JP5020492B2 - Mold press molding apparatus and method of manufacturing molded product - Google Patents

Description

  TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a mold press molding apparatus that press-molds a material to be molded such as glass with a molding die and is applied to the production of an optical element such as a glass lens, and a method of manufacturing a molded product using the mold press molding apparatus. It is. In particular, the present invention relates to a cooling technique for a mold that is advantageous to a mold press apparatus that press-molds a material to be molded such as glass with a mold through a plurality of processing sections, and a support member that supports the mold.

  Conventionally, as a mold press molding apparatus, a mold and a die plate surrounding the cavity die and the back surface of the cavity die, a hollow heat insulator in contact with the vicinity of the outer periphery of the back surface of the die plate, and an inert space inside the heat insulator are externally inactive. There has been proposed a molding apparatus including a support body on which an inlet for supplying gas is formed. In such a molding apparatus, a mold and a die plate are made of a material to be induction-heated. In this molding apparatus, the internal space of the heat insulator is partitioned by a partition member, and an inert gas is separately introduced into each of them to make the temperature distribution in the radial direction of the die plate uniform during temperature rising and pressing. When the temperature is lowered, an inert gas is introduced into both sides to shorten the cooling time (see Patent Document 1).

  As another mold press molding apparatus, processing chambers such as a heating chamber, a press chamber, and a cooling chamber are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction, and a molding die containing a molding material is sequentially transferred in the processing chamber. An apparatus for manufacturing a glass molded body having a structure has been proposed. Such a manufacturing apparatus has a structure in which each processing chamber is surrounded by a case in the furnace body. Moreover, in this manufacturing apparatus, in order to transfer a shaping | molding die, a rotary table is comprised so that rotation around the center rotating shaft is possible, and the sample stand which has arrange | positioned the shaping | molding die is arrange | positioned on the rotary table. For this reason, a glass molded object is obtained by passing a shaping | molding die through each process chamber with the rotational drive of a turntable (refer patent document 2).

Furthermore, as another conventional mold press molding apparatus, a heating unit, a molding unit, and a cooling unit are arranged in a series of circulation routes, and a plurality of molding dies are sequentially transferred to the molding die that is loaded into the molding die. A mold press molding apparatus for producing glass optical elements from a material, wherein the material to be molded and the mold are simultaneously transferred in parallel in the heating section, and the material to be molded is transferred into the mold before pressing pressure is applied. Structures that can be changed have been proposed. Here, the pallet on which the mold is placed has a structure that is transferred to each process by an extrusion cylinder or a drawer cylinder (see Patent Document 3).
Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-31501 Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-29779 JP-A-6-183753

  According to the molding apparatus described in Patent Document 1, an inert gas introduction pipe is provided inside a support body that supports a cavity die, a mold, and a die plate via a heat insulator, and is supplied from the introduction pipe. It is described that the temperature of the die plate and the cavity die can be made substantially uniform in the radial direction of the die plate because the cooling gas is blown directly onto the die plate supporting the cavity die and the mold.

  However, in such a molding apparatus, the support, and the die plate, cavity die, and mold supported by the support via the heat insulator are all directly or indirectly fixed to the apparatus body (fixed plate). In addition, since the apparatus performs press molding at a fixed position, the cooling mechanism described in Patent Document 1 cannot be directly mounted on the transfer-type press molding apparatus as illustrated in Patent Documents 2 and 3. Moreover, the molding apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is an apparatus in which a mold and a molding unit are integrated, and the entire apparatus having a large heat capacity is to be molded by raising and lowering the temperature with an inert gas. There is a problem that the amount of cooling gas used is considerably large for the heat capacity, and the cooling efficiency is low.

  On the other hand, in the transfer-type press molding apparatus described in Patent Documents 2 and 3, a molding die containing a material to be molded and a support member that supports the molding die are sequentially introduced into a plurality of processing units, and sequentially in the apparatus. Since the processing such as heating, pressing, and cooling is performed by transferring, it is not necessary to supply the cooling gas used for temperature control of the mold during pressing or cooling to the entire apparatus. Alternatively, it is efficient because the support member can be locally cooled.

  However, if the gas introduction pipe installed at a fixed position is disposed within the moving range of the moving mold and the supporting member, the movement is hindered. On the other hand, when a cooling nozzle is installed at a fixed position around the support member and the mold, and cooling gas is blown from the cooling nozzle to the support member and the mold, the cooling nozzle is turned into the support member and the mold. Since the amount of cooling gas used is large, it is inefficient because it is located at a position away from the center of the mold, and due to the temperature difference between the part where the cooling gas is directly blown and the part where the cooling gas is circulated and cooled, There is a risk that a temperature distribution may occur and defects such as asses and peculiarities may occur in the molded body.

  By the way, in order to mold a glass optical element with high surface accuracy, precise temperature control is indispensable. For example, in order to mold a glass optical element with high surface accuracy, the temperature difference between the upper and lower molds (due to the heat capacity of the support member) generated in the mold placed on the support member is offset to equalize the temperature. Depending on the intended shape of the glass optical element, good surface accuracy may be obtained by applying a temperature difference between the upper and lower molds of the mold during pressing or cooling. Is difficult or impossible to perform with conventional molding equipment.

  On the other hand, glass optical elements used in imaging devices such as digital cameras, optical pickups, and small-sized imaging devices for mobile terminals have extremely high optical performance requirements and strong demands for lower prices. Even when performing temperature control, it is not preferable to reduce the production efficiency.

  In view of the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a mold press molding apparatus capable of directly or indirectly locally and uniformly cooling a mold that is a target of temperature control with a compact configuration, And it is providing the manufacturing method of the molded article using this mold press molding apparatus. Furthermore, in a mold press molding apparatus that efficiently manufactures a molded body such as a glass optical element by sequentially transferring the mold and performing different processes such as heating, pressing, and cooling in each processing unit, the mold Alternatively, it is possible to efficiently cool a support member that supports the mold, and to stably manufacture a highly accurate molded body, and to provide a method for manufacturing a molded product using the mold press molding apparatus. There is to do.

In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, a plurality of processing units including a heating unit, a press unit, and a cooling unit, and a transfer for sequentially transferring a molding die containing a material to be molded to the plurality of processing units. In the mold press molding apparatus including the means, at least one of the pressing unit and the cooling unit moves the molding die or a support member that supports the molding die when the molding die is cooled. A cooling medium discharge tube that appears in the region and retracts from the moving region when the mold is transferred, the cooling medium discharge tube includes a plurality of tubes having different diameters, and the plurality of tubes are When contracted, the small diameter tubular body is accommodated in the large diameter tubular body, and when expanded, the small diameter tubular body projects from the tip of the large diameter tubular body. It is freely configured to release the cooling medium. To time, automatically extended by the pressure, appear in the movement area, when stopping the discharge of cooling medium, characterized in that it automatically shrinks by its own weight.

In the present invention, in a mold press molding apparatus that sequentially transfers a plurality of molds and performs different processes such as heating, pressing, and cooling in each processing unit, at least one processing unit of the pressing unit and the cooling unit When the mold and / or the support member (hereinafter collectively referred to as a molding tool) is cooled, a cooling medium discharge pipe appears in the moving region of the molding tool to cool the molding tool. Further, since the cooling medium discharge pipe is retracted from the moving region when the forming tool is transferred, it does not interfere with the forming tool or the transfer means. Therefore, since the cooling tool such as the cooling gas can be discharged in a state where the cooling medium discharge pipe is brought close to the forming tool while the forming tool moves in each processing chamber, the amount of the cooling medium used can be reduced. Efficiency is good. In addition, since the cooling medium can be discharged with the cooling medium discharge tube approaching the forming tool, the forming tool can be cooled to a desired condition. Therefore, unlike the case where the cooling medium is discharged from the cooling medium discharge pipe at a location distant from the molding tool, there is an expectation between the portion where the cooling medium is directly sprayed and the portion where the cooling medium circulates and is cooled. There is no possibility that a temperature difference will occur and there will be no variation in temperature distribution in the mold. Further, when the molded body is a rotationally symmetric lens or the like, the cooling by the cooling medium is also performed symmetrically and substantially uniformly, so that it is possible to prevent defects such as asses and habits from occurring in the molded body. Further, according to the present invention, the cooling medium discharge pipe can be automatically extended in conjunction with the discharge of the cooling medium. Therefore, the cooling medium discharge pipe can be automatically made to appear in the moving region of the forming tool with a relatively simple configuration. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the cooling medium discharge tube can be automatically contracted in conjunction with the stop of the cooling medium discharge. Therefore, the cooling medium discharge pipe can be automatically retracted from the moving region of the mold or the mold support member with a relatively simple configuration.

In the present invention, the support member includes a hollow portion opened on a lower surface, and the cooling medium discharge pipe enters the hollow portion from below the support member when the molding tool is cooled. It is preferable to discharge the cooling medium in the section. If the heat capacity of the support member is greater when the mold is compared with the support member, the lower mold is less likely to cool when cooled compared to the upper and lower molds of the mold. For this reason, an unnecessary temperature difference may occur between the upper and lower molds of the molding die, but if the configuration in which the cooling medium is discharged into the hollow portion of the support member is employed, the support member can be efficiently cooled. Therefore, it is possible to prevent temperature variations in the mold due to the large heat capacity of the support member. Further, when it is desired to intentionally give a temperature difference between the upper and lower sides of the mold, it is possible to give a desired temperature difference depending on the position of the cooling medium discharge pipe of the present invention and the amount of gas.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the support member includes a mold placement portion on which the molding die is placed, and the inside of the mold placement portion is the hollow portion. As a result, since the amount of the cooling medium used is small, the efficiency can be improved, and the molding tool can be cooled to desired conditions such as adjusting the temperature difference between the upper mold side and the lower mold side. Therefore, similarly to the above, unlike the case where the cooling medium is discharged from the cooling medium discharge pipe at a position away from the molding tool, the portion where the cooling medium is directly sprayed and the portion where the cooling medium circulates and is cooled There is no unexpected temperature difference during this period and no variation in temperature distribution occurs in the mold. When the molded body is a rotationally symmetric lens or the like, the cooling by the cooling medium is also performed symmetrically and substantially uniformly, so that it is possible to prevent defects such as asses and habits from occurring in the molded body.

  In particular, when the molded body is a rotationally symmetric lens or the like, each part of the mold is cooled uniformly, so that the molded body held in the molded body is also cooled symmetrically and uniformly. In addition, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of non-uniform curvature defects such as asses and habits.

  In the present invention, when the cooling medium discharge pipe is disposed upward, it is preferable that the cooling medium discharge pipe adopts a configuration that automatically contracts due to its own weight when the discharge of the cooling medium is stopped. With this configuration, the cooling medium discharge pipe can be automatically contracted in conjunction with the stop of the cooling medium discharge. Therefore, the cooling medium discharge pipe can be automatically retracted from the moving region of the mold or the mold support member with a relatively simple configuration.

  In the present invention, after stopping the discharge of the cooling medium, a configuration may be adopted in which air is sucked through the cooling medium discharge pipe and the pressure is used for contraction of the cooling medium discharge pipe. If comprised in this way, a cooling medium discharge tube can be shrunk more reliably.

  In the present invention, the cooling medium discharge pipe includes a plurality of pipe bodies having different diameters, and when the plurality of pipe bodies are contracted, a pipe body having a small diameter is accommodated in a substantially coaxial shape in a pipe body having a large diameter. It is preferable that the tube having a small diameter protrudes from the tip of the tube having a large diameter when the tube is extended. If comprised in this way, even if it is a very small cooling medium discharge pipe in the contracted state, the cooling medium discharge pipe can be extended long, and an appropriate portion of the forming tool can be efficiently cooled.

  The present invention includes a processing unit including a heating unit, a pressing unit, and a cooling unit, and a support member that supports the mold, and the processing unit processes the mold supported by the support member. The present invention can also be applied to a mold press forming apparatus to be applied. That is, in the mold press molding apparatus having such a configuration, the cooling means includes a cooling medium discharge pipe, and the cooling medium discharge pipe is configured to be extendable and contracted by the pressure of the cooling medium when the cooling process is performed. And cooling medium is discharged.

The mold press molding apparatus to which the present invention is applied can be used for the manufacture of various molded products. In this case, after the material to be softened by heating is pressed by the pressing unit or the pressing means, the cooling medium discharge pipe is used. A cooling medium is discharged to cool the molding tool. In the present invention, since it is possible to prevent defects such as asses and peculiarities in the molded body, the molding material is a glass material for an optical element, and is suitable for manufacturing a glass optical element as the molded product. ing.

Moreover, the mold press molding apparatus to which the present invention is applied can be used for manufacturing various molded products. In this case, the support for supporting the molding die after pressing the softened molding material by the press section. A cooling medium is supplied into the member from the cooling medium discharge pipe to cool the mold. In the present invention, since it is possible to prevent defects such as asses and peculiarities in the molded body, the molding material is a glass material for an optical element, and is suitable for manufacturing a glass optical element as the molded product. ing.

  In the present invention, when the molding tool is cooled in the processing section, the cooling medium is supplied to the inside of the support member of the mold, and the support member is cooled from the inside. Therefore, since the amount of the cooling medium used is small, the efficiency is high, and the molding tool can be cooled to desired conditions, such as adjusting the presence or absence of a temperature difference between the upper mold side and the lower mold side. Therefore, unlike the case where the cooling medium is discharged from the cooling medium discharge pipe at a location distant from the molding tool, there is an expectation between the portion where the cooling medium is directly sprayed and the portion where the cooling medium circulates and is cooled. There is no possibility that a temperature difference will occur and there will be no variation in temperature distribution in the mold. When the molded body is a rotationally symmetric lens or the like, the cooling by the cooling medium is also performed symmetrically and substantially uniformly, so that it is possible to prevent defects such as asses and habits from occurring in the molded body.

  In the present invention, when the forming tool is cooled in the processing section, the cooling medium discharge pipe appears in the moving area of the forming tool to cool the forming tool, and when the forming tool is transferred, the cooling medium discharge pipe is moved. Evacuate from the area. Therefore, since there is no interference with the forming tool and the transfer means, the cooling medium can be discharged in a state where the cooling medium discharge pipe is brought close to the forming tool while the forming tool moves in each processing chamber. Efficiency is good because the amount of medium used is small. In addition, since the cooling medium can be discharged with the cooling medium discharge tube approaching the forming tool, the forming tool can be cooled to a desired condition. Therefore, there is no temperature variation depending on the part in the mold, so that it is possible to prevent defects such as asses and peculiarities from occurring in the molded body.

  Therefore, according to the mold press molding apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to stably manufacture a high-precision glass optical element. With such a high-precision glass optical element, polishing or the like on the molding surface after molding No post-processing is required. Therefore, a glass optical element used for an imaging device such as a digital camera, an optical pickup, a small-sized imaging device for a portable terminal, and the like has an extremely high optical requirement performance and a strong demand for cost reduction. According to this, such a request can be met.

  An example of a mold press molding apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[Embodiment 1]
(overall structure)
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a basic configuration of a mold press molding apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the mold press molding apparatus 1 in this embodiment is an apparatus suitable for manufacturing glass optical elements such as glass lenses, and a plurality of processing chambers P2 to P8 are configured in this order in the circumferential direction. And between the processing chamber P2 and the processing chamber P8, the carrying in / out part P1 which carries out and carries in the molding tool mentioned later is comprised.

The plurality of processing chambers P2 to P8 can be referred to as follows in accordance with the processing performed in each chamber.
Processing chamber P2: first heating chamber (heating unit)
Processing chamber P3: second heating chamber (heating unit)
Processing chamber P4: Soaking chamber Processing chamber P5: Press chamber (press section)
Processing chamber P6: First annealing chamber (cooling section)
Processing chamber P7: second slow cooling chamber (cooling section)
Processing room P8: Quenching room (cooling part)

  The processing chambers P2 to P8 are configured inside the chamber 11, and the inside of the chamber 11 is always in an atmosphere of a non-oxidizing gas. Shutters S1 to S6 are disposed between the processing chambers P2 to P8, and the processing chambers P2 to P8 are partitioned by the shutters S1 to S6. However, no shutter is disposed between the processing chamber P4 (soaking chamber) and the processing chamber P5 (press chamber). Here, press means such as a press (not shown) is disposed in the processing chamber P5.

  In the mold press molding apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the mold 4 and the support member 5 are integrally conveyed as a molding tool 40 as described later. That is, after the molding die 4 is carried into the carry-in / out part P1 from the outside by a robot or the like and disposed on the support member, the mold 4 is intermittently and sequentially transferred to the processing chambers P2 to P8 by the rotary table 3 as a transfer means. Is carried to the loading / unloading part P1. And the shaping | molding die 4 is carried out of the apparatus from the turntable 3 by the carrying in / out part P1 with a robot etc. FIG. When performing such a conveyance operation, the rotary table 3 and the position above the rotary table 3 become the moving region 6 of the forming tool 40. The rotary table 3 is an index table having a rotary shaft arranged at the center thereof.

(Detailed configuration of the mold 4, the support member 5, and the processing chamber)
2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. In the mold press molding apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the processing chambers P2 to P7 all have substantially the same structure, and the molding tool 40 (the molding die 4 and the support member 5) in any of the processing chambers P2 to P7. , And the rotary table 3 are represented substantially the same. Accordingly, taking the processing chamber P6 (first annealing chamber) shown in FIG. 2 as an example, the configuration of the processing chambers P2 to P7, the molding tool 40 (the molding die 4 and the support member 5), and the turntable 3 will be described below. .

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the molding tool 40, the molding die 4 includes an upper die 4 a and a lower die 4 b that sandwich a material to be molded 10 such as a lens glass material from above and below, and around the upper die 4 a and the lower die 4 b. And a body mold 4c surrounding the body.

  The support member 5 includes a flat bottom plate portion 51 and a mold placement portion 52 that protrudes upward from the center portion of the bottom plate portion 51, and the mold 4 is placed on the upper surface of the mold placement portion 52. The The support member 5 includes a hollow portion 53 that opens from the bottom plate portion 51 to the mold placement portion 52 at the lower surface of the bottom plate portion 51. Although not shown in the drawing, the upper surface of the mold mounting portion 52 of the support member 5 and the lower surface of the lower mold 4b are provided with small projections for positioning and misalignment of the molding die 4 and holes for fitting the small projections. Is formed.

  The molding tool 40 configured as described above is conveyed in a state of being placed on the rotary table 3. The outer peripheral edge of the turntable 3 extends to the vicinity of the outer peripheral side surface of the chamber 11 in which the processing chambers P2 to P8 are accommodated, and a plurality of through holes 30 are provided in the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge of the turntable 3 in the processing chambers P2 to P2. Corresponding to P8, they are formed at equiangular intervals. On the other hand, in the support member 5, a protrusion 54 is formed on the lower surface of the bottom plate portion 51, and the protrusion 54 fits into the through hole 30 of the rotary table 3. It is held in place above.

  The processing chamber P6 is surrounded by a case 73, and the case 73 is fixed to the chamber 11. Inside the case 73, a heater 71 is disposed so as to face each other on the inner and outer peripheral sides in the radial direction, and behind the heater 71, a reflector 72 that constitutes heating means together with the heater 71 is disposed.

  A slit 74 extending in the circumferential direction is formed in the lower bottom portion of the case 73, and the molding tool 40 is conveyed by the rotary table 3 through the slit 74 to the inside of the processing chamber P 6. After stopping at a substantially central position, processing is performed. Further, after the processing in the processing chamber P6 is completed, the forming tool 40 is transported from the processing chamber P6 to the next processing chamber P7 through the slit 74 by the rotary table 3.

(Cooling mechanism structure)
The cooling mechanism which the mold press molding apparatus of this form has is demonstrated using FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 (a) and 3 (b) are a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the cooling gas discharge pipe (cooling medium discharge pipe) of the cooling mechanism configured in the mold press forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and the cooling gas discharge. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a state where a tube is extended.

As shown in FIG. 2, the processing chamber P6 of the mold press molding apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a cooling mechanism 2 (cooling means) for cooling the molding tool 40 (molding die 4 and support member 5). Yes. The cooling mechanism 2 includes a relay pipe 21 fixed to the bottom surface of the chamber 11 at a position that overlaps with a substantially central position of the processing chamber P6 (a position where the through hole 30 of the turntable 3 stops at the processing chamber P6). The relay pipe 21 has a cooling gas discharge pipe 22 having a proximal end held on the inside. Further, the cooling mechanism 2 includes a cooling gas supply device 23 that supplies a cooling gas to the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 through the relay pipe 21 outside the processing chamber P6. A cooling gas pipe 231 connected to the pipe 21, a gas storage part 233 connected to the cooling gas pipe 231, and a flow rate adjusting valve 232 interposed in the cooling gas pipe 231 are provided. In this embodiment, the gas storage unit 233 stores a cooling medium such as N ₂ gas as a cooling gas, and the cooling gas is the same as the inert gas filled in the chamber 11 described above. It is preferable to use one.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 has three pipes, a large diameter pipe 221, a medium diameter pipe 222, and a small diameter pipe 223 arranged substantially coaxially. It consists of tubes and is configured like a three-piece fishing rod. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3A, in the contracted state of the cooling gas discharge pipe 22, the small diameter pipe 223 is accommodated almost entirely inside the medium diameter pipe 222, and the medium diameter pipe 222 is inside the large diameter pipe 221. Almost the whole is stored. As a result, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is retracted below the rotary table 3 and is completely retracted from the moving region 6 of the forming tool 40. Therefore, when the turntable 3 transports the forming tool 40, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 does not interfere with the turntable 3 and the forming tool 40.

  On the other hand, in the extended state of the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3B, the small diameter pipe 223 protrudes from the tip of the medium diameter pipe 222, and the medium diameter pipe 222 is the large diameter pipe 221. Projects from the tip. In this state, the small diameter tube 223 of the cooling gas discharge tube 22 appears in the moving region 6 of the forming tool 40 and enters the hollow portion 53 of the support member 5 from the lower end opening.

  In this embodiment, the transition from the contracted state shown in FIG. 3 (a) to the extended state shown in FIG. 3 (b) is that the cooling gas is released from the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 in the contracted state shown in FIG. 3 (a). This is done automatically at the pressure. On the other hand, the transition from the extended state shown in FIG. 3B to the contracted state shown in FIG. 3A is the extension of the cooling gas from the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 in the extended state shown in FIG. This is done automatically by its own weight when the release is stopped.

  The large-diameter pipe 221, the medium-diameter pipe 222, and the small-diameter pipe 223 are each tapered from the proximal end side toward the distal end side, and such a tapered shape functions as a retaining prevention means. For this reason, when the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 extends, the small diameter pipe 223 does not escape from the medium diameter pipe 222, and the medium diameter pipe 222 does not escape from the large diameter pipe 221. Further, inside the relay pipe 21, the large-diameter pipe 221, the medium-diameter pipe 221, and the medium-diameter pipe 221 are arranged so that the large-diameter pipe 221, the medium-diameter pipe 222, and the small-diameter pipe 223 do not fall in the contracted state (the state in which the discharge of the cooling gas is stopped). A stopper 21a for receiving the lower end portions of the pipe 222 and the small diameter pipe 223 is formed. As such a stopper 21a, a protrusion protruding radially inward in the relay pipe 21 can be used, and a configuration in which a mesh member is fixed to the lower end portion of the relay pipe 21 can be employed.

  Such a cooling mechanism 2 may be provided not only in the processing chamber P6 but also in the processing chamber P5 (press chamber), the processing chamber P7 (second slow cooling chamber), and the processing chamber P8 (quick cooling chamber). In this case as well, the same mechanism as the cooling mechanism 2 described with reference to FIG. 2 can be used, and the description thereof is omitted.

(Cooling mechanism operation)
Next, the operation of the cooling mechanism 2 when the forming tool 40 (the forming die 4 and the support member 5) transferred by the rotary table 3 stops in the processing chamber P6 (first slow cooling chamber) will be described.

  In the mold press molding apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the processing chamber P2 (first heating chamber), the processing chamber P3 (second heating chamber), and the processing chamber P4 (soaking chamber) are transferred to the processing chamber P5 (press chamber). In the molding tool 40, the molding material 10 held by the molding die 4 is press-molded by a predetermined press mechanism (not shown).

  Next, the forming tool 40 is transferred to the processing chamber P6 (first annealing chamber P6) by the rotary table 3. At that time, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is in a contracted state shown in FIG. The molding tool 40 transferred to the processing chamber P6 is naturally cooled at a cooling rate of 20 to 100 ° C./min, for example. At this time, in the molding die 4 arranged on the support member 5, the thermal environment is not vertically symmetric, and the lower die 4 b is hotter under the influence of the heat capacity of the support member 5. Accordingly, when equalizing the temperatures of the upper mold 4a and the lower mold 4b, the cooling mechanism 2 forcibly cools the lower mold 4b, and the cooling rate on the lower mold 4b side is increased from that on the upper mold 4a side.

  That is, when the cooling gas is supplied from the cooling gas supply unit 23 toward the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 at a predetermined flow rate, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is contracted as shown in FIG. 3A by the wind pressure of the supplied cooling gas. To the expanded state shown in FIG. As a result, the distal end portion of the small diameter tube 223 passes through the through hole 30 of the turntable 3 and reaches the inside of the hollow portion 530 of the support member 5. And the small diameter pipe | tube 223 discharge | releases cooling gas toward a ceiling surface among the inner wall surfaces of the supporting member 5 from the front end side opening part. As a result, the support member 5 is forcibly cooled, so that the cooling rate of the lower mold 4b is increased. In this way, the cooling gas is discharged for a predetermined time, and when the upper mold 4a and the lower mold 4b of the mold 4 reach the desired temperatures, the supply of the cooling gas is stopped and the slow cooling process in the process P6 is completed. To do. The temperature of the mold 4 can be measured by embedding a temperature detecting means (not shown) such as a thermocouple in the support member 5. The temperature of each of the upper mold 4a and the lower mold 4b can be measured in advance using a simulation mold having a temperature detecting means.

  Next, as the rotary table 3 is driven again, the molding tool 40 is transferred to the next chamber (processing chamber P7), and a new molding tool 40 is transferred to the processing chamber P6. At that time, if the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is fully extended, the support member 5 and the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 interfere with each other, and the rotary table 3 and the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 interfere with each other. When the supply of the cooling gas to the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is stopped or the supply flow rate of the cooling gas to the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is reduced, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is expanded as shown in FIG. The state has shifted to the contracted state shown in FIG. Therefore, the support member 5 and the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 do not interfere with each other, and the rotary table 3 and the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 do not interfere with each other.

  Even when the cooling mechanism 2 is provided in the processing chamber P5 (press chamber), the processing chamber P7 (second slow cooling chamber), and the processing chamber P8 (quick cooling chamber), the operation is the same as described above. Description is omitted.

(Main effects of this form)
As described above, in this embodiment, the molding tool 40 (molding die 4) is sequentially transferred to the processing chambers P2 to P8, and different processes such as heating, pressing, and cooling are simultaneously performed in the processing units P2 to P8. In the mold press molding apparatus 1 to be performed, when the molding tool 40 is cooled in the processing chamber P6, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 appears in the moving region of the molding tool 40 to cool the molding tool 40. Further, since the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is retracted from the moving region when the molding tool 40 is transferred, it does not interfere with the molding tool 40 and the rotary table 3 (transfer means). Therefore, since the molding tool 40 is configured to move between the processing chambers P2 to P7, the cooling gas can be discharged with the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 approaching the molding tool 40, so that the amount of cooling gas used is small. It is efficient because it is completed.

  Further, since the cooling gas can be discharged with the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 approaching the forming tool 40, the forming tool 40 can be cooled to a desired condition. For example, the cooling rate on the lower mold 4b side can be made larger than that on the upper mold 4a side. Moreover, in this embodiment, when the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is extended, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 enters the hollow portion 53 from below the support member 5 and discharges the cooling gas toward the inner wall surface of the support member 5. For this reason, unlike the case where the cooling gas is discharged from the cooling gas discharge pipe at a location distant from the molding tool 40, the portion between the portion where the cooling gas is directly blown and the portion where the cooling gas is circulated and cooled is provided. Since an unexpected temperature difference does not occur and the temperature distribution does not vary in the mold 40, it is possible to prevent defects such as asses and peculiarities in the glass element (molded product).

  Furthermore, since the cooling gas discharge pipe of the present invention forms a one-way flow path of the cooling gas that is the cooling medium, turbulent flow does not occur and the maximum cooling efficiency is obtained.

  Therefore, according to the mold press molding apparatus 1 of this embodiment and the method for manufacturing a glass optical element (molded product) using the same, a high-precision glass optical element can be stably manufactured. If this glass optical element is used, post-processing such as polishing of the molding surface after molding is not required. Therefore, glass optical elements used in imaging devices such as digital cameras, optical pickups, and small-sized imaging devices for portable terminals have extremely high optical performance requirements and strong demands for lower prices. According to this, such a request can be met.

  In the present embodiment, since the cooling mechanism 2 is configured in the first slow cooling part (processing chamber P6) immediately after pressing, a glass optical element having a shape with a high degree of molding difficulty can be manufactured stably. That is, for a glass optical element having a strong vertical asymmetry such as a meniscus lens, the provision of a vertical temperature difference during pressing and slow cooling greatly affects the surface accuracy. This tendency is particularly strong in a concave meniscus lens. Therefore, for example, in a concave meniscus lens, the curvature of the central portion and the peripheral portion may shift unevenly with respect to a desired value due to heat shrinkage behavior during cooling. In such a case, as in this embodiment, if the mold 4 is placed in a desired temperature difference range and the slow cooling with good reproducibility is performed on the upper mold 4 a and the lower mold 4 b, The one surface and the second surface can be formed within a predetermined tolerance. For the same reason, even when the cooling mechanism 2 is arranged with respect to the processing chamber P5 (press part), the first surface and the second surface of the glass lens can be shaped within a predetermined tolerance. .

[Modification 1 of Cooling Gas Release Pipe]
4A and 4B are a longitudinal sectional view and a BB ′ sectional view of a cooling gas supply pipe that can be used in a mold press molding apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

  In the above embodiment, a structure in which the base end side of each of the large-diameter pipe 221, the medium-diameter pipe 222, and the small-diameter pipe 223 is thickened is used as the prevention means for preventing the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 from coming off. As shown in FIG. 4, the engagement portion 221 b that engages with each other with respect to the joint portion between the large diameter tube 221 and the medium diameter tube 222 and the joint portion between the medium diameter tube 222 and the small diameter tube 223 to prevent the joint from being disconnected. , 222a, 222b, 223a may be formed. If comprised in this way, there exists an advantage that the cooling gas discharge pipe | tube 22 shrink | contracts reliably, when discharge | release of cooling gas is stopped.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4B, for example, among the engaging portions 222b and 223a, the engaging portion 222b is formed in an annular shape, while the engaging portion 223a is only a part in the circumferential direction. In this case, a gap is formed in the joint portion 22a between the medium diameter pipe 222 and the small diameter pipe 223. Therefore, the cooling gas can be discharged from the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 not only from the front end side opening but also from the outer peripheral side surface (joint portion). Therefore, since the inner wall surface of the support member 5 can be cooled over a wide range, the temperature distribution of the support member 5 can be reduced and the support member 5 can be efficiently cooled.

  When the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 having the engaging portions 222b and 223a as shown in FIG. 4 is used, when the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is contracted, the height of the tip of the inner pipe is set to the outer side. It is desirable that the height is equal to or higher than the height of the engaging portion of the tube. That is, the overall length of the medium diameter tube 222 is slightly longer than the height of the engagement portion 221b of the large diameter tube 221 when the cooling gas discharge tube 22 is contracted, and further, the height of the engagement portion 222b of the medium diameter tube 222 It is desirable that the total length of the small diameter tube 221 be set slightly longer.

  With such a configuration, when the cooling gas is supplied to the cooling gas discharge pipe 22, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 extends smoothly without the tip of the inner pipe interfering with the engaging portion of the outer pipe. Can be made.

[Modification 2 of cooling gas discharge pipe]
5 (a) and 5 (b) are explanatory diagrams showing a state in which the cooling gas discharge is stopped in another cooling gas supply pipe that can be used in the mold press molding apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and the cooling gas is discharged. It is explanatory drawing of the state which exists.

  In contracting the extended cooling gas discharge pipe 22 to the original state, an open / close valve 223f may be provided at the tip of the small diameter pipe 223 as shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). According to such a configuration, the on-off valve 223f is opened when the cooling gas is discharged, while the on-off valve 223f is closed when the cooling gas discharge is stopped and then sucked in through the cooling gas discharge pipe 22. . In this state, the pressure acts as a force for contracting the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 by the intake air, so that the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 can be reliably contracted. Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, if the porous plate 223g having a plurality of holes is fixed in the vicinity of the opening of the small diameter tube 223, the porous plate 223g generates a large resistance when the cooling gas is discharged. Therefore, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 can be reliably extended.

[Modification of Support Member 5]
FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a modified example of a support member that can be used in a mold press molding apparatus to which the present invention is applied. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the thickness of the central portion 55 a where the cooling gas blown out from the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 directly hits the upper surface portion 55 (ceiling surface) of the support member 5 having the hollow portion 53 is set. A structure having a thickness greater than the thickness of the peripheral portion 55b may be employed. By adopting such a structure, the temperature distribution of the upper surface portion 55 is made uniform, so that the mold 4 can be cooled uniformly.

[Embodiment 2]
7 (a) and 7 (b) are a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a state immediately before placing a forming tool on a fixed support base in the mold press forming apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and a fixed state. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows typically the state which has discharged | emitted cooling gas from the cooling gas supply pipe | tube after arrange | positioning a shaping | molding tool on a support stand.

  As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, in the mold press molding apparatus 1a to which the present invention is applied, the molding tool 40 (the molding die 4 containing the molding material 10 and the support member 5) is placed in each processing chamber. When sequentially transferring to a heating unit, a pressing unit, a cooling unit, or the like, a transfer arm 8 is used as a transfer unit that lifts a plurality of molding tools 40 and transfers them to a subsequent processing unit. Each processing chamber is provided with a fixed support base 24 on which the molding tool 40 is placed, and the transfer arm 8 supports both sides of the molding tool 40 placed on the fixed support base 24 from below. The forming tool 40 is lifted and transported. Therefore, the upper position of the fixed support base 24 becomes the moving region 6 of the forming tool 40.

  Here, a small hole 5 a is formed on the lower surface of the support member 5, while a small protrusion 24 c is formed on the upper surface of the fixed support base 24 to fit in the small hole 5 a and prevent positioning and displacement. Yes. Further, the support member 5 is formed with a hollow portion 53 that opens on the lower surface.

  In the mold press molding apparatus 1a configured as described above, for example, a cooling mechanism 2 (cooling means) is configured in the processing chamber P6 (first cooling chamber). In configuring this cooling mechanism 2, in this embodiment, the fixed support base 24 is formed with a through hole 240 penetrating in the axial direction, and the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is disposed inside the through hole 240. ing. A cooling gas supply device 23 that supplies a cooling gas is configured at the lower end of the through hole 240.

  Here, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 includes a large-diameter pipe 221 and a small-diameter pipe 223 disposed coaxially inside the large-diameter pipe 221, and is formed at a joint portion between the large-diameter pipe 221 and the small-diameter pipe 223. Are formed with the engaging portions 221b and 223a for preventing disconnection described with reference to FIG. Further, a stopper 24 a for preventing the large-diameter pipe 221 and the small-diameter pipe 223 from dropping is formed on the lower end side of the through hole 240 of the fixed support base 24, and a large end is provided on the upper end side of the through hole 240 of the fixed support base 24. An engagement portion 24b is formed which engages with an engagement portion 221a formed on the lower end side of the diameter tube 221 to prevent the large diameter tube 221 from coming off upward.

  In the mold press molding apparatus 1a configured as described above, the molding tool 40 is transferred onto the fixed support base 24 of the processing chamber P6 (first slow cooling unit) by the transport arm 8. At that time, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is in a contracted state shown in FIG. The forming tool 40 transferred to the processing chamber P6 is naturally cooled. At this time, the lower die 4b is forcibly cooled by the cooling mechanism 2 because the lower die 4b is hotter under the influence of the heat capacity of the support member 5 as in the first embodiment. In this case, when the cooling gas is supplied from the cooling gas supply unit 23 to the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 at a predetermined flow rate, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is shown in FIG. 7A by the wind pressure of the supplied cooling gas. A transition is made from the contracted state to the expanded state shown in FIG. As a result, the cooling gas supply pipe 22 appears in the moving region 6 of the forming tool 40 and enters the hollow portion 530 of the support member 5. The cooling gas discharge pipe 22 discharges the cooling gas toward the inner wall surface of the support member 5 from the opening on the tip end side of the small diameter pipe 223 and the joint between the small diameter pipe 223 and the large diameter pipe 221. Then, when the upper mold 4a and the lower mold 4b of the mold 4 reach desired temperatures, the supply of the cooling gas is stopped, and the slow cooling process in the processing chamber P6 is completed.

  Next, as the transfer arm 8 is re-driven, the molding tool 40 is transferred onto the fixed support base 24 in the next chamber, and a new molding tool 40 is transferred onto the fixed support base 24 in the processing chamber P6. At that time, if the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is fully extended, the support member 5 and the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 interfere with each other. However, in this embodiment, the supply of the cooling gas to the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is stopped. At the time point or when the cooling gas supply flow rate to the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 decreases, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 shifts from the expanded state shown in FIG. 7 (b) to the contracted state shown in FIG. 7 (a). ing. Therefore, the support member 5 and the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 do not interfere with each other.

[Embodiment 3]
FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a main part of a mold press molding apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In the mold press molding apparatus 1b shown in FIG. 8, the support member 9 is pressed by the transfer means in a state where the mold 4 is placed on the pallet-shaped support member 9, and the molding tool 40 is moved along a guide rail (not shown). Then, it is transferred onto a plate-like fixed support base 15. Therefore, the moving region 6 of the forming tool 40 is above the fixed support base 15. Here, the support member 9 is formed with a hollow portion 90 that opens on the lower surface thereof.

  Also in the mold press molding apparatus 1b configured as described above, for example, a cooling mechanism 2 (cooling means) is configured in the processing chamber P6. In constructing such a cooling mechanism 2, in the present embodiment, a position of the fixed support base 15 that overlaps the hollow portion 90 when the molding tool 40 stops in the processing chamber P <b> 6 (first slow cooling chamber). A through-hole 150 penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in the interior of the through-hole 150, and a cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is disposed inside the through-hole 150. A cooling gas supply device 23 that supplies a cooling gas is formed at the lower end of the through hole 150.

  Here, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 includes a large-diameter pipe 221 and a small-diameter pipe 223 arranged coaxially inside the large-diameter pipe 221 as in the second embodiment. In addition, a structure similar to that of the second embodiment is employed, such as a stopper 15a that prevents the large-diameter pipe 221 and the small-diameter pipe 223 from dropping on the lower end side of the through hole 150 of the fixed support base 15. Yes.

  In the mold press molding apparatus 1b configured as described above, the molding tool 40 is transferred to the processing chamber P6 such as the first slow cooling chamber, and stops at a predetermined position as shown in FIG. At that time, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is in a contracted state as described with reference to FIG. 7A in the second embodiment. The forming tool 40 transferred to the processing chamber P6 is naturally cooled. At this time, the lower die 4b is forcibly cooled by the cooling mechanism 2 because the lower die 4b is hotter under the influence of the heat capacity of the support member 5 as in the first embodiment. In this case, when the cooling gas is supplied from the cooling gas supply unit 23 to the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 at a predetermined flow rate, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is shown in FIG. 8 from the contracted state by the wind pressure of the supplied cooling gas. Transition to the stretched state. As a result, the distal end portion of the small diameter tube 223 reaches the inside of the hollow portion 90 of the support member 9. The cooling gas discharge pipe 22 supplies the cooling gas toward the inner wall surface of the support member 9 from the distal end side opening of the small diameter pipe 223 and the joint between the small diameter pipe 223 and the large diameter pipe 221.

  Next, the molding tool 40 is transferred to the next chamber, and a new molding tool 40 is transferred to the processing chamber P6. At this time, if the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is fully extended, the support member 9 and the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 interfere with each other. However, in this embodiment, the supply of the cooling gas to the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is stopped. At the time or when the supply flow rate of the cooling gas to the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is lowered, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 has shifted from the expanded state shown in FIG. 8 to the contracted state shown in FIG. Therefore, the support member 5 and the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 do not interfere with each other.

[Other embodiments]
In the above embodiment, an example in which the cooling mechanism 2 is disposed in the processing chamber P6 (first annealing chamber) has been described. However, other processing units (for example, press units) in which the mold 4 or the support members 5 and 9 are cooled are described. The cooling mechanism 2 may be disposed in the quenching section.

  In the above embodiment, the cooling gas is discharged toward the ceiling portions of the hollow portions 53 and 90 of the support members 5 and 9 that support the mold 4, but penetrates the ceiling portions of the hollow portions 53 and 90 of the support members 5 and 9. A hole may be formed in advance, and the cooling gas discharged from the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 may be blown directly onto the mold 4 via the through hole to cool the mold 4 and the molded body.

  In the above embodiment, the cooling gas discharge pipe 22 is disposed upward, but a configuration in which the cooling tool 40 is cooled by being disposed downward may be employed.

  In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a mold press molding apparatus that transports the molding tool 40 including the molding die 4 and the support members 5 and 9, but only the molding die 4 is transported as the molding tool, and the support member 5 is used. The present invention may be applied to a mold press molding apparatus that does not use 9.

It is a top view which shows the basic composition of the mold press molding apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is AA 'sectional drawing of FIG. (a), (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a cooling mechanism configured in a mold press molding apparatus to which the present invention is applied, in a contracted state of a cooling gas discharge pipe, and a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an extended state of the cooling gas discharge pipe FIG. (a), (b) is the longitudinal cross-sectional view and BB 'cross-sectional view of the cooling gas supply pipe which can be used for the mold press molding apparatus to which this invention is applied. (a), (b) is an explanatory view of a state in which the cooling gas discharge is stopped in another cooling gas supply pipe usable in the mold press molding apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and a state in which the cooling gas is released It is explanatory drawing of. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the modification of the supporting member which can be used for the mold press molding apparatus to which this invention is applied. (a), (b) is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows typically the state just before arrange | positioning a shaping | molding tool on a fixed support stand in the mold press molding apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention, and a fixed support stand It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows typically the state which has discharged | emitted the cooling gas from the cooling gas supply pipe | tube after arrange | positioning a shaping | molding tool. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal part of the mold press molding apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1a, 1b Mold press molding device 2 Cooling mechanism (cooling means)
3 Rotary table (transfer means)
4 Molds 5 and 9 Support member 6 Movement area 8 Transfer arm (transfer means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Forming material 40 Molding tool 22 Cooling gas discharge pipe 53, 90 Hollow part 71 of supporting member Heater (heating means)
221 Large diameter pipe 222 Medium diameter pipe 223 Small diameter pipe

Claims (6)

In a mold press molding apparatus comprising a plurality of processing units including a heating unit, a pressing unit and a cooling unit, and a transfer means for sequentially transferring a molding die containing a material to be molded to the plurality of processing units,
At least one of the pressing unit and the cooling unit appears in the moving region of the mold or a support member that supports the mold when the mold is cooled, and transfers the mold. A cooling medium discharge pipe sometimes retracted from the moving area,
The cooling medium discharge pipe includes a plurality of pipe bodies having different diameters,
The plurality of tubes are in a state where a small-diameter tube body is accommodated in a substantially coaxial shape within a large-diameter tube body when contracted, and when expanded, the small-diameter tube body is separated from the tip of the large-diameter tube body. It is configured to be able to expand and contract so as to protrude, and when it discharges the cooling medium, it automatically expands with its pressure, appears in the moving area, and automatically contracts due to its own weight when it stops discharging A mold press molding apparatus. The support member includes a hollow portion that opens at a lower surface on the inside,
2. The mold press according to claim 1, wherein when cooling the mold, the cooling medium discharge pipe enters the hollow portion from below the support member and discharges the cooling medium in the hollow portion. Molding equipment. The support member includes a mold placement portion on which the mold is placed;
The mold press molding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an inner side of the mold mounting portion is the hollow portion. The discharge of the cooling medium is stopped, and then the air is sucked through the cooling medium discharge pipe, and the pressure is used for contraction of the cooling medium discharge pipe.
Mold press molding equipment. A method for producing a molded product using the mold press molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A method for producing a molded product, comprising: pressing a heat-softened material to be molded by the pressing unit, and then discharging the cooling medium from the cooling medium discharge pipe to cool the mold. A method for producing a molded product using the mold press molding apparatus according to claim 2 or 3 ,
After the heat-softened molding material is pressed by the pressing unit, a cooling medium is supplied from the cooling medium discharge pipe to the inside of the support member that supports the molding die to cool the molding die. A method for manufacturing a molded product.

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