JPH03187930A - Press-forming apparatus for glass - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable uniform heating of a mold with a hot gas in a short time in a molding chamber and to enable the lowering of the height and the reduction of the volume of the chamber by forming a gas-introduction channel and a gas-exhaustion channel in horizontal walls of a closed space. CONSTITUTION:Hot inert gas can be easily passed in vertical direction as shown by the arrow of dashed line without increasing the height of a molding chamber 5 by forming a gas-introduction channel 8 and a gas-exhaustion channel 9 in the horizontal walls of the upper molding chamber body 3 and the lower molding chamber body 4, respectively. Since a guiding blade can be easily placed in the chamber to enable the uniform application of hot inert gas to the mold in high efficiency, the chamber is provided with guiding blades 15, 16. The volume of the molding chamber can be decreased, the apparatus cost and production cost can be reduced and a molded glass article having excellent qualify can be produced by the use of the present apparatus.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a glass press molding apparatus, and in particular, a mold into which a glass material is charged is placed in a molding chamber, and heated gas is circulated through the molding chamber to mold the glass. The glass material in the mold is softened, and then the top of the mold consisting of a combination of upper and lower molds is placed inside the molding chamber.
The present invention relates to a molding apparatus that is suitably used to obtain small lenses and the like by press-molding a glass material by compressing the space between the lower surfaces.

[Conventional technology]

As a press molding apparatus for glass as described above, an apparatus as shown in FIG. 4 is used.

In Fig. 4, ■ is an upward fixed surface, 2 is a downward fixed surface, 3 and 4 are upper and lower molding chamber structures, and 5 is a seal formed by combining upper and lower molding chamber structures 3 and 4. A molding chamber in a space, 6 is a tightening means consisting of bolts and nuts for fixing the upper and lower molding chamber structures 3 and 4 in a combined state, 7 is a tightening means that the horizontal wall of the lower molding chamber structure 4 is vertically It is a pressurizing body that is slidably supported. A head portion 7a on which a mold is placed is formed at the upper end of the pressurizing body 7, and the upward and downward movement of the pressurizing body 7 is controlled by an elevating means such as a hydraulic piston (not shown) located below the fixed axis l. It is done by power. 8 and 9 are a gas introduction passage to the molding chamber 5 and a gas discharge passage from the molding chamber 5, respectively, which are provided on opposite side walls of the lower molding chamber structure 4, and 10 and 11 are a gas introduction passage 8 and a gas discharge passage 9, respectively. This is a valve connected to.

Press forming using the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 is performed as follows.

The pressurizing body 7 is moved by the lifting means so that the lower surface of the lower molding chamber structure 4 is placed on the upward fixing surface l, and the lower surface of the head portion 7a of the pressurizing body 7 is molded from a position lower than the illustrated position in the molding chamber 5. It is lowered and stopped so that it occupies an appropriate position up to the position where it touches the bottom of the chamber 5. Therefore, by removing the tightening means 6 and separating the upper molding chamber structure 3 from the lower molding chamber structure 4, the mold consisting of the upper and lower molds 12 and 13 after press molding can be taken out from the molding chamber 5, and the glass can be removed from the molding chamber 5. A new mold into which the material 14 has been charged can be placed on the spatula 7a of the pressurizing body 7.

When a new mold is placed on the head 7a, the upper molding chamber structure 3 is aligned with the lower molding chamber structure 4 and tightened by means 6. Then, the valve 11 of the gas discharge passage 9 is opened and the inside of the molding chamber 5 is evacuated to an appropriate vacuum using a vacuum pump (not shown). This prevents the mold and glass from deteriorating due to oxygen.

Next, the valve 11 is closed, the valve IO is opened, and an inert gas such as N2 gas heated to a temperature higher than the softening temperature of the glass material 14 is sent into the molding chamber 5 through the gas introduction passage 8. As a result, when the pressure in the molding chamber 5 becomes equal to or higher than atmospheric pressure, the valve 1
1 is also opened appropriately to discharge the cooled inert gas to the outside of the molding chamber. Thereby, the heated high-temperature inert gas from the regas introduction passage 8 continuously flows into the molding chamber 5, heats the mold, and softens the glass material 14.

When the temperature of the glass material 14 reaches the softening point or higher, the pressurizing body 7 is raised by the lifting means. As a result, the upper and lower molding chamber structures 3 and 4 are initially raised by the frictional force with the pressurizing body 7, and the upper surface of the upper molding chamber structure 3 is directed downward toward the fixed surface 2.
After the mold on the head 7a comes into contact with the molding chamber 5, the mold on the head 7a rises, and after the upper surface of the upper mold 12 contacts the inner surface of the upper molding chamber structure 3, the upper mold of the glass material 14 and the lower mold 12. Pressing by No. 13 is performed.

When press forming is completed by raising the pressurizing body 7 to a predetermined height or raising the reaction force to the pressurizing body 7 to a predetermined magnitude, close the valve IO that was open until then.
After the valve 11 is fully opened to allow outside air to enter the molding chamber 5, the pressurizing body 7 is lowered to the position mentioned above. Then, the press molding can be repeated by separating the upper molding chamber structure 3 from the lower molding chamber structure 4 and replacing the pressed mold with the mold to be pressed.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In a glass press molding device that has a gas introduction passage and a gas discharge passage on the side wall as shown in Figure 4, a temperature difference occurs in the lateral direction in the mold heated by high-temperature gas, which causes the glass molded product to have different shapes and optical characteristics. There is a problem in that the characteristics are easily distorted, and in order to prevent this, the molding chamber must be made tall so that the gas can flow vertically within the molding chamber.
This not only increases the size of the device, but also requires high-temperature gas to flow for a long period of time to heat the mold, leading to problems such as increased production costs.

The present invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the molding chamber can be formed into a small one with a low height and a small volume that can uniformly heat the mold with a short flow of high-temperature gas. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a press molding device capable of producing glass molded products of excellent quality with low production costs.

[Means to solve the problem]

In the present invention, a mold containing a glass material is inserted to form a sealed molding chamber, and heated gas is supplied to the molding chamber by providing a gas introduction passage and a gas discharge passage on the wall of the sealed space. The mold can be heated by the flow, and the horizontal wall of the closed space movably supports a pressurizing body that is moved up and down within the closed space by external power, thereby making it possible to heat the pressurizing body and the closed space. A glass press molding apparatus using an openable molding chamber structure capable of compressing the upper and lower surfaces of the mold consisting of a combination of upper and lower molds between the mold and another horizontal surrounding wall, The glass press molding apparatus is characterized in that the gas introduction passage and the gas discharge passage are provided on a horizontal wall of a closed space, and this configuration achieves the above object.

[Effect]

That is, the press molding apparatus of the present invention differs from the apparatus shown in FIG. Gas can flow in the vertical direction, that is, in the vertical direction, and the volume of the molding chamber can be reduced. Therefore, equipment costs and production costs can be reduced, and glass molded products of excellent quality can be produced.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained below using illustrated examples.

1 to 3 are sectional views of essential parts of an example of the press molding apparatus of the present invention, and in FIGS. 1 to 3, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 4 indicate the same functional members and parts.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is substantially different from the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 in that the gas introduction passage 8 and the gas discharge passage 9 are provided in the horizontal walls of the upper molding chamber structure 3 and the lower molding chamber structure 4, respectively. Therefore, the high-temperature inert gas can be easily flowed vertically as shown by the dashed-dotted arrow without increasing the height of the molding chamber 5, and the high-temperature inert gas can efficiently and evenly hit the mold. The guide vanes 15 and 16 are provided because it is easy to provide guide vanes that do this.

The cylindrical guide vanes 15 are attached to the inner surface of the horizontal wall of the upper molding chamber structure 3, and the tapered cylindrical guide vanes 16 are attached to the lower molding chamber structure 4.
installed on the inner surface of the horizontal wall. Press molding of glass using the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is carried out in the same manner as the apparatus shown in FIG.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 2, the lower molding chamber structure 4 has an annular horizontal wall portion 4a.
, a mirror horizontal wall 4b, a bellows 4c made of nickel alloy or the like which is joined to the lower surface around the hole of the annular horizontal wall 4a and the upper peripheral edge of the mirror horizontal wall 4C to connect them; It consists of a pressurizing body part 4d which is provided integrally with the mirror horizontal wall part 4c, on which a mold can be placed on the distal end surface passing through the hole of the wall part 4a, and which pressurizes the lower surface of the mirror horizontal wall part 4b. The upper surface of the annular horizontal wall 4a is pressed against the lower surface of the side wall in which the sealing material 20 of the upper molding chamber structure 3 is fitted, which is pushed upward by the thrust rod 71 of the elevating means and is in contact with the downward fixed surface 2. As a result, a molding chamber 5 in a closed space is formed, and then further pushed by the push rod 71 and the mirror horizontal wall portion 4b rises due to contraction of the bellows 4c, causing the pressurizing body portion '4d to rise and apply pressure. Press molding of the glass material 14 within the mold is performed by bringing the upper surface of the mold placed on the front end surface of the body portion 4d into pressure contact with the inner surface of the horizontal wall of the upper molding chamber structure 3.

With this device, the productivity is significantly higher than with the device of FIG. 1, since no means are used for tightening. Furthermore, this device differs from the device shown in FIG. 1 in that the gas introduction passage 8 has multiple gas blow-off ports 8a into the molding chamber 5, and the gas discharge passage 9 is provided in the annular horizontal wall portion 4a. In addition, there are tapered cylindrical guide vanes 15 on the inner surface of the horizontal wall of the upper molding chamber structure 3.
In addition to the above, an inner tapered cylindrical guide vane 17 is attached to the inner surface of the annular horizontal wall portion of the lower molding chamber structure 4, and in addition to the tapered cylindrical guide vane 16, an inner tapered cylindrical guide vane 18 is attached to the inner surface of the annular horizontal wall portion of the lower molding chamber structure 4. This is the point that In this device, after the upper surface of the annular horizontal wall 4a of the lower molding chamber structure 4 comes into pressure contact with the lower surface of the side wall of the upper molding chamber structure 3, the upper surface of the mold is brought into contact with the inner surface of the horizontal wall of the upper molding chamber structure 3. Needless to say, the molding chamber 5 is evacuated and the mold etc. are subsequently heated with high temperature inert gas until they come into contact.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 3 is provided with a gas introduction passage 8 and a gas discharge passage 9 in the horizontal wall of the upper molding chamber structure 3.
The inner surface of the tapered cylindrical guide vane 15 attached to the inner surface of the horizontal wall guides the high temperature gas to be blown onto the mold, and the gas that has finished being blown onto the mold on the outer surface of the guide vane 15 is transferred to the gas discharge passage 9. The device differs from the device shown in FIG. 2 in that the glass material 14 is guided to the intake opening, and the press molding of the glass material 14 is performed in the same manner as in the device shown in FIG. In this apparatus, the heating efficiency of the mold by high-temperature gas is higher than in the apparatus shown in FIG.

The device of the present invention is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and may be one in which guide vanes are not provided. In the example shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the mold consists of a combination of upper and lower molds 12 and 13 each having a plurality of fitting parts for press molding. Although a press piece 13a whose upper surface is a press molding surface is inserted into the press molding fitting hole 13 is used, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to this.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The press molding apparatus of the present invention has excellent effects in that the apparatus can be made small and inexpensive, and glass molded products of good quality can be manufactured.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of essential parts showing an example of a conventional device.

l... Upward fixing surface 2... Downward fixing surface 3.
... Upper molding chamber structure 4 ... Lower molding chamber structure 4a.
...Annular horizontal wall part 4b...Mirror horizontal wall part 4c...
Bellows 4d... Pressure body part -I+ 5... Molding chamber 7... Pressure body 8... Gas introduction pipe 10.11... Valve 13... Lower mold 15-18... Guide vane 6...Tightening means 7a...Head portion 9...Gas discharge pipe 12...Upper die 14...Glass material

Claims (1)

[Claims] A molding chamber containing a glass material is placed therein to form a sealed molding chamber, and a gas introduction passage and a gas discharge passage are provided on the wall of the sealed space to allow heated gas to flow through the molding chamber. The mold can be heated, and the horizontal wall of the closed space movably supports a pressurizing body that is moved up and down within the closed space by external power, so that the pressurizing body and other horizontal walls of the closed space are A press molding apparatus for glass using an openable molding chamber structure capable of compressing the upper and lower surfaces of the mold consisting of a combination of upper and lower molds between the surrounding wall and the gas introduction passage. A glass press molding apparatus characterized in that a gas discharge passage and a gas discharge passage are provided in a horizontal wall of a closed space.