JP2016124733A - Production method of glass gob, and production apparatus of glass gob - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To take a glass gob out of a molding die without fail, regardless of a weight of the molded glass gob.SOLUTION: A production method of a glass gob includes a molding step for molding a nearly spherical glass gob 3 by flotation molding in a recess 4A, using a molding die 4 having the recess 4A that expands and opens upward, and a transfer step for transferring the glass gob 3 from the recess 4A of the molding die 4 to a tray 8 disposed below the molding die 4, by tilting the molding die 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a glass lump manufacturing method and a glass lump manufacturing apparatus, and in particular, a glass having a substantially spherical shape by floating molding in an internal space using a mold having an internal space that expands and opens upward. The present invention relates to a glass lump manufacturing method for forming a lump and a glass lump manufacturing apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an optical element such as a lens is manufactured by pressing a heated glass block (preform) with a molding die and transferring a molding surface of the press molding die. As a method for producing a glass lump, there is known a method (floating molding method) in which a molding die having an internal space that expands upward and opens and is formed into a substantially spherical shape by floating molding in the internal space.

  As a method for taking out the glass lump formed in this way from the mold, for example, in Patent Document 1 (Patent No. 4346624), wind pressure is applied toward the glass lump in the inner space of the mold to It is disclosed that the glass lump is taken out by blowing the glass from the mold. According to the method described in Patent Document 1, since it is not necessary to hold the glass block by a robot or the like, the tact time can be shortened and the productivity of the glass block can be improved.

Japanese Patent No. 4346624

  The method described in Patent Document 1 is very effective when the weight of the glass block is relatively light, specifically when the weight is 30 mg or less. However, when the weight of the glass lump exceeds 30 mg, it is difficult to blow off the glass lump with wind pressure. On the other hand, lenses used in cameras and the like actually vary from a minimum diameter of about 2 mm to a relatively medium diameter of about several tens of mm.

  The method described in Patent Document 1 is effective when taking out a light glass lump out of glass lump necessary for manufacturing a lens, but is not always suitable when taking out a relatively heavy glass lump. I can't say.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and allows a glass lump to be reliably taken out of a mold without depending on the weight of the formed glass lump, and a glass lump manufacturing method, and An apparatus for producing a glass lump is provided.

  The method for producing a glass lump according to the present invention uses a molding die having an internal space that expands and opens upward, and forms a glass lump into a substantially spherical shape by floating molding in the internal space, and a molding die A transfer step of inclining and transferring the glass lump from the internal space of the mold to a storage container disposed below the mold.

  According to the present invention having the above configuration, for example, the molded glass lump is transferred to the storage container by tilting the mold by a mold tilting mechanism or the like, so that it can be reliably performed regardless of the weight of the glass lump. The glass block can be transferred from the mold.

  In the present invention, the glass lump is preferably made of a glass material having a wear degree of 400 or more. In the present invention, preferably, the glass material is a fluorophosphate glass.

  A glass material having a wear degree of 400 or more, for example, a glass lump of fluorophosphate glass, is easily damaged by impact or the like. Conventionally, as a method for taking out a glass lump from a mold, there has been used a method in which a glass lump is adsorbed by a suction jig and taken out from the mold by a transport mechanism having a suction jig at the tip. However, when a glass lump such as fluorophosphate glass is adsorbed by the suction jig in this way, there is a problem that cracks and scratches are generated on the surface of the glass lump. On the other hand, according to the present invention of the above configuration, since the glass lump can be transferred without bringing a jig or the like into contact with the glass lump, even if it is a glass lump made of a glass material that is easily damaged, Can be transported without damage.

  In the present invention, preferably, at least a portion of the storage container that comes into contact with the glass block is formed of a material having a Rockwell hardness of less than R50. In the present invention, preferably, a conveying member for conveying the glass lump is provided between the mold and the storage container, and at least a portion of the storage container and the conveying member that contacts the glass lump has a Rockwell hardness. Is formed of a material of less than R50.

  According to this invention of the said structure, when a glass lump is transferred on a tray from a shaping | molding die, it can prevent that a glass lump is damaged.

  The glass lump manufacturing apparatus of the present invention has an internal space that expands and opens upward, and a mold for forming the glass lump into a substantially spherical shape by float forming in the internal space, and an internal space of the mold A mold tilt mechanism that tilts the mold so as to transfer the glass block to the storage container.

  According to the present invention, the glass lump can be reliably taken out from the mold regardless of the weight of the formed glass lump.

It is the schematic which shows the structure of the manufacturing apparatus of the glass lump by 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an upright mold in the glass lump manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. It is a vertical sectional view showing a mold in the middle of inclining from the upright state toward the radially outward direction of the turntable. It is a vertical sectional view showing the forming die in a state immediately before the glass lump is discharged after inclining from the upright state toward the radially outer side of the turntable. It is a top view of the shaping | molding die and tray in the manufacturing apparatus of the glass lump of FIG. It is VI-VI sectional drawing in FIG. It is VII-VII sectional drawing in FIG. It is a top view which shows the shaping | molding die, conveyance member, and tray in the manufacturing apparatus of the glass lump of 2nd Embodiment. It is IX-IX sectional drawing in FIG. It is XX sectional drawing in FIG.

Hereinafter, a glass lump manufacturing method and a glass lump manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In the present specification, the substantially spherical glass lump includes not only a spherical glass lump but also a polyhedral glass lump. Here, the glass lump refers to glass in which molten glass is solidified and has lost its fluidity. For example, it refers to a glass material such as a preform formed into a predetermined shape. Moreover, a molten glass means the glass which is supplied in a shaping | molding die from a molten glass supply apparatus, and is in the state until just before a fluidity | liquidity disappears by float forming. In this specification, a glass lump and a molten glass are demonstrated using the same code | symbol.

式中、ｄは試料の比重、ｄ_oは標準試料（ＢＳＣ７）の比重を示す。 In the present specification, the degree of wear is a value defined as follows. A sample with a measurement area of 9 cm ² is held at a fixed position of 80 mm from the center of a flat plate made of cast iron that rotates horizontally at 60 revolutions per minute, and 5 lapping solutions are prepared by adding 20 ml of water to 10 g of alumina abrasive grains having an average particle diameter of 20 μm. Feed evenly for minutes and wrap under a load of 9.807N. The sample mass before and after the lap is weighed to determine the wear mass m. Similarly, to measure the wear mass m _o of Japan Optical Glass Industry Association specified in the standard sample (BSC7). In this case, the degree of wear (F _A ) is calculated by the following equation.

Wherein, d is the specific gravity of the sample, d _o represents the specific gravity of the standard sample (BSC7).

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a glass lump manufacturing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the glass lump manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a circular turntable 2, and a plurality of forming dies on the turntable 2 at equiangular intervals along the outer peripheral edge thereof. 4 is arranged. The turntable 2 is rotationally driven intermittently, whereby the plurality of molds 4 are intermittently transferred by the turntable 2 counterclockwise in FIG.

  In the glass lump manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, a molten glass supply position A and a glass lump take-out position B are set. At a molten glass supply position A, a molten glass supply device 6 for supplying the molten glass 3 into the mold 4 is installed. Further, a tray (storage container) 8 is disposed at a position below the mold 4 at the molten glass take-out position B of the turntable 2.

  2 to 4 are vertical cross-sectional views showing the configuration of the mold 4 in the glass lump manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, and each shows a state where the mold 4 is inclined at different angles. FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the mold 4 in an upright state in the glass lump manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the mold 4 in the middle of being inclined from the upright state toward the radially outward direction of the turntable 2. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the molding die 4 in a state immediately before the glass lump 3 is discharged after inclining from the upright state toward the radially outer side of the turntable 2. As shown in these drawings, a concave portion (internal space) 4A that opens upward is formed in the molding die 4, and the concave portion 4A extends upward, that is, a substantially inverted cone. It has a shape. A floating gas passage 4 </ b> B is formed in the mold 4. One end of the levitation gas passage 4B opens to the side surface, and the other end opens to the lower end of the recess 4A. A gas supply device for supplying an inert gas (not shown) and a gas supply pipe extending from the gas supply device are connected to an end portion opened to the side surface of the floating gas passage 4B. An inert gas such as nitrogen gas supplied through the floating gas passage 4B is blown into the recess 4A.

  A molding die tilting mechanism 10 that tilts the molding die 4 in the lateral direction is provided below the molding die 4. The mold tilt mechanism 10 includes a first tilt mechanism member 12 erected on the radially outer side of the turntable 2 on the lower surface of the mold 4 and a second tilt erected on the center of the lower surface of the mold 4. A mechanism member 14, a third tilt mechanism member 16 connected to the lower end of the second tilt mechanism member 14, and a first stand standing on the upper surface of the turntable 2 and connected to the lower end of the first tilt mechanism member 12. 4 tilting mechanism member 17, push-up bar 24 connected to the lower end of third tilting mechanism member 16, and tilt-mechanism drive device (not shown) that is provided below turntable 2 at the glass lump extraction position and drives push-up bar 24 ( (Not shown).

  The first tilt mechanism member 12 extends downward in a direction perpendicular to the lower surface of the mold 4. A lower end portion of the first tilt mechanism member 12 is pivotable within a radial vertical plane of the turntable 2 via a first pin 18 extending in a substantially circumferential direction of the turntable 2. It is connected to.

  The lower end portion of the second tilt mechanism member 14 is pivotable within a radial vertical plane of the turntable 2 via a second pin 20 extending in the substantially circumferential direction of the turntable 2. It is connected to the upper end. The second tilt mechanism member 14 is a member longer than the first tilt mechanism member 12.

  The lower end portion of the third tilting mechanism member 16 is pushed up of the tilting mechanism drive device via a third pin 22 extending substantially in the circumferential direction of the turntable 2 so as to be rotatable in a vertical vertical plane of the turntable 2. Connected to the upper end of the rod 24.

  The tilt mechanism driving device is a device that is provided below the turntable 2 and is capable of moving the push-up rod 24 in the vertical direction. The push-up bar 24 is inserted through the opening 2 </ b> A formed in the turntable 2.

Specifically, the tilting operation of the mold 4 by the mold tilt mechanism 10 is performed as follows.
As described above, the mold 4 transferred to the glass lump extraction position B is in an upright state as shown in FIG. When the mold 4 is transferred to the glass lump take-out position B, the push-up bar 24 is pushed up vertically by the tilt mechanism driving device while the turntable 2 is stopped rotating. When the push-up bar 24 is pushed vertically upward, an upward force is applied to the lower end portion of the third tilt mechanism member 16 via the third pin 22. Thus, the upward force applied to the third tilt mechanism member 16 is transmitted to the second tilt mechanism member 14 and acts on the center of the mold 4. The mold 4 is rotated by the first tilt mechanism member 12 standing on the lower surface to the upper end portion of the fourth tilt mechanism member 17 standing on the upper surface of the turntable 2 via the first pin 18. Since the connection is possible, the first pin 18 is rotated so as to move toward the outside of the turntable 2. At this time, since the second tilting mechanism member 14 rotates together with the mold 4, the second pin 20 moves along an arc trajectory centered on the first pin 18, and as shown in FIG. The tilt mechanism member 16 tilts toward the center of the turntable 2 around the lower end. In this way, as shown in FIG. 4, the mold 4 is moved to such an angle that the radially outer surface of the turntable 2 of the recess 4 </ b> A of the mold 4 is lower than the bottom end. Tilt.

  What is necessary is just to set suitably the inclination angle of the shaping | molding die 4 at the time of taking out the glass lump 3 based on the weight of the glass lump 3, the angle of the side surface of the recessed part 4A of the shaping | molding die 4, etc. FIG. For example, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, it is inclined to 15 ° with respect to the horizontal plane.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the mold tilt mechanism 10 includes the first tilt mechanism member 12, the second tilt mechanism member 14, the third tilt mechanism member 16, and the tilt mechanism driving device has been described. However, the structure which inclines the shaping | molding die 4 is not restricted to this. The molding die tilting mechanism only needs to tilt the upper end side of the molding die toward the tray.

  Further, the glass lump manufacturing apparatus of the present embodiment is configured to intermittently transfer the molding die by the turntable 2, but is not limited thereto, and the apparatus for manufacturing the glass lump without transferring the molding die. The present invention can also be applied to.

  FIGS. 5-7 shows the shaping | molding die 4 and the tray 8 in the manufacturing apparatus of the glass lump of FIG. 5 is a top view of the mold 4 and the tray 8 in the glass lump manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 1, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. . In these figures, the mold 4 is shown in an inclined state. As shown in FIG. 6, the tray 8 is provided in an inclined state so that the side of the mold 4 is positioned upward. The tray 8 has a rectangular shape, and a side wall 8B that rises upward is formed at the periphery, and a plurality of valleys 8A extend in the inclined direction on the inner bottom surface in parallel with a predetermined interval. Is formed. The tray 8 is preferably formed of a material having high flexibility. This is because the damage imparted to the glass lump 3 is reduced in the transfer from the mold 4 to the tray 8. In addition to softness, it is more preferably formed of a material having high heat resistance. Examples of such a material having high flexibility and high heat resistance include fluorine such as PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene), PFA (Perfluoroalkoxy), FEP (Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene), PCTFE (Polychlorotrifluoroethylene), ETFE (Ethylenetetrafluoroethylene), ECTFE (Ethylene Chlorotrifluoroethylene) and the like. Resin. Among these, a material having a Rockwell hardness of less than R50 is preferable, and PTFE is preferable.

  Further, it is not always necessary to form the whole tray 8 with a material having high flexibility and high heat resistance. For example, a hard material such as metal is used as the base material, and at least a portion (inner bottom surface and side wall inner surface) that comes into contact with the glass block only needs to be formed of a material having a Rockwell hardness of less than R50. The tray 8 is supported by a moving device such as a robot arm so as to be horizontally movable in a direction orthogonal to the tilt direction.

Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the glass lump 3 by the glass lump manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is demonstrated. In the following description, a method for manufacturing a glass lump will be described focusing on one mold.
Referring again to FIG. 1, at the molten glass supply position A, the molten glass 3 is supplied into the mold 4 by the molten glass supply device 6 with the mold 4 standing upright. The supply of the molten glass in the molten glass supply device 6 can be performed, for example, by using a known descent cutting method.

  Next, while rotating the turntable 2 intermittently, as shown in FIG. 2, a mold 4 having a recess (internal space) 4A that expands and opens upward is used, and the glass block 3 has a recess 4A. It is formed into a substantially spherical shape by known float forming (molding step). That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the floating molding is performed by jetting gas into the recess 4 </ b> A through the floating gas passage 4 </ b> B into the molding die 4 by a gas supply device (not shown). Thereby, the molten glass 3 in the recess 4 </ b> A is molded while receiving upward wind pressure and gradually cooled to become a substantially spherical glass lump 3. In this embodiment, in order to mold the glass lump 3 into a complete spherical shape as much as possible, the shape of the recess 4A is circular in a plan view and expanded upward in a cross-sectional view when the mold 4 is upright. It is said. Further, the step of forming the molten glass into a substantially spherical glass lump in the mold 4 is performed in a state where the mold 4 is upright as shown in FIG.

  When the mold 4 is transferred to the glass lump extraction position B, the mold 4 is tilted toward the outside in the radial direction of the turntable 2 by the mold tilt mechanism 10 as shown in FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the mold 4 is inclined, the glass block 3 is transferred from the recess 4A of the mold to a tray (storage container) 8 disposed below the mold 4 ( Transfer process).

  When the turntable 2 rotates intermittently, the molding die 4 is transferred to the glass lump extraction position B, and the glass lump 3 is sequentially transferred from the transferred molding die 4 to the vicinity of the upper end of the tray 8. The

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, since the tray 8 is inclined and has a valley portion 8A extending in the inclination direction, the glass block 3 transferred to the upper end of the tray 8 is guided to the valley portion 8A. However, it moves while rolling toward the lower side of the tray 8 by its own weight. Each time a predetermined number (for example, five) of glass chunks 3 are transferred to one valley portion 8A, the tray 8 is horizontally moved by a moving device in a direction corresponding to the interval between the valley portions 8A and in a direction perpendicular to the inclination direction. (Tray 8 is moved to a position where glass lump 3 is transferred from mold 4 to adjacent valley 8A). In this way, the glass blocks 3 transferred from the mold 4 are arranged in a state where a predetermined number is arranged in each valley portion 8A.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the molded glass block 3 is transferred onto the tray 8 by tilting the mold 4 by the mold tilt mechanism 10 and discharging it from the recess 4A of the mold 4. ing. For this reason, the glass lump 3 can be reliably transferred from the mold 4 regardless of the weight of the glass lump 3.

  The method for producing a glass lump according to the present embodiment is suitable for producing a glass lump made of a glass material having a wear degree of 400 or more. A glass material having an abrasion degree of 400 or more is easily damaged by impact or the like. Conventionally, as a method for taking out a glass lump from a mold, there has been used a method in which a glass lump is adsorbed by a suction jig and taken out from the mold by a transport mechanism having a suction jig at the tip. However, when a glass lump made of a glass material having an abrasion degree of 400 or more is adsorbed by a suction jig, there is a problem that damage such as cracks or scratches occurs on the surface of the glass lump. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the glass lump can be transferred without bringing a jig or the like into contact with the glass lump, even the glass lump 3 made of a glass material that is easily scratched is damaged. Can be transported without any problem.

  Examples of the glass material having an abrasion degree of 400 or more include fluorophosphate glass. Fluorophosphate glass is a glass containing fluorine and has a characteristic that it is easily damaged by impact or the like. As a matter of course, an infrared absorbing glass containing copper or the like in addition to fluorine is also included in the fluorophosphate glass of the present invention.

  Further, in this embodiment, at least a portion of the tray 8 that contacts the glass lump 3 is formed of a material having high softness, particularly a material having a Rockwell hardness of less than R50, so that the glass lump 3 is formed on the tray 8 from the mold 4. It is possible to prevent the glass lump 3 from being damaged when it is transferred. This is particularly suitable when the glass lump 3 is formed of a glass material having a wear degree of 400 or more.

  Next, a glass lump manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The glass lump manufacturing apparatus of the present embodiment is different in that a long conveying member is provided between the mold and the tray, and the glass lump is conveyed from the mold to the tray via this conveying member. The configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  8-10 is a figure which shows the shaping | molding die 4, the conveyance member 130, and the tray 108 in the manufacturing apparatus of the glass lump of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 8 is a top view showing the mold 4, the conveying member 130, and the tray 108 in the glass lump manufacturing apparatus of the second embodiment, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in FIG. It is XX sectional drawing in FIG. In the figure, the mold 4 is shown in an inclined state. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in the glass lump manufacturing apparatus of the second embodiment, a conveying member 130 is provided below the mold 4 so as to extend in the radial direction of the turntable. The conveying member 130 is inclined so that the end on the mold 4 side is higher than the end on the tray 108 side. The lower end of the conveying member 130 extends to the vicinity of the upper end of the tray 108. As shown in FIG. 10, on the upper surface of the conveying member 130, for example, a concave portion 130a having an inverted triangular cross section is formed at the center in the width direction so as to extend in the longitudinal direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a stopper 132 is provided at the lower end of the conveying member 130. The stopper 132 is disposed so as to abut on the conveyance member 130 and straddle the concave portion 130 </ b> A in the lateral direction, and is separated from the conveyance member 130 in the vertical direction and a lower position where the glass lump 3 can be blocked on the conveyance member 130. In between, it is possible to move between an upper position where a gap larger than the diameter of the glass lump 3 is formed.

  The conveyance member 130 and the stopper 132 are preferably formed of a material having high flexibility, like the tray 8 of the first embodiment. In addition to softness, it is more preferably formed of a material having high heat resistance. Examples of such a material having high flexibility and high heat resistance include fluororesins such as PTFE and PFA. Among them, PTFE which is a material having a Rockwell hardness of less than R50 is preferable. In addition, the point which uses hard materials, such as a metal, as a base material, and at least the part which contacts a glass lump may be formed with the soft material whose Rockwell hardness is less than R50 is the tray 8 of 1st Embodiment. It is the same.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the tray 108 is provided so as to be inclined so that the side of the conveying member 130 is positioned upward. Note that the inclination angle of the tray 108 with respect to the horizontal direction is preferably smaller than the inclination angle of the conveyance member 130 with respect to the horizontal direction. This is because the damage imparted to the glass lump 3 during transfer from the mold 4 to the tray 108 is further reduced. Further, the tray 108 has a plurality of valleys 108A formed in parallel at a predetermined interval at the bottom, as in the first embodiment. Note that the tray 108 of the second embodiment is not provided with a side wall at the edge on the conveying member 130 side as compared with the tray 8 of the first embodiment, but the other configurations are the same.

  The glass lump manufacturing method of the present embodiment is different only in the transfer process of transferring the glass lump from the mold to the tray, and the molten glass supply process and the molding process are performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the transfer process in the manufacturing method of the glass lump of 2nd Embodiment is demonstrated.

  In the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a conveying member 130 that conveys the glass block 3 is provided between the mold 4 and the tray (storage container) 108. The conveyance member 130 is formed of a material having a Rockwell hardness of less than R50 at least at a portion in contact with the glass lump 3.

  As described in the first embodiment, the mold 4 transferred to the glass lump extraction position is tilted toward the conveying member 130 by the mold tilt mechanism. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, when the molding die 4 is inclined, the glass block 3 after molding positioned in the concave portion 4 </ b> A of the molding die 4 rolls in the concave portion 4 </ b> A by its own weight. It is transferred to the upper end of the conveying member 130 located below. The glass block 3 transferred to the upper end of the conveying member 130 rolls toward the lower side of the tray 108 by its own weight while being guided by the recess 130A. Then, the sheet is transferred from the lower end of the conveying member 130 to the upper end of the tray 108 positioned below the lower end of the conveying member 130. The glass lump transferred to the upper end portion of the tray 108 rolls toward the lower side of the tray 108 by its own weight while being guided by the valley portion 108A.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the stopper 132 can be moved to the lower position before one glass lump 3 moves from the upper end portion to the lower end portion of the conveying member 130. By moving the stopper 132 to a lower position, one glass lump 3 is once dammed and stopped. Thereafter, the single glass lump 3 is transferred to the tray 8 by moving the stopper 132 to the upper position. Due to the operation of the stopper 132, the speed of the glass lump 3 at the time of transfer to the tray 108 and after the transfer is reduced, so that damage to the glass lump 3 is reduced. The movement of the stopper 132 to the upper position is preferably performed before another subsequent glass lump 3 is transferred from the mold 4 to the conveying member 130. This is because damage given to the glass lumps 3 due to collision between one glass lumps and other glass lumps can be avoided.

  Examples of other application examples of the stopper 132 include the following. As shown in FIG. 8, when a predetermined number (for example, five) of glass blocks 3 are transferred to one valley 108 </ b> A of the tray 108, the stopper 132 is moved to a lower position. Then, the moving device horizontally moves the tray 108 in a direction perpendicular to the inclination direction by a distance corresponding to the interval between the valley portions 108A (that is, the glass lump 3 is transferred from the mold 4 to the adjacent valley portions 108A. The tray 108 is moved to the position). When the glass lump 3 is transferred from the mold 4 to the conveying member 130 while moving the tray 108, the glass lump 3 rolls in the recess 130A of the conveying member 130, but is blocked by the stopper 132 near the lower end. . When the horizontal movement of the tray 108 is completed, the stopper 132 is raised to the upper position. Thereby, the glass lump 3 that has been dammed by the stopper 132 is transferred to the valley 108A adjacent to the valley 108A described above. In this way, the glass block 3 transferred from the mold 4 is arranged in a state where a predetermined number is arranged in each trough 108A.

As described above, according to the glass lump manufacturing apparatus of the second embodiment, the following functions and effects can be obtained in addition to the functions and effects obtained by the glass manufacturing apparatus of the first embodiment.
According to the second embodiment, the conveying member 130 is disposed between the mold 4 and the tray 108, and the stopper 132 that can move up and down is provided at the lower end of the conveying member 130. The glass lump 3 that moves the conveying member 130 can be temporarily stopped by the stopper 132 before being transferred to the tray 108. Thereby, since the speed of the glass lump 3 at the time of the transfer from the conveyance member 130 to the tray 108 and after the transfer decreases, the damage imparted to the glass lump 3 is reduced. Further, the glass lump 3 can be blocked on the conveying member 130 by the stopper 132 during the movement of the tray 108. Thereby, the glass lump 3 can be reliably arranged in a desired position.

  Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing an optical element such as a lens using the glass block manufactured by the glass block manufacturing apparatus of each of the embodiments will be described. In the following description, a case where a mold press molding method is used as a method for manufacturing an optical element will be described, but other methods can naturally be used. In the mold press molding method, an optical element is manufactured by press-molding a preform (glass lump) with a mold including a pair of upper and lower molds facing each other.

First, a glass lump is placed on the lower mold of the mold. Next, the glass lump is heated together with the mold until, for example, the viscosity is about 10 ⁵ to 10 ⁹ Pa · s. Then, a press load is applied to the upper die and the lower die, and the glass lump is press-molded.

In addition, while heating a glass lump beforehand until a viscosity will be about 10 < ⁵ > -10 < ⁹ > Pa * s, a shaping | molding die is heated to the temperature from which the viscosity of a glass lump will be about 10 < ⁹ > -10 < ¹³ > Pa * s. In addition, after placing the glass block on the lower mold, it may be press-molded immediately.

In any case, the cooling of the mold is started after the press molding is completed, and the glass lump has a viscosity of about 10 ¹³ Pa · s while maintaining the adhesion between the molding surfaces of the upper mold and the lower mold and the glass lump. After lowering the temperature until the upper limit is reached, the upper die is raised to release the press load, and the lens as a molded body is taken out.

The present invention will be summarized below with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the glass lump manufacturing method of the first embodiment uses a molding die 4 having a recess 4 </ b> A that expands upward and opens, and is substantially spherical by float forming in the recess 4 </ b> A. A molding step for forming the glass lump 3 and a transfer step for tilting the mold 4 and transferring the glass lump 3 from the recess 4A of the mold 4 to the tray 8 disposed below the mold 4. .

  Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the glass lump manufacturing apparatus of the first embodiment has a recess 4 </ b> A that expands upward and opens, and glass is formed into a substantially spherical shape by float forming in the recess 4 </ b> A. A mold 4 for molding the lump 3 and a mold tilt mechanism 10 for tilting the mold 4 so as to transfer the glass lump 3 from the recess 4A of the mold 4 to the tray 8 are provided.

1 Glass lump manufacturing equipment 2 Turntable 3 Glass lump (molten glass)
4 Mold 6 Molten glass supply device 8, 108 Tray 10 Mold tilt mechanism 12 First tilt mechanism member 14 Second tilt mechanism member 16 Third tilt mechanism member 17 Fourth tilt mechanism member 18 First pin 20 Second pin Pin 22 Third pin 24 Push-up rod 130 Conveying member

Claims (6)

A molding step of forming a glass lump into a substantially spherical shape by floating molding in the internal space using a mold having an internal space that expands upward and opens,
A method of manufacturing a glass lump, comprising a step of inclining the mold and transferring the glass lump from an internal space of the mold to a storage container disposed below the mold.   The said glass lump is a manufacturing method of Claim 1 which consists of a glass material whose abrasion degree is 400 or more.   The manufacturing method of the glass lump of Claim 2 whose said glass material is a fluorophosphate glass.   The method for producing a glass lump according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least a portion of the storage container that is in contact with the glass lump is formed of a material having a Rockwell hardness of less than R50. A conveying member for conveying the glass block is provided between the mold and the storage container,
The said container and the said conveyance member are the manufacture of the glass lump of any one of Claims 1-3 in which the part which contacts a glass lump is formed with the material whose Rockwell hardness is less than R50. Method. A mold that has an internal space that extends upward and opens, and that forms a glass lump into a substantially spherical shape by levitation molding in the internal space;
An apparatus for manufacturing a glass lump, comprising: a mold tilt mechanism that tilts the mold so as to transfer the glass lump from the internal space of the mold to a storage container.

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