APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MOLDING OPTICAL ELEMENT

• Main Author: YOSHIKUNI KEISUKE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 14.07.2011
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; GLASS; MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES; METALLURGY; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHYSICS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and a method for molding an optical element that can control the temperature to heat a molding material and a molding die and perform efficient press molding. SOLUTION: The apparatus 1 for molding an optical element includes a molding die composed of an upper die 11, a lower die 12 and a body die 13, and a driving means 20 to move at least one of the upper die 11 and the lower die 12 up and down, wherein a molding material 2 of the optical element contained in the molding die is heated up to its softening temperature or higher and then subjected to press molding using the upper die 11 and lower die 12 to obtain the optical element of a predetermined shape. The apparatus 1 is further equipped with a upper heater 20 to directly heat the upper die 11, a lower heater 21 to directly heat the lower die 12, an infrared lamp heater 22 to heat the body die 13, a heater 15 to heat the molding material 2 installed attachably-detachably in the molding die, and a temperature controller to control each of the upper heater 20, lower heater 21, infrared lamp heater 22 and heater 15 to heat the molding material independently. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT