JPH0794329B2 - Method and apparatus for conveying press gobs - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a press gob conveying device in a lower die push-up type glass press lens forming device, and more particularly to a conveying device for conveying a press gob toward a forming device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the applicant of the present invention has previously proposed a conveying device for producing a glass press lens by pressing a glass gob having a predetermined weight restriction (Japanese Patent Application No. 59-59).
No. 35011), there is a press gob and a press lens conveying device disclosed in “Optical Element Molding Method and Apparatus”.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of the above-mentioned press gob and press lens transport device. In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a pair of rail-shaped belt conveyors, 2 is a mounting table for transporting a press gob and a press lens which are mounted on the belt conveyor 1 and are transported in the longitudinal direction, 3 is this mounting table. 2 through holes 4 through which the lower mold 7 of the press, which is formed at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction, is inserted, 4 is a gob for a press which is a lens material, 5
Is a mounting step of the press gob 4 provided on the inner periphery of the through hole 3 of the mounting table 2, 6 is a fixed press upper die having a lens curved surface 6a on the lower surface, and 7 is a lens on the upper surface. The lower molds each having a curved surface 7a and slidably disposed relative to the upper mold 6 are shown.

The upper mold 6 and the lower mold 7 are arranged between a heating furnace and a slow cooling furnace (not shown), and the upper mold 6 and the lower mold 7 are provided.
When the carrying table 2 for conveyance on the belt conveyor 1 moves intermittently between them and the through hole 3 of the table 2 is located between the upper die 6 and the lower die 7, the table 2 is placed. Is stopped, and the lower die 7 is pushed up toward the upper die 6 through the through hole 3.

The above-mentioned mounting table 2 is difficult to bond with glass which is a lens material, for example, boron nitrite or the like is used, or ceramic coating such as chrome oxide and titanium nitride is applied. In the transporting device thus configured, the press gob 4 of the glass lump that has been softened by being heated to a predetermined temperature together with the mounting table 2 in a heating furnace (not shown) is moved to the position shown in FIG. The upper die 6 and the lower die 7 are conveyed onto the press shaft. Then, when it reaches the press axis, the operation of the belt conveyor 1 is temporarily stopped. Next, the lower mold 7 is raised at a moving speed of, for example, about 250 mm / min. At this time, the temperature of the upper mold 6 is lower than the temperature of the press gob 4 by about 100 ° C.
Is set to be about 10 ° C. higher than the upper mold 6. The lower mold 7 passes through the through hole 3 of the mounting table 2 and pushes up the press gob 4 from the mounting table 2 toward the upper mold 6, and as shown in FIG. It is pressed by 7 to form a press lens 8. Next, the press lens 8 is cooled to near the mold temperature and solidified, and then the lower mold 7 is lowered. At this time, since the lower mold 7 is higher in temperature than the upper mold 6, the press lens 8 is separated from the upper mold 6, and the lower mold 7 is suitably released. Then, when the lower mold 7 passes through the through hole 3 of the mounting table 2, the press lens 8 is released from the lower mold 7 by the peripheral edge of the press lens 8 being received by the peripheral edge of the through hole 3 and placed on the mounting table 2. To be done. Next, press lens 8
When the conveyor belt 1 is operated, each of the mounting tables 2 is conveyed into the cooling furnace. The above is the outline of the conventional conveying device.

[0006]

However, in such a conventional conveying apparatus, the entire apparatus is large, and an expensive material is used for the mounting table, or coating is applied, resulting in high cost. However, there are drawbacks, such as the fact that the mounting tables must be exchanged according to the shape of the lens, which is troublesome. An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks in the conventional press gob transfer device.

[0007]

According to the present invention, in a method of transporting a press gob in a lens molding apparatus,
The press gob is placed on a ring-shaped gob carrier having an inner circumferential surface provided with a gob placement step portion having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the press gob, and the press gob is placed on the side of the molding device and heated. The gob carrier accommodating the press gob is placed on the conveying member passing through the furnace, and the press gob is heated so as to reach a temperature lower than the molding temperature at the time of pressing, and heated to the predetermined temperature. In order to heat the press gob to the molding temperature at the time of pressing, in the final heating furnace between the transfer member and the molding device, the press is performed by the carrier transfer arm arranged on the side of the transfer member. The carrying gob is carried in the state of being placed on the gob carrier, and the press gob that has reached the molding temperature during pressing is placed on the gob carrier by the carrier carrying arm between the upper and lower molds of the molding apparatus. And transportable, but to mold the lens by pressing the upper and lower molds to press gobs in the gob carriers transported between the upper and lower molds.

Further, in a conveying device for a press gob in a lens forming device, a ring-shaped member having a gob mounting step portion having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the press gob on the inner peripheral surface and a flange on the outer peripheral surface. The gob carrier and the side of the molding device, the press gob housed in the gob carrier is placed in the heating furnace by placing the gob carrier so as to reach a temperature lower than the molding temperature during pressing. The conveying member to be driven and the press from the conveying member into a final heating furnace arranged between the molding device and the conveying member so as to heat the press gob to the molding temperature at the time of pressing. And a carrier carrying arm for carrying a gob carrier containing a gob, and carrying the press gob having reached a molding temperature at the time of pressing together with the gob carrier between the upper and lower molds of the molding apparatus. Comprising a press gob in the gob carriers transported between the upper and lower molds, it is intended to mold the lens by pressing the upper and lower molds.

[0009]

In the above, since the conveying member for driving the inside of the heating furnace is disposed on the side of the molding apparatus, the entire apparatus can be compactly assembled without lengthening. Also, since the press gob is stored in the ring-shaped gob carrier and is conveyed,
When the press gob is heated, the contact between the gob and the carrying member is eliminated and the carrying member does not need to be replaced, so that the versatility of the entire apparatus is enhanced.

[0010]

The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a press gob and a press lens conveying device showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. is there. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the carrier device 9 of the present embodiment is
A heating furnace 10 and a slow cooling furnace 11 are arranged in parallel on both sides of the press molding device 15, and a gob carrier 12 and a lens carrier 13 are placed in the heating furnace 10 and the slow cooling furnace 11 at equal intervals. The transfer caterpillars 14a and 14b intermittently driven by the drive gear 33, the final heating heater section 16 and the slow cooling start provided between the molding apparatus 15 and the outlet of the heating furnace 10 and the inlet of the annealing furnace, respectively. The heater unit 17, the gob carrier 12 and the lens carrier 13 are respectively provided with the molding device 15 and the transport caterpillar 1.
A main part is constituted by a gob carrier carrying arm 18 and a lens carrier carrying arm 19 for carrying between 4a and 14b.

As shown in FIG. 2, the press molding apparatus 15 comprises an immovable upper die 20 and a movable lower die 21, and the apparatus cover 22, the final heating heater section 16 and the slow cooling start heater section 17 are provided. It is integrated. As shown in FIG. 3, the gob carrier 12 has a ring shape and an inner diameter slightly (about 0.1 mm) larger than the outer diameter of the press gob 26 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) near the lower portion of the inner peripheral surface. Is provided with a gob mounting step portion 24 having an upper portion with a gob 26.
A relief portion 25 having a larger diameter is provided so as to make it easier to remove. Further, a fitting portion 29 having an outer diameter such that the gob carrier 12 is loosely fitted into a through hole 27 (see FIG. 2) provided in the gob transport caterpillar 14a is provided at a lower portion of the gob carrier 12.
Is provided, and a flange 28 that serves as a catching portion during transportation is provided on the upper end portion. As shown in FIG. 4, the lens carrier is bowl-shaped, and the inner bottom surface thereof is a lens holding portion 30 that holds the press lens 34 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Fitting portion 31 and flange 3 similar to the gob carrier 12
2 are provided respectively. The gob carrier 12 and the lens carrier 13 are the gob 2 for press, respectively.
6 and the press lens 34 are placed, and are transported by the respective transport caterpillars 14a and 14b.

The gob carrier carrying arm 18 carries the gob carrier on the gob carrier carrying caterpillar 14a between the upper and lower molds of the press molding device 15, and is driven by a drive device 35 having its base end directly connected. In addition, the transport caterpillar 14a is driven horizontally at a right angle to the transport direction and also vertically. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the front end portion 18a is provided with two parallel pressing plates 36 whose central portions are cut so as to sandwich the flange 28 of the gob carrier 12.
a and 36b are attached by attachment screws 37.

The lens carrier carrying arm 19 comprises:
The press lens 34 molded by the molding device 15 is dropped into the lens carrier 13 and the lens carrier 13 is transported to the lens transport caterpillar 14b. Similar to the gob carrier transporting arm 18, the same arm is used. A drive device 38 that performs the same drive operation as the drive device 35 of 18 is connected to the base end portion, and the tip end portion 19a has the center portion of the tip end of the lens carrier 13 as shown in FIG.
Is formed so that the flange 32 can be scooped up from below, and at the upper part thereof, a lens drop is formed in which the central end of the tip is tapered in opposition to the support part 39. The claw 40 is attached by a mounting screw 41.

Next, the operation of the press gob and the press lens transport device 9 in the present embodiment having the above-described structure will be described. First, as shown in FIG.
The press gob 2 into the through holes 27 (see FIG. 2) formed at equal intervals on the transport caterpillar 14a exposed to the outside of the entrance of the press gob 2.
The gob carrier 12 having 6 mounted on the mounting step portion 24 is punched and mounted. Then, the gob carrier 1
The press gob 26 placed on the heating furnace 1 is intermittently moved in the direction of the arrow b by the transfer caterpillar 14a.
The inside of 0 is heated and conveyed so as to reach a temperature which is several tens of degrees Celsius lower than a predetermined molding temperature at the time of pressing, and reaches the inlet of the final heating heater section 16 of the heating furnace 10. Then, the gob carrier 12 reaching the entrance is transferred by the gob carrier carrying arm 18 to the carrying caterpillar 14a.
Is conveyed in the final heating heater section 16 toward the inside of the molding apparatus 15 in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of. That is, the carrying arm 18 is moved from the standby position (the position shown in FIG. 1) by the driving device 35 to the carrying caterpillar 14.
It moves horizontally toward the gob carrier 12 on a, and the lower part of the flange 28 of the gob carrier 12 is clamped by the pressing plates 36a and 36b at the tips thereof.

Then, after the gob carrier 12 is lifted by the driving device 35, the gob carrier 12 is moved to the central portion of the final heating heater portion 16 and temporarily stopped at the central portion for a few minutes so that the gob carrier 12 is not moved. The temperature of the gob 26 is raised to a predetermined molding temperature. The gob carrier 12 on which the press gob 26 that has reached a predetermined temperature is placed is then transported to the central portion between the upper and lower molds 20 and 21 in the molding apparatus 15. In synchronization with this, the lower mold 21 starts to rise, and the press gob 26 is pushed up from the gob carrier 12 to perform press molding, and after pressing for several tens of seconds, the lower mold 21 descends to complete the press. At this time, since the upper mold 20 is controlled to have a higher temperature (several 10 ° C.) than the lower mold 21, the press lens 34 is separated from the lower mold 21 and is in close contact with the upper mold. After the pressing is completed, the carrying arm 18 moves backward horizontally and the empty gob carrier 12 is returned to the original position on the carrying caterpillar in the heating furnace 10 and then the initial standby position (position in FIG. 1). ) Return to.

On the other hand, the lens carrier carrying arm 1 described above.
9 is synchronized with the completion of molding of the press lens 34 from the standby position in FIG.
1 is moved horizontally toward the lens carrier 13 on the transport caterpillar 14b which is waiting in advance at the entrance to the gradual cooling start heater unit 17, and the support plate 39 at the tip thereof is attached to the flange 32 of the lens carrier 13. Enter below. Next, the lens carrier 13 is lifted by the driving device 38, moved horizontally, and conveyed to the lower part of the upper mold 20 in the molding device 15. The loading position at this time is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG.
The position is such that the press lens 34 is sandwiched between them.
From this state, the carrying arm 19 is driven by the driving device 38.
Is pulled down in the direction of arrow c, the tapered lens drop claw 40 at the tip of the arm 19 and the press lens 34 attached to the upper die 20 gradually come into contact with each other, and the lens carrier 13 It is dropped into the lens holding part 30.

Next, the lens carrier 13 holding the press lens 34 is returned to the original position in the slow cooling furnace 11 through the slow cooling start heater portion 17 by the carrying arm 19.
The carrying arm returns to the initial standby position. The press lens 34 is gradually cooled while passing through the slow cooling start heater unit 17, is transferred onto the transport caterpillar 14b, and is then transported through the slow cooling furnace 11 by intermittent movement. While being further cooled, the lens carrier 1 on the caterpillar 14b is further cooled at the exit of the annealing furnace 11.
Taken out from 3. After the transfer operation of the series of press gobs 26 and the press lens 34 as described above is completed, the transfer caterpillars 14a and 14b are moved to the next gob carrier 12.
And the lens carrier 13 are respectively indicated by arrows b and d (see FIG. 1).
By intermittently moving in the same direction, the conveying operation of the next molding operation is similarly performed.

As described above, according to the present invention, a gob carrier and a lens carrier having a simple structure are simply provided, and the arm for carrying the gob carrier and the lens carrier is skillfully used. It is possible to provide a method for transporting a press gob and a press lens, and a device therefor, in which the above-mentioned drawbacks of the device are solved.

[0019]

As described above, the press gob transfer device according to the present invention does not require the use of an expensive material for the mounting table for transferring the press gob or coating, and thus the cost is further reduced. You can do it. Since the carrier has a simple structure and can be easily replaced according to the shape of the lens, the versatility of the entire apparatus is high. By using the carrier, the press gob and the press lens can be stably conveyed before and after molding.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a press gob and a press lens transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a gob carrier used in the press gob and the press lens transport device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a lens carrier used in the press gob and the press lens transport device of FIG. 1;

5 is an enlarged perspective view showing a configuration example of a tip end portion of a gob carrier carrying arm used in the carrying device for the press gob and the press lens of FIG.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing a configuration example of a tip portion of a lens carrier carrying arm used in the press gob and the press lens carrying device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part showing a mode of a press lens at the time of mold release.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts showing an example of a conventional press gob and press lens transport device.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part showing an operating mode of the press device of FIG. 8;

[Explanation of symbols]

 9 Press Gob and Press Lens Conveying Device 12 Gob Carrier 13 Lens Carrier 14a Press Gob Conveying Track (Conveying Member) 14b Press Lens Conveying Track (Conveying Member) 15 Molding Device 18 Gob Carrier Conveying Arm (Conveying) Member) 19 lens carrier carrying arm (carrying member) 26 press gob 34 press lens 35 driving device (driving member) 38 driving device (driving member) 40 lens dropping claw

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A method of transporting a press gob in a lens forming apparatus, comprising: a ring-shaped gob carrier having an inner peripheral surface provided with a gob mounting step portion having an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the press gob. A gob is placed, and a gob carrier accommodating the press gob is placed on a conveying member which is disposed on the side of the molding apparatus and passes through the heating furnace, and the press gob is molded at the time of pressing. A step of heating so as to reach a temperature lower than a temperature, and a final heating furnace between the conveying member and the molding apparatus so as to heat the press gob heated to the predetermined temperature to the molding temperature during pressing. A step of carrying the pressing gob in a state of being placed on the gob carrier by a carrier carrying arm arranged on the side of the carrying member; and A step of transporting a gob for a ball between the upper and lower molds of the molding device by the carrier carrying arm while the gob for a press is placed on the gob carrier; A method of transporting a press gob, which comprises molding a lens by pressing with a mold. 2. A press-shaped gob carrier in a lens molding apparatus, comprising: a ring-shaped gob carrier having an inner peripheral surface provided with a gob mounting step portion having an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the press gob; Disposed on the side of the apparatus, a conveying member that drives the inside of the heating furnace by mounting the gob carrier so that the press gob stored in the gob carrier reaches a temperature lower than the molding temperature during pressing, A gob carrier containing the pressing gob from the carrying member in a final heating furnace arranged between the molding device and the carrying member so as to heat the press gob to a molding temperature during pressing. And a carrier carrying arm for carrying the press gob, which has reached the molding temperature at the time of pressing, between the upper and lower molds of the molding apparatus together with the gob carrier, and the gob carried between the upper and lower molds. The press gob in the carrier, the transport device of the press gobs, which comprises molding a lens by pressing the upper and lower molds.