JP2011007860A - Glass molded lens and support frame for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a glass molded lens having an external shape rotationally symmetric about the rotation axis and facilitating positioning despite while having an orientation to the external shape.SOLUTION: The lens molded by a glass molding method has an external shape rotationally symmetric about the predetermined rotation axis. In the glass molded lens, an optical surface having an orientation to the external shape is formed on at least one surface, and a regulation part regulating the orientation of the optical surface to a predetermined direction is arranged between the contour of the rotationally symmetric external shape and the optical surface.

Description

  The present invention relates to a glass mold lens in which a plurality of lenses are formed on a disk by a glass mold method, and a support frame thereof.

  Conventionally, when a rotationally symmetric circular lens made of a glass mold (hereinafter referred to as “GM”) is fixed to a lens frame, positioning in the rotational direction can be ignored. Similarly, when an optical element in which an array lens is formed at the center of a glass disk made of GM is put in a lens frame, if it is necessary to determine the position (phase) in the rotation direction in the optical design, it is adjusted and bonded. It was fixed to the lens frame with agents. In other methods, the outline of the disk is formed in a shape that can be used for positioning, such as a rectangle, in GM, or the outer periphery of the disk is cut into a rectangle by additional processing to facilitate positioning (Patent Document 1). A method of positioning and adjusting an optical element by a photoelectric method such as image processing has also been proposed (Patent Document 2).

JP 2001-264502 A JP 2004-38536 A

  However, the optical element in which the array lens is formed on the glass disk is photoelectrically adjusted in the θ direction, for example, a method of adjusting the position by image processing and then fixing the optical element to the lens frame while performing fine adjustment with a dedicated adjustment device. Since the position is determined and bonded, it takes time and money for adjustment, which increases costs and decreases productivity. There is also a risk of moving during adhesive curing.

  Although it is conceivable to make the glass disk rectangular, it is difficult to obtain a good product by digging a rectangular groove on the surface of the mold once in GM, and when the cross section of the body mold and the core is rectangular Also, rectangular GM molding is not practical due to the cost of processing the mold. The method of cutting the outer shape of the glass disk into a rectangle by additional machining is difficult because it must be cut with a diamond cutter etc. into an accurate shape based on the array lens part, and the process increases and the cost increases. It was not practical.

  In the case of positioning by an optical method, an image processing device is required, which increases costs and takes time.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art, and has a rotationally symmetric outer shape with respect to a rotation axis, and obtains a glass mold lens that has directionality with respect to the outer shape but is easily positioned. For the purpose.

  The present invention that achieves such an object is a lens molded by a glass mold method, has a rotationally symmetric outer shape with a predetermined rotation axis, and has an optical surface having directionality with respect to the outer shape on at least one side, Between the outline of the rotationally symmetric outer shape and the optical surface, there is a feature that a restricting portion for restricting the directionality of the optical surface in a predetermined direction is provided.

The restricting portion can be formed by a step portion extending in the predetermined direction.
The present invention is suitable for a glass mold lens in which the optical axis of the optical surface is parallel to the rotation axis.
The present invention provides a glass mold lens having a different shape of the optical surface depending on a cross section including the rotation axis, a glass mold lens in which a contour of the optical surface is deviated from the outer contour, and an optical axis of the optical surface. The glass mold lens which is biased with respect to the outer shape rotation axis and the optical surface are more effective when applied to a glass mold lens in which a plurality of optical surfaces are arranged so as to be biased with respect to the outer contour on one side.

  The lens support frame that supports the glass mold lens of the present invention includes a receiving portion having a concavo-convex relationship that fits with the regulating portion of the glass mold lens.

  According to the present invention, since the regulating portion for regulating the directionality of the optical surface in a predetermined direction is provided between the contour of the rotationally symmetric outer shape and the optical surface, the outer shape is circular and can be easily obtained by a glass mold. There is an effect that it can be manufactured.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiment of the lens array to which the glass mold lens of this invention is applied, (A) is the perspective view seen from the front, (B) is the perspective view seen from the back surface. It is sectional drawing which carried out the longitudinal cross section of the lens array in the surface which passes along a rotating shaft and an optical axis. (A) of the lens frame which mounts the lens array is a perspective view, (B) is a perspective view which shows a mode that the lens array was mounted | worn. (A) thru | or (F) is a figure explaining the process of shape-molding the lens array in steps.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views of a lens array to which the present invention is applied as viewed from the front and the back, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lens array.

  In the lens array 10, four pairs of separator lenses 13, 14, 15, 16 are formed as optical surfaces on the front surface 12 of the glass disk 11, and the back surface 17 is formed in the rear region of the separator lenses 13, 14, 15, 16. A flat surface 17a is formed as an optical surface. The glass disk 11 is formed in a disk shape with the rotation axis Z as the center, and the pair of first separator lenses 13 and the pair of second separator lenses 14 are respectively symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis Z in FIG. It is formed in a vertically symmetrical position. Further, a pair of third separator lenses 15 and a pair of fourth separator lenses 16 are formed adjacent to the outside of the pair of second separator lenses 14 in the same arrangement as the pair of first separator lenses 13. These separator lenses 13, 14, 15, and 16 are offset from the rotation axis Z and are also offset from the outer shape of the glass disk 11. The optical axis O of each separator lens 13, 14, 15, 16 is set parallel to the rotation axis Z.

  On the back surface 17 of the lens array 10, a flat surface 17 a and a glass disk 11 are provided as a restricting portion that regulates the directionality and position of the separator lenses 13, 14, 15, 16 with respect to the outer shape of the lens array 10 (the outer shape of the glass disk 11). A pair of regulating step portions 18 are formed in a region between the outer edges of the two. The restricting step portion 18 is bulged and formed into an arc shape in which a chord portion extends parallel to the arrangement direction of the first, third, and fourth separator lenses 13, 15, and 16. These restricting step portions 18 are formed symmetrically with respect to the rotation axis Z so that the chord portions are parallel to each other. It should be noted that a thick edge 19 is formed on the front surface 12 side of the glass disk 11 so that the outer edge is raised.

  An example of a lens frame (lens support frame) 20 for fixing the lens array 10 is shown in FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the lens frame 20 before the lens array 10 is attached, and FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the lens frame 20 to which the lens array 10 is attached. The lens array 10 is fixed to another optical element while being fixed to the lens frame 20.

  The lens frame 20 includes a rectangular parallelepiped frame 21, a recess 23 in which the lens array 10 is fitted, and an optical path of separator lenses 13, 14, 15, 16 formed in the recess 23. An opening 22 is provided. The opening 22 has a similar shape in front view, which is slightly smaller than the contour of the flat surface 17a excluding the restricting step portion 18 of the lens array 10. The edge-shaped bottom surface of the recess 23 that regulates the opening 22 abuts on the flat surface 17 a of the lens array 10 to support the glass disk 11. The recess 23 of this embodiment includes an arc-shaped step portion 24 with which the arc-shaped region of the flat surface 17a abuts and a linear step portion 25 with which the linear region of the flat surface 17a along the regulating step portion 18 abuts. . A stepped portion 26 lower than the linear stepped portion 25 is formed in the outer region of the linear stepped portion 25 so that the restricting stepped portion 18 of the lens array 10 contacts or accommodates the restrictive stepped portion 18. . In other words, the lens frame 20 has a concavo-convex relationship with the restricting step portion 18 of the lens array 10, and a linear step portion 25 and a step portion 26 are formed as receiving portions that fit into the restricting step portion 18.

  The lens array 10 is fitted into the recess 23 of the lens frame 20 from the back surface 17 side. At that time, the flat surface 17a comes into contact with the arc-shaped step portion 24 and the linear step portion 25, and both the restricting step portions 18 are fitted with the linear step portion 25 interposed therebetween, and are fitted into the step portion 26 (FIG. 3 ( B)). As described above, the regulation step portion 18 is formed in the portion where the outer shape of the lens array 10 fits into the lens frame 20, and the linear step portion 25 and the step portion 26 into which the regulation step portion 18 fits are formed in the lens frame 20. With these fittings, positioning in the rotation direction around the rotation axis Z of the lens array 10 and positioning in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis Z can be easily performed.

  FIG. 4 shows a process of forming the lens array 10 by GM. As shown in FIG. 4A, in this embodiment, an upper mold surface 31 a that forms the front surface shape of the lens array 10 is formed on the lower end surface of the upper mold core 31, and a lens array is formed on the upper end surface of the lower mold core 33. A mold 33a for forming a back surface shape of 10 is formed. A sleeve 35 that concentrically guides the upper mold core 31 and the lower mold core 33 is fitted to the lower mold core 33. Further, the sleeve 35 is fitted with an outer ring 37 that regulates the outer shape of the lens array 10.

  The preform 10 ′ is placed on the mold 33 a of the lower mold core 33 in the sleeve 35 configured as described above (FIG. 4A). The preform 10 ′ is formed in a schematic shape of the lens array 10 by a glass material suitable for the lens array 10.

Then, the upper mold core 31 is lowered and inserted into the sleeve 35 (FIG. 4B).
The upper mold core 33 is lowered while heating the upper mold and lower mold cores 31 and 35 (FIG. 4C).

  While maintaining the heating, the preform 10 'is pressed by the mold surface 31a of the upper mold core 31 and the mold surface 33a of the lower mold core 33 (FIG. 4D). The preform 10 ′ becomes flexible by heating and is pressed by the mold surfaces 31 a and 33 a, so that the material flows along the mold surfaces 31 a and 33 a and expands to the full space formed by the outer ring 37. . By this heating and pressurization, the shape of the front and back surfaces is transferred from the preform 10 ′ by the upper and lower mold surfaces 31 a and 33 a, and the lens array 10 in which the outer shape is formed by the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 37 is formed.

  After heating and pressurizing for a predetermined time, cooling is performed in a pressurized state. After sufficiently cooled, the upper mold core 31 is raised and the upper mold surface 31a is peeled off from the lens array 10 (FIG. 4E).

  Further, when the sleeve 35 is pulled out from the lower mold core 33, the outer ring 37 is pulled out, and the lens array 10 is pulled away from the lower mold surface 33a, the lens array 10 is obtained (FIG. 4 (F), FIG. 1).

  As mentioned above, although embodiment which applied this invention to the lens array 10 used as a separator lens was described, it is not limited to this embodiment. That is, it is a lens molded by the glass mold method, and can be applied to a lens having an optical surface having a rotationally symmetric outer shape with a predetermined rotation axis and having a portion that restricts the direction of the outer shape on at least one side. . It can also be applied to lenses with concave optical surfaces.

  The restricting step portion 18 as the direction restricting portion may be provided on the front surface 12 as long as it is a surface that contacts a member that fixes the lens array 10. Although the pair of regulating step portions 18 are provided symmetrically with respect to the rotation axis Z, only one of them can be used. In the embodiment, the restricting portion is a protrusion, but it may be formed low, such as a notch or a groove.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Lens array 10 'Preform 11 Glass disk 12 Front surface 13 14 15 16 Separator lens 17 Rear surface 17a Flat surface 18 Restriction step part 19 Thick edge part 20 Mirror frame (lens support frame)
21 frame 22 opening 23 dent 24 arc-shaped step portion 25 linear step portion 31 upper mold core 31a mold surface 33 lower mold core 33a lower mold surface 35 sleeve 37 outer ring O optical axis Z rotation axis

Claims (8)

A lens molded by a glass mold method,
It has a rotationally symmetric outer shape with a predetermined rotation axis,
An optical surface having directionality with respect to the outer shape is provided on at least one side,
A glass mold lens comprising: a regulating portion that regulates the directionality of the optical surface in a predetermined direction between the outline of the rotationally symmetric outer shape and the optical surface.   The glass mold lens of Claim 1 WHEREIN: The said control part is a glass mold lens formed of the step part extended in the said predetermined direction.   3. The glass mold lens according to claim 1, wherein an optical axis of the optical surface is parallel to the rotation axis.   The glass mold lens according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the shape of the optical surface is different depending on a cross section including the rotation axis.   5. The glass mold lens according to claim 1, wherein a contour of the optical surface is biased with respect to the contour of the outer shape.   5. The glass mold lens according to claim 1, wherein an optical axis of the optical surface is deviated with respect to the outer axis of rotation. 6.   5. The glass mold lens according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the optical surfaces are arranged on one side so as to be biased with respect to an outer contour. 6. A lens support frame for supporting the glass mold lens according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The lens support frame is provided with a receiving part having a concave-convex relationship that fits with the restriction part of the glass mold lens.

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