Method and mold for injection molding optical article with increased surface accuracy
AssigneeAsia Optical Co., Inc.
InventorsSheng-Jui Chao, Hui-Chuan Kuo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and a mold (60, 70) for injection molding an optical article (10, 50) with increased surface accuracy are disclosed. The shaping side (65, 75) of a movable mold insert (61, 71) of the injection mold is shaped corresponding to those of both optical effective area (11, 12; 51) and reference surface (13; 53) of the optical article to be molded. The gate (62, 73) of the injection mold is positioned at a location adjacent to a portion of the mold cavity (63, 74) corresponding to a large convex portion of the optical article to be molded.
Claims17
A method for injection molding an optical article with increased surface accuracy, the optical article to be molded having an optical effective area and a reference surface at one side thereof, the method comprising the following steps:
- providing a first mold insert, a first barrel for surrounding the first mold insert, a second mold insert, and a second barrel for surrounding the second mold insert;
- forming a shaping side of the second mold insert into a shape conforming to those of both the optical effective area and reference surface of the optical article to be molded;
- assembling the mold inserts and barrels into an injection mold with a mold cavity defined therebetween, the first mold insert acting as a fixed mold insert, the second mold insert acting as a movable mold insert;
- defining a gate in the injection mold;
- heating the injection mold;
- filling molten optical material into the mold cavity through the gate for molding the optical article;
- pressurizing the molten optical material;
- cooling the injection mold to cool and solidify the molten optical material to mold the optical article in the mold cavity;
- and
- ejecting the molded optical article from the mold cavity.
An injection mold for molding an optical article with increased surface accuracy, the optical article to be molded having an optical effective area and a reference surface at one side thereof, the reference surface being adapted for supporting the molded optical article on a corresponding element, the injection mold including a fixed mold insert, a movable mold insert, a mold cavity defined between the fixed and movable mold inserts, and a gate;
- the mold cavity receiving molten optical material injected therein via the gate to form the optical article;
- the movable mold insert having a shaping side shaped conforming with those of both the optical effective area and reference surface of the optical article to be molded;
- the movable mold insert being movable relative to the mold cavity without affecting the desired dimensional relationship between the optical effective area and reference surface of the optical article.
An injection mold for molding an optical article with increased surface accuracy, the optical article to be molded having a large convex portion, the injection mold including a fixed mold insert having a first shaping side shaped conforming with one side of the optical article to be molded, a movable mold insert having a second shaping side shaped conforming with the other side of the optical article to be molded, and a gate;
- the fixed and movable mold inserts being arranged with the first and second shaping sides thereof facing each other to define a mold cavity between;
- the mold cavity receiving molten optical material injected therein via the gate to form the optical article therein;
- the gate being located adjacent to a portion of the mold cavity corresponding to the convex portion of the optical article to be molded.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.