JP4718313B2 - Rod lens, rod lens processing method, and rod lens processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a rod lens, a rod lens processing method, and a rod lens processing apparatus.

The rod lens is a cylindrical lens having a flat end surface. In order to widen the angle of view obtained by this rod lens, it is common to attach a lens having a large amount of change in refractive index (Δn) to the end of the rod lens.
However, such a lens mounting operation is very laborious and costly. For this reason, there is a need for a rod lens having a wide angle of view that does not require lens attachment.

  The inventor of the present application has repeatedly studied to obtain a rod lens having a wider angle of view, and has come up with the following invention.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for giving a rod lens a wider angle of view than before.

The present invention for solving the above-described problems is as follows.
That is, the rod lens of the present invention is a rod lens that is formed into a cylindrical shape, and has a surface on one end side formed into a concave curved surface so that the angle of view obtained by the rod lens can be widened. It is a lens.
According to such a rod lens, the surface on one end side is formed in a concave curved surface so as to widen the angle of view obtained by the rod lens, so there is no need to attach a lens for widening the angle of view. Thus, it is possible to reduce the labor and cost required for mounting the lens for widening the angle of view.
A rod lens may be used for illumination (in some cases, a single rod lens may be used for imaging and illumination), but a rod lens with a large angle of view can provide illumination with a wide solid angle. Yes. That is, the rod lens of the present invention can obtain illumination with a wide solid angle without using other lenses.
The rod lens in the present invention may be of a graded index type or a step index type (including a multi-mode step index type).

  The rod lens may be formed of a thermoplastic resin. A rod lens can be made of glass, but a glass rod lens is easy to break, so it is difficult to process a smooth surface on one end into a concave curved surface, whereas a rod lens made of thermoplastic resin is heated. Since it can be processed into an arbitrary shape, the smooth surface on one end side can be easily processed into a concave curved surface so that the angle of view obtained by the rod lens can be widened. That is, if it is a rod rod lens made of a resin having thermoplasticity, it is easy to process a smooth surface on one end side of a general rod lens that is molded by a conventional method and has a smooth end surface into a concave curved surface.

The rod lens of the present invention described above is formed by, for example, a rod lens processing method of the present invention, in which a smooth surface on one end side of a rod lens formed into a cylindrical shape and formed of a thermoplastic resin is processed into a concave curved surface. Can be formed. In this rod lens processing method, the smooth surface on the one end side of the rod lens corresponds to the convex curved surface by pressing the convex curved surface of the heated mold member and the smooth surface on the one end side of the rod lens. Process into a concave curved surface.
In this way, if the convex surface of the heated mold member and the smooth surface on one end side of the thermoplastic resin rod lens are pressed against each other, the smooth surface of the rod lens softened by the heat of the mold member can be obtained. Since the concave curved surface corresponding to the convex curved surface of the mold member can be transferred, the smooth surface on one end side of a general rod lens can be processed into a concave curved surface as described above.

  At least one of the rod lens or the mold member may be moved so that a smooth surface on one end side of the rod lens and the convex curved surface of the heated mold member are pressed against each other. That is, either one of the rod lens and the mold member may be moved and pressed against the other member fixed, or both may be moved and pressed against each other.

The rod member is heated by a heat source capable of heating the object by contact, and the convex curved surface of the heated mold member and the smooth surface on one end side of the rod lens are pressed against each other, and then the rod lens And the mold member is separated from the heat source, and the rod lens is cured to such an extent that removing the mold member from the rod lens does not affect the shape of the concave curved surface of the rod lens. The mold member can be removed.
If the mold member is removed from the rod lens after the rod lens has hardened to the extent that it does not affect the shape of the concave curved surface of the rod lens even if the mold member is removed from the rod lens, the concave curved surface transferred to the rod lens will be disturbed. Can be prevented. Further, in order to cure the rod lens, it is necessary to cool the heated mold member in addition to the rod lens. In order to cool the rod lens and the mold member quickly, it is necessary to be able to separate them from the heat source, but in the present invention, a heat source that can heat the object by contacting is used. Since the rod lens and the mold member are separated from the heat source after pressing the convex curved surface of the heated mold member and the smooth surface on one end side of the rod lens, the heated mold member is cooled quickly. Can do.

The rod lens has a cylindrical inner surface configured so that an inner diameter thereof is substantially equal to an outer diameter of the rod lens, and the axis of the rod lens extends along the inner surface of the guide member that coincides with the axis of the convex curved surface. After pressing, the rod lens and the guide member are separated from the heat source, and even if the guide member is removed from the rod lens, the shape of the side surface of the rod lens is affected. The guide member may be removed from the rod lens after the rod lens is cured to such an extent that it is not applied.
If the rod lens is moved and pressed against the mold member along the inner surface of the guide member whose axis coincides with the axis of the convex surface, the axis of the rod lens and the axis of the convex surface can be accurately aligned.
Further, when the rod lens is pressed against the mold member, the heat of the mold member is transmitted from the surface on the one end side of the rod lens toward the other end side, so that the side surface of the rod lens is expanded and deformed by this heat. However, in the present invention, after pressing, the rod lens and the guide member are separated from the heat source, and even if the guide member is removed from the rod lens, the rod lens does not affect the shape of the side surface of the rod lens. After curing, the guide member is removed from the rod lens.
That is, since the inner surface of the guide member serves as a mold for maintaining the shape of the side surface of the rod lens, the shape of the side surface of the rod lens can be prevented from being deformed by heat.

The rod lens of the present invention as described above can be manufactured by, for example, the following rod lens processing apparatus of the present invention.
That is, the rod lens processing apparatus of the present invention processes a smooth end surface of a resin rod lens formed into a cylindrical shape into a concave curved surface, and has a convex curved surface symmetrical about the axis. A mold member having thermal conductivity, a guide member that guides the movement of the rod lens or the mold member so that the axis of the rod lens to be processed matches the axis of the convex curved surface, and the rod lens or A gripping member configured to be able to grip the mold member and to be moved along the guide member in a state in which the mold member is gripped, and a smooth end of the rod lens The convex surface of the mold member heated to the side surface is pressed together by the movement of the gripping member.
According to this rod lens processing apparatus, as described above, a smooth one end surface of a general rod lens can be processed into a concave curved surface.

This mold member is to process the smooth one end surface of a resin rod lens formed into a cylindrical shape into a concave curved surface, has a convex curved surface symmetrical about the axis, and has thermal conductivity. Any shape and material may be used.
For example, the mold member can have a substantially spherical shape as described later, or can be made of metal.

The guide member guides the movement of the rod lens or mold member to be processed, and guides the movement of the rod lens or mold member so that the axis of the rod lens coincides with the axis of the convex curved surface. Just do it. This guide member guides the movement of the rod lens or the mold member so that the axis of the rod lens coincides with the axis of the convex curved surface, so that the axis of the rod lens and the axis of the convex curved surface are aligned. Can be done accurately.
The guide member includes, for example, a plurality of ring members whose inner diameters are substantially equal to the outer diameter of the rod lens, and struts that fix the ring members. It may be fixed to the support so that the axis connecting the centers of the two coincides with the axis of the convex surface.

The guide member may be a member having a cylindrical inner surface configured so that an inner diameter thereof is substantially equal to an outer diameter of the rod lens. The guide member may be separated from the heat source together with the rod lens after pressing.
If such a guide member is used, the inner surface of the guide member serves as a mold for maintaining the shape of the side surface of the rod lens as described above, and the shape of the side surface of the rod lens is prevented from being deformed by heat. be able to.

The shape and weight of the guide member may be attached to the side surface of the rod lens during the pressing.
With such a guide member, if the rod lens and the heat source are separated from each other after pressing, the guide member attached to the side surface of the rod lens is also separated from the heat source, and the guide member and the heat source are easily separated. be able to.
Further, after the side surface of the rod lens is cured to such an extent that the side surface of the rod lens is not deformed even if the guide member is separated from the side surface, the guide member may be separated from the side surface of the rod lens by dropping due to its own weight. . In this way, the mold member can be automatically removed after there is no possibility that the side surface of the rod lens is deformed.

  In such a rod lens processing apparatus, the rod lens and the guide member are positioned above the mold member, the mold member is positioned above the heat source, and the gripping member is the guide The rod lens is moved downward along the member so that the smooth surface on one end side of the rod lens and the convex curved surface of the heated mold member are pressed against each other, and after the pressing, The guide member may be moved upward together with the rod lens to which the mold member is attached.

The gripping member grips the rod lens or the mold member, and moves the rod lens or the mold member along the guide member. The gripping member moves the rod lens or the mold member along the guide member. The one end surface and the convex curved surface of the heated mold member are pressed against each other so that the smooth one end surface of the rod lens is processed into a concave curved surface corresponding to the convex curved surface. It only has to be.
This gripping member may have, for example, a gripping part that grips the rod lens or the mold member, and an arm part that moves the rod lens or the mold member along the guide member.

The rod lens processing apparatus further includes a heat source capable of heating the mold member by contacting the rod lens, and the weight of the mold member and the shape of the convex curved surface of the mold member are heated. When the convex curved surface and the smooth one end side surface of the rod lens are pressed against each other, the convex curved surface of the mold member is deformed by the viscosity of the one end side surface of the rod lens softened by heat. The mold member is attached to a surface of the one end side, and the mold member adheres to a rod lens separated from the heat source after the pressing, so that the mold member is separated from the heat source. It may be.
That is, when the heated convex curved surface and the smooth end surface of the rod lens are pressed against each other, the shape and weight of the rod lens can be attached to the rod lens due to the viscosity of the end surface of the rod lens softened by heat. You may use the mold member which has thickness. The mold member is attached to the surface on one end side of the rod lens that is separated from the heat source after the pressing, and is thereby separated from the heat source. Therefore, the mold member and the heat source are separated from each other. It can be separated easily.
In addition, you may comprise this type | mold member so that it may have the heat capacity of the grade which can soften the surface of the smooth one end side of a rod lens. In this way, the mold member separated from the heat source can be quickly cooled.

The weight of the mold member and the shape of the convex curved surface of the mold member are such that the surface of the one end side of the rod lens is not disturbed even if the mold member is separated from the surface of the one end side of the rod lens. After the surface on the one end side of the rod lens is cured, the mold member may be separated from the surface on the one end side of the rod lens by dropping due to its own weight.
In this way, the mold member can be automatically removed without disturbing the surface of the rod lens.

In such a rod lens processing apparatus, for example, the rod lens is located above the mold member, the mold member is located above the heat source, and the gripping member is disposed on the guide member. The rod lens is moved downward or the mold member is moved upward so that the smooth surface on one end side of the rod lens and the heated curved surface of the mold member are pressed against each other. After the fitting, the rod lens to which the mold member is attached may be moved upward along the guide member.
The rod lens is positioned above the mold member, the mold member is positioned above the heat source, and the grip member moves the rod lens downward or along the guide member along the guide member. The member is moved upward so that the smooth surface on one end side of the rod lens and the heated convex surface of the mold member are pressed against each other, and the heat source moves downward after the pressing You may come to do.

The mold member may have a convex portion or a concave portion that serves as a positioning portion for the heat source, and the heat source may have a concave portion or a convex portion corresponding to the convex portion or the concave portion of the mold member.
If it carries out like this, when using this processing apparatus, a mold member can be arranged in a predetermined position of a heat source by fitting a convex part of a heat source or a mold member in a concave part of a mold member or a heat source.

Moreover, the said mold member shall consist of a substantially spherical shape.
Since all the surface portions of such a mold member can be a positioning portion with respect to the heat source and can be a convex curved surface, it can be fitted into the recess of the heat source without considering the orientation.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for giving a rod lens a wider angle of view than before.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view showing a rod lens 1 of the present invention. The rod lens 1 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a surface 1a on one end side thereof is formed in a concave curved surface so that the angle of view obtained by the rod lens 1 can be widened.
According to such a rod lens 1, since the surface on one end side itself is formed in a concave curved surface shape so as to widen the angle of view obtained by the rod lens, it is necessary to attach a lens for widening the angle of view. In addition, it is possible to reduce the labor and cost required for attaching a lens for widening the angle of view.

The rod lens 1 having such a shape can be obtained by manufacturing the rod lens itself in such a shape.
In addition, since the rod lens formed of a thermoplastic resin can be processed into an arbitrary shape by heating, it is a rod lens made of a thermoplastic resin, and is a smooth end surface molded by a conventional manufacturing method. It can also be obtained by processing a smooth surface on one end side of a rod lens having a concave surface with a processing apparatus as described below.

Hereinafter, the rod lens processing apparatus of this embodiment for processing the smooth end surface 2a of the resin rod lens 2 formed into a cylindrical shape shown in FIG. 2 into a concave curved surface will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the processing apparatus includes a mold member 10 having a convex curved surface 10a symmetric about an axis, which is a mold for processing the surface 2a on one end side of the rod lens 2 into a concave curved surface, and a rod. The guide member 20 that guides the movement of the lens 2, the heat source 30 that can heat the mold member 10, the first grip member 40 that grips and moves the mold member 10 and the guide member 20, and the rod lens 2 And a second gripping member 50 to be moved.

A mold member 10 shown in FIG. 3A is a metal member having thermal conductivity, and is a member having a substantially spherical shape. The hemispherical part of the sphere is a convex curved surface 10a whose curved surface is a mold for processing the surface 2a on one end side of the rod lens 2 into a concave curved surface, and the remaining hemispherical part is a convex part serving as a positioning part for the heat source 30 Part 10b. The diameter is substantially the same as the diameter of the rod lens 2 to be processed.
The mold member 10 of the present embodiment will be described as such a member, but the mold member processes the surface 2a on one end side of the resin rod lens 2 formed into a cylindrical shape into a concave curved surface shape. As long as it has a convex curved surface symmetrical around the axis and has thermal conductivity, it is not limited to the mold member 10 as described above, and may be of any shape and material.
For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, a mold member 11 having a hemispherical portion whose curved surface becomes a convex curved surface 11a and a protruding portion which is provided on the plane of the hemispherical portion and becomes a convex portion 11b. Good. The positioning with respect to the heat source can be performed by providing a concave portion on the mold member and a convex portion corresponding to the concave portion on the heat source. For example, as shown in FIG. The mold member 12 may have a hemispherical portion that becomes the convex curved surface 12a and a concave portion 12b that is provided on the plane of the hemispherical portion and serves as a positioning portion for the heat source 32. Moreover, it is good also as a type | mold member which does not have a convex part and a recessed part used as such a positioning part.
The mold member 10 may be configured to have a minimum heat capacity that can soften the surface 2 a on one end side of the rod lens 2. In this way, the mold member 10 separated from the heat source 30 can be quickly cooled.

The guide member 20 shown in FIG. 4 is a member that guides the movement of the rod lens 2 so that the axis of the rod lens 2 to be processed coincides with the axis of the convex curved surface 10a, and the inner diameter thereof is the outer diameter of the rod lens 2. And a cylindrical member having a cylindrical inner surface configured to be approximately equal to the diameter of the mold member 10.
The guide member 20 of the present embodiment will be described as such a member. However, as long as the member has a cylindrical inner surface configured so that the inner diameter thereof is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the rod lens 2, the cylindrical member is used. It does not have to be. Further, the guide member is not limited to this, and the guide member only needs to guide the movement of the rod lens 2 so that the axis of the rod lens 2 coincides with the axis of the convex curved surface 10a. For example, it comprises a plurality of ring members whose inner diameters are substantially equal to the outer diameter of the rod lens 2 and struts that fix these ring members, and these ring members are axes that connect the centers of the ring members. It is good also as a guide member fixed to the support | pillar so that may correspond to the axis | shaft of the convex curve 10a.
Moreover, although this guide member 20 demonstrates as what guides the motion of the rod lens 2 used as a process target in this embodiment, when the structure of the mold member 10 moves, You may comprise as what guides a motion.

The heat source 30 shown in FIG. 3A is a thin plate-like heater provided with a hemispherical concave portion 30a on its upper surface, which can heat the mold member 10 by being brought into contact therewith.
FIG. 3A shows a state in which the hemispherical portion that becomes the convex portion 10 b of the mold member 10 is put in the concave portion 30 a of the heat source 30 by the first gripping member 40. As described above, the mold member 10 of the present embodiment has the convex portion 10b that is a positioning portion with respect to the heat source 30, and the heat source 30 has the concave portion 30a corresponding to the convex portion 10b of the mold member 10. The mold member 10 can be arranged at a predetermined position of the heat source 30 by fitting the convex part 10b of the mold member 10 into the concave part 30a.
In the present embodiment, the heat source 30 is described as such, but any heat source 30 may be used as long as the mold member 10 can be heated.
In addition, when the positioning part is provided in the mold member 10, the positioning part corresponding to this is provided in the heat source 30. For example, when the positioning portion of the mold member is the convex portion 11b having a shape as shown in FIG. 3B, the heat source 31 is configured to have a concave portion 31a corresponding to the shape of the convex portion 11b. As shown in FIG. 3C, when the mold member 12 has a recess 12b, the heat source 32 is configured to have a protrusion 32a corresponding to the recess 12b.

The first gripping member 40 shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 5 is a support column 41 erected in the vertical direction and an arm that is attached to the support column 41 and extends in the horizontal direction. And a first arm 42 configured to be able to grip the mold member 10 and the guide member 20. The first arm 42 is movable in the vertical direction and is attached to the support column 41 so as to be rotatable. In the present embodiment, the other end side of the first arm 42 is configured using a hinge.
In the present embodiment, the first gripping member 40 is described as having such a configuration, but the first gripping member 40 only needs to be able to grip and move the mold member 10 and the guide member 20. The mold member 10 and the guide member 20 may be moved by one gripping member, or may have two gripping members that move each. Further, the mold member 10 and the guide member 20 may be gripped and moved by the following second gripping member 50.

The second gripping member 50 shown in FIG. 6 is a support column 51 erected in the vertical direction and an arm that is attached to the support column 51 and extends in the horizontal direction, and the other end side is the other end of the rod lens 2. And a second arm 52 configured to be able to grip the side surface 2b. The second arm 52 is attached to the support column 51 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the other end side of the second arm 52 is configured using a hinge.
As will be described later, the second gripping member 50 moves the rod lens 2 along the guide member 20, and the surface 2 a on one end side of the rod lens 2 becomes a convex curved surface 10 a of the heated mold member 10. It is designed to be pressed.
The second gripping member 50 according to the present embodiment is described as having such a configuration, but the second gripping member 50 grips the rod lens 2 and moves the rod lens 2 along the guide member 20. The rod lens 2 is moved along the guide member 20, and the surface 2a on one end side of the rod lens 2 and the convex curved surface 10a of the heated mold member 10 are pressed against each other, whereby the rod lens It is only necessary that the surface 2a on the one end side of 2 is processed into a concave curved surface corresponding to the convex curved surface 10a.
In the present embodiment, the second gripping member 50 is described as gripping and moving the rod lens 2 to be processed. However, the second gripping member 50 may be configured to grip and move the mold member 10. .

Next, a rod lens processing method for processing the existing rod lens 2 like the rod lens 1 of FIG. 1 using the processing apparatus described above will be described with reference to FIGS.
The rod lens 2 to be processed is a cylindrical rod lens 2 having flat both end surfaces 2a and 2b manufactured by a conventional manufacturing method. Such a cylindrical rod lens 2 is filled with a solution containing a refractive index control substance together with a resin monomer constituting the cylindrical cladding in a cylindrical cladding made of a transparent resin, for example, and the monomer wall surface of the cylindrical cladding is filled with the monomer. The monomer can be polymerized while the constituent resin is dissolved and the refractive index control substance-containing gel layer is sequentially moved from the wall surface of the cylindrical clad to the inside concentrically.

When processing such a cylindrical rod lens 2, first, as shown in FIG. 3A, the mold member 10 is moved by the first arm 42 of the first gripping member 40, and the mold is placed in the recess 30 a of the heat source 30. The member 10 is placed. In addition, since the mold member 10 of the present embodiment is a member having a substantially spherical shape, all the surface portions thereof can be convex portions 10b serving as positioning portions with respect to the heat source 30, and can be convex curved surfaces 10a. The mold member 10 can be placed in the recess 30a of the heat source 30 without thinking.
After placing the mold member 10 on the heat source 30 in this way, the mold member 10 is heated by the heat source 30. This heating is performed until the mold member 10 has a heat capacity that can soften the surface 2a on one end side of the rod lens 2.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the guide member 20 is arranged on the heat source 30 so that the convex curved surface 10 a of the mold member 10 is fitted on one end side of the first arm 42 of the first gripping member 40. Thereby, the guide member 20 is arrange | positioned on the heat source 30 in the state in which the axis line corresponds with the axis | shaft of the convex curve 10a. The guide member 20 may be arranged before the mold member 10 is heated by the heat source 30.

  Then, the rod lens 2 is gripped by the second arm 52 of the second gripping member 50, and one end of the rod lens 2 is inserted from the other end side of the guide member 20, that is, from the upper side. 6, the rod lens 2 is lowered along the inner wall of the guide member 20 by lowering the second arm 52, and the convex curved surface 10a of the mold member 10 in which the surface 2a on one end side of the rod lens 2 is heated. Press on. The surface 2a on one end side of the rod lens 2 pressed against the convex curved surface 10a of the heated mold member 10 is softened by the heat of the mold member 10, and the surface 2a on one end side of the softened rod lens 2 is softened. The concave curved surface corresponding to the convex curved surface 10a is transferred. FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which the concave curved surface is transferred to the surface 2 a on one end side of the rod lens 2 by pressing. The guide member 20 can accurately align the axis of the rod lens 2 and the axis of the convex curved surface 10a, and the pressing angle is always constant by the guide member 20.

After pressing the surface 2 a on one end side of the rod lens 2 against the mold member 10, the rod lens 2 is pulled up by the second arm 52. Thereby, the rod lens 2 is separated from the heat source 30. At the time of this lifting, as shown in FIG. 8, the mold member 10 attached to the surface 2a on one end side of the rod lens 2 is also lifted together.
In order to cure the softened rod lens 2, it is necessary to cool the mold member 10 attached to the surface 2 a on one end side of the rod lens 2. In order to cool the mold member 10 quickly, the mold member 10 needs to be able to be separated from the heat source 30, but in the present embodiment, the heat source 30 can be used to heat the object. Since the mold member 10 and the heat source 30 are separated from each other after pressing, the mold member 10 separated from the heat source 30 is quickly cooled. Further, when the rod lens 2 is pulled up, the mold member 10 is automatically separated from the heat source 30 by adhering to the rod lens 2, so that the mold member 10 can be easily separated from the heat source 30. Can do.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the rod lens 2 is lifted by the second arm 52, the guide member 20 is lifted by the first arm 42.
When the mold member 10 and the rod lens 2 are pressed, the heat of the mold member 10 is transferred from the surface 2a on one end side of the rod lens 2 toward the other end side, so that part of the side surface of the rod lens 2 is caused by this heat. Although there is a risk of deformation due to expansion, if the guide member 20 is also lifted as the rod lens 2 is lifted as in the present embodiment, the inner surface of the guide member 20 is the side surface of the rod lens 2. The shape can be maintained, and the shape of the side surface of the rod lens 2 can be prevented from being deformed.

  The rod lens 2 and the mold member 10 which are pulled up by the second arm 52 and whose side surfaces are covered with the guide member 20 are left in a suspended state and cooled. At this time, the heat may be lowered by applying cold air.

When the surface 2a on the one end side is cured to such an extent that the surface 2a on the one end side of the rod lens 2 is not disturbed even if the mold member 10 is separated from the surface 2a on the one end side that is the concave curved surface of the rod lens 2, one end of the rod lens 2 is cured. The mold member 10 automatically falls from the side surface 2a.
That is, the weight of the mold member 10 and the shape of the convex curved surface 10a of the mold member 10 are such that the concave curved surface is not disturbed even if the mold member 10 is separated from the surface 2a on the one end side that is the concave curved surface of the rod lens 2. After the surface 2a on one end side is cured, the mold member 10 is separated from the surface 2a on one end side of the rod lens 2 by dropping due to its own weight. The mold member 10 can be automatically removed without being disturbed. However, the mold member 10 may be forcibly removed if it is not automatically removed.
Thereafter, the guide member 20 is removed from the rod lens 2 by the first arm 42. This is because if the rod lens 2 is cured to the extent that the mold member 10 is dropped, it is considered that the side surface of the rod lens 2 does not deform even if the guide member 20 is removed from the rod lens 2. As described above, in this embodiment, the guide member 20 is described as being removed after the mold member 10 is dropped from the rod lens 2, but the side surface of the rod lens 2 is not deformed even when the guide member 20 is removed from the rod lens 2. If the rod lens 2 is cured, the guide member 20 may be removed before the mold member 10 falls.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state after the mold member 10 has been dropped and the guide member 20 has been removed as described above.

  As described above, the smooth surface on one end side of the general rod lens 2 can be processed into a concave curved surface.

  The processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is configured to move the rod lens 2 downward along the guide member 20 and press the surface 2a on one end side of the rod lens 2 against the convex curved surface 10a of the mold member 10. However, the heated mold member 10 may be moved upward along the guide member 20 to press the convex curved surface 10 a of the mold member 10 against the surface 2 a on one end side of the rod lens 2. That is, either one of the rod lens 2 and the mold member 10 may be moved and pressed against the other fixed member, or both the rod lens 2 and the mold member 10 may be moved and pressed against each other. You may do it.

  Further, the processing apparatus of the present embodiment moves the rod lens 2 and the mold member 10 attached to the rod lens 2 upward along the guide member 20 after pressing the surface 2a on one end side of the rod lens 2 against the mold member 10. However, you may comprise so that the heat source 30 may be moved below.

The shape and weight of the guide member may be such that the guide member adheres to the side surface of the rod lens 2 when the rod lens 2 and the mold member 10 are pressed against each other. In the case of such a guide member, if the rod lens 2 and the heat source 30 are separated after pressing, the guide member attached to the side surface of the rod lens 2 is also separated from the heat source 30. Can be separated easily. Note that the guide member and the heat source 30 may be separated after pressing. If the guide member and the heat source 30 are separated, the rod lens 2 attached to the guide member can also be separated from the heat source 30.
Further, after the side surface of the rod lens 2 is cured to such an extent that the side surface of the rod lens 2 is not deformed even if the guide member 20 is separated from the side surface of the rod lens 2, the guide member 20 is moved to the position of the rod lens 2 by dropping by its own weight. You may make it leave | separate from a side surface. In this way, the mold member can be automatically removed without disturbing the side surface of the rod lens 2.

The figure which shows the rod lens of this invention. The figure which shows the conventional rod lens used as a process target. The figure which shows the state which mounted the mold member on the heat source of this embodiment. The figure which shows the modification of a mold member and a heat source. The figure which shows the modification of a mold member and a heat source. The figure which shows the guide member of this embodiment. The figure which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the guide member on the heat source of this embodiment. The figure which shows the state which descend | falls the rod lens of this embodiment along the inner wall of a guide member. The figure which shows the state by which the concave curved surface was transcribe | transferred by the surface of the one end side of a rod lens by pressing. The figure which shows the state which pulls up a rod lens and a mold member after pressing to the mold member of the surface of the one end side of a rod lens. The figure which shows the state which the type | mold member fell from the surface of the one end side of a rod lens, after a rod lens hardened | cured.

Explanation of symbols

1, 2 Rod lens 10, 11, 12 Mold member 20 Guide member 30, 31, 32 Heat source

Claims (13)

A rod lens processing method for processing a smooth surface on one end side of a rod lens formed into a cylindrical shape and formed of a thermoplastic resin into a concave curved surface,
The mold member is heated by a heat source capable of heating the object by bringing it into contact,
And the convex curved surface of the heated the mold member, and one end side of the smooth surface of the rod lens, by moving at least one of the rod lens or the mold member, the pressing Align,
Separating the rod lens and the mold member from the heat source;
By removing the mold member from the rod lens after the rod lens is cured to such an extent that the shape of the concave curved surface of the rod lens is not affected even if the mold member is removed from the rod lens ,
Processing a smooth surface on one end side of the rod lens into a concave curved surface corresponding to the convex curved surface,
Rod lens processing method. The rod lens has a cylindrical inner surface configured so that an inner diameter thereof is substantially equal to an outer diameter of the rod lens, and the axis of the rod lens extends along the inner surface of the guide member that coincides with the axis of the convex curved surface. And press against the mold member,
After this pressing, the rod lens and the guide member are separated from the heat source,
Removing the guide member from the rod lens after the rod lens is cured to such an extent that the shape of the side surface of the rod lens is not affected even if the guide member is removed from the rod lens;
The rod lens processing method according to claim 1 . A rod lens processing apparatus that processes a smooth end surface of a resin-made rod lens formed into a cylindrical shape into a concave curved surface,
A mold member having a thermal conductivity and having a convex curved surface symmetrical about the axis;
A guide member that guides the movement of the rod lens or the mold member so that the axis of the rod lens to be processed coincides with the axis of the convex curved surface;
The rod lens or the mold member can be gripped, and the gripping member is configured to move along the guide member in a state where the rod lens or the mold member is gripped.
The smooth one end surface of the rod lens and the convex curved surface of the heated mold member are pressed together by the movement of the gripping member.
Rod lens processing equipment. The rod lens processing apparatus further includes a heat source capable of heating the mold member by contacting the rod lens;
The weight of the mold member and the shape of the convex curved surface of the mold member are the same as those of the rod lens softened by heat when the heated convex curved surface and the smooth one end surface of the rod lens are pressed against each other. The convex curved surface of the mold member can be attached to the one end side surface of the rod lens by the viscosity of the one end side surface;
The mold member adheres to the rod lens separated from the heat source after the pressing, whereby the mold member is separated from the heat source.
The rod lens processing apparatus according to claim 3 . The weight of the mold member and the shape of the convex curved surface of the mold member are the surfaces on the one end side of the rod lens even if the mold member is separated from the surface on the one end side of the rod lens to which the mold member is attached. After the surface of the one end side of the rod lens is cured to such an extent that it is not disturbed, the mold member is separated from the surface of the one end side of the rod lens by dropping due to its own weight.
The rod lens processing apparatus according to claim 4 . The rod lens is located above the mold member, and the mold member is located above the heat source,
The gripping member moves the rod lens downward or the mold member upward along the guide member and presses the smooth surface on one end side of the rod lens and the convex curved surface of the heated mold member. The rod lens to which the mold member is attached is moved upward along the guide member after the pressing.
The rod lens processing apparatus according to claim 4 or 5 . The rod lens is located above the mold member, and the mold member is located above the heat source,
The gripping member moves the rod lens downward or the mold member upward along the guide member and presses the smooth surface on one end side of the rod lens and the convex curved surface of the heated mold member. And
The heat source is adapted to move downward after the pressing.
The rod lens processing apparatus according to claim 4 or 5 . The guide member is a member for guiding the movement of the rod lens, and has a cylindrical inner surface configured so that an inner diameter thereof is substantially equal to an outer diameter of the rod lens.
The rod lens processing apparatus according to claim 3 . The guide member is configured to be separated from the heat source together with the rod lens after the pressing.
The rod lens processing apparatus according to claim 4 . The shape and weight of the guide member is such that it adheres to the side surface of the rod lens during the pressing.
The rod lens processing apparatus according to claim 4 . The rod lens and the guide member are located above the mold member, and the mold member is located above the heat source,
The gripping member moves the rod lens downward along the guide member to press the smooth surface on one end side of the rod lens and the convex curved surface of the heated mold member. After the pressing, the guide member is moved upward together with the rod lens to which the mold member is attached.
The rod lens processing apparatus according to claim 9 or 10 . The mold member has a convex portion or a concave portion that serves as a positioning portion for the heat source,
The heat source has a concave portion or a convex portion corresponding to the convex portion or the concave portion of the mold member.
Processing apparatus according to claim 4 to 7, wherein the rod lens. The mold member has a substantially spherical shape.
The rod lens processing apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 7 .

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