Method for manufacturing rod lenses, and rod lenses
AssigneeSchott AG
InventorsRobert Hettler, Frank Gindele, Edgar Pawlowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integral homogeneous rod lens and the manufacturing thereof from a raw glass body are provided by melting the raw glass body in a mold, whereby a protruding part of the raw glass body deforms into a dome shape with a spherical or nearly spherical surface that defines a convex lens portion of the rod lens.
Claims19
A method for manufacturing a rod lens that is homogeneously integrally formed with a shaft portion and a convex lens portion, comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one raw glass body from which the rod lens is to be formed;
- providing a mold for receiving and supporting the raw glass body such that the portion of the raw glass body intended to define the convex lens portion protrudes from the mold;
- melting the raw glass body at such a temperature that the portion of the raw glass body protruding from the mold deforms in air or in gas into a dome shape having a spherical surface;
- allowing the rod lens so produced to cool;
- and
- removing the rod lens from the mold.
A rod lens comprising a shaft portion and a convex lens portion that are homogeneously integrally formed with one another, wherein the convex lens portion is defined by skin formation relative to ambient air or gas into a dome shape having a spherical surface of fire-polished quality.
A method for manufacturing a rod lens that is homogeneously integrally formed with a shaft portion and a convex lens portion, comprising the steps of:
- inserting a raw glass body into a mold so that air or gas remains between an inner surface of the mold and a first region of the raw glass body intended to form the shaft portion and so that a second region of the raw glass body intended to form the convex lens portion extends from the mold above the inner surface;
- melting the raw glass body until the second region contacts the inner surface so that the shaft portion has a surface finish that corresponds to a surface quality of the inner surface and until the first region of the raw glass body defines a surface quality of the convex lens portion by skin formation relative to ambient air or gas;
- allowing the rod lens so produced to cool;
- and
- removing the rod lens from the mold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.