Fabrication of an optical wedge
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsKurt Allen Jenkins, Timothy Large, Rajesh Manohar Dighde
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various embodiments are disclosed relating to fabrication of an optical wedge. For example, one embodiment provides a method for manufacturing an optical wedge comprising inserting a wedge blank into a vacuum molding tool and applying a vacuum to the vacuum molding tool to temporarily hold the wedge blank against a molding surface of the vacuum molding tool. The method further comprises removing a layer from a top surface of the wedge blank to expose a machined surface of the wedge blank, and casting a finish layer on the machined surface to form a finish layer of a finished optical wedge.
Claims20
A method of fabricating an optical wedge from a wedge blank using a vacuum molding tool, the method comprising:
- inserting the wedge blank into the vacuum molding tool, the vacuum molding tool including a molding surface;
- applying a vacuum to the vacuum molding tool to temporarily shape a molded surface of the wedge blank to the molding surface of the vacuum molding tool;
- removing a layer from a surface of the wedge blank opposite from the molded surface of the wedge blank to expose a machined surface of the wedge blank;
- casting a finish layer on top of the machined surface to form a finished optical wedge;
- and
- removing the finished optical wedge from the vacuum molding tool.
A vacuum molding system for forming an optical wedge from a wedge blank, the vacuum molding system comprising:
- a vacuum pump;
- a vacuum molding tool comprising one or more vacuum ports fluidly connected to the vacuum pump, the vacuum molding tool including a molding surface configured to temporarily shape a molded surface of the wedge blank under the urging of a pressure differential generated by the vacuum pump;
- and
- a casting plate configured to be retained across a finish layer of the wedge blank opposite from the molded surface of the wedge blank.
A method of fabricating an optical wedge for a projection display surface from a wedge blank using a vacuum molding tool, the method comprising:
- inserting the wedge blank into the vacuum molding tool, the vacuum molding tool including a molding surface;
- applying a vacuum to the vacuum molding tool to temporarily shape a molded surface of the wedge blank to the molding surface of the vacuum molding tool;
- removing a layer from a surface of the wedge blank opposite from the molded surface to expose a machined surface of the wedge blank;
- depositing a precursor for casting a finish layer on top of the machined surface;
- clamping a casting plate in contact with a top surface of the precursor;
- curing the precursor to form the finish layer of a finished optical wedge;
- and
- removing the finished optical wedge from the vacuum molding tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.