Optical-device forming method and apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTakeshi Nomura, Nobuyuki Nakagawa, Kiyoshi Yamamoto, Sunao Miyazaki
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for forming an optical device of a desired shape presses a heat-softened optical material using a set of molds. The optical material is aligned with respect to the molds by two or more aligning members which move around the center of the mold relative to each other. The optical material may also be aligned by inserting a pin into an aligning hole which is fixed to the mold body and has been aligned with respect to the molds.
Claims50
An optical-device forming method for forming an optical device of a desired shape by pressing a heat-softened optical material using a set of molds, comprising the steps of:
- aligning a pair of aligning members with respect to a first mold, in which the aligning members move relatively to each other, with a reference position of the first mold as a central position of movement, so as to maintain a constant distance between the aligning members and the reference position of the first mold;
- and
- abutting the optical material with the pair of aligning members to align the optical material at a predetermined position within the first mold.
An optical-device forming method for forming an optical device of a desired shape by pressing a heat-softened optical material using a set of molds, comprising the steps of:
- aligning the optical material with respect to a first mold by moving the optical material within the first mold to a predetermined position by abutting aligning members against the optical material;
- and
- using at least three aligning members for aligning the optical material, in which the aligning members have been aligned with respect to the first mold and which move around a reference position of the first mold as a central position of movement, relatively to each other, so as to maintain a constant distance between the aligning members and the reference position of the first mold.
An optical-device forming method for forming an optical device of a desired shape by pressing a heat-softened optical material using a set of molds, comprising the steps of:
- aligning the optical material with respect to a first mold by moving the optical material within the first mold to a predetermined position by abutting against the optical material;
- and
- wherein the aligning comprises the step of inserting an aligning pin into an aligning hole which has been aligned with respect to the first mold in advance of inputting the optical material into the first mold.
An optical-device forming method for forming a concave optical-functional surface on at least one surface of an optical material by pressing the optical material, being heat softened, using a set of molds, with a first mold having a convex molding surface and a second mold having a molding surface, comprising the steps of:
- placing the optical material on the first mold;
- aligning the optical material with respect to the first mold by moving the optical material within the first mold to a predetermined position by abutting the optical material with a pair of aligning members which have been aligned with respect to the first mold and which move relatively to each other, with a reference position of the first mold as a central position of movement, so as to maintain a constant distance between the aligning members and the reference position of the first mold;
- and
- pressing the optical material with the set of molds to form the concave optical-functional surface on at least one surface of the optical material.
An optical-device forming method for forming a concave optical-functional surface on at least one surface of an optical material by pressing the optical material, being heat softened, using a set of molds, with a first mold having a convex molding surface and a second mold having a molding surface, comprising the steps of:
- placing the optical material on the first mold;
- aligning the optical material with respect to the first mold by moving the optical material within the first mold to a predetermined position by abutting the optical material with at least three aligning members which have been aligned with respect to the first mold and which move relatively to each other, with a reference position of the first mold as a central position of movement, so as to maintain a constant distance between the aligning members and the reference position of the first mold;
- and
- pressing the optical material with the set of molds to form the concave optical-functional surface on at least one surface of the optical material.
An optical-device forming method for forming a concave optical-functional surface on at least one surface of an optical material by pressing the optical material, being heat softened, using a set of molds, with a first mold having a convex molding surface and a second mold having a molding surface, comprising the steps of:
- aligning the optical material with respect to the first mold, wherein the aligning is preformed by inserting a pin into an aligning hole which has been aligned with respect to the first mold in advance of placing the optical material on the first mold;
- placing the optical material on the first mold;
- and
- pressing the optical material with the set of molds to form the concave optical-functional surface on at least one surface of the optical material.
An optical-device forming apparatus for forming an optical device of a desired shape by pressing a heat-softened optical material using a set of molds, comprising:
- aligning means for aligning the optical material with respect to a first mold by moving the optical material within said first mold to a predetermined position by abutting against the optical material, said aligning means including
- a pair of aligning members aligned with respect to said first mold and which move relatively to each other, with a reference position of said first mold as a central position of movement, so as to maintain a constant distance between said aligning members and the reference position of said first mold.
The optical-device forming apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said aligning members have sloped surfaces in symmetrical shapes with respect to the reference position of said first mold and said sloped surfaces are abutting against the optical material.
An optical-device forming apparatus for forming an optical device of a desired shape by pressing a heat-softened optical material using a set of molds, comprising:
- aligning means for aligning the optical material with respect to a first mold by moving the optical material within said first mold to a predetermined position by abutting against the optical material, said aligning means including
- at least three aligning members which have been aligned with respect to said first mold and which move around a reference position of said first mold as a central position of movement, relatively to each other, so as to maintain a constant distance between said aligning members and the reference position of said first mold.
An optical-device forming apparatus for forming an optical device of a desired shape by pressing a heat-softened optical material using a set of molds, comprising:
- molding means, including a first mold, for pressing the heat-softened optical material;
- and
- aligning means for aligning the optical material with respect to said first mold by moving the optical material within said first mold to a predetermined position, wherein said aligning means includes an aligning pin to be inserted into an aligning hole which has been aligned with respect to said first mold in advance of inputting the optical material into said first mold.
An optical-device forming apparatus for forming a plurality of optical devices of a desired shape by pressing a plurality of heat-softened optical materials using plural sets of molds, comprising:
- molding means, including plural sets of molds, for pressing the heat-softened optical materials;
- and
- aligning means, including a pair of aligning members, for aligning the optical materials with respect to said molds, by moving the optical materials within said molds to a predetermined position by abutting said aligning members against the optical materials, with said
- aligning members being aligned with respect to said molds and able to move relatively to each other, with a reference position of said molds as a central position of movement, so as to maintain a constant distance between the aligning members and the reference position of said molds.
An optical-device forming apparatus for forming a plurality of optical devices of a desired shape by pressing a plurality of heat-softened optical materials using plural sets of molds, comprising:
- aligning means for aligning the optical materials with respect to said molds, by moving the optical materials within said molds to a predetermined position by abutting against the optical materials, said aligning means including
- at least three aligning members aligned with respect to said molds and which move around a reference position of said molds as a central position of movement, relatively to each other, so as to maintain a constant distance between said aligning members and the reference position of said molds.
An optical-device forming apparatus for forming a plurality of optical devices of a desired shape by pressing a plurality of heat-softened optical materials using plural sets of molds, comprising:
- pressing means, including plural sets of molds, for molding the optical materials;
- and
- aligning means for aligning the optical materials with respect to said molds by moving the optical materials within said molds to a predetermined position by abutting against the optical materials, wherein said aligning means includes an aligning pin to be inserted into an aligning hole which has been aligned with respect to said molds in advance of inputting the optical materials into said molds.
An optical-device forming apparatus for forming a plurality of optical devices of a desired shape by pressing a plurality of heat-softened optical materials using plural sets of molds, comprising:
- aligning means for aligning the optical materials with respect to said molds by moving the optical materials within said molds to a predetermined position by abutting against the optical materials;
- and a rack-and-pinion mechanism for driving said aligning means.
An optical-device forming apparatus for forming a plurality of optical devices of a desired shape by pressing a plurality of heat-softened optical materials using plural sets of molds, comprising:
- aligning means for aligning the optical materials with respect to said molds by moving the optical materials within said molds to a predetermined position by abutting against the optical materials;
- and
- a link mechanism for driving said aligning means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.