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US 5,588,980 AGranted
Apparatus for molding a glass optical element with a transporting supporting member
AssigneeOlympus Optical Co., Ltd.
InventorHiroshi Ito
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A molding apparatus includes a glass ejection chamber for pre-molding glass, a glass heating chamber having a heating furnace, a precision press chamber for molding an optical element, and a mechanism for transporting a glass supporting member. A method for molding an optical element using the molding apparatus includes the step of providing a molded lens receiving molded part and a supporting member in the glass ejection chamber. The glass is heated in the heating chamber while being supported on the supporting member after being separated from the receiving mold part. The glass is molded into the optical element by a pair of mold parts having molding surfaces formed in conformity with the major surfaces of the optical element.
Claims18
An apparatus for molding an optical element from molten glass, comprising:
- a glass ejection chamber including a receiving mold part having an end surface for receiving the molten glass, the end surface having a shape that substantially conforms to one of two major surfaces of the optical element, and a supporting member having an opening so as to expose the end surface of the receiving mold part when the supporting member is detachably mounted on the receiving mold part for receiving a desired amount of molten glass;
- a heating chamber connected to the glass ejection chamber for heating the glass, the heating chamber having a heating furnace for receiving the glass from the glass ejection chamber while the glass is separated from the receiving mold part and is supported on the supporting member;
- a precision press chamber connected to the heating chamber for receiving the heated glass supported on the supporting member from the heating chamber and for molding the glass into the optical element, the precision press chamber including a pair of mold parts having molding surfaces each having a shape that substantially conforms to a respective one of the two major surfaces of the optical element;
- and
- transport means movable into the glass ejection chamber, the heating chamber and the precision press chamber for transporting the supporting member.
2 more elements
An apparatus for molding an optical element from molten glass, comprising:
- a glass ejection chamber including a receiving mold part having an end surface for receiving the molten glass, the end surface having a shape that substantially conforms to one of a plurality of optical surfaces of the optical element, and an auxiliary pressing mold part capable of moving to a position facing the end surface of the receiving mold part and having an end surface having a shape that substantially conforms to one of the optical surfaces of the optical element, the glass ejection chamber being capable of receiving a predetermined amount of the molten glass to be pre-molded between the end surfaces of the receiving mold part and the auxiliary pressing mold part, the glass ejection chamber including a supporting member having a frame shape and an opening shaped so as to expose the end surface of the receiving mold part when the supporting member is detachably mounted on the receiving mold part;
- a heating chamber connected to the glass ejection chamber for heating the glass the heating chamber having a heating furnace for receiving the glass from the glass ejection chamber while the glass is separated from the receiving mold part and the auxiliary pressing mold part and is supported on the supporting member;
- a precision press chamber connected to the heating chamber for receiving the heated glass supported on the supporting member from the heating chamber and for molding the glass into the optical element, the precision press chamber including a pair of mold parts having molding surfaces each having a shape that substantially conforms to a respective one of the optical surfaces of the optical element;
- and
- transport means movable into the glass ejection chamber, the heating chamber and the precision press chamber for transporting the supporting member.
2 more elements
An apparatus for molding an optical element from molten glass comprising:
- a glass ejection chamber including a receiving mold part for receiving the molten glass, the receiving mold having a shape that substantially conforms to one of two major surfaces of the optical element, and a supporting member being detachably mounted on the receiving mold part for receiving a desired amount of molten glass;
- a heating chamber connected to the glass ejection chamber for heating glass, the heating chamber having a heating furnace for receiving the glass from the glass ejection chamber while the glass is supported on the supporting member;
- a precision press chamber connected to the heating chamber for receiving the heated glass supported on the supporting member from the heating chamber ant for molding the glass into the optical element, the precision press chamber including a pair of mold parts having molding surfaces each having a shape that substantially conforms to a respective one of the two major surfaces of the optical element;
- and
- a transporting device movable into the glass ejection chamber, the heating chamber and the precision press chamber for transporting the supporting member.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.