JP5242334B2 - Molding apparatus and molding method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a molding apparatus and a molding method for molding an optical element by heating and pressing a thermoplastic material such as glass and plastic.

  Conventionally, as a molding apparatus that molds optical elements such as glass lenses with high accuracy and at low cost, the molding die is pressed by pressing a thermoplastic material such as heat-softened glass or plastic with a molding die. There is known a molding apparatus that obtains an optical element by molding and transferring a surface shape and surface roughness.

Therefore, by placing heating plates above and below the mold, and projecting the pressure shaft from the hole formed in the center of the heating plate so that the pressure shaft can be moved forward and backward, the thrust member is pushed by the pressure shaft and heated. Proposals have been made on a molding apparatus for molding a plastic material. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1.)
JP 2006-281747 A ([0037] to [0039], FIG. 6)

  However, the technique of Patent Document 1 has an effect that a molded product having a complicated shape can be easily formed. However, when the pressure shaft pushes the push member, the temperature of the pressure shaft changes. Therefore, there is a technical problem that not only the temperature of the pushing member is conducted to the pressing shaft and the temperature of the pushing member is lowered, but also the temperature of the entire molding die is lowered. .

  As described above, when the temperature of the molding die is lowered, the temperature required at the time of molding cannot be stably obtained, and the desired amount of deformation of the thermoplastic material cannot be obtained. Thereby, there exists a technical subject that a highly accurate optical element cannot be obtained.

  Further, since the pressurizing shaft is connected to the air cylinder and is movable in the up-and-down direction, the up-and-down movable distance is increased, and it is difficult to stand by in the heater plate. As described above, if the pressure shaft is pulled out of the heater plate, the temperature of the pressure shaft becomes lower than the temperature of the mold, and as described above, the pressure shaft protrudes. When pushing the pushing member, there is a technical problem that the heat of the pushing member is conducted to the pressing shaft, and the temperature of the molding die is lowered.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a molding apparatus and a molding method capable of preventing a temperature drop of a molding die during driving of a core die and obtaining a highly accurate optical element.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a molding apparatus using a molding die for molding an optical element by pressing a thermoplastic material with a core die that moves in a mold sleeve. A heating block for heating, a pin member housed in a housing space of the heating block, for pressing the core mold, and a drive shaft for driving the pin member are provided.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a molding method using a molding die for molding an optical element by pressurizing a thermoplastic material with a core die moving in a mold sleeve. The mold is heated by a heating block, and the core mold is pressed by a pin member waiting in a storage space of the heating block.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the molding die from being lowered when the core die is driven and to manufacture a highly accurate optical element.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, the pin member that presses the core mold in the mold sleeve is placed in the heater plate (heating block), so that it is the same as the adjusted temperature of the heater plate until just before molding. It can be temperature. Thereby, rapid cooling of the mold at the time of press molding can be prevented.

  Further, in the second aspect, during the molding operation, when the pin (pin member) inserted into the heater plate and the cylinder shaft (drive shaft) that operates the pin are connected, heat is generated between them. Although there is a problem such that the transfer occurs and the temperature of the pin does not increase, the temperature of the pin can be stabilized at the temperature in the heater plate by arranging it separately except during molding.

  Further, in the third aspect, the pin inserted into the heater plate and the cylinder shaft for operating the pin are normally separated during standby, and the ejecting operation is performed only at the time of press molding to perform press molding. Since the pin and the cylinder shaft are in contact with each other only during the period, the heat held by the pin is transmitted to the cylinder shaft side and can be minimized.

  Further, in the fourth aspect, the upper heater plate (upper heating block) and the lower heater plate (lower heating block) are put in close contact with each other, and the pin is protruded and pressed against the upper heater plate. The position where the pin is pushed up is measured by a side length machine (displacement meter) that measures the operating distance, and the height coordinate is reset to zero. Thereby, it is possible to perform press molding while detecting the height of pushing up the core when the core mold (molding die) is pushed up during molding.

  By doing so, the deformation position and time of the molding material (thermoplastic material) can be grasped, so the quality and molding time of the molded product can be adjusted by adjusting the molding conditions of the load, temperature and operation accordingly. Can be finely controlled.

  Further, in the fifth aspect, if the pins do not return to the original heater plate after molding due to their own weight, there arises a problem that the mold sleeve is caught when the mold set is moved laterally. By providing a step part protruding from the lower surface of the heater plate at the lower end of the pin, the tip protrudes from the lower surface of the lower plate, and has a sensor (detection means) for confirming the protrusion. It can have a function of detecting and stopping the device.

  Further, in the sixth aspect, if the pin does not return after molding in the same manner as described above, the mold sleeve of the mold set is caught, and a predetermined or higher torque is applied to the transfer arm that slides the mold set. At that time, the sliding operation by the transfer arm is stopped to avoid danger.

Further, in the seventh aspect, as described above, a mechanism for returning the pin to the original position is provided so that the pin returns into the heater plate after the press molding to avoid the danger.
In the eighth aspect, the pin shown in the seventh aspect is forcibly returned to the heater plate using a vacuum suction mechanism to avoid the danger.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
(Embodiment 1)
1A and 1B are side sectional views schematically showing the configuration of the molding apparatus according to the present embodiment in accordance with the operation of the molding apparatus.

  The molding apparatus 1 is for molding an optical element by heating and pressing a thermoplastic material 9 such as glass or plastic. The molding apparatus 1 includes a core mold (lower mold) 11 on which a thermoplastic material 9 is placed, an opposed mold (upper mold) 12 that is opposed to the core mold 11 with the thermoplastic material 9 interposed therebetween, and these The molding die 10 includes a cylindrical sleeve die (die sleeve) 13 that slidably guides the core die 11 and the opposing die 12.

  The core mold 11 and the opposed mold 12 are arranged so as to be inserted from both ends of the sleeve mold 13 so that the respective molding surfaces 11a and 12a face the inside of the sleeve mold 13. The core mold 11 is disposed so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the sleeve mold 13. For example, the core mold 11, the opposed mold 12, and the sleeve mold 13 are manufactured by polishing a cemented carbide such as tungsten carbide (WC).

  Between the molding surface 11a of the core mold 11 and the molding surface 12a of the opposed mold 12, for example, a thermoplastic material 9 such as glass, polyethylene, polycarbonate or the like is disposed. The thermoplastic material 9 is made of, for example, commercially available optical glass having a substantially spherical shape.

And the shaping | molding apparatus 1 has comprised the shaping | molding type | mold 10 and has arrange | positioned the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16 so that it may mutually oppose.
The lower heating block 15 includes a plate 15a having a flat upper surface that comes into contact with the molding die 10, and a heater 15b that is disposed through a through hole provided in the plate 15a. ing.

  The plate 15a is made of ceramics with good thermal conductivity (for example, aluminum nitride (AlN) / boron nitride (BN) ceramics or mixed compression bodies (AlN-BN)), and the heater 15b for heating includes: A ceramic heater (for example, SIC ceramic heater) is used.

  For the pin member 14, it is preferable to use the same material (for example, aluminum nitride (AlN) / boron nitride (BN) ceramics or mixed compression bodies (AlN-BN)) for the purpose of aligning heat conduction with the plate 15 a. Recently, the pin member 14 may be made of carbide (WC) having a heavy specific gravity so that the pin member 14 can easily return to the storage space 15c.

  In the present embodiment, the plate 15a is provided with a storage space 15c in the center, and the pin member 14 is arranged in the storage space 15c. That is, the plate 15a has an upper inner peripheral surface that forms an upper storage space of the storage space 15c, a lower inner peripheral surface that forms a lower storage space and has an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the upper inner peripheral surface, A mounting surface on which the pin member 14 is mounted, and a surface connecting the lower end of the upper inner peripheral surface and the upper end of the lower inner peripheral surface.

  Further, the pin member 14 has a distal end portion that comes into contact with the core mold 11 and a proximal end portion placed on the placement surface of the plate 15a. The outer diameter of the base end portion of the pin member 14 is set smaller than the inner diameter of the upper inner peripheral surface of the plate 15a, and larger than the inner diameter of the lower inner peripheral surface of the plate 15a and the outer diameter of the distal end portion of the pin member 14. Has been.

Thereby, the pin member 14 is accommodated in the storage space 15c so that a vertical movement is possible. Moreover, the pin member 14 is arrange | positioned so that it may be located coaxially with the drive shaft 17b mentioned later. That is, the pin member 14 pushes the lower surface of the pin member 14 against the drive shaft 17b, thereby pushing the lower surface of the core die 11 and raises the core die 11 from the lower side to the upper side in FIG.

  Similarly to the lower heating block 15, the upper heating block 16 also has a plate 16 a having a planar lower surface that abuts against the molding die 10, and a heating heater 16 b that is disposed through a through-hole provided in the plate 16 a. It comprises. Since the plate 16a and the heating heater 16b are the same as the plate 15a and the heating heater 15b of the lower heating block 15 described above, description thereof is omitted.

Note that a temperature controller (not shown) is connected to the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16, respectively, and temperature control of the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16 is performed.
Below the lower heating block 15, driving means 17 for pushing the pin member 14 against the core mold 11 is arranged. The drive means 17 has a drive shaft 17b that pushes the pin member 14 and a cylinder 17a that raises and lowers the drive shaft 17b so that the drive shaft 17b can move up and down, and is arranged at a position where the tip of the drive shaft 17b is separated from the pin member 14. ing.

  That is, the cylinder 17a is driven so that the tip of the drive shaft 17b is in contact with the pin member 14 during molding. The outer diameter of the drive shaft 17b is set smaller than the inner diameter of the lower inner peripheral surface of the plate 15a.

An example of a process using the molding apparatus of the present embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1A, the molding die 10 is disposed at a position sandwiched between the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16. Then, the molding die 10 is heated by the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16. Thereby, the mold 10 is heated to soften the thermoplastic material 9.

  For example, the temperature of the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16 is about 830 ° C., and the temperature of the thermoplastic material inside the mold 10 is about 780 ° C. in about 60 seconds to 70 seconds. Reach the softened state.

  At this time, the pin member 14 provided in the lower heating block 15 is also heated together with the molding die 10. For the pin member 14, before the molding die 10 is installed between the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16, the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16 are adjusted to a predetermined temperature in advance. It may be heated.

  In addition, the drive shaft 17 b stands by at a position where it does not contact the pin member 14. That is, since the heat of the pin member 14 is not transmitted to the drive shaft 17b by not contacting the pin member 14 and the drive shaft 17b, the temperature of the pin member 14 can be maintained.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 1B, when the cylinder 17 a is activated, the tip of the drive shaft 17 b comes into contact with the lower surface of the pin member 14 and pushes the pin member 14. Then, the pin member 14 pushed and pushed by the drive shaft 17b comes into contact with the core mold 11 and pushes and raises the core mold 11. Thereby, the thermoplastic material 9 sandwiched between the core mold 11 and the opposed mold 12 is pressure-molded by the core mold 11 and the opposed mold 12.

  In this manner, the pin member 14 is stored in the storage space 15 c provided in the lower heating block 15, and the pin member 14 maintains a temperature similar to the core mold 11, whereby the core mold 11 is moved to the lower heating block 15. And the temperature heated by the upper heating block 16 can be maintained. Thereby, rapid cooling of the mold 10 and the thermoplastic material 9 can be prevented.

Therefore, a sufficient amount of deformation of the thermoplastic material 9 at the time of molding can be obtained, and a highly accurate engineering element can be manufactured.
Further, as described above, the temperature of the pin member 14 is maintained since the pin member 14 and the drive shaft 17b are not brought into contact with each other by waiting the drive shaft 17b at a position not in contact with the pin member 14 except during molding. be able to. Therefore, it becomes possible to apply a certain temperature to the molding die 10 for pressure molding, and a stable optical element can be manufactured repeatedly.

  2A and 2B are side cross-sectional views schematically showing the configuration of the modified example of Embodiment 1 in accordance with the operation of the molding apparatus. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part which is the same as that of Embodiment 1 mentioned above, or it corresponds, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the molding apparatus 20 is configured by providing a heat insulating material 21 at the tip of the drive shaft 17b that contacts the pin member 14. The heat insulating material 21 is located on the shaft of the drive shaft 17b, and is provided at the tip of the drive shaft 17b so as to move up and down in conjunction with the lifting operation of the drive shaft 17b.

In addition, the material of the heat insulating material 21 will not be specifically limited if it is a material which is hard to conduct heat, For example, it is comprised with ceramics, such as stainless steel and a zirconia.
An example of a process using the molding apparatus of the present embodiment will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the molding die 10 is disposed at a position sandwiched between the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16. Then, the molding die 10 is heated by the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16. Thereby, the mold 10 is heated to soften the thermoplastic material 9.

  At this time, the pin member 14 provided in the lower heating block 15 is also heated together with the molding die 10. For the pin member 14, before the molding die 10 is installed between the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16, the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16 are adjusted to a predetermined temperature in advance. It may be heated.

  Further, the heat insulating material 21 stands by at a position where it does not contact the pin member 14. That is, since the heat of the pin member 14 is not transmitted to the heat insulating material 21 by not bringing the heat insulating material 21 and the pin member 14 into contact with each other, the temperature of the pin member 14 can be maintained.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the cylinder 17 a is activated, the tip of the heat insulating material 21 comes into contact with the lower surface of the pin member 14 and pushes the pin member 14. Then, the pin member 14 pushed by the heat insulating material 21 abuts against the core mold 11 and pushes the core mold 11. Thereby, the thermoplastic material 9 sandwiched between the core mold 11 and the opposed mold 12 is pressure-molded by the core mold 11 and the opposed mold 12.

  That is, by providing the heat insulating material 21 at the tip of the drive shaft 17b, when the heat insulating material 21 is brought into contact with the pin member 14, the heat of the pin member 14 is not easily taken away. The temperature of 10 can be kept more constant. Therefore, a sufficient amount of deformation of the thermoplastic material 9 at the time of molding can be obtained, and a highly accurate optical element can be manufactured.

(Embodiment 2)
3A, 3B, and 3C are side sectional views schematically showing the configuration of the molding apparatus according to the present embodiment in accordance with the operation of the molding apparatus. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part which is the same as that of Embodiment 1 mentioned above, or it corresponds, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

The molding apparatus 30 is configured by including a molding die 10, a lower heating block 15, and an upper heating block 16 in a molding chamber 31.
The lower heating block 15 is held by sandwiching a heat insulating material 33 by a first holding part 32 positioned below the lower heating block 15. On the other hand, the upper heating block 16 is held by sandwiching the heat insulating material 35 by the second holding portion 34 located above the upper heating block 16.

  The first holding part 32 is provided with a flange 32 a at the upper end, and this flange 32 a is located on the lower wall surface of the molding chamber 31. On the other hand, the second holding part 34 is provided with a driving means (not shown), and the second holding part 34 is provided so as to be movable up and down by this driving means. That is, operations such as clamping, clamping, and releasing of the molding die 10 are performed by raising and lowering the upper heating block 16 by a driving unit (not shown).

  In the present embodiment, the first holding portion 32 is configured by providing a through hole penetrating in the axial direction in the center portion. Below the first holding portion 32, a cylinder support portion 36 that supports the drive shaft 17 b coaxially with respect to the pin member 14 is connected to the first holding portion 32. In addition, a displacement meter support portion 38 that supports the displacement meter 37 is connected and disposed below the cylinder support portion 36.

  The drive shaft 17b is provided with a plate 39 at the end of the drive shaft 17b that extends through the cylinder 17a and extends below the cylinder 17a. The plate 39 is disposed at a position in contact with the pin 37b of the displacement meter. That is, the plate 39 is also raised and lowered in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the drive shaft 17b, and at the same time, the pin 37b of the displacement meter is similarly raised and lowered.

Next, an example of a process using the molding apparatus of the present embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3A, first, the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16 are arranged at positions in contact with each other. At this time, by pushing and pushing the drive shaft 17b, the tip end portion of the pin member 14 is disposed at a position where it abuts against the lower surface of the upper heating block 16.

And the value of the measurement part 37a in the position of the axial direction of the drive shaft 17b is set to zero.
Next, when molding the thermoplastic material 9 in the mold 10, the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16 are set to a temperature necessary for heating and softening the thermoplastic material 9 by a control unit (not shown), That temperature is maintained.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, the upper heating block 16 is raised upward, and a space is provided between the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16, whereby the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16 are separated. The molding die 10 is sandwiched between them. Thereby, the mold 10 is heated by the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16.

  At this time, the drive shaft 17 b is disposed at a position away from the pin member 14. Thereby, since the heat of the pin member 14 is not transmitted to the drive shaft 17b, a constant temperature can be maintained without lowering the temperature of the pin member 14.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3C, the drive shaft 17 b is raised to push the pin member 14 against the core mold 11. At this time, the displacement amount of the drive shaft 17b measured by the measurement unit 37a indicates the height at which the pin member 14 protrudes from the upper surface of the lower heating block 15, that is, the molding thickness dimension of the thermoplastic material 9. Therefore, the molding thickness dimension of the thermoplastic material 9 can be precisely controlled by the measurement value of the measurement unit 37a.

  Thus, by measuring the protruding height, it is possible to grasp the time until the protruding height is reached. That is, when the time is fast, it indicates that the thermoplastic material 9 has a soft hardness, and when the time is slow, the hardness is hard.

  Thereby, the hardness of the thermoplastic material 9 can be grasped by performing molding while measuring the height when the pin member 14 pushes up the core mold 11. Therefore, the temperature of the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16 can be adjusted to a temperature suitable for the thermoplastic material 9.

(Embodiment 3)
4A, 4 </ b> B, and 4 </ b> C are side cross-sectional views schematically showing a state after molding of a thermoplastic material by the molding apparatus of Embodiment 1. FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part which is the same as that of Embodiment 1 mentioned above, or it corresponds, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

Normally, as shown in FIG. 4A, after the thermoplastic material 9 is pressure-molded by the molding die 10, the core die 11, the pin member 14, and the drive shaft 17b are lowered downward.
However, as shown in FIG. 4B, the pin member 14 may not descend downward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4C, the sleeve mold 13 is caught by the pin member 14 when the molding die 10 is transported to the next process (for example, the cooling process) by the transport arm 41 (transport mechanism). Therefore, the molding die 10 may not be conveyed to the next step, and the molding die 10 may be overturned.

  In the present embodiment, the control means for controlling the transport arm 41 (transport mechanism) that transports the molding die 10 in a direction along the upper surface of the lower heating block 15 (a direction orthogonal to the central axis of the sleeve mold 13). 42 and detection means 43 for detecting the conveyance resistance force when conveying the molding die 10, and the control means 42 conveys when the conveyance resistance force detected by the detection means 43 exceeds a predetermined reference value. The arm 41 is stopped.

  In other words, when the sleeve mold 13 is caught by the pin member 14, the transport arm 41 stops when the molding die 10 is not transported even though the transport arm is operating. Thereby, damage of the shaping | molding die 10, a fall, etc. can be prevented.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 5 is a side sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the molding apparatus of the present embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part which is the same as that of Embodiment 1 and 3 mentioned above, or corresponds, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the present embodiment, a step portion 53 b that protrudes from the lower surface of the lower heating block 15 is provided at the lower end portion of the pin member 53 (on the side opposite to the tip portion 53 a that contacts the core mold 11). The molding apparatus 50 according to the present embodiment includes a detection unit 51 that detects the tip of the stepped portion 53 b that protrudes from the lower surface of the lower heating block 15.

The step portion 53b is arranged at a position protruding downward from the lower surface of the lower heating block 15 except during molding.
The detection means 51 is disposed between the lower heating block 15 and the holding unit, that is, at the same height as the heat insulating material 33. The detection means 51 includes a light emitting element 51 a that emits a laser 52 and a light receiving element 51 b that receives the emitted laser 52.

That is, the light emitting element 51 a and the light receiving element 51 b are connected by the laser 52, and the step portion 53 b is detected by the detection means 51 when the laser 52 is blocked.
Here, as described in the third embodiment, the pin member 53 may not be lowered downward after molding. At this time, since the step portion 53b of the pin member 53 of the present embodiment does not protrude downward from the lower surface of the lower heating block 15, it is not detected by the detection means.

  Thereby, it can be grasped that the pin member 53 is not lowered downward. Therefore, in such a case, it is possible to prevent the molding die 10 from being overturned or damaged by stopping the conveyance arm that conveys the molding die 10 to the next step.

(Embodiment 5)
FIG. 6A is a side sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the molding apparatus of the present embodiment. 6B and 6C are side sectional views schematically showing the return mechanism provided in the molding apparatus of the present embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part which is the same as that of Embodiment 1 and 3 mentioned above, or corresponds, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the pin member 61 includes a return mechanism that forcibly pulls the pin member 61 back into the storage space 15 c of the lower heating block 15. As shown in FIG. 6B and FIG. 6C, the return mechanism is provided at one end of the stay 62 and a stay (support bar) 62 that is inserted into the pin member 61 and has a central portion coupled to the pin member 61. The fixed part 64 which fixes one end of this, and the other end of the stay 62 are provided, and the movable support part 65 which supports the other end of the stay 62 so that a vertical movement is possible is comprised.

  That is, in the return mechanism, the pin member 61 is lowered downward by moving the movable support portion 65 downward by a cylinder (not shown) connected to the movable support portion 65. Therefore, as described in the third and fourth embodiments, when the pin member 61 does not descend downward, the pin member 61 can be forcibly lowered. Therefore, it is possible to avoid dangers such as the overturn and damage of the molding die 10.

(Embodiment 6)
FIG. 7 is a side sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the molding apparatus of the present embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part which is the same as that of Embodiment 1 and 2 mentioned above, or corresponds, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The molding apparatus 70 includes a first holding unit 32 that holds the lower heating block 15 positioned below the lower heating block 15 below the interior of the molding chamber 31, and a space between the lower heating block 15 and the first holding unit 32. And a heat insulating material 33 that blocks the heat of the lower heating block 15.

  The first holding part 32 is provided with a flange 32 a at the upper end, and when the first holding part 32 is inserted into a hole formed in the bottom surface inside the molding chamber 31 from above, the flange 32 a is below the molding chamber 31. It is placed at a position where it is caught on the wall. Further, the first holding part 32 is configured by providing a through hole penetrating in the axial direction in the center part.

  A cylinder support portion 36 that supports the cylinder 72 a of the driving means 72 is connected to the lower end portion of the first holding portion 32 so as to be coaxial with the pin member 14. That is, in the present embodiment, the space formed by the lower surface of the lower heating block 15, the heat insulating material 33, the first holding part 32, and the cylinder support part 36 is in a sealed state.

Further, the drive shaft 72b that moves up and down through the through hole provided in the first holding portion 32 is configured by a cylindrical rod, and is configured by providing a plurality of holes on the outer peripheral surface. And this drive shaft 7
A suction device 71a is provided at the end of 2b via a hose 71b. The suction device 71a and the hose 71b constitute a vacuum suction mechanism 71.

  Thus, by sucking the air in the sealed space from the plurality of holes provided in the drive shaft 72b, the sealed space becomes a vacuum state. Thereby, in a vacuum state, since resistance is not easily applied to the lower surface of the pin member 14, the pin member 14 falls. Therefore, when the molding die 10 is transported to the next step after molding, the pin member 14 is not caught by the sleeve die 13, so that the molding die 10 can be prevented from being overturned or damaged.

FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing a modification of the sixth embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part which is the same as that of Embodiment 7 mentioned above, or it corresponds, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.
In the molding apparatus 80 in this modification, a through hole is provided in the cylinder support portion 81 that supports the cylinder 17a, and a suction device 71a is provided via a hose 71b inserted into the through hole. That is, by sucking the air in the space formed by the lower heating block 15, the heat insulating material 33, the first holding portion 32, and the cylinder support portion 36, this space becomes a vacuum state.

  As a result, as described above, in the vacuum state, resistance is not easily applied to the lower surface of the pin member 14, and thus the pin member 14 is lowered. Therefore, when the molding die 10 is transported to the next step after molding, the pin member 14 is not caught by the sleeve die 13, so that the molding die 10 can be prevented from being overturned or damaged.

  According to the present invention, a method is adopted in which the sleeve mold 13 of the molding mold 10 is fixed and the core mold 11 in the molding mold 10 is pushed upward to form a pair of upper and lower opposed molds 12 and molded. When carrying out molding to reduce the difficulty level, the pin member 14 that pushes up the core mold 11 of the mold 10 is separated from the drive shaft 17b and installed inside the lower heating block 15, The molding die 10 can maintain the temperature heated by the lower heating block 15 and the upper heating block 16. Thereby, rapid cooling of the mold 10 and the thermoplastic material 9 can be prevented.

Therefore, a sufficient amount of deformation of the thermoplastic material 9 at the time of molding can be obtained, and a highly accurate engineering element can be manufactured.
Further, except during molding, the temperature of the pin member 14 can be maintained because the pin member 14 and the drive shaft 17b are not brought into contact with each other by making the drive shaft 17b stand by at a position where it does not contact the pin member 14. Therefore, it becomes possible to apply a certain temperature to the molding die 10 for pressure molding, and a stable optical element can be manufactured repeatedly.

(Appendix 1)
An optical element molding apparatus, wherein a pin member for pressing a core mold in a mold sleeve is inserted into a heater plate.

(Appendix 2)
The molding apparatus, wherein the pin member inserted into the heater plate is separated from a cylinder shaft for operating the pin.

(Appendix 3)
A molding method characterized in that the pin inserted into the heater plate and the cylinder shaft for operating the pin member are arranged separately, and are projected and abutted and pressed during press molding.

(Appendix 4)
A molding method, wherein the pin member is protruded and pressed against the upper plate in a state where the upper and lower heater plates are in close contact, and zero reset is performed at the position where the pin member is pushed up.

(Appendix 5)
A molding apparatus characterized in that a step portion is provided at the lower end portion of the pin so as to project from the lower surface of the lower heater plate, the tip projects from the lower surface of the lower plate, and a sensor for confirming the projection is provided.

(Appendix 6)
A molding method comprising: stopping a sliding operation by an arm when the mold does not operate even if a predetermined torque or more is applied to an arm that slides the mold set after the press molding is completed.

(Appendix 7)
A molding apparatus comprising a mechanism for returning the pin into the heater plate after completion of press molding.

(Appendix 8)
A molding apparatus, wherein the mechanism for returning the pin into the heater plate after completion of the press molding is a vacuum suction mechanism.

It is the sectional side view which showed the internal structure of the shaping | molding apparatus of Embodiment 1 of this invention simply, and showed the 1st process of operation | movement of this shaping | molding apparatus. It is the sectional side view which showed the internal structure of the shaping | molding apparatus of Embodiment 1 of this invention simply, and showed the 2nd process of operation | movement of this shaping | molding apparatus. It is the sectional side view which showed the internal structure of the shaping | molding apparatus of the modification of Embodiment 1 of this invention simply, and showed the 1st process of operation | movement of this shaping | molding apparatus. It is the sectional side view which showed the internal structure of the shaping | molding apparatus of the modification of Embodiment 1 of this invention simply, and showed the 2nd process of operation | movement of this shaping | molding apparatus. It is the sectional side view which showed the internal structure of the shaping | molding apparatus of Embodiment 2 of this invention simply, and showed the 1st process of operation | movement of this shaping | molding apparatus. It is the sectional side view which showed the internal structure of the shaping | molding apparatus of Embodiment 2 of this invention simply, and showed the 2nd process of operation | movement of this shaping | molding apparatus. It is the sectional side view which showed the internal structure of the shaping | molding apparatus of Embodiment 2 of this invention simply, and showed the 3rd process of operation | movement of this shaping | molding apparatus. It is the sectional side view which showed typically the state after shaping | molding of the thermoplastic material by the shaping | molding apparatus of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the sectional side view which showed typically the state after shaping | molding of the thermoplastic material by the shaping | molding apparatus of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the sectional side view which showed typically the state after shaping | molding of the thermoplastic material by the shaping | molding apparatus of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the sectional side view which showed simply the internal structure of the shaping | molding apparatus of Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is the sectional side view which showed simply the internal structure of the shaping | molding apparatus of Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is the sectional side view which showed typically the raising / lowering mechanism with which the shaping | molding apparatus of Embodiment 5 of this invention was equipped, and showed the 1st process of operation | movement of the raising / lowering mechanism. It is the sectional side view which showed typically the raising / lowering mechanism with which the shaping | molding apparatus of Embodiment 5 of this invention was equipped, and showed the 2nd process of operation | movement of the raising / lowering mechanism. It is the sectional side view which showed simply the internal structure of the shaping | molding apparatus of Embodiment 6 of this invention. It is the sectional side view which showed simply the internal structure of the shaping | molding apparatus of the modification of Embodiment 6 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Molding apparatus 9 Thermoplastic material 10 Molding die 11 Core mold 11a Molding surface 12 Opposing mold 12a Molding surface 13 Sleeve mold 14 Pin member 15 Lower heating block 15a Plate 15b Heating heater 15c Storage space 16 Upper heating block 16a Plate 16b Heating heater 17 Driving means 17a Cylinder 17b Drive shaft 20 Molding device 21 Heat insulating material 30 Heating material 30 Molding device 31 Molding chamber 32 First holding portion 32a Flange 33 Heat insulating material 34 Second holding portion 34a Flange 35 Heat insulating material 36 Cylinder supporting portion 37 Displacement meter 37a Measuring unit 37b Displacement meter pin 38 Displacement meter support unit 39 Plate 41 Transfer arm 42 Recognition unit 43 Stopping unit 50 Molding device 51 Detection unit 51a Light emitting element 51b Light receiving element 52 Laser 53 Pin member 53a Tip 53b Step Part 60 molding apparatus 61 pin member 62 stay 63 fixed part 64 movable support part 70 molding apparatus 71 vacuum suction mechanism 71a suction apparatus 71b hose 72 drive means 72a cylinder 72b drive shaft 80 molding apparatus 81 cylinder support part

Claims (10)

A molding apparatus using a mold for molding an optical element by pressurizing a thermoplastic material with a core mold moving in a mold sleeve,
A heating block for heating the mold;
A pin member stored in the storage space of the heating block and pressing the core mold;
A drive shaft for driving the pin member;
Comprising
The tip of the drive shaft is disposed separately from the pin member when not operating, and is disposed in contact with the pin member during molding of the thermoplastic material ;
A molding apparatus characterized by. A heat insulating material is provided at the tip of the drive shaft that contacts the pin member;
The molding apparatus according to claim 1. Comprising detection means for detecting a state in which the pin member is stored in the storage space;
The molding apparatus according to claim 1. Control means for controlling a transport mechanism for transporting the molding die in a direction along the heating block;
Detecting means for detecting a conveyance resistance force when conveying the molding die,
The control means stops the conveyance mechanism when the conveyance resistance detected by the detection means exceeds a predetermined reference value;
The molding apparatus according to claim 1. Comprising a return mechanism for forcibly pulling back the pin member to the storage space of the heating block;
The molding apparatus according to claim 1. The return mechanism includes a support rod that is inserted through the pin member and has a central portion coupled to the pin member;
A fixing portion for fixing the support bar to one end of the support bar;
A movable support portion that movably supports the support rod at the other end of the support rod;
The molding apparatus according to claim 5. The return mechanism comprises a vacuum suction mechanism for sucking the pin member in a direction to return the pin member to the storage space;
The molding apparatus according to claim 5. A molding method using a mold for molding an optical element by pressurizing a thermoplastic material with a core mold moving in a mold sleeve,
The mold is heated by a heating block;
Press the core mold with a pin member waiting in the storage space of the heating block,
The tip of the drive shaft is arranged separately from the pin member when not operating, and abuts against the pin member and pushes the pin member when the thermoplastic material is molded,
A molding method characterized by the above. The heating block is composed of an upper heating block and a lower heating block that are arranged to face each other across the molding die,
The upper heating block and the lower heating block are brought into close contact with each other when the pin member stored in the storage space of the lower heating block is pressed against the lower surface of the upper heating block. Managing the displacement,
The molding method according to claim 8. When conveying the molding die in a direction along the heating block,
Detecting a conveyance resistance force for conveying the molding die,
Stopping the transport operation when the detected transport resistance exceeds a predetermined reference value;
The molding method according to claim 8.

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