TWI720095B - Optical element manufacturing method and optical element manufacturing device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a manufacturing method and manufacturing device of an optical element, which can achieve both high surface accuracy and high productivity. The manufacturing method is the following optical element manufacturing method. The optical element manufacturing device is used, the mold unit is introduced into the introduction part 10, the first transportation is performed, the first press molding section 6 is used for molding, the second transportation is performed, and the cooling section is used Cooling is performed by forming by the second press forming part 8 and performing the third conveyance. The cooling part is constituted by the conveying path 2 between the first forming part and the second forming part, and the first to third conveying are performed synchronously.

Description

Optical element manufacturing method and optical element manufacturing device

The present invention relates to an optical element manufacturing method and an optical element manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for forming an optical element by heating a glass material arranged in a mold and pressing the glass material.

In recent years, a method has been adopted in which a glass material is placed in a mold, the glass material and the mold are heated, and the softened glass material is press-molded by the mold to manufacture optical elements such as lenses.

As an apparatus for manufacturing an optical element by this method, there is known, for example, a molding apparatus shown in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-051420), which includes a preheating section for heating a glass material arranged in a mold unit to a predetermined temperature, The forming part for press forming the heated and softened glass material and the exchange room for exchanging the mold units, etc.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-051420

Here, the press forming operation of the glass material may be carried out in two stages. In this case, first, press forming the glass material heated at a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature Tg (first press forming), and then further press forming the glass material cooled to a temperature near the glass transition temperature Tg (Second press forming).

And, using the device described in Patent Document 1 to perform such press forming In this case, the first press forming and the second press forming are performed in the same forming part.

In order to perform the second press forming in a state where the glass material becomes lower than the temperature of the first press forming as described above, the first press forming and the second press forming device are performed in the same forming section, and the first press forming is performed After the completion, the temperature of the glass material is lowered to a temperature near the glass transition temperature Tg, and the mold unit is allowed to cool naturally in the molding part.

Although the natural cooling in the molding section is performed by stopping the heating heater in the molding section, it is difficult for the glass material in the mold unit to reduce the temperature of the peripheral section under the influence of the heater preheating, and the temperature distribution in the surface becomes non-uniform. Uniformity. When the second intermediate pressure molding is performed in this state, the surface accuracy of the molded optical element deteriorates, and there is room for improvement in this respect.

In addition, in order to achieve the uniformity of the temperature distribution, a method of placing the mold unit in the molding part for a predetermined time after the temperature of the glass material is lowered to a temperature near the glass transition temperature Tg. However, in this method, the above-mentioned predetermined Time becomes a critical process, deteriorating productivity.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a method and apparatus for manufacturing an optical element that can achieve both high surface accuracy and high productivity.

The optical element manufacturing method of the present invention adopts an optical element manufacturing device, wherein the manufacturing device includes: a conveying device that conveys the mold unit along the conveying path; and an introduction part that arranges the mold unit with the glass material inside to the conveying path In; the first forming part, which is set on the downstream side of the introduction part of the conveying path, to press and form the glass material; the second forming part, which is set on the transport On the downstream side of the first forming part of the conveying path, the glass material is press-formed; and the cooling part is arranged between the first forming part and the second forming part of the conveying path. The method includes the following processes: lead-in process, lead-in In the section, the mold unit that does not press and form the internal glass material is placed on the conveying path; the first conveying process uses the conveying device to convey the mold unit from the introduction part to the first forming part; the first press forming process is for conveying The glass material in the mold unit to the first forming part is pressed and formed; the second conveying process uses a conveying device to transport the mold unit from the first forming part to the second forming part through the cooling part, and the cooling part will be transferred from the first forming part The glass material after press forming is cooled to a temperature near the glass transition temperature Tg; the second press forming process is to press and form the glass material conveyed to the mold unit of the second forming part; and the third conveying process uses a conveying device The mold unit is transported out of the second molding section, and the cooling section is composed of a conveying path between the first molding section and the second molding section, and the first to third conveying processes are performed synchronously.

According to the method of manufacturing an optical element of the present invention, the cooling part formed by the conveying path is used to cool the glass material after being press-formed by the first forming part. Therefore, it can be achieved quickly and uniformly without being affected by the first forming part. The influence of preheating.

As a result, the surface accuracy of the optical element and the productivity are improved at the same time.

In addition, in the method of manufacturing an optical element of the present invention, the manufacturing device further includes a preheating section, which is provided between the introduction section of the conveying path and the first molding section to heat the glass material to a predetermined temperature. The manufacturing method further includes the following Process: the fourth conveying process, using a conveying device to convey the mold unit from the introduction part to the preheating part; and the preheating step, conveying the glass material in the mold unit to the preheating part After heating to a predetermined temperature, the first to fourth transportation processes are performed simultaneously.

Based on this structure, the preheating part can be used to heat the mold unit to a predetermined temperature in advance, thereby improving productivity.

Furthermore, in the manufacturing method of the optical element of the present invention, the manufacturing device includes a turntable.

Based on this structure, a compact structure can be used to smoothly transport the mold unit.

The manufacturing device of the optical element of the present invention manufactures a glass molded body by heating the glass material arranged in the mold unit and press-forming the glass material. The manufacturing device of the glass molded body includes: a conveying device that conveys along Path to transport the mold unit; the introduction part, which arranges the mold unit with the glass material inside into the conveying path; the first forming part, which is arranged on the downstream side of the introduction part of the conveying path, and presses and forms the glass material; 2 forming part, which is arranged on the downstream side of the first forming part of the conveying path, to press and form the glass material; and a cooling part, which is arranged between the first forming part and the second forming part of the conveying path, and will be formed by the first forming part The glass material after press forming in the forming part is cooled to a temperature near the glass transition temperature Tg.

According to the manufacturing apparatus of the optical element of the present invention, the cooling part formed by the conveying path is used to cool the glass material after being press-formed by the first forming part. Therefore, it can be achieved quickly and uniformly without being affected by the first forming part. The influence of preheating.

As a result, the surface accuracy of the optical element and the productivity are improved at the same time.

Based on the present invention, it is possible to provide high surface accuracy and high production The manufacturing method and manufacturing device of optical components of both sexes.

1‧‧‧Lens forming device

2‧‧‧Transportation Department

4‧‧‧Preheating Department

6‧‧‧The first molding part

8‧‧‧The first molding part

10‧‧‧Exchange Department

12‧‧‧Mould support parts

16‧‧‧Mold unit

18‧‧‧Turntable

20, 22, 24, 26‧‧‧Mobile mechanism

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of a lens forming apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

2 shows a cross-sectional view in the horizontal direction in the height of the preheating part, the first molding part, the second molding chamber, and the exchange chamber of the structure of the lens molding apparatus of FIG. 1.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA′ of FIG. 2 in the state where the mold units are arranged in the preheating section, the first molding section, the second molding chamber, and the exchange chamber in the lens molding apparatus of FIG. 1.

4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB′ of FIG. 2 in the state where the mold units are arranged in the preheating section, the first molding section, the second molding chamber, and the exchange chamber in the lens molding apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the mold unit used in the lens molding apparatus of FIG. 1.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA′ of FIG. 2 in the state where each mold unit is arranged on the turntable of the conveying part in the lens molding apparatus of FIG. 1.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB' of Fig. 2 in a state where each mold unit is arranged on the turntable of the conveying part in the lens forming apparatus of Fig. 1;

FIG. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between each processing process, the time series of moving steps, etc. in the lens molding method based on the lens molding apparatus of FIG. 1.

Hereinafter, a manufacturing apparatus of an optical element according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The manufacturing apparatus of the optical element of this embodiment is A lens forming device 1 for press forming the heated glass material.

FIG. 1 is a general perspective view showing the structure of the lens molding apparatus 1. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lens molding apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a substantially cylindrical conveying part (conveying chamber) 2, a preheating part (preheating chamber) 4 arranged adjacently above the conveying part 2, and a first The molding section (molding chamber) 6, the second molding section (molding chamber) 8, and the exchange section (exchange chamber) 10.

In the lens molding method (optical element manufacturing method) of the lens molding apparatus 1 based on this embodiment, the mold unit 16 which is placed on the approximately circular mold support member 12 and has a mold (molding mold) 14 is transported The movement of the part 2 moves to the preheating part 4, the first forming part 6, the second forming part 8 and the exchange part 10 in sequence, and each part is used for its own processing process, thereby forming the glass material (optical element manufacture).

In addition, in the lens molding method (optical element manufacturing method) of the lens molding apparatus 1 based on this embodiment, each of the preheating section 4, the first molding section 6, the second molding section 8 and the exchange section 10 is one each A total of four mold units 16 are processed in parallel at the same time.

2 is a cross-sectional view in the horizontal direction showing the height of the preheating section 4, the first molding section 6, the second molding chamber 8, and the exchange chamber 10 of the structure of the lens molding apparatus 1 of FIG. The preheating section 4, the first molding section 6, the second molding section 8, and the exchange section 10 are arranged as shown in FIG. 2 so as to follow the circumference of a small circle C having a predetermined radius smaller than the outer diameter of the turntable 18 described later . Specifically, the preheating section 4, the first molding section 6, the second molding section 8, and the exchange section 10 are arranged at an angular interval of 90 degrees so that the center of the preheating section 4, the first molding section 6, the second molding section 8 and the exchange section 10 are located on the small circle C.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA' of Fig. 2 in a state where the mold units are arranged in the preheating section, the first molding section, the second molding chamber, and the exchange chamber in the lens molding apparatus of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 It is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB' in Figure 2.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the conveying section 2 includes a turntable 18 provided in a cylindrical space formed by the conveying section housing 2A, and a preheating section 4, a first molding section 6, and a second molding, respectively. The preheating part moving mechanism 20, the first forming part moving mechanism 22, the second forming part moving mechanism 24 and the exchange part moving mechanism 26 are located below the part 8 and the exchange part 10.

In addition, approximately circular openings 4B, 6B, 4B, 6B, 10 are respectively formed at positions in contact with the preheating portion 4, the first molding portion 6, the second molding portion 8, and the exchange portion 10 on the upper surface of the conveying portion housing 2A. 8B, 10B. The space in the conveying part 2 communicates with the spaces in the preheating part 4, the first molding part 6, the second molding part 8, and the exchange part 10 through these openings 4B, 6B, 8B, and 10B, respectively.

In the lens molding apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the diameters of the openings 4B, 6B, and 8B formed between the conveying section 2 and the preheating section 4, the first molding section 6 and the second molding section 8 are larger than those of the mold supporting member 12, respectively. diameter of. On the other hand, the diameter of the opening 10B formed between the conveying part 2 and the exchange part 10 is smaller than the diameter of the mold supporting member 12.

In addition, in the lens forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the temperature of the internal space of the conveying portion 2 is set to be lower than the temperature of the second molding portion 8. The temperature structure of the internal space of the conveyance part 2 is 100 degrees C or less, for example. The lower limit of the temperature of the internal space of the conveying part 2 can be set to a temperature at which the glass material after being press-formed by the first forming part 6 is not damaged by cracks or the like. For example, it can be set to 50°C.

The inside of each of the conveying section 2, the preheating section 4, the first molding section 6, and the second molding section 8 is set in an inert gas atmosphere. As an inert gas, use nitrogen or argon For example, the oxygen concentration is preferably 5 ppm or less. In this way, by making the inside of the conveying part 2, the preheating part 4, the first molding part 6, and the second molding part 8 into an inert gas atmosphere, it is possible to prevent the oxidation of the mold unit 14 or the surface deterioration of the glass material.

The turntable 18 includes a rotating shaft 28 extending from the center of the conveying unit 2 from below, and a disk-shaped rotating disk 30 supported by the rotating shaft 28. A driving device (not shown) for rotating a rotating shaft 28 such as a driving motor is provided below the conveying unit 2. By rotating the rotating shaft 28 with the driving device, the rotating disk 30 is rotated, and thereby the mold unit 16 placed on the rotating disk 30 can be moved in the circumferential direction.

In addition, each moving mechanism 20, 22, 24, 26 includes drive shafts 20B, 22B, 24B, 26B extending through the turntable 18 in the up and down direction, and holding members 20A, 22A attached to the front ends of the drive shafts 20B, 22B, 24B, and 26B , 24A, 26A. Directly below the preheating part 4, the first forming part 6, the second forming part 8 and the exchange part 10, the moving mechanisms 20, 22, 24, 26 are provided corresponding to the respective parts 4, 6, 8, 10 .

The drive shafts 20B, 22B, 24B, and 26B extend in the conveying unit 2 through the respective openings 30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D provided at positions corresponding to the rotating disk 30 of the turntable 18. The openings 30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D have a smaller diameter than the mold support member 12 of the mold unit 16, and have a larger diameter than the holding members 20A, 22A, 24A, and 26A of the moving mechanisms 20, 22, 24, and 26 .

The drive shafts 20B, 22B, 24B, and 26B of each moving mechanism 20, 22, 24, and 26 can be used as a drive device (not shown) such as a driver provided below the conveying unit 2 to hold the components 20A, 22A, 24A, The retreat position where 26A and the turntable 18 retreat downward without interfering with the turntable 18 and the front end holding members 20A, 22A, 24A, 26A is arranged between the entry and exit positions of the lower end of the preheating section 4, the first molding section 6, the second molding section 8, and the exchange section 10 to expand and contract in the vertical direction. As a result, the respective moving mechanisms 20, 22, 24, and 26 respectively place the mold unit 16 at a lower position placed on the turntable 18 and are arranged in the preheating section 4, the first molding section 6, the second molding section 8, and the exchange section. 10 moves between the upper positions of each room.

The preheating section 4 has a substantially cylindrical space partitioned by the preheating section housing 4A, and a preheating heater 32 is provided inside the preheating section 4. As such a preheating heater 32, for example, a heating target (mold unit) arranged inside a coil heater or the like can be uniformly heated from the outer periphery. The preheating part 4 heats the mold unit to a temperature near the glass transition temperature Tg of the glass material before the press molding of the glass material in the first forming part 6. The interior of the preheating section 4 is preferably in an inert gas atmosphere. In addition, in this embodiment, the preheating heater 32 is provided inside the preheating part 4, but it is not limited to this, and it may also be provided outside the preheating part 4.

In the lens molding apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the first molding section 6 and the second molding section 8 include the same structure. Therefore, only the structure of the first molded part 6 will be described, and the same reference numerals as those of the first molded part 6 will be assigned to the respective parts of the second molded part 8 and the description will be omitted.

The first molding section 6 includes a press 34 and a heater 36, and has a substantially cylindrical space partitioned by the molding section housing 6A. The punch 34 includes a punch 34A and a punch drive 34B. The punch driving portion 34B has a built-in driver such as a hydraulic piston inside, and by driving the driver, the punch 34A is lowered into the first forming portion 6.

In order to heat and soften the glass material arranged in the mold unit 16, a heater 36 is provided. In addition, the heater 36 of the first molding part 6 is also The preheating heater 32 of the preheating section 4 is similarly preferably capable of uniformly heating the heating target arranged inside the coil heater or the like from the outer periphery. In addition, in this embodiment, although the heater 36 is provided inside the first molding part 6, it is not limited to this, and it may be provided outside the first molding part 6.

The exchange unit 10 is constituted by a substantially cylindrical space partitioned by the exchange unit housing 10A. The exchange part housing 10A includes a base housing 10A' integrated with the upper part of the conveying part housing 2A and an upper housing 10A" arranged above the base housing 10A'. The upper end surface of the base housing 10A' is attached to the upper end surface of the base housing 10A'. O ring 38. Therefore, when the upper housing 10A" is arranged coaxially above the base housing 10A', the O ring 38 closes the space between the base housing 10A' and the upper housing 10A" without any gap. An O ring 39 is also installed around the opening 10B corresponding to the exchange portion 10 on the upper surface of the conveying portion housing 2A.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the mold unit used in the lens molding apparatus of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 5, the mold unit 16 has a mold 14. The mold 14 is mounted on the mold support member 12. The mold (molding mold) 14 includes: an upper mold 14A, a lower mold 14B, which has a molding surface formed corresponding to the shape of the glass molded body to be manufactured; and a carcass mold 14C, which limits the difference between the upper mold 14A and the lower mold 14B Mutual position in the radial direction. A release film is formed on the molding surfaces of the upper mold 14A and the lower mold 14B. The glass material 40 is arranged in a state sandwiched between the upper mold 14A and the lower mold 14B. In a state where the glass material 40 is heated to a temperature above the glass sag temperature, the upper and lower molds 14A and 14B can be pressurized in a relatively close direction to transfer the shape of the molding surface on the glass material 40 and press to form it into A glass molded body (optical element) of a desired shape.

Next, a lens molding method (optical element manufacturing method) based on the lens molding device of this embodiment will be described. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA' of FIG. 2 in a state where each mold unit is arranged on the turntable of the conveying part, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB' of FIG. In addition, FIG. 8 is a chart showing the relationship between each processing process and the time series of the moving steps.

According to the lens molding method of the lens molding apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the processing of the mold unit 16 is simultaneously performed in the preheating section 4, the first molding section 6, the second molding section 8, and the exchange section 10, respectively. That is, four mold units (for example, mold units 16a to d) are processed in parallel at the same time.

In the following, although only the processing for one mold unit 16a is described, when the mold unit 13a is introduced into the exchange section 10, the preheating section 4 heats the preceding mold unit 16b in parallel, and the first molding section 6 then The die unit 16c performs the first press molding, and the second molding section 8 performs the second press molding 16d on the preceding die unit (FIGS. 1 and 2 ). Therefore, the residence time of the mold units of each part is equal, and the movement of the mold units between each part is also synchronized.

In the lens molding method based on the lens molding apparatus 1, firstly, the introduction process of disposing the mold unit 16a in the exchange part (introduction part) 10 is carried out. The mold unit 16a contains the unmolded mold between the upper mold 14A and the lower mold 14B. Glass material 40. At this time, the exchange part 10 is equipped with a mold unit after the second molding of the glass material is completed by the second molding part 8. Therefore, the mold unit 16a for accommodating the unmolded glass material is the same as the accommodating glass material after molding. The mold units are exchanged and arranged in the exchange part 10 (FIG. 4).

In this exchange, first, the upper housing 10A" of the exchange part 10 is moved upward, and the exchange part 10 is opened. Then, it is removed from the mold support member 12 The mold containing the glass material which becomes the glass molded body after molding is completed, and the mold unit 16a containing the unmolded glass material is mounted on the mold supporting member 12.

At this time, an O-ring 39 is provided around the opening 10B communicating with the exchange portion 10 of the transport portion housing 2A, and therefore the upper surface of the mold support member 12A supported by the moving mechanism 28 abuts the O-ring 39. Thereby, even if the upper housing 10A" of the exchange unit 10 is removed, the inside of the transport unit 2 can be maintained in an airtight state, and the increase in the oxygen (O2) concentration in the transport unit 2 can be prevented.

Then, the first moving step (first transport process) is performed to transport the mold unit 16 a arranged in the exchange part 10 from the exchange part 10 to the preheating part 4 together with the mold support member 12. That is, first, the mold unit 16a introduced into the exchange section 10 is lowered from the exchange section 10 to the lower position on the turntable 18 together with the mold support member 12 by the exchange section moving mechanism 26 (FIG. 7 ). Then, the turntable 18 is rotated by 90 degrees until the mold unit 16a and the mold support member 12 are located directly below the preheating section 4 (the position of the mold unit 16b in FIG. 6).

In addition, the preheating section moving mechanism 28 is used to raise the mold unit 16a together with the mold support member 12 from the turntable 18 to an upper position in the preheating section 4 (the position of the mold unit 16b in FIG. 3).

Then, a preheating step of heating the glass material in the mold unit 16a is performed. That is, the mold unit 16a is heated by the preheating heater 32 in the preheating part 4. In addition, in the preheating step, it is preferable to control the preheating heater 32 so that the temperature of the glass material in the mold 14 does not exceed the glass transition temperature Tg+10°C.

Then, proceed to the second moving step (fourth transportation process), and the pre-processing will be completed. The heated mold unit 16a is conveyed from the preheating section 4 to the first molding section 6 together with the mold supporting member 12. That is, first, the preheating part moving mechanism 20 lowers the preheated mold unit 16 a together with the mold support member 12 from the preheating part 4 to a lower position on the turntable 18. Then, the turntable 18 is rotated by 90 degrees until the mold unit 16a is positioned below the first molding part 6 (the position of the mold unit 16c in FIG. 7).

After the turntable 18 is rotated until the mold unit 16a is located below the first molding section 6, the first molding section moving mechanism 22 is used to raise the mold unit 16a together with the mold support member 12 from the turntable 18 to above the first molding section 6. Position (the position of the mold unit 16c in Fig. 4).

In addition, this is performed when the temperature of the mold unit 16a is in the range of a temperature (Tg-50°C) lower than the glass transition temperature of the glass material by 50°C and the glass transition temperature is increased by 10°C (Tg+10°C) or lower. The moving step is better.

Then, in the first molding section 6, the mold unit 16a is heated. That is, in the first molding section 6, the mold unit 16a is heated by the heater 36 until the temperature of the glass material 40 in the mold 14 is equivalent to a temperature of 106 to 1011 dPa·s in the glass viscosity. It is better to heat it to about 10~30℃ higher than the sag temperature Ts.

Then, when the heating of the mold unit 16a is completed, the first pressing process (first press molding process) is continued on the mold 14 of the mold unit 16a in the first molding section 6. That is, the temperature of the glass material of the mold unit 16a is maintained, and the punch 34A is lowered by the punch drive unit 34B for a predetermined time (for example, tens of seconds to tens of minutes), and the mold 14 is pressed in the up and down direction. The glass material is stamped and formed. In addition, the pressing load in the first pressing process is preferably ^{P130~200kgf/cm 2.}

Then, the third moving step (the second conveying process) is performed, and the mold unit 16 a after the first pressing process is completed is conveyed from the first molding section 6 to the second molding section 8. That is, first, the first molding section moving mechanism 22 lowers the mold unit 16a together with the mold support member 12 from the first molding section 6 to a lower position on the turntable 18 (the position of the mold unit 16c in FIG. 7). Then, the turntable 18 is rotated by 90 degrees until the mold unit 16a is located below the second molding part 8 (the position of the mold unit 16d in FIG. 6).

After the turntable 18 is rotated until the mold unit 16a is located below the second molding section 8, the second molding section moving mechanism 24 is used to raise the mold unit 16a together with the mold support member 12 from the turntable 18 to above the second molding section 8. Position (the position of the mold unit 16d in Figure 3).

In this way, in the third moving step (the second conveying process), the mold unit 16a is conveyed from the first molding section 6 to the second molding section 8 through the internal space of the conveying section 2. As described above, the temperature in the internal space of the conveying part 2 is the third moving step (the second conveying process) of about 100°C, and the glass material 40 in the mold unit 16a is press-formed by the first forming part 6 The temperature drops.

The present embodiment is configured to cool the temperature of the glass material 40 in the mold unit 16a after press molding by the first molding part 6 to a temperature near the glass transition temperature Tg by using the third moving step (the second transport process). Therefore, in the present embodiment, the conveying part 2 constitutes a cooling part that cools the glass material 40 press-molded by the first molding part 6 to a temperature near the glass transition temperature Tg. Using the shape, diameter, and thickness of the optical element affected by its heat capacity, the cooling rate in the cooling section is appropriately set.

Then, in the second molding section 8, the mold 14 of the mold unit 16a is subjected to a second pressing process (second press molding process). That is, the temperature of the glass material of the mold unit 16a is maintained, and within a predetermined time (for example, several tens of seconds to several tens of minutes), the press head 34A is lowered by the press head drive part 34B of the second forming part 8 to lower the press head 34A to the mold 14 The glass material 40 is press-formed by pressing in the upper and lower directions. In addition, the pressing load P2 in the second pressing process is smaller than the pressing load P1 in the first pressing process, and is preferably ^{set to 10-40 kgf/cm 2, for example.}

After the second pressurization process of the mold unit 16a is completed, a fourth transportation step (third transportation process) is performed to move the mold unit 16a together with the mold support member 12 from the second molding section 8 to the exchange section 10. That is, first, the second molding section moving mechanism 24 is used to lower the mold unit 16a together with the mold support member 12 from the second molding section 8 to a lower position on the turntable 18 (the position of the mold unit 16d in FIG. 6).

Then, after rotating the turntable 18 by 90 degrees until the mold unit 16a is located below the exchange part 10, the exchange part moving mechanism 26 is used to raise the mold unit 16a together with the mold support member 12 from the turntable 18 to above the inside of the exchange part 10. Location (Figure 4).

When the glass transition temperature of the glass material of the mold unit 16a is lowered by 100°C or more (Tg-100°C) and the glass transition temperature has increased by 10°C or less (Tg+10°C), the fourth step can be performed. Shipping steps. In addition, it is best to carry out from temperature (Tg-80°C) to temperature (Tg-10°C).

In this way, when the glass transition temperature is increased by 10°C or less, the fourth transport step is started. As a result, when the mold unit 16a is moved from the second molding section 8 to the exchange section 10, the temperature of the glass material decreases and becomes below the glass transition temperature Tg . Therefore, the influence of the deformation of the glass formed body due to its own weight can be reduced, and the Shorten the stamping time.

In the third conveyance step, the mold unit 16a returned to the exchange part 10 is exchanged with a new mold unit accommodating an unmolded glass material in the same procedure as the above-mentioned exchange operation.

By repeating the above process, the glass material in the mold unit is continuously pressed and formed, and the lens (optical element) is continuously manufactured.

Although the structure of the lens molding device (optical element manufacturing device) of this embodiment is that the exchange part, the preheating part, the first molding part, and the second molding part are arranged on the circumference, and the mold units are sequentially transported to the The exchange part, the preheating part, the first forming part, and the second forming part, but the present invention is not limited to such a structure.

For example, it can be configured such that the exchange part, the preheating part, the first molding part, and the second molding part are arranged in a rectangular shape so that each processing part is located at the corner of the rectangle, and the mold unit is arranged to linearly transport the mold unit to the next processing part. The conveying mechanism cools the temperature of the glass material press-molded by the first molding section to a temperature near the glass transition temperature Tg during transportation from the first molding section to the second molding section.

For example, it can be configured such that the preheating part, the first forming part, and the second forming part are arranged in series, and the glass material after being press-formed by the first forming part is transported from the first forming part to the second forming part. The temperature is cooled to a temperature near the glass transition temperature Tg. In such a structure, a carrying-in part is provided upstream of the preheating part, and a carrying-out part is provided downstream of the second molding part.

In addition, as the shape of the optical element suitable for this embodiment, a two-concave lens, a concave meniscus lens, and a convex meniscus lens are preferable. Two concave lenses and concave meniscus lenses are more preferable. The reason is that it is necessary to improve the surface accuracy of such a lens shape, and it is an effective means to perform stamping and forming in two times.

Finally, figures and the like are used to summarize the embodiments of the present invention.

The method of manufacturing an optical element according to an embodiment of the present invention is carried out by using a lens molding apparatus 1. The lens molding apparatus 1 includes: a conveying device 2 for conveying the mold unit 16 along a conveying path; and an introduction part 10 in which a glass material 40 is arranged. The mold unit is arranged in the conveying path; the first forming part 6 is arranged on the downstream side of the introduction part of the conveying path, and the glass material is press-formed; the second forming part 8 is arranged in the first forming of the conveying path On the downstream side of the part, the glass material is press-formed; and the cooling part 2, which is arranged between the first forming part and the second forming part of the conveying path, cools the glass material after being press-formed by the first forming part to The temperature near the glass transition temperature Tg. The method includes the following processes: the introduction process, in the introduction part, arranging the mold unit without pressing and forming the inner glass material on the conveying path; the first conveying process, the conveying device is used to convey the mold unit from the introduction part to the first Forming part; the first press forming process, the glass material conveyed to the mold unit of the first forming part is press-formed; the second conveying process, the mold unit is conveyed from the first forming part through the cooling part to the second by the conveying device The forming part; the second press forming process, which presses and forms the glass material conveyed to the mold unit of the second forming part; and the third conveying process, which uses a conveying device to transport out the mold unit from the second forming part, and the cooling part is transferred from the second forming part The conveying path between the first forming part and the second forming part is constituted, and the first to third conveying processes are performed synchronously.

The manufacturing apparatus 1 of the glass molded body of the embodiment of the present invention heats the glass material 40 arranged in the mold unit 16 and press-molds the glass material to manufacture the glass molded body. The manufacturing apparatus 1 includes: conveying devices 2, 30 that convey mold units along a conveying path; an introduction part 10 that arranges a mold unit in which glass material is arranged in the conveying path; and a first molding part 6. It is arranged on the downstream side of the introduction part of the conveying path to press and form the glass material; the second forming part 8 is arranged on the downstream side of the first forming part of the conveying path to press and form the glass material; and cooling The part 2, which is arranged between the first forming part and the second forming part of the conveying path, cools the glass material press-molded by the first forming part to a temperature near the glass transition temperature Tg.

1‧‧‧Lens forming device

2‧‧‧Transportation Department

4‧‧‧Preheating Department

4A‧‧‧Preheater shell

6‧‧‧The first molding part

6A‧‧‧Forming part shell

8‧‧‧The first molding part

10‧‧‧Exchange Department

10A‧‧‧Exchange part shell

10A’‧‧‧Base shell

10A"‧‧‧Upper shell

12‧‧‧Mould support parts

14‧‧‧Mould

16‧‧‧Mold unit

16a~16d‧‧‧Mold unit

18‧‧‧Turntable

C‧‧‧small circle

Claims (10)

A method of manufacturing an optical element using an optical element manufacturing device, wherein the manufacturing device includes: an introduction part that arranges the mold unit with a glass material arranged therein into the conveying path; and a conveying device that conveys along the conveying path The path conveys the mold unit arranged in the introduction part; a preheating part which heats the glass material provided on the downstream side of the introduction part of the conveyance path to a predetermined temperature; the first forming part is arranged in the conveyance path The downstream side of the preheating section presses and forms the glass material; a second molding section is provided on the downstream side of the first molding section of the transport path, and presses and forms the glass material; and a cooling section, It is constituted by the conveying part between the first forming part and the second forming part of the conveying path. The manufacturing method includes the following processes: an introduction process, in the introduction part, the glass material not inside is punched The mold unit for molding is arranged in the introduction part; the first conveying process uses the conveying device to convey the mold unit from the introduction part to the preheating part; the preheating step is to convey the mold unit to the preheating part The glass material inside is heated to a predetermined temperature; in the second conveying process, the mold unit is conveyed from the preheating part to the first forming part by the conveying device; The first press molding process is to press and form the glass material transported to the mold unit of the first molding section; the third transportation process is to transport the mold unit from the first molding section to the second molding section via the cooling section. Forming part; a second press forming process to press and form the glass material transported to the mold unit of the second forming part; and a fourth transport process to transport the mold unit from the second forming part by the transport device, Wherein, the second transportation process is performed when the temperature of the mold unit is (glass transition temperature Tg-50)°C or higher (glass transition temperature Tg+10)°C, wherein the cooling part sets the internal temperature to 100°C or lower, And the glass material after press forming in the first forming part is cooled to a temperature near the glass transition temperature Tg from the first forming part to the second forming part in the second conveying process, and the first conveying process to the second conveying process 4The transportation process is carried out synchronously. For example, the method for manufacturing an optical element in the scope of the patent application, wherein the introduction part exchanges the mold unit equipped with the glass material after the press forming is replaced with a mold unit equipped with the glass material that has not been press-formed Unit exchange department. For example, the method for manufacturing an optical element in the scope of the patent application 1 or 2, wherein the above-mentioned conveying device includes a turntable. For example, the method of manufacturing an optical element of the first or second patent application, wherein the first molding part and the second molding part include: a heating part that heats the glass material arranged in the mold unit Softening; and a press part that presses the mold unit to press and form the glass material. For example, the method for manufacturing an optical element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mold unit includes: a molding die having a molding surface corresponding to the shape of the optical element; and a mold support member that holds the molding die. An optical element manufacturing device, which manufactures optical elements by heating the glass material arranged in a mold unit and press-forming the glass material. The optical element manufacturing device includes: a conveying device that conveys along a conveying path The mold unit; the introduction part, which arranges the mold unit with the glass material inside the conveying path; the preheating part, which is arranged downstream of the introduction part of the conveyance path, and heats the glass material to a predetermined temperature; The first forming part is provided on the downstream side of the preheating part of the conveying path and press-forming the glass material; the second forming part is provided on the downstream side of the first forming part of the conveying path, Pressing and forming the glass material; and a cooling part, which is formed by a conveying part between the first forming part and the second forming part of the conveying path, and the glass after being press-formed by the first forming part The material is cooled to a temperature near the glass transition temperature Tg, Wherein, the transportation from the preheating section to the first molding section is performed when the temperature of the mold unit is (glass transition temperature Tg-50)°C or higher (glass transition temperature Tg+10)°C, wherein the cooling section will The internal temperature is set to 100°C or less, and the glass material after being press-formed in the first forming part is cooled to a temperature near the glass transition temperature Tg during the transportation from the first forming part to the second forming part. The transportation process to the fourth transportation process are performed synchronously. For example, the optical element manufacturing device in the scope of the patent application, wherein the above-mentioned introduction part exchanges the above-mentioned mold unit equipped with the glass material after the press molding is replaced with a mold unit equipped with the glass material that has not been press-formed Unit exchange department. For example, the manufacturing device of the optical element of the 6th or 7th item of the scope of patent application, wherein the above-mentioned conveying device includes a turntable. For example, the optical element manufacturing apparatus of claim 6 or 7, wherein the first molding part and the second molding part include: a heating part that heats and softens the glass material arranged in the mold unit; and pressing Part, which presses the above-mentioned mold unit to press and form the above-mentioned glass material. For example, the optical element manufacturing device of the 6th or 7th patent application, wherein the above-mentioned mold unit includes: a molding die having a molding surface corresponding to the shape of the above-mentioned optical element; and A mold support member that holds the above-mentioned molding mold.

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