Hoya Corporation

Other

Prometron Technics Corp.

Hoya Precision Inc.

Hoya Precisions Inc.

Ken Uno

Tadayuki Fujimoto

Shinichiro Hirota

Hiroaki Takahara

Hiroshi Enomoto

Shin-ichiro Hirota

Teruo Yamashita

Yoshiatsu Yokoo

Masahiro Yoshida

Kishio Sugawara

Takuo Fujino

Kohichi Saitoh

Reikou Fukazaki

Lihong Zhang

Yasuo Kusumi

Hideki Nakamori

Disclosed are processes for manufacturing glass optical elements by press molding a heated and softened glass material in preheated molds. In the process, the glass material is heated while it is floated by a gas blow and the heated and softened glass material is transferred to the preheated molds and then subjected to press molding. Alternatively, the process comprises: heating a glass material at a temperature at which the glass material has a viscosity of lower than 10 poises, preheating molds at a temperature at which the glass material has a viscosity of from 10 to 10 poises, subjecting the heated and softened glass material to initial press in the preheated molds for 3 to 60 seconds, starting to cool the vicinity of molding surfaces of the molds at a rate of 20&deg; C./minute or higher upon starting of, or during, or after the initial press, and removing a molded glass article from the molds after the temperature of the vicinity of the molding surfaces of the molds becomes a temperature equal to or lower than a temperature at which the glass material has a viscosity of 10 poises.

Process for manufacturing glass optical elements

Processes for manufacturing glass optical elements by press molding a heated and softened glass material in preheated molds. In the process, the glass material is heated while it is floated by a gas blow and the heated and softened glass material is transferred to the preheated molds and then subjected to press molding. Alternatively, the process comprises: heating a glass material at a temperature at which the glass material has a viscosity of lower than 10 poises, preheating molds at a temperature at which the glass material has a viscosity of from 10 to 10 poises, subjecting the heated and softened glass material to initial press in the preheated molds for 3 to 60 seconds, starting to cool the vicinity of molding surfaces of the molds at a rate of 20&deg; C./minute or higher upon starting of, or during, or after the initial press, and removing a molded glass article from the molds after the temperature of the vicinity of the molding surfaces of the molds becomes a temperature equal to or lower than a temperature at which the glass material has a viscosity of 10 poises.

A manufacturing method for a glass product not having a rotatively symmetric body like an optical fiber fixing member but having a fine structure as of optical fiber engagement portions, to transfer the fine structure with a high precision without creating molding burrs, includes the steps of placing a glass material in a cavity defined by a lower mold, an upper mold, and a side mold, molding the glass material in the cavity with pressure into the glass product in so controlling that the glass material has a viscosity range of 10 to 10 poises at the beginning of molding operation with pressure, that the lower mold is at a temperature in a range such that the glass material indicates the above viscosity range, and that the upper and side molds are at a temperature in a range such that a converted viscosity of the glass material at the temperature of the upper and side molds is 5 to 100 times higher than the viscosity of the glass material at the temperature of the lower mold, and decreasing the temperature of the lower mold at the same time that or after the glass product begins to be molded with pressure. To produce an optical fiber fixing member, the lower mold has a mold face for molding optical fiber engagement portions of the optical fiber fixing member; the upper mold has a mold face for molding a bottom of the optical fiber fixing member; and the side mold has a mold face for molding a side face of the optical fiber fixing member

Method for manufacturing glass product

The optical fiber fixing member made of glass, especially optical fiber guide block, is conventionally produced by a mechanical processing. However, the mechanical processing has problems that a production cost becomes high and mass-production is difficult. The problems above can be solved by the present invention providing a method for producing an optical fiber fixing member comprising: disposing a glass shaping preform whose plane view resembles to the plane view of the molded article and whose faces to be positioned in the pressurizing direction during press-molding assumes planes or outwardly convex curved surfaces, in a mold having a cavity of a given shape; and heating the glass shaping preform up to a temperature at which the glass shaping preform can be mold-shaping and thereby press-molding it into a molded article having at least one edge formed of a free surface.

Optical fiber fixing member and method for manufacturing the same

Process for preparation of glass optical elements

Disclosed is a manufacturing method for molded glass articles including glass optical elements such as high precision lenses not requiring grinding and polishing after press molding. The manufacturing method according to the invention is a method for manufacturing the molded glass articles having a higher surface precision with a high productivity by pressing a glass material in a stepwise manner constituted of some steps depending on a temperature condition of the glass material.

Manufacturing method for molded glass articles

A manufacturing method for a glass product not having a rotatively symmetric body like an optical fiber fixing member but having a fine structure as of optical fiber engagement portions, to transfer the fine structure with a high precision without creating molding burrs, includes the steps of placing a glass material in a cavity defined by a lower mold, an upper mold, and a side mold, molding the glass material in the cavity with pressure into the glass product in so controlling that the glass material has a viscosity range of 10.sup.6.5 to 10.sup.9.5 poises at the beginning of molding operation with pressure, that the lower mold is at a temperature in a range such that the glass material indicates the above viscosity range, and that the upper and side molds are at a temperature in a range such that a converted viscosity of the glass material at the temperature of the upper and side molds is 5 to 100 times higher than the viscosity of the glass material at the temperature of the lower mold, and decreasing the temperature of the lower mold at the same time that or after the glass product begins to be molded with pressure. To produce an optical fiber fixing member, the lower mold has a mold face for molding optical fiber engagement portions of the optical fiber fixing member; the upper mold has a mold face for molding a bottom of the optical fiber fixing member; and the side mold has a mold face for molding a side face of the optical fiber fixing member.

Processes are disclosed for manufacturing glass optical elements by press molding a heated and softened glass material in preheated molds. In the process, the glass material is heated while it is floated by a gas blow and the heated and softened glass material is transferred to the preheated molds and then subjected to press molding. Alternatively, the process comprises: heating a glass material at a temperature at which the glass material has a viscosity of lower than 10.sup.9 poises, preheating molds at a temperature at which the glass material has a viscosity of from 10.sup.9 to 10.sup.12 poises, subjecting the heated and softened glass material to initial press in the preheated molds for 3 to 60 seconds, starting to cool the vicinity of molding surfaces of the molds at a rate of 20.degree. C./minute or higher upon starting of, or during, or after the initial press, and removing a molded glass article from the molds after the temperature of the vicinity of the molding surfaces of the molds becomes a temperature equal to or lower than a temperature at which the glass material has a viscosity of 10.sup.12 poises.

A manufacturing method for molded glass articles including glass optical elements such as high precision lenses not requiring grinding and polishing after press molding. The manufacturing method according to the invention is a method for manufacturing the molded glass articles having a higher surface precision with a high productivity by pressing a glass material in a stepwise manner constituted of some steps depending on a temperature condition of the glass material.

Processes for manufacturing glass optical elements by press molding a heated and softened glass material in preheated molds. In the process, the glass material is heated while it is floated by a gas blow and the heated and softened glass material is transferred to the preheated molds and then subjected to press molding. Alternatively, the process comprises: heating a glass material at a temperature at which the glass material has a viscosity of lower than 10.sup.9 poises, preheating molds at a temperature at which the glass material has a viscosity of from 10.sup.9 to 10.sup.12 poises, subjecting the heated and softened glass material to initial press in the preheated molds for 3 to 60 seconds, starting to cool the vicinity of molding surfaces of the molds at a rate of 20.degree. C./minute or higher upon starting of, or during, or after the initial press, and removing a molded glass article from the molds after the temperature of the vicinity of the molding surfaces of the molds becomes a temperature equal to or lower than a temperature at which the glass material has a viscosity of 10.sup.12 poises.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a mold for glass press molding which comprises adopting, in the ion plating method to form an i-carbon film, a given hydrocarbon, given voltages, given temperature conditions, etc. According to the process, there could be obtained a mold for glass press molding, having an i-carbon film superior in adhesion to mold base, hardness, lubricity, etc. In this mold for glass press molding, the i-carbon film is less susceptible to peeling and glass releasability is good even after many times of press molding. Therefore, the mold can be used for glass press molding over a long period of time.

Process for producing mold used for obtaining press molded glass article

According to the present process for producing a glass mold, a base for a glass mold to be produced is subjected to a sputtering treatment using an inert gas and graphite as a target at a mold base temperature of 250.degree.-450.degree. C., and thereby is formed on the mold base a hard carbon film having excellent adhesion to the mold base and excellent hardness and being unliable to cause fusion bonding to a molded glass article produced. Accordingly, the glass mold produced according to the present process has excellent durability and excellent glass releasability.

Growing community of inventors

Higashiyamato, Japan

Ken Uno