction surface of the optical element B is a free-form surface or an aspherical surface, the tip surface of the second suction pad 4 is set as a corresponding surface, and step portions are formed on the suction surfaces of the optical element material A and the optical element B. If so, a step is provided on the front end surfaces of the suction pads 1 and 4.

  FIG. 8 shows the second suction pad 4 corresponding to the molded optical element B. In FIG. 8A, the tip surface is along the outer surface of the optical element B having a diameter of 20 mm and a convex surface of 120 °. In (b), it is a tip surface along the upper surface of the optical element B having a diameter of 30 mm and a concave surface of 90 °.

  FIG. 9A shows a case where the optical element material A has a flat plate shape, and the first suction pad 1 is formed in a flat plate shape having a circular tip surface. FIG. 9B shows a case where the upper surface of the molded optical element B is a curved surface, and the tip surface of the second suction pad 4 is molded so as to be a curved surface that matches this curved surface. .

  FIG. 10A shows a case where a groove is formed on the upper surface of the optical element material A before molding, and a convex portion corresponding to the groove is formed on the lower surface of the first suction pad 1 that performs the suction. Is done. FIG. 10B shows a case where a plurality of groove-shaped step portions are formed on the upper surface of the optical element B after molding, and the lower portion of the second suction pad 4 that performs the suction is formed on the step portion. Corresponding convex steps are formed.

It is a top view of the whole apparatus applied to this invention. It is a side view of the whole apparatus applied to this invention. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an adsorption state of an optical element material in Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view of the suction state of the optical element in the first embodiment. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an adsorption state of a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a side view showing an adsorption state of an optical element material in Embodiment 3. FIG. FIG. 10 is a side view showing an adsorption state of an optical element in a third embodiment. (A), (b) is sectional drawing which shows the front end surface shape of a 2nd adsorption | suction pad. (A), (b) is a perspective view which shows the shape of the adsorption | suction pad corresponding to an adsorption | suction surface. (A), (b) is a perspective view which shows the shape of the adsorption | suction pad corresponding to an adsorption | suction surface.

Explanation of symbols

1 First adsorption pad 4 Second adsorption pad
5 Vacuum generator 6 Cylinder 7 Arm 12 Pallet 14 Press device A Optical element material B Optical element

Claims (6)

In an optical element transport apparatus for transporting an optical element material and an optical element formed by molding the optical element material,
First holding means for holding the optical element material;
Second holding means for holding the optical element;
Moving means for moving the first holding means and the second holding means between a pallet on which the optical element material is mounted and a molding apparatus for molding the optical element material;
Switching means for switching the use of the first holding means and the second holding means according to the shape of the optical element material or the optical element when holding the optical element material or the optical element;
An optical element conveying apparatus comprising: 2. The optical element transport device according to claim 1, wherein the first holding unit and the second holding unit are suction pads that vacuum-suck the optical element material or the optical element. 3. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein the first holding means is for holding an optical element material exclusively, and the second holding means is for holding an optical element exclusively. 4. Conveying device. The first holding means exclusively holds an optical element material or optical element having a flat suction surface, and the measure 2 holding means exclusively holds an optical element material or optical element having a concave suction surface. The apparatus for transporting an optical element according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a transport device. The first holding means exclusively holds an optical element material having a convex suction surface, and the second holding means has a convex optical element having a curvature radius larger than the curvature radius of the optical element material. The apparatus for transporting an optical element according to claim 1, wherein the optical element transporting apparatus is used for exclusive use. In the method of transporting an optical element for transporting an optical element material and an optical element formed by molding the optical element material,
A first moving step of holding the optical element material mounted on the pallet by the first holding means and moving the first holding means to a molding apparatus for molding the optical element material;
After supplying the optical element material to the molding apparatus, a switching step of switching from the first holding means to a second holding means for holding the optical element exclusively;
A second moving step of holding the molded optical element by the second holding means and moving the second holding means to the pallet;
A method for transporting an optical element, comprising:

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