Molding method for optical element and apparatus therefor

A glass press molding apparatus comprising:

• heating means for heating glass material to be molded and a mold die for molding said glass material;
• molding means for pressurizing and molding the glass material heated by said heating means;
• pallets for supporting said glass material and said mold die thereon, wherein said pallets, each supporting said glass material and said mold die, are transferred to said heating means and said molding means;
• and
• adjusting means for adjusting the heating time in said heating means by feeding interval of said pallets to said heating means.

Method for measuring a temperature of a glass press molding process comprising:

• placing a glass material and a molding die onto a pallet;
• transferring said pallet into a heating process;
• heating said pallet to a predetermined temperature;
• measuring the temperature of said molding die and said glass material, said temperature of said molding die and said glass material being respectively transmitted to thermal detection terminals provided on said pallet through a thermal transmitting path;
• terminating said heating step when said detected temperature reaches the predetermined temperature;
• transferring said glass material and said molding die to a pressurizing portion for molding said glass material into a molded article.

An apparatus for molding a glass material into an optical element, comprising:

• a molding system having a glass material receiving portion, a heating portion, a press molding portion, a cooling portion, and a molded article taking-out portion, said molding system having a means to transfer a plurality of pallets supporting a glass material and a molding die to said each portions, said molding system having a transporting means for carrying the pallets from said molding article taking-out portion to said glass material receiving portion;
• pulling out means for pulling out the pallets from said cooling portion to said molded article taking-out portion after completion of a cooling process;
• and
• means for returning said pallets to said transporting means after removing the molded article from said pallets at said molded article taking-out portion.

An apparatus for molding a glass material into an optical element, comprising:

• a molding system having a glass material receiving portion, a heating portion, a press molding portion, a cooling portion, and a molded article taking-out portion, said transferring system having means to transfer a plurality of pallets supporting a glass material and a molding die to said portions;
• means (54) for transferring said pallets from said press molding portion to said cooling portion after completion of a molding process;
• means (55) for sending said pallets to said molded article taking-out portion after cooling at said cooling portion;
• and
• control means for simultaneously driving said transferring means (54) and said sending means (55).

Method for molding a glass material into an optical element, comprising:

• preparing a plurality of pallets, each pallet having a molding die for press molding a glass material and a portion for supporting said glass material;
• supplying the glass material to said glass material supporting portion of each said pallet;
• transferring said pallet to a heating process;
• heating said pallet with said molding die and said glass material by a single heat source;
• transferring said heated pallets to a press molding process;
• moving said heated glass material into said molding die during the step of said pallet being transferred from said heating process to said press molding process;
• and
• molding said molding material into said optical element.

A glass press molding apparatus, comprising:

• a heating means;
• a press molding means;
• a pallet for transferring a glass material and a molding die for molding the glass material to said heating means and said press molding means, and having at least a temperature detecting portion for transmitting the temperature of said glass material;
• a probe means for contacting with said temperature detecting portion;
• means for converting the temperature detected by said probe into an electric signal;
• and
• a temperature controller for receiving the signal from said converting means and for outputting a control signal to said heating means.