Patents Examined by Mathieu D. Vargot
  • Molding method and apparatus for an optical element
    Patent number: 8343393
    Abstract: In a molding apparatus in which upper and lower dies are held in a bearing, there are provided pipes for introducing N2 gas used for controlling temperatures of balls of the bearing, whereby difference in temperature between the guide member and the upper and lower dies is controlled. With this structure, it is possible to prevent generation of an excessive compressive force between the upper die and the lower die and the bearing, to thereby prevent breakage of the dies. Further, it is also possible to prevent formation of gaps between the upper die and the lower die and the bearing, to thereby mold an optical element excellent in accuracy of an optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Nomura
  • Optical disc manufacturing method
    Patent number: 8337729
    Abstract: An optical disc manufacturing method includes: an injection step of injecting a liquid material into a circular plate-shaped injection space having a center hole portion at a center from an injection hole connected to an inner edge portion in the injection space; a discharge step of discharging air and the liquid material from a discharge hole formed on a straight line passing through the injection hole and a center of the center hole portion in a plane direction of the circular plate and at a position opposite to the injection hole; a curing step of curing the liquid material injected into the injection space; and a takeout step of taking out the cured liquid material from the injection space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Noriyuki Saito, Hiroshi Uchiyama, Takao Kudo, Yusuke Suzuki
  • Method of manufacturing optical component
    Patent number: 8333232
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an optical component that is provided with an optical element, and an optical element holding component that holds an outer circumferential portion of the optical element includes: placing the optical element on an interior side of a metal die that molds the optical element holding component, and in which an incident side protective component that protects an optical surface on an incident side of the optical element is placed against this optical surface on the incident side, and placing an emission side protective component that protects an optical surface on an emission side of the optical element against this optical surface on the emission side; and filling the interior of the metal die with a molten metal material so that the optical element holding component which is formed from an amorphous alloy is injection molded integrally with the optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Suda, Seiji Isogawa, Yukichi Hanayama, Takeo Suzuki, Hiroaki Negishi, Noriko Negishi, legal representative
  • Method of fabricating a mold and producing an antireflection film using the mold
    Patent number: 8329069
    Abstract: A motheye mold fabrication method of at least one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: (a) preparing an Al base in which an Al content is less than 99.99 mass %; (b) partially anodizing the Al base to form a porous alumina layer which has a plurality of very small recessed portions; (c) after step (b), allowing the porous alumina layer to be in contact with an etchant which contains an anodic inhibitor, thereby enlarging the plurality of very small recessed portions of the porous alumina layer; and (d) after step (c), further anodizing the Al base to grow the plurality of very small recessed portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ichiro Ihara
  • Method for manufacturing spherical Fresnel lens
    Patent number: 8323434
    Abstract: Manufacturing spherical Fresnel lens includes providing a first optical element with a regular hexagonal first Fresnel micro-lens in the center of the first optical element and six regular hexagonal second Fresnel micro-lens arrayed around the first Fresnel micro-lens. One edge of the second Fresnel micro-lens is connected to one edge of the first Fresnel micro-lens. The first optical element is stressed to yield a spherical cap configuration of the first optical element, and a second optical element is provided matched to the first optical element, and including a plurality of Fresnel micro-lens. The second optical element is bent into a curve shaped configuration having a curvature as the bent first optical element, and a number of bent second optical elements are assembled around the bent first optical element in sequence to form a hemispherical-shaped configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sei-Ping Louh
  • Method for producing polarizer
    Patent number: 8323538
    Abstract: A method for producing a polarizer of the present invention comprises: subjecting a polyvinyl alcohol film to at least a dyeing process, a crosslinking process and a stretching process; and then subjecting the polyvinyl alcohol film to a washing process with an aqueous solution containing 1 to 50% by weight of an alcohol and 0.5 to 10% by weight of an iodide compound. A polarizer produced by the production method has high transmittance and high degree of polarization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Ogomi, Minoru Miyatake
  • Method of manufacturing all-in-one type light guide plate
    Patent number: 8323537
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing an all-in-one type light guide plate. The method includes: fabricating a master including a plurality of inverse-prism shape structures; forming an elastic mold by applying an elastomer on the master; and fabricating the all-in-one type light guide plate, on which a plurality of inverse-prism shape structures are integrally formed, by applying a light transmissive material on the elastic mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hong-seok Lee, Hwan-Young Choi, Jun-bo Yoon, Joo-hyung Lee
  • Method for preparing an implant of cortical bone
    Patent number: 8323543
    Abstract: A screw formed of cortical bone for use in the human body with an implant having a screw hole for receiving at least a portion of a screw therethrough, includes a shaft with a thread along at least a portion of its length. The thread has an outer diameter dimensioned to pass through the screw hole in the implant. The trailing end of the screw is configured to cooperatively engage at least a portion of the screw hole of the implant so as to prevent the screw from linear motion along the mid-longitudinal axis of the shaft in a direction opposite to the direction of insertion when the screw is threaded through the screw hole to attach the implant to a bone portion of the human body. The screw is formed substantially of cortical bone of a single cortical thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary K. Michelson
  • Method for manufacturing mold for molding optical element
    Patent number: 8318058
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a mold for molding an optical element, wherein the mold comprising a base material having a molding base face and a covering layer provided on the molding base face of the base material, and an upper surface portion of the covering layer located above the molding base face forms a molding face, the method including: a covering step for forming a covering layer on the molding base face of the base material; a pressurizing step for pressurizing a surface of the covering layer; and a high-precision processing step for forming a molding face by applying high-precision processing onto the surface of the covering layer subsequent to the pressurizing step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuzo Nakatsuka, Atsushi Naito
  • Optical sheet manufacturing method
    Patent number: 8318056
    Abstract: An optical sheet having both a light condensing function and a light diffusing function in a single sheet is to be provided. When a transparent support (18) on which a curable resin coat layer (38) is formed is wound around a zigzag-faced roller (32) on which the reversed pattern of convex-concave patterns is formed to transfer the reversed pattern of the zigzag-faced roller (32) to the resin coat layer (38), gas is blown from a gas jet nozzle (50), immediately before winding the transparent support (18) around the zigzag-faced roller (32), into a gap between the resin coat layer (38) and the surface of the zigzag-faced roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Koike, Hideo Nagano, Ryuichi Katsumoto
  • Stabilization of poly(oxyalkylene) containing polymeric materials
    Patent number: 8318059
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a medical device, preferably an ophthalmic device, more preferably a contact lens, made of a stabilized poly(oxyalkylene)-containing polymeric material. The method of the invention comprises the steps of: curing, in a mold, a composition comprising (a) a prepolymer having at least one poly(oxyalkylene) unit, (b) a biocompatible organic multi-acid or biocompatible salt thereof in an amount sufficient to improve the stability of the poly(oxyalkylene)-containing polymer made from the composition, (c) optionally a photoinitiator or a thermal initiator, and (d) optionally one or more vinylic monomers, to form the medical device being less susceptible to oxidative degradation; and removing the medical device from the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Brian Gerrard Devlin, Arturo Norberto Medina, Karen Belinda Sentell, Stephen Raymond Perreault, Mireille Tena
  • Method for replicating optical elements, particularly on a wafer level, and replicas formed thereby
    Patent number: 8318057
    Abstract: Integrated multiple optical elements may be formed by bonding substrates containing such optical elements together or by providing optical elements on either side of the wafer substrate. The wafer is subsequently diced to obtain the individual units themselves. The optical elements may be formed lithographically, directly, or using a lithographically generated master to emboss the elements. Alignment features facilitate the efficient production of such integrated multiple optical elements, as well as post creation processing thereof on the wafer level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Digitaloptics Corporation East
    Inventors: Brian Harden, Alan Kathman, Michael Feldman
  • Methods for globally treating silica optics to reduce optical damage
    Patent number: 8313662
    Abstract: A method for preventing damage caused by high intensity light sources to optical components includes annealing the optical component for a predetermined period. Another method includes etching the optical component in an etchant including fluoride and bi-fluoride ions. The method also includes ultrasonically agitating the etching solution during the process followed by rinsing of the optical component in a rinse bath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Philip Edward Miller, Tayyab Ishaq Suratwala, Jeffrey Devin Bude, Nan Shen, William Augustus Steele, Ted Alfred Laurence, Michael Dennis Feit, Lana Louie Wong
  • Method for producing polarizer
    Patent number: 8303867
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a polarizer and to a polarizer produced by the production method. The invention also relates to a polarizing plate and an optical film each using the polarizer and to an image display such as a liquid crystal display, an organic electroluminescent display and a plasma display panel, each using the polarizing plate or the optical film. The invention further relates to a cleaning apparatus having a cleaning vessel for use in a cleaning process of a polarizer production method and to a cleaning system into which the cleaning apparatus is assembled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventor: Eiji Hamamoto
  • Method of producing a patterned birefringent product
    Patent number: 8304017
    Abstract: A method of producing a patterned birefringent product, having at least steps (I) to (III) in this order: (I) providing a birefringent pattern builder having an optically anisotropic layer containing a polymer having unreacted reactive groups; (II) heating a region of the birefringent pattern builder; and (III) subjecting the birefringent pattern builder to a process that reacts at least a part of the unreacted reactive groups in the optically anisotropic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Kaneiwa, Ichiro Amimori
  • Method of making a molded article from two or more different formable materials in a single heating cycle
    Patent number: 8298470
    Abstract: A method of making a molded article from two or more different formable materials having different molding temperatures in a single heating or molding cycle. One of the formable materials is selected as a reference material, and the remaining formable materials are modified so that all of the formable materials reach their respective molding temperatures at substantially the same time. Preferably, each of the remaining formable materials is modified by mixing a suitable amount of an additive therewith so as to adjust the power factor of the formable material. All of the formable materials are then placed in a flow molding apparatus whereby an alternating dielectric field is applied across the formable materials to form the molded article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Vertex L.L.C.
    Inventor: Michel Marc
  • Method of producing a movable lens structure for a light shaping unit
    Patent number: 8298457
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of producing a movable lens structure that comprises the steps of: forming a lens from a lens material disposed on a carrier of another material (step 58), and forming a micromechanical structure from the carrier (step 60), wherein the forming of the lens takes place before the forming of the micromechanical structure. With this method a simplified production method is obtained that simplifies difficult compatibility requirements between micromechanics and lens that can otherwise be hard to meet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Imego AB
    Inventors: Gert Andersson, Stefan Bengtsson, Sverker Hård, Anders Larsson, Fredrik Nikolajeff, Henrik Rödjegård, Anna-Lena Hård, legal representative
  • Manufacturing method for optical film
    Patent number: 8273273
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for an optical film via a solution casting method on a transparent substrate film comprising the steps of: (i) ejecting a micro-particle dispersion containing micro-particles having a average particle diameter of at least 25-200 nm as liquid droplets by use of an ink-jet head when a residual solvent content in a web is 5-400 weight %, and (ii) depositing the liquid droplets to adhere onto one side surface of a web and to form a micro convex structure, and further to form 1-10,000 points of convex parts per 10,000 ?m2 having a height of the convex parts of the convex structure of 0.01-0.5 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroki Umeda
  • Lens apt to trimming
    Patent number: 8272736
    Abstract: A method for treating an ophthalmic lens comprising two main sides, wherein at least one side comprises an organic or mineral external layer coated with a MgF2 temporary protective layer, said method comprising the specific treating step of depositing the MgF2 temporary protective layer on the external layer through vacuum evaporation at a speed lower than or equal to 0.5 nm/s. The lens obtained from the above method is capable of being submitted to a trimming operation within 48 hours after the ophthalmic lens has been treated, i.e. after the various layers have been deposited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Essilor International Compagnie Generale d'Optique
    Inventors: Pascale Lacan, Dominique Conte
  • Method for manufacturing lens used in camera module
    Patent number: 8273272
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a lens used in a camera module including the steps of: preparing a preform for manufacturing a lens; forming a front lens on a front surface of the preform; and forming an array lens by forming a rear lens on a rear surface of the preform during the formation of the front lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheong Hee Lee, Jong Ho Ahn, In Cheol Chang, Hye Ran Oh, Seok Cheon Lee, Young Su Jin