Molded lens and molding tool
AssigneeHitachi Maxell, Ltd.
InventorsTadahiro Kuwa, Hideki Komiya, Masashi Yoshimura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lens is manufactured by hardening soft material filled inside a molding tool by cooling. The lens includes a convex lens portion having an optical axis, and a marking portion located outside of an effective diameter of the lens portion. The shape or the position of the marking portion is set to prevent deformation of the marking portion by contact with the molding tool due to shrinkage of the material during cooling.
Claims12
A glass lens manufactured by hardening a glass material supplied to a molding tool by cooling, comprising:
- a pair of optical functional portions having a common optical axis;
- a flange portion that is provided on a periphery of the pair of optical functional portions and comprises a pair of surfaces opposed to each other;
- and
- a marking portion that comprises at least one of a depressed shape or a projecting shape, and is integrally formed on at least one of the pair of surfaces, the marking portion extending along a radial direction such that the marking portion is configured to comprise a longitudinal shape in which the longitudinal direction of the marking portion is equal to the radial direction, the radial direction crossing the optical axis orthogonally, wherein
- the marking portion comprises an end portion in which a height or depth of the marking portion parallel to the optical axis varies as the marking portion extends along the radial direction, and
- a variation of the height or depth of the marking portion is set to prevent chipping of the marking portion which is caused by contact between the marking portion and the molding tool due to shrinkage of the glass material during cooling.
A molding tool for molding a lens by hardening a glass material by cooling, comprising:
- a first part for molding an optical functional portion having an optical axis;
- and
- a second part for molding a marking portion that comprises at least one of a depressed shape or a projecting shape, the second part extending along a radial direction such that the second part is configured to comprise a longitudinal shape in which the longitudinal direction of the second part is equal to the radial direction, the radial direction crossing the optical axis orthogonally, wherein
- a shape of the second part is set to prevent chipping of the marking portion which is caused by contact between the marking portion and the molding tool due to shrinkage of the glass material during cooling.
A glass lens manufactured by hardening a glass material supplied to a molding tool, comprising:
- a pair of optical functional portions having a common optical axis;
- a flange portion that is provided on a periphery of the pair of optical functional portions and comprises a pair of surfaces opposed to each other;
- and
- a marking portion that comprises at least one of a depressed or projecting shape, and is integrally formed on at least one of the pair of surfaces, the marking portion extending along a radial direction such that the marking portion is configured to comprise a longitudinal shape in which the longitudinal direction of the marking portion is equal to the radial direction, the radial direction crossing the optical axis orthogonally, wherein
- the marking portion comprises an end portion in which a cross sectional shape of the marking portion in a plane crossing the radial direction orthogonally varies as the marking portion extends along the radial direction, and
- a variation of the cross sectional shape of the marking portion is determined to prevent chipping of the marking portion which is caused by contact between the marking portion and the molding tool due to shrinkage of the glass material during cooling.
A method for producing a glass lens that comprises a pair of optical functional portions having a common optical axis, a flange portion provided on a periphery of the pair of optical functional portions and having a pair of surfaces opposed to each other, and a marking portion comprising at least one of a depressed or a projecting shape, the marking portion extending along a radial direction such that the marking portion is configured to comprise a longitudinal shape in which the longitudinal direction of the marking portion is equal to the radial direction, the radial direction crossing the optical axis orthogonally, the method comprising:
- supplying a glass material to a molding tool that comprises a pair of molds, at least one of the pair of molds comprising a marking formation portion for forming the marking portion of the glass lens, the marking formation portion being configured to prevent chipping of the marking portion which is caused by contact between the marking portion and the molding tool due to shrinkage of the glass material during cooling;
- arranging the pair of molds such that the glass material is interposed between the pair of molds;
- heating the glass material that is supplied to the molding tool;
- and
- cooling the glass material that is interposed between the pair of molds.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.