Patents Assigned to Hoya Precision Inc.
  • Patent number: 6240235
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignees: Hoya Corporation, Hoya Precision Inc.
    Inventors: Ken Uno, Masahiro Yoshida, Teruo Yamashita, Shinichiro Hirota, Yoshiatsu Yokoo
  • Patent number: 6151915
    Abstract: A mold has a moling surface of a material containing silicon carbide and/or silicon nitride as a main component and a carbon thin film formed on the molding surface to prevent fusion sticking. A glass substance which has a sag point not higher than 565.degree. C. and a predetermined composition free from arsenic oxide is introduced into the mold. The glass substance is press-formed in a heated and softened condition into a glass optical element of high precision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignees: Hoya Precision Inc., Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Shin-Ichiro Hirota, Yu Oogami, Kazuaki Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 6009725
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignees: Hoya Precision Inc., Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Shin-ichiro Hirota, Ken Uno, Hiroaki Takahara, Tadayuki Fujimoto, Hiroshi Enomoto
  • Patent number: 5919718
    Abstract: A mold has a moling surface of a material containing silicon carbide and/or silicon nitride as a main component and a carbon thin film formed on the molding surface to prevent fusion sticking. A glass substance which has a sag point not higher than 565.degree. C. and a predetermined composition free from arsenic oxide is introduced into the mold. The glass substance is press-formed in a heated and softened condition into a glass optical element of high precision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignees: Hoya Precision Inc., Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Shin-Ichiro Hirota, Yu Oogami, Kazuaki Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 5873921
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Assignees: Hoya Precisions Inc., Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Shin-ichiro Hirota, Ken Uno, Hiroaki Takahara, Tadayuki Fujimoto, Hiroshi Enomoto
  • Patent number: 5762673
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing glass optical elements at high operational efficiency, a mass of molten glass which is dropped down is cut at a first step by a wind blast into a sequence of glass gobs each of which is received by a gas stream spouted from a lower portion. Each glass gob is kept afloat with a gas stream spouted to be adjusted to a temperature corresponding to a glass viscosity between 10.sup.5.5 and 10.sup.9 poises. Thereafter, the glass gob is pressed in a third step by the use of a pair of forming dies kept at a temperature which corresponds to a glass viscosity between 10.sup.8 and 10.sup.12 poises and which is lower than the temperature of the glass gob. During the third step, the forming dies are cooled to a temperature lower than the temperature corresponding to a glass viscosity of 10.sup.13.4 poises with the glass gob kept within the forming dies and are thereafter opened to release a shaped article from the forming dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignees: Hoya Precision Inc., Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Shin-Ichiro Hirota, Tadayuki Fujimoto, Hiroaki Takahara