JP2020118800A - Optical assembly manufacturing method and lens frame - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an optical assembly manufacturing method, with which an optical assembly that includes a glass lens can be manufactured quickly with high accuracy.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing an optical assembly that includes a glass lens comprises: preparing a lens frame 3 having a frame 3a, a support 3b for supporting a glass lens provided in the frame 3a, and a first junction 3c containing a polyester-based elastomer, having a lower melting point than the frame 3a and the support 3b, projecting upward of the support 3b from the bottom of the frame 3a and comes in contact with the lower edge of the glass lens before does the support 3b when the glass lens is inserted; inserting the glass lens into the frame 3a and thereby bringing the lower edge into contact with the first function 3c; bringing the lower edge into contact with the support 3b by fusion due to heating of the first junction 3c and application of pressure to the glass lens; and solidifying the first junction 3c and thereby fixing the glass lens to the lens frame 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an optical assembly and a lens frame.

Various methods of fixing a lens in an optical device have been proposed. The lens in the optical device needs to be arranged with high accuracy with respect to other optical elements, image pickup elements, and the like. Therefore, the lens is often fixed to the lens frame.
As a method of fixing the lens to the lens frame, for example, there is a method of using a pressing ring, but for the purpose of reducing the number of parts, adhesion, heat caulking, etc. are often used.
For example, when the lens is bonded to the lens frame, a liquid adhesive such as a two-component curing type adhesive or a UV curing type adhesive is often used. However, since the liquid adhesive has high fluidity, it is necessary to work with care so that the liquid adhesive does not adhere to the lens effective area. As a result, it takes time to apply the adhesive. Adhesive cure time is also required. On the other hand, with heat caulking, the working time and the curing time can be shortened.
For example, when fixing a plastic lens to a resin-molded lens frame, it is known that the plastic lens is heat-sealed by heating and melting a contact portion between the lens frame and the plastic lens (Patent Document 1). Reference 1).
For example, Patent Document 2 proposes a lens fixing method of fixing a glass lens to a resin-molded lens frame by heating and melting the lens frame. According to the lens fixing method of Patent Document 2, the surface of the glass lens in the portion in contact with the lens frame is roughened. As a result, the molten resin thermally expands and enters the fine irregularities on the surface of the glass lens in a molten state. When the molten resin is cooled and solidified, a part of the resin is solidified in a state of entering the uneven portion, so that the glass lens is fixed.

JP, 2010-244974, A JP 2005-316044 A

However, the related art as described above has the following problems.
In the case of thermal caulking, the caulking piece formed on the lens frame is heated and bent toward the lens. The position of the lens is fixed by solidifying the crimping piece while being pressed against the lens.
In this case, since it is necessary to apply a pressing force to the lens through the caulking piece, it is difficult to completely melt the entire caulking piece. As a result, there is a problem in that the adhesion between the crimped piece and the lens surface is inferior to that obtained by heat fusion bonding.
According to the technique of Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the type of lens is limited to a plastic lens. Further, since it is necessary to keep the fused portion of the lens away from the lens surface, there is a problem that the lens becomes large.
According to the technique of Patent Document 2, since a part of the lens frame is melted by heat, there is a problem that the lens frame is likely to be distorted. This may cause more lens placement error.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a method of manufacturing an optical assembly and a lens frame capable of rapidly and accurately manufacturing an optical assembly including a glass lens. With the goal.

In order to solve the above problems, a method of manufacturing an optical assembly according to a first aspect of the present invention is a method of manufacturing an optical assembly including a glass lens, wherein a frame body into which the glass lens is inserted, A supporting portion which is provided at the bottom of the frame body and supports the glass lens in the optical axis direction thereof, and a polyester elastomer, and has a melting point lower than the melting points of the frame body and the supporting portion. A lens frame that projects from the bottom portion above the support portion and has a first joint portion that is provided in a portion that comes into contact with the lower end portion of the glass lens before the support portion when the glass lens is inserted, By preparing and by inserting the glass lens toward the supporting portion into the frame body, the lower end portion is brought into contact with the first joint portion, and the first contact portion is brought into contact with the lower end portion. The glass lens is fixed to the lens frame by bringing the lower end portion into contact with the support portion by melting the joint portion by heating and pressing the glass lens, and by solidifying the first joint portion. And what to do.

In the method for manufacturing an optical assembly, in the glass lens, a component contained in the first bonding portion is melted by heating the first bonding portion in contact with the lower end portion and pressing the glass lens. It may be combined with the silica in.

In the method for manufacturing an optical assembly, in preparing the lens frame, a thermoplastic resin forming the frame body and a material forming the first joint portion are two-color molded to obtain A lens frame may be formed.

In the above-mentioned method for manufacturing an optical assembly, when the first joint is heated and melted, the first joint may be melted by irradiating the first joint with laser light. Good.

In the manufacturing method of the optical assembly, the lens frame contains the polyester elastomer, has a melting point lower than the melting points of the frame and the support portion, from the inner peripheral surface of the frame Further comprising a second joint portion provided so as to project to a height at which the glass lens can be press-fitted, wherein when the glass lens is inserted into the frame body, the glass lens is press-fitted into the frame body; Melting the second joint in a state where the glass lens is press-fitted into the frame, and solidifying the melted second joint after the lower end contacts the support. May further be included.

In the above-mentioned method for manufacturing an optical assembly, the component contained in the second joint is combined with silica in the glass lens by melting the second joint by heating and press-fitting the glass lens. It may further include.

In the method of manufacturing the optical assembly, when preparing the lens frame,
The lens frame may be formed by two-color molding of a thermoplastic resin forming the frame body and a material forming the first joint portion and the second joint portion.

In the method of manufacturing the optical assembly, when the second joint is melted, the second joint may be melted by irradiating the second joint with laser light.

In the method for manufacturing an optical assembly, when melting the first joint portion, the glass lens may be heated to melt the first joint portion.

In the method of manufacturing an optical assembly, when melting the second joint portion, the second joint portion may be melted by heating the glass lens.

A lens frame according to a second aspect of the present invention is a lens frame for fixing a glass lens, the frame body having the glass lens inserted therein, and the glass lens provided at the bottom of the frame body in the optical axis direction thereof. And a supporting portion that supports a polyester-based elastomer, has a melting point lower than the melting points of the frame and the supporting portion, protrudes above the supporting portion from the bottom, and inserts the glass lens. And a first joint portion provided at a portion that comes into contact with the lower end portion of the glass lens before the supporting portion.

In the lens frame, the first joint portion may contain a component that bonds with silica in the glass lens.

The lens frame contains a polyester elastomer that adheres to the glass lens, has a melting point lower than the melting points of the frame and the support, and press fits the glass lens from the inner peripheral surface of the frame. You may further provide the 2nd junction part provided so that it may protrude to a possible height.

In the lens frame, the second joint portion may contain a component that bonds with silica in the glass lens.

According to the method of manufacturing an optical assembly and the lens frame of the present invention, an optical assembly including a glass lens can be manufactured quickly and with high accuracy.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing an example of an optical assembly manufactured by the method of manufacturing an optical assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is an AA sectional view in FIG. It is a typical top view showing an example of the lens used for the manufacturing method of the optical assembly of a 1st embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3. It is a schematic plan view showing an example of a lens frame of the first embodiment of the present invention. It is CC sectional drawing in FIG. FIG. 6 is a process explanatory view of the manufacturing method of the optical assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a process explanatory view of the manufacturing method of the optical assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a process explanatory view of the manufacturing method of the optical assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is process explanatory drawing of the manufacturing method of the optical assembly of the modification (1st modification) of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a typical top view which shows an example of the optical assembly manufactured by the manufacturing method of the optical assembly of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is DD sectional drawing in FIG. It is a typical top view which shows an example of the lens frame of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is EE sectional drawing in FIG. It is process explanatory drawing of the manufacturing method of the optical assembly of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is process explanatory drawing of the manufacturing method of the optical assembly of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In all the drawings, the same or corresponding members are denoted by the same reference numerals even if the embodiments are different, and common description is omitted.

[First Embodiment]
A method of manufacturing the optical assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of an optical assembly manufactured by the method for manufacturing an optical assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a lens used in the method of manufacturing the optical assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the lens frame of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line CC of FIG.

First, an example of the optical assembly manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lens unit 1 (optical assembly) of this embodiment includes a lens 2 (glass lens) and a lens frame 3. The lens unit 1 is an optical assembly manufactured by the method for manufacturing an optical assembly of this embodiment.
Here, the "optical assembly" means a group of assemblies in which optical elements including lenses are fixed to a lens frame. The optical assembly may be of a form that itself constitutes a product, such as an interchangeable lens, or may appear only in a semi-finished product such as an interchangeable unit that constitutes a part of the product or in the manufacturing process of the product. It may be a subassembly. For example, when a movable lens group and a fixed lens group are fixed to separate lens frames in a zoom lens, the lens barrel unit including the movable lens group and the lens barrel unit including the fixed lens group are respectively optical assemblies. Is composed of.
The lens unit 1 can include a plurality of lenses. The lens unit 1 may include an optical element other than a lens, such as a flat plate filter, a mirror, or a prism. Hereinafter, for simplicity, an example in which the lens unit 1 has only the lens 2 will be described.

In the present specification, the optical axis, the axial axis such as the central axis, and the like, when describing the relative position with respect to a member such as a tubular shape, the direction along the axis is the axial direction, and the direction around the axis is the circumferential direction. The direction along the line intersecting the axis on the plane orthogonal to the axis is called the radial direction. In particular, the direction along the optical axis may be referred to as the optical axis direction. In the radial direction, the side away from the axis may be referred to as the radial outside (outside), and the side approaching the axis may be referred to as the radial inside (inside).

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the lens 2 is a single lens having a first lens surface 2a and a second lens surface 2b.
The shapes of the first lens surface 2a and the second lens surface 2b are not particularly limited. For example, the shapes of the first lens surface 2a and the second lens surface 2b may be spherical, aspherical, free-form, flat, or the like.
The first lens surface 2a and the second lens surface 2b may be convex or concave. Either the first lens surface 2a or the second lens surface 2b may be a flat surface.
Hereinafter, the lens 2 is, for example, a concave plano lens in which the first lens surface 2a is a concave surface and the second lens surface 2b is a flat surface.

A lens side surface 2c is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the lens 2 around the optical axis O. The lens side surface 2c is a cylindrical surface coaxial with the optical axis O.
A taper surface 2e is formed at a corner formed between the lens side surface 2c and the second lens surface 2b.
A reference surface 2d (the lower end portion of the glass lens) is formed between the lens side surface 2c and the first lens surface 2a. The reference surface 2d is a plane orthogonal to the optical axis O. The reference surface 2d extends radially outward from the outer edge of the first lens surface 2a. The reference surface 2d intersects with the lens side surface 2c to form a corner.
The reference surface 2d is used for the purpose of determining the position and posture of the lens 2 in the optical axis direction. The reference surface 2d need not be provided over the entire circumference as long as the position and orientation of the lens 2 can be determined, but in the present embodiment, as an example, it is provided over the entire circumference.
Further, in the present embodiment, the reference surface 2d is also used for the purpose of fixing the lens 2 to the lens frame 3.

The distance between the reference surface 2d and the top of the first lens surface 2a and the distance between the reference surface 2d and the second lens surface 2b are within a predetermined allowable dimension range.
The reference surface 2d may be a smooth surface or a rough surface. However, when the reference surface 2d is a rough surface, the reference surface 2d is made of a fine uneven surface having a fine pitch as compared with the size of the supporting portion of the lens frame 3 in plan view. When the reference surface 2d is a rough surface, the perpendicularity with respect to the optical axis O defined by the inclination of the envelope surface of the reference surface 2d is within the limit determined according to the allowable limit of the eccentricity of the optical axis O.

In the lens 2, the lens side surface 2c, the tapered surface 2e, and the reference surface 2d are all light-transmissive so that a laser beam described later can be transmitted therethrough. However, in the present embodiment, it is not necessary to irradiate the laser beam on the lens side surface 2c, so the lens side surface 2c does not have to be light transmissive.

The lens 2 is made of a glass material. For example, the lens 2 may be manufactured by polishing glass, glass molding, or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lens frame 3 is a member that houses the lens 2 therein and fixes the position of the lens 2. For example, the lens 2 may be fixed to the lens frame 3 after the position of the lens 2 is adjusted in the direction orthogonal to the optical axis O. However, in the optical axis direction, the lens 2 is positioned by bringing the reference surface 2d into contact with a support portion 3b described later.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the lens frame 3 includes a frame body 3a, a support portion 3b, and a first joint portion 3c.

The frame 3a includes a cylindrical portion 3d and a plate-shaped portion 3e (bottom portion).
The cylindrical portion 3d has a cylindrical shape along the central axis C1. However, the first end E1 (upper end in FIG. 6) of the cylindrical portion 3d in the axial direction is moved from the second end E2 opposite to the first end E1 toward the first end E1. A tapered taper 3f is formed.
The plate-shaped portion 3e extends radially inward at an axially intermediate portion of the cylindrical portion 3d. The plan view shape of the plate-shaped portion 3e is an annular shape. A through hole 3g is formed on the inner edge of the plate-shaped portion 3e so as to penetrate in the thickness direction of the plate-shaped portion 3e. The plan view shape of the through hole 3g is a circle centered on the central axis C1. The inner diameter of the through hole 3g is larger than the effective light beam diameter incident on the first lens surface 2a and is equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the reference surface 2d.

Inside the cylindrical portion 3d, a space closer to the first end E1 than the plate-shaped portion 3e is a lens chamber 3A (see FIG. 5) that houses the lens 2.
The inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 3h of the cylindrical portion 3d in the lens chamber 3A is larger than the outer diameter of the lens side surface 2c of the lens 2. When the position adjustment of the lens 2 in the radial direction is performed, the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 3h is set to include the adjustment allowance of the lens 2 in the radial direction. However, when the position adjustment of the lens 2 in the radial direction is not performed, the size of the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 3h is such that the difference from the outer diameter of the lens 2 is equal to or less than the radial eccentricity allowable amount of the lens 2. Is decided.
Thus, the first end portion E1 of the lens frame 3 is formed with the inner peripheral surface 3h so that the lens 2 can be inserted along the central axis C1.

As will be described later, when manufacturing the lens unit 1, the lens 2 is inserted into the lens chamber 3A through the opening in the insertion direction from the first end E1 to the second end E2.
The posture of the lens frame 3 when inserting the lens 2 is not limited to the posture shown in FIG. However, for the sake of simplicity, the following description will be given based on the posture in which the opening faces upward as shown in FIG. 6, unless otherwise specified in the description of the position of the lens frame 3 and the positional relationship with the lens frame 3. In this case, the insertion direction is from top to bottom. The arrangement of the lens unit 1 may also be described according to the posture of the lens frame 3.
In this posture, the plate-shaped portion 3e of the frame 3a has a function of preventing the lens 2 inserted into the lens chamber 3A from descending, and thus constitutes the bottom of the frame 3a. However, the plate-shaped portion 3e has only to form the bottom portion of the lens chamber 3A in the insertion direction, and does not have to form the bottom portion of the cylindrical portion 3d. For example, the plate-shaped portion 3e may be provided at a portion closer to the first end E1 than the second end E2.

The support portion 3b is a projection that protrudes in the axial direction from the surface 3i of the plate-shaped portion 3e near the first end portion E1 toward the first end portion E1. That is, the support portion 3b projects upward from the bottom portion of the frame body 3a. A plurality of support parts 3b are provided. The plurality of support portions 3b are provided for the purpose of axially supporting the reference surface 2d of the lens 2 inserted in the lens chamber 3A. That is, the plurality of support portions 3b support the reference surface 2d located at the lower end portion in the insertion direction of the lens 2 in the optical axis direction of the lens 2.
The tips of the plurality of support portions 3b in the protruding direction are aligned on the same plane orthogonal to the central axis C1.
The number of supporting portions 3b is not particularly limited. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the number of supporting portions 3b is three.
The shape of the plurality of support portions 3b is not particularly limited as long as the reference surface 2d of the lens 2 can be supported in the axial direction. The plurality of support portions 3b may or may not have the same shape.
For example, the support portion 3b may be a pedestal having a flat surface formed at the tip in the protruding direction. For example, the support portion 3b may be a rod-shaped or dome-shaped protrusion having a top in the protruding direction.
The plan view shape (the shape viewed in the axial direction) of the support portion 3b is not particularly limited as long as it is formed in a range in which the tip end portion in the protruding direction overlaps the reference surface 2d. For example, the plan view shape of the support portion 3b may be a circle, a polygon, or the like.
In the example shown in FIG. 5, the shapes of the three support portions 3b are the same as each other. The plan view shape of each support portion 3b is a pedestal extending inward in the radial direction from the inner peripheral surface 3h. Each support portion 3b is arranged at a position that divides the plate-shaped portion 3e into three equal parts in the circumferential direction.
As shown in FIG. 6, the surface of the tip in the projecting direction of the support portion 3b is a plane orthogonal to the central axis C1.

The first joint 3c is provided for the purpose of joining the lens 2 inserted in the lens chamber 3A to the lens frame 3 at the lower end of the lens 2. The first joint portion 3c is formed of a polyester elastomer that can be melt-bonded to the lens 2 by heat. As the material of the first joint portion 3c, a resin other than the polyester resin may be included as long as the main component is a polyester elastomer. Further, an appropriate additive may be added to the material of the first joint portion 3c.
The material of the first joint portion 3c is in a solid state at the operating environment temperature of the lens unit 1, and has a lower melting point than the melting point of the frame body 3a with which the first joint portion 3c contacts and the melting point of the support portion 3b. Material is used.
The material used for the first bonding portion 3c may be appropriately selected depending on the material environment temperature of the lens unit 1, the melting points of the frame 3a and the supporting portion 3b, the glass transition point, and the like.
For example, when the lens unit 1 has an operating environment temperature of Tmin or higher and Tmax or lower and the frame 3a and the support portion 3b are molded with a resin material having a melting point T1, the melting point T2 of the material of the first joint portion 3c is , Tmax and less than T1.
However, it is more preferable that the melting point T2 is lower than the glass transition point Tg1 of the resin material of the frame 3a and the supporting portion 3b. In this case, since the frame body 3a and the support portion 3b are not heated to the glass transition point Tg1 or more during melting of the first joint portion 3c, even if an external force acts on the frame body 3a and the first joint portion 3c, Permanent deformation of the frame 3a and the first joint 3c is suppressed.
The larger the temperature difference between the glass transition point Tg1 and the melting point T2, the more preferable. For example, the melting point T2 is more preferably 90% or less of the glass transition point Tg1.

As the material of the first joint portion 3c, it is more preferable to use a material having good adhesion to both the resin material of the frame 3a and the support portion 3b and the glass material of the lens 2.
For the purpose of obtaining such good adhesion, it is more preferable that the material of the first joint portion 3c includes a material having high compatibility with the resin materials of the frame 3a and the support portion 3b. The material of the first joint portion 3c may contain an adhesive agent having good adhesiveness with the resin material of the frame 3a and the support portion 3b.
Furthermore, it is more preferable that the material of the first bonding portion 3c contains a component having a high affinity with the component of the glass material.
It is particularly preferable that the material of the first joint portion 3c contains, for example, a component capable of forming a bond with silica in the glass material. For example, the material of the first bonding portion 3c may include a silane coupling agent that easily forms a chemical bond between silica in glass and an organic compound.

Specific examples of the polyester elastomer that can be used for the first joint portion 3c include Hytrel (registered trademark) 3046 (trade name; Toray DuPont Co., Ltd.).

The first joint portion 3c is a protrusion that protrudes upward (in the axial direction from the surface 3i toward the first end E1) from the surface 3i of the plate-shaped portion 3e. However, the first joint portion 3c is arranged apart from the support portion 3b in a region that does not overlap the support portion 3b in plan view. Further, the tip end of the first joint portion 3c in the projecting direction is located further above the tip end of each support portion 3b in the projecting direction.
With this arrangement, at least the tip of the first joint 3c in the protruding direction contacts the reference surface 2d before contacting the support 3b when the lens 2 is inserted into the lens chamber 3A. It is provided where possible.

The height h2 of the first joint portion 3c from the surface 3i may satisfy 1.1×h1≦h2≦2×h1 when the height of the support portion 3b from the surface 3i is represented by h1. ..
If h2 is less than 1.1 times h1, the amount of deformation of the first joint portion 3c when fixing the lens 2 to be described later is too small, and the adhesion with the lens 2 may deteriorate.
If h2 exceeds twice h1, the amount of deformation of the first joint 3c when fixing the lens 2 to be described later is too large, so that the deformation of the first joint 3c becomes unstable, or The contact surface area may easily vary.

In the present embodiment, the height h1 of the support portion 3b matches the thickness of the first joint portion 3c after deformation when the lens 2 is fixed, which will be described later. H1 corresponding to the thickness of the first joint 3c after deformation may be 0.1 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less. More preferably, h1 is 0.15 mm or more and 0.35 mm or less.
If h1 is less than 0.1, molding may not be possible.
If h1 exceeds 0.5, the total length may unnecessarily increase and the product value may be reduced.

The number of the first bonding portions 3c is not particularly limited as long as the bonding strength required for the lens 2 is obtained. It suffices if at least one first joining portion 3c is provided. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the number of the first joining portions 3c is three, and one first joining portion 3c is provided between the support portions 3b that are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction on the plate-shaped portion 3e.
The shape of the first joint 3c is not particularly limited as long as the amount of protrusion in the axial direction and the above-described arrangement position in plan view are appropriate.
In the example shown in FIG. 5, the plan view shape of each of the first joint portions 3c is a circular arc band shape that extends in the circumferential direction along the inner peripheral surface 3h. The tips in the protruding direction of the first joint portions 3c are aligned on the same plane orthogonal to the central axis C1. However, the shape of the tip of the first joint portion 3c in the protruding direction is not limited to a flat surface. For example, it may have a dome shape or a fine uneven shape.
The distance between the first joint 3c and the support 3b adjacent to each other is large enough not to flow into the surface of the adjacent support 3b even if the first joint 3c is melted and pressed by the lens 2. Have

The lens frame 3 having such a configuration can be manufactured by resin molding, for example. However, since the resin material of the first joint 3c is different from the resin material of the frame 3a, it is more preferable to use, for example, two-color molding or insert molding. For example, in the case of forming by insert molding, an insert molding die for forming the first joint portion after obtaining the frame body in a state in which the first joint portion is not provided by normal injection molding And the first joint is formed on the frame.
In this case, it is possible to form an appropriate concavo-convex fitting structure that cannot be pulled out in the protruding direction at the contact portion between the first joint portion 3c and the plate-shaped portion 3e. However, when the adhesion between the material of the first joint portion 3c and the material of the plate-like portion 3e is good, an uneven fitting structure that can be pulled out in the protruding direction may be formed. Further, when the material of the first joint 3c and the material of the plate-like portion 3e have good adhesion, the first joint 3c may be simply laminated on the surface 3i.

Next, a method for manufacturing the lens unit 1 of this embodiment will be described.
7 to 9 are process explanatory diagrams of the method for manufacturing the optical assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The method of manufacturing an optical assembly of the present embodiment includes a lens frame preparation step, a lens insertion step, a joint melting step, and a joint solidifying step.

The lens frame preparation step is a step of preparing the lens frame 3.
In this step, as described above, the lens frame 3 is manufactured by, for example, two-color molding or insert molding. As a result, the lens frame 3 having the shape of the frame 3a described above and having the support 3b and the first joint 3c provided on the frame 3a is prepared.
Since the first joint 3c is solid in the operating temperature range of the lens unit 1, the first joint 3c is solid even during transportation of the first joint 3c, storage, and the manufacturing environment temperature of the lens unit 1. As a result, the lens frame 3 can be easily handled during transportation, storage, and in the manufacturing environment of the lens unit 1. For example, the lens frame 3 may be stored in a manufacturer, a warehouse or the like after being prepared prior to the lens inserting step described later.

After the lens frame preparing step, the lens inserting step and the joint melting step are performed. However, the joining portion melting step may be performed in parallel with the lens inserting step after the lens inserting step is started.
In the lens insertion step, the lens 2 is inserted into the lens frame 3. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the lens 2 is inserted into the lens chamber 3A from the opening of the lens chamber 3A. The insertion direction I is a direction from the first end E1 to the second end E2 along the central axis C1. The optical axis O of the lens 2 is substantially aligned with the central axis C1 of the lens frame 3. Therefore, the lens 2 is inserted into the lens chamber 3A along the inner peripheral surface 3h.
The means for inserting the lens 2 is not particularly limited. For example, the lens 2 may be inserted into the lens chamber 3A with the second lens surface 2b or the lens side surface 2c being held by a holding jig (not shown). Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, if the opening of the lens frame 3 faces upward, the lens 2 may be dropped into the lens chamber 3A by its own weight.

In the joining portion melting step, the first joining portion 3c is heated. When the temperature of the first joint portion 3c becomes equal to or higher than the melting point T2 and the first joint portion 3c facing the reference surface 2d of the lens 2 melts, the joint portion melting step ends.
For example, the joining portion melting step may be started when the reference surface 2d and the first joining portion 3c contact each other in the lens inserting step.
For example, the joining portion melting step may be started before the reference surface 2d and the first joining portion 3c contact each other in the lens inserting step. However, in this case, in the first joint portion 3c, the temperature of the first joint portion 3c is raised to the melting point T2 or higher after the contact of the reference surface 2d. For example, the first joint portion 3c may be heated to Tg2 or more and less than T2 when the reference surface 2d contacts. Here, Tg2 is the glass transition point of the first bonding portion 3c. In this case, the first joint portion 3c is in a solid state when the reference surface 2d comes into contact with the first joint portion 3c, and is heated to a temperature at which permanent deformation is easy.

When any of the above-described joining portion melting steps is executed, the first joining portion 3c is in a solid state when the reference surface 2d reaches the position where it comes into contact with the first joining portion 3c. When the reference surface 2d reaches the position where it comes into contact with the first joint portion 3c, the reference surface 2d is separated from each support portion 3b in the axial direction.
Therefore, the lens insertion step includes an operation of bringing the lens 2 into contact with the first joint portion 3c by inserting the lens 2 toward the support portion 3b into the frame body 3a.
The joining portion melting step includes an operation of melting the first joining portion 3c in contact with the lens 2.

The heating means for the first joint portion 3c is not particularly limited as long as it can heat the first joint portion 3c during insertion of the lens 2.
As shown in FIG. 8, in the present embodiment, the laser light source 101 heats the first bonding portion 3c.
The laser light source 101 emits a laser beam L having an output capable of melting the first bonding portion 3c through the lens 2. The laser light source 101 includes a beam scanning optical system (not shown). The laser beam L is emitted from the beam scanning optical system and scans at least the surface of the first bonding portion 3c through the lens 2. The first bonding portion 3c on the scanning line is heated according to the exposure amount accompanying the scanning.
However, since the frame 3a and the support 3b have higher heat resistance than the first joint 3c, the laser beam L may scan the frame 3a and the support 3b.
The type of the laser beam L is not particularly limited as long as it can heat the first bonding portion 3c. For example, Yb fiber may be used.

In FIG. 8, one laser beam L is emitted from one laser light source 101. However, the number of laser light sources 101 and the number of laser beams L are not limited to this. For example, a plurality of laser beams L may be emitted from the laser light source 101. For example, a plurality of laser light sources 101 may be used. When the number of the laser beam L is one, each part may be irradiated with the laser beam L by reflection scanning using a galvanometer mirror, for example.
FIG. 8 illustrates, as an example, an optical path in which the laser beam L is incident on the lens 2 from the tapered surface 2e, travels along the lens side surface 2c, and is irradiated on the first joint 3c through the reference surface 2d. .. However, the optical path of the laser beam L is not limited to this as long as it can irradiate the first joining portion 3c. The irradiation path of the laser beam L can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the lens 2 and the like.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the reference surface 2d contacts the tip of the first joint portion 3c, the lens 2 is locked to the first joint portion 3c in the solid state. The lens 2 cannot be inserted until the reference surface 2d maintains contact with the support portion 3b unless an external force is applied to the lens 2 to crush and permanently deform the first joint portion 3c.
However, when the joining portion melting step is started, the first joining portion 3c softens or flows so as to be permanently deformable in accordance with the temperature rise of the first joining portion 3c, so that the further lens 2 in the insertion direction I moves. Can be inserted.
For example, the lens 2 may be further inserted by descending by its own weight.
However, it is more preferable that the lens 2 is pressed in the insertion direction I with an external force equal to or greater than its own weight. For example, the lens 2 may be pressed in the insertion direction I using the pressing jig 100.
The pressing jig 100 includes a pressing portion 100a that comes into contact with the outside of the lens effective area of the second lens surface 2b. The pressing jig 100 is driven along a central axis C1 by a drive pressing mechanism (not shown) to press the lens 2. The drive pressure mechanism includes a load limiter. The load limiter stops pressing by the pressing jig 100 when the reaction force received by the pressing jig 100 exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
For example, the pressing jig 100 may be equipped with a suction mechanism to suck the lens 2. In this case, the pressing jig 100 can also serve as a holding jig when the lens 2 is inserted into the lens chamber 3A. In this case, the pressing jig 100 may be further provided so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the central axis C1. This enables the eccentricity adjustment of the lens 2 in the radial direction.
In the following, an example will be described in which the lens 2 is pressed by the pressing jig 100 and the lens insertion step is performed.

Since the first joint portion 3c is softened or melted while keeping contact with the reference surface 2d, even if the first joint portion 3c is deformed or flows, the first joint portion 3c is kept in close contact with the reference surface 2d. Particularly, when the lens 2 is pressed in the insertion direction I, the reference surface 2d is more surely brought into close contact with the deformed or flowing first joint portion 3c.
When the lens 2 further moves in the insertion direction I, the first joint portion 3c deforms or flows according to the amount of movement, and is sandwiched between the reference surface 2d and the plate portion 3e. Below, the 1st junction part 3c deform|transformed at the junction part fusion process is described as the junction part M1.
As shown in FIG. 9, when the reference surface 2d contacts the surface of the supporting portion 3b, the lens 2 is pressed by the supporting portion 3b. The support portion 3b remains in a solid state even when scanned by the laser beam L. The threshold value of the load limiter of the pressing jig 100 is set to a reaction force larger than the reaction force received from the deforming first joint portion 3c. When the reference surface 2d comes into contact with each support portion 3b, the reaction force received by the pressing jig 100 exceeds the threshold value. As a result, the pressing of the pressing jig 100 is stopped. The position of the lens 2 is kept at a position where the reference surface 2d is in contact with each supporting portion 3b.

When the reference surface 2d comes into contact with each support portion 3b and the movement of the lens 2 in the insertion direction I is stopped, the irradiation of the laser beam L is stopped. As a result, the heating of the joining portion M1 by the laser beam L is stopped.
Thus, the lens inserting step and the joint melting step are completed.
As described above, the lens insertion step includes an operation of bringing the lens 2 into contact with the support portion 3b.

After this, the joint solidification step is performed. In the cemented portion solidifying step, the lens 2 is fixed to the lens frame 3 by solidifying the cemented portion M1.
The joint portion M1 is solidified by being cooled below the melting point T2. In the present embodiment, the joint M1 (first joint 3c) is locally heated by the laser beam L. When the irradiation of the laser beam L is stopped, it is quickly cooled by natural heat dissipation such as heat conduction to the frame 3a and the lens 2 with which the joint M1 abuts. However, ventilation may be performed for the purpose of solidifying more quickly.
When the temperature of the joining portion M1 drops below T2 and the shape of the joining portion M1 becomes stable, the joining portion solidifying step ends.
When the joining portion solidifying step is completed, the lens unit 1 as shown in FIGS.

The joint M1 contracts by cooling. However, since the main component of the material of the first joint portion 3c is the polyester elastomer, it has good elasticity even after being solidified. For this reason, the contraction strain is accumulated as the internal strain of the joining portion M1, so that the strains of the lens frame 3 and the lens 2 are significantly reduced. Furthermore, since the first joint 3c has good elasticity, even if an impact force is applied after solidification, cracking of the first joint 3c and separation from the reference surface 2d are unlikely to occur.

When the cemented portion M1 is solidified, the lens 2 is cemented to the lens frame 3. Since the joint portion M1 is melted in a state of being in close contact with the reference surface 2d and then solidified, the joint portion M1 firmly adheres to the reference surface 2d.
In particular, when the reference surface 2d is a rough surface, the melted joint portion M1 is solidified in a state of entering the concave portion of the rough surface, so that the lens 2 is more firmly joined by the anchor effect.
In particular, when the material of the first joint 3c contains a component that binds to silica in the lens 2, melting the first joint 3c by heating and pressing the lens 2 should be performed. As a result, a bond is formed between the silica and the bonding portion M1 on the reference surface 2d. As a result, the lens 2 is more firmly joined.

According to the manufacturing method of the present embodiment, the lens 2 is heat-welded and bonded using the lens frame 3 having the first bonding portion 3c. Unlike the case of using the liquid adhesive, the working time for applying the liquid adhesive to the lens frame does not occur, so that the lens unit 1 can be manufactured quickly. Furthermore, since the first joint portion 3c is heated by the laser beam L to be melted by heat, the frame body 3a does not melt and the temperature rise of the frame body 3a is small. Since the time required for melting and cooling can be shortened, the time required for bonding can be shortened as compared with the case where the liquid adhesive is cured.
According to the manufacturing method of the present embodiment, the first joining portion 3c and the reference surface 2d can be brought into close contact with each other with a smaller pressing force as compared with thermal caulking in which the caulking piece is softened, bent, and pressed against the lens. it can. As a result, the amount of distortion of the lens frame and the lens due to the pressing force is reduced as compared with the case where thermal crimping is used. In this way, deterioration of the arrangement accuracy of the lenses 2 and the optical characteristics of the lens unit 1 can be suppressed.

According to the manufacturing method and the lens frame 3 of the present embodiment, the first joint portion 3c is formed by molding the lens frame 3 by two-color molding, insert molding, or the like. In this case, variations in the arrangement position, shape and size of the first joint 3c in the lens frame 3 and the amount of resin in the first joint 3c are suppressed. Variations in the deformation amount, the deformation shape, the contact area with the lens 2, and the like of the joint M1 formed from the first joint 3c are also suppressed. As a result, the bonding strength of the lens 2 becomes stable. Further, the protrusion of the joint M1 prevents the joint M1 from wrapping around the lens effective area.

According to the method of manufacturing the optical assembly and the lens frame 3 of the present embodiment, the lens unit 1 including the glass lens can be manufactured quickly and with high accuracy.

[First Modification]
A method of manufacturing the optical assembly of the modified example (first modified example) of the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 10 is a process explanatory view of the manufacturing method of the optical assembly of the modified example (first modified example) of the first embodiment of the present invention.

In the manufacturing method of this modification, the lens unit 1 similar to that of the first embodiment is manufactured.
In this modification, the method of heating the first joint portion 3c in the joint portion melting step in the first embodiment is different. Hereinafter, the points different from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

As shown in FIG. 10, a holding jig 100A and a heater 102 are used in place of the pressing jig 100 and the laser light source 101 in the joining portion melting step in the present modification.
The holding jig 100A has substantially the same shape as the pressing jig 100. However, the holding jig 100A is formed of a material having a good thermal conductivity. For example, the holding jig 100A may be formed of a metal such as aluminum, copper, or stainless steel, or a ceramic having good thermal conductivity.
The holding jig 100A includes a moving mechanism (not shown) and a suction mechanism 103. The moving mechanism has a degree of freedom of movement capable of inserting the lens 2 and pressing the lens 2 in the inserting direction I.
Further, the holding jig 100A includes a suction mechanism 103 that can suction the lens 2 by air. The suction mechanism 103 communicates with the inside of the holding jig 100A through the intake pipe 103a. The suction mechanism 103 sucks the lens 2 with air by sucking air from the suction pipe 103a.

The heater 102 heats the holding jig 100A. The type of the heater 102 is not particularly limited as long as it can heat the holding jig 100A. The type of the heater 102 can be selected according to the material of the holding jig 100A. For example, as the heater 102, an electric heater that generates Joule heat, a ceramic heater, an induction coil, or the like may be used. The heater 102 may be provided anywhere in the holding jig 100A as long as it can heat the pressing portion 100a.

In the lens insertion step of this modification, the lens 2 is held by the holding jig 100A by the suction mechanism 103 sucking the second lens surface 2b with air. The holding jig 100A inserts the held lens 2 into the lens chamber 3A.
When the heating of the heater 102 is started, the holding jig 100A is heated. The heat conducted to the holding jig 100a is conducted to the lens 2 via the pressing portion 100a which comes into contact with the lens 2. In this way, the lens 2 is heated while being held by the holding jig 100A.
When the temperature of the reference surface 2d becomes equal to or higher than the melting point T2 of the first joint portion 3c, the insertion of the lens 2 into the lens chamber 3A is started.

The joining portion melting step of this modification is started when the reference surface 2d of the lens 2 comes into contact with the first joining portion 3c. The first joint portion 3c is heated to a melting point T2 or higher and melted by heat conduction from the lens 2 at the contact portion with the reference surface 2d.
The holding jig 100A continues to insert the lens 2 even after the contact between the reference surface 2d and the first joint 3c. As a result, similarly to the first embodiment, the lens inserting step and the joint melting step are completed.
The joining portion solidifying step in this modification is performed by cooling the lens 2 after the heating of the heater 102 is stopped. Blasting or the like may be performed for the purpose of promoting cooling of the lens 2.
When the first joint 3c is solidified by the cooling of the lens 2, the joint solidification step of the present modification is completed.

In this way, the lens unit 1 similar to that of the first embodiment is manufactured.
The present modification has the same operation as that of the first embodiment except that the operation is different due to the difference in heating method. According to the manufacturing method of the optical assembly of the present modification, the lens unit 1 including the glass lens can be manufactured quickly and highly accurately, as in the first embodiment.

[Second Embodiment]
The method of manufacturing the optical assembly and the lens frame of the second embodiment will be described.
FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing an example of an optical assembly manufactured by the method of manufacturing an optical assembly according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a lens frame according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line EE in FIG.

The manufacturing method of the optical assembly of this embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment in the lens frame used.
First, an example of the optical assembly manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the lens unit 11 (optical assembly) of the present embodiment includes a lens frame 13 instead of the lens frame 3 of the lens unit 1 of the first embodiment.
In the lens unit 11, the lens 2 is fixed to the lens frame 13 by the joint portion M1 and the joint portion M11. The joint portion M11 joins the inner peripheral surface 3h of the lens frame 13 and the lens side surface 2c of the lens 2.
The lens side surface 2c in the present embodiment may be a rough surface for the purpose of improving the bonding force of the bonding portion M11.
Hereinafter, the points different from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, in the lens frame 13, a second joint portion 13c is further added to the lens frame 3 of the first embodiment.
The second joint portion 13c is provided for the purpose of joining the lens side surface 2c of the lens 2 inserted in the lens chamber 3A to the lens frame 13. The second joint portion 13c is made of the same material as that of the first joint portion 3c.

The second joint portion 13c is a protrusion that protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface 3h. The second joint portion 13c projects to a height at which the lens 2 can be press-fitted. Specifically, the tip of the second joint portion 13c in the protruding direction is arranged radially inward of the circle having the center axis C1 as the center and being equal to the outer diameter of the lens side surface 2c of the lens 2. That is, the maximum protrusion amount h3 of the second joint portion 13c from the inner peripheral surface 3h is larger than half the radial clearance Δ between the inner peripheral surface 3h and the lens 2. However, the size of h3 is set such that the insertion resistance due to press-fitting does not become too large when the lens 2 described later is inserted. For example, the size of h3 may be 1.1 to 1.5 times Δ/2.

The second joint portion 13c is arranged in a region that does not flow into the support portion 3b when melted. For example, the second joint portion 13c may be arranged in a region that does not overlap the support portion 3b in plan view. For example, the second joint portion 13c may be displaced from the arrangement position of the support portion 3b in the circumferential direction. For example, even if the second joint portion 13c is formed in the same range as the support portion 3b in the circumferential direction, the radial arrangement positions of the second joint portion 13c and the support portion 3b may be displaced. In this case, a radial gap is formed between the support portion 3b and the inner peripheral surface 3h.

The number of the second joint portions 13c may be single or plural. When a plurality of second joint portions 13c are provided, it is more preferable that the circumferential positions of the second joint portions 13c are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction.
The shape of the second joint portion 13c is not particularly limited. For example, it may be linear, strip-shaped, sheet-shaped, or the like.

In the example shown in FIG. 13, the second joint portion 13c is arranged in the same range as the formation range of the first joint portion 3c in plan view. As a result, each of the second joint portions 13c is arranged on the inner peripheral surface 3h at a position that divides the circumferential direction into three equal parts.
The amount of protrusion of the second joint portion 13c from the inner peripheral surface 3h is constant in the circumferential direction.
As shown in FIG. 14, the second joint 13c extends from the surface of the first joint 3c to the vicinity of the first end E1 in the axial direction.
As described above, in the example shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the second joint portion 13c has a strip shape that is curved in an arc shape along the inner peripheral surface 3h and extends in the axial direction.
Although not particularly shown, the end portion of the second joint portion 13c closer to the first end portion E1 may be formed with a tapered surface in which the protruding amount gradually decreases toward the first end portion E1. In this case, the lens 2 can be inserted into the lens chamber 3A more smoothly.

The lens frame 13 is manufactured similarly to the lens frame 3 of the first embodiment. As with the first embodiment, the lens frame 13 is more preferably manufactured by molding such as two-color molding or insert molding.

Next, a method of manufacturing the optical assembly of the present embodiment using the lens frame 13 will be described focusing on the points different from the first embodiment.
15 and 16 are process explanatory views of the method for manufacturing an optical assembly according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Like the first embodiment, the manufacturing method of the present embodiment includes a lens frame preparation step, a lens insertion step, a joining portion melting step, and a joining portion solidifying step.
In the lens frame preparation step in this embodiment, the lens frame 13 is prepared instead of the lens frame 3.
The lens insertion step and the joint melting step in the present embodiment differ from the first embodiment in that the lens 2 comes into contact with the second joint 13c before the first joint 3c.
In the lens insertion step, the lens 2 is inserted into the lens chamber 3A of the lens frame 13.
As shown in FIG. 15, when the lens 2 is inserted into the lens chamber 3A through the opening of the lens chamber 3A, the reference surface 2d comes into contact with the second joint portion 13c. However, when a taper portion is formed at the corner between the reference surface 2d and the lens side surface 2c, the taper portion contacts the second joint portion 13c.
In any case, since the second joint portion 13c is in a solid state at the time of contact, the lens 2 receives insertion resistance from the second joint portion 13c.
In the present embodiment, the joining portion melting step is started by heating the second joining portion 13c after the contact with the second joining portion 13c of the lens 2.
The heating means may be the same laser beam L as in the first embodiment, or may be the heat conduction from the lens 2 as in the first modification. However, since the second joint portion 13c has a shape that spreads in a planar shape along the inner peripheral surface 3h, the heat conduction from the lens 2 is particularly high in that the contact portion with the lens 2 can be quickly and uniformly heated. It is suitable.

When the temperature of the second joint portion 13c is raised, the insertion resistance of the lens 2 decreases, so that the lens 2 can be more easily inserted toward the support portion 3b (not shown in FIG. 16) as shown in FIG. can do. However, since the reference surface 2d sequentially contacts the cooler second joint portion 13c, the lens 2 is inserted in a press-fitted state. In the present embodiment, the lens 2 is more preferably held so as to be movable in the direction orthogonal to the insertion direction I. In this case, as the insertion of the lens 2 proceeds, the lens center of the lens 2 is automatically aligned with the central axis C1.
The melted second joint portion 13c is referred to as a melted portion 13d. The fusion portion 13d is held in the gap between the lens side surface 2c and the inner peripheral surface 3h. However, the volume of the gap formed in the region where the second joint portion 13c is formed is smaller than the resin amount of the second joint portion 13c. The fusion portion 13d spreads, for example, in a gap on the outer side in the circumferential direction (back side and front side of the drawing) with respect to the region where the second joint portion 13c is formed, or moves toward the first joint portion 3c. ..
In this way, the fusion portion 13d covers the lens side surface 2c in a wider range than the second joint portion 13c.

When the reference surface 2d comes into contact with the first joint 3c, melting of the first joint 3c is started in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Similar to the first embodiment, the melted first joint portion 3c is pressed by the reference surface 2d toward the surface 3i, and is sandwiched between the reference surface 2d and the surface 3i.
Similar to the first embodiment, when the reference surface 2d comes into contact with the support portion 3b, the lens insertion step and the joint melting step are completed.
After that, the joint solidification step is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

In the joining portion solidifying step of this embodiment, the joining portion M1 in the solid state shown in FIG. 12 and the joining portion M11 in the solid state shown in FIG. 11 are formed.
The joint portion M1 is solidified in the same manner as in the first embodiment.
The joining portion M11 is formed by cooling the fusion portion 13d derived from the above-mentioned second joining portion 13c. The method for cooling the fusion zone 13d is the same as the method for cooling the joint M1 in the first embodiment.
In this way, the lens unit 11 in which the lens 2 is fixed to the lens frame 13 is manufactured by the joint portions M1 and M11 as shown in FIGS.

According to the method of manufacturing the optical assembly and the lens frame 13 of the present embodiment, the lens unit 11 including the glass lens can be manufactured quickly and highly accurately, as in the first embodiment.
Particularly, in the present embodiment, the lens 2 is fixed not only by the joint M1 but also by the joint M11, so that the lens 2 is more firmly fixed.

In the description of each of the above-described embodiments and the first modified example, heat from a lens that irradiates the first beam and the second beam with the laser beam or contacts the first beam and the second beam. The example of heating locally by conduction has been described. However, the first joint portion and the second joint portion may be heated by raising the atmospheric temperature around the lens frame and the lens (hereinafter, referred to as atmospheric heating). Atmosphere heating is particularly suitable when the arrangement area of the first joint portion and the second joint portion is wide, and when the first joint portion and the second joint portion are arranged in a portion where the laser beam cannot be irradiated. Is.

In the description of each of the above-described embodiments and the first modified example, the case where the material of the frame body of the lens frame is made of resin has been described. However, if the first joint portion and the second joint portion contain the polyester-based elastomer and the melting points of the frame body and the supporting portion are higher than the melting points of the first joint portion and the second joint portion, the frame body The material of at least one of the support and the support may not be resin. For example, at least one of the frame body and the support portion may be formed of a metal material, a ceramic material, or the like. In this case, the first joint portion and the second joint portion can be formed by insert molding.
For example, the frame body may be composed of a composite of resin and a material other than resin. In this case, even if the first joint portion and the second joint portion are heated, the material of the portion that is not heated to the melting point or higher is a material lower than the melting point of the material of the first joint portion and the second joint portion. May be included.

In the description of each of the above-described embodiments and the first modification, the example in which the lens frame is manufactured by molding has been described. However, the manufacturing method of the lens frame is not limited to molding. For example, in the lens frame, after the frame body including the support portion and the first joint portion and the second joint portion are manufactured by separate members, the frame body is provided with the first joint portion and the second joint portion. It may be manufactured by bonding.

Although the preferred embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and modifications. Additions, omissions, substitutions, and other changes can be made to the configuration without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Also, the invention is not limited by the above description, but only by the appended claims.
For example, in the second embodiment, the first joint portion 3c may be deleted from the lens frame 13. In this case, the lens 2 is joined to the lens frame 13 only by the joint M11 derived from the second joint 13c.

1, 11 Lens unit (optical assembly)
2 lenses (glass lens)
2c Lens side (outer periphery of glass lens)
2d Reference plane (bottom edge of glass lens)
3, 13 lens frame 3a frame body 3A lens chamber 3b support portion 3c first joint portion 3d cylindrical portion 3e plate-shaped portion (bottom portion)
3h Inner peripheral surface 3i Surface 13c Second joining part 13d Melting part 100 Pressing jig 100A Holding jig 101 Laser light source 102 Heater 103 Adsorption mechanism C1 Center axis I Insertion direction L Laser beam M1, M11 Joining part O Optical axis

Claims (14)

A method of manufacturing an optical assembly including a glass lens, comprising:
A frame body into which the glass lens is inserted, a support portion provided at a bottom portion of the frame body for supporting the glass lens in the optical axis direction thereof, and a polyester elastomer, and the frame body and the support portion. Having a melting point lower than the melting point of, and protruding from the bottom portion above the support portion, provided at a portion that comes into contact with the lower end portion of the glass lens prior to the support portion when the glass lens is inserted. Preparing a lens frame having a joint part of 1;
Inserting the glass lens into the frame body toward the support portion to bring the lower end portion into contact with the first joint portion;
Melting the first joining portion in contact with the lower end portion by heating and pressing the glass lens to bring the lower end portion into contact with the support portion;
Fixing the glass lens to the lens frame by solidifying the first joint,
A method of manufacturing an optical assembly, comprising: By melting the first bonding portion in contact with the lower end portion by heating and pressing the glass lens, a component contained in the first bonding portion is bonded to silica in the glass lens,
A method of manufacturing the optical assembly according to claim 1. When preparing the lens frame,
The lens frame is formed by two-color molding of a thermoplastic resin forming the frame body and a material forming the first joint portion,
A method of manufacturing the optical assembly according to claim 1. When heating and melting the first joint,
By irradiating the first joint with laser light, the first joint is melted,
A method of manufacturing the optical assembly according to claim 1. The lens frame is
It contains the polyester elastomer, has a melting point lower than the melting points of the frame and the supporting portion, and is provided so as to project from the inner peripheral surface of the frame to a height at which the glass lens can be press-fitted. Further comprising a second joint,
When inserting the glass lens into the frame, press-fitting the glass lens into the frame,
Melting the second joint by heating while the glass lens is press-fitted into the frame;
Solidifying the melted second joint after the lower end contacts the support.
Further including,
A method of manufacturing the optical assembly according to claim 1. By melting the second joint by heating and press-fitting the glass lens,
Further comprising combining a component contained in the second bond with silica in the glass lens.
A method for manufacturing the optical assembly according to claim 5. When preparing the lens frame,
The lens frame is formed by two-color molding of a thermoplastic resin forming the frame body and a material forming the first joint portion and the second joint portion,
A method of manufacturing an optical assembly according to claim 6. When melting the second joint,
By irradiating the second joint with laser light, the second joint is melted,
A method of manufacturing an optical assembly according to claim 6. When melting the first joint,
Heating the glass lens to melt the first joint,
A method of manufacturing the optical assembly according to claim 1. When melting the second joint,
Heating the glass lens to melt the second joint,
A method of manufacturing an optical assembly according to claim 6. A lens frame for fixing a glass lens,
A frame into which the glass lens is inserted,
A support portion provided at the bottom of the frame body for supporting the glass lens in the optical axis direction thereof,
Contains a polyester-based elastomer, has a melting point lower than the melting points of the frame and the supporting portion, protrudes above the supporting portion from the bottom portion, and precedes the supporting portion when the glass lens is inserted. A first joint portion provided at a portion in contact with the lower end portion of the glass lens,
With a lens frame. The first bonding portion contains a component that binds to silica in the glass lens,
The lens frame according to claim 11. It contains a polyester elastomer that adheres to the glass lens, has a melting point lower than the melting points of the frame and the supporting portion, and protrudes from the inner peripheral surface of the frame to a height at which the glass lens can be press-fitted. The second joint that is provided by
To prepare further,
The lens frame according to claim 11. The second joint portion contains a component that binds to silica in the glass lens,
The lens frame according to claim 13.

Images