Abstract: To provide a glass sheet incorporating a plurality of optical elements, which incorporates a plurality of glass optical elements and realizes higher productivity and uniform quality of glass optical elements. The glass sheet incorporating a plurality of optical elements includes a plurality of lens parts formed by molding a glass material, reference surface areas each of which is formed around an outer periphery of each lens part and is horizontal to the lens part, and connection parts each of which extends from one reference surface area and connects one lens part to another lens part, in which the connection part has a margin for facilitating separation of the glass sheet into a plurality of pieces.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an optical element with a lens barrel, in which an optical raw material is placed on a placement portion projecting toward the center of the lens barrel from the inner peripheral surface thereof, and assuming that a distance between the opposing ends of the projection of the placement portion is L1, the outside diameter of the optical raw material is L2, the inside diameter of the lens barrel portion which is positioned close to and above the placement portion and to which the perimeter of the optical element obtained after forming is joined is L3, and the inside diameter of the smallest opening on the upper end side of the lens barrel is L4, design is performed to satisfy a relation of L1<L2<L3<L4.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a front-end optical component of an endoscope realizing resistance to humidity. In the method of manufacturing a front-end optical component in which a lens is mounted on the front end of a metallic lens-barrel provided on the front end of the inserting portion of an endoscope, the configuration is made such that a lens raw material is placed on the front-end side in the lens-barrel, the lens raw material is press-formed in a heat-softened state with a pair of upper and lower shaping dies, thereby tightly joining the outer edge of the pressed lens raw material to the inner peripheral surface of the lens-barrel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical component in which a plurality of glass optical elements are integrated thus improving the productivity and providing consistent quality. The optical component of the present invention comprises a plurality of lens parts 1 which is formed from glass material by press molding, a tubular leg part 2 which is formed during the press molding, and which bends at and extends downward from the periphery of the lens part 1, a planar part 3 which bends outwardly and extends horizontally from the tubular leg part 2 providing connection to other lens parts 1, and the cover glass 4 of the image sensor chip 5, which is fixed onto the lower surface of the planar part 3, and/or image sensor chip 5 which is disposed below the lens part 1.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical component in which a plurality of glass optical elements are integrated thus improving the productivity and providing consistent quality. The optical component of the present invention comprises a plurality of lens parts 1 which is formed from glass material by press molding, a tubular leg part 2 which is formed during the press molding, and which bends at and extends downward from the periphery of the lens part 1, a planar part 3 which bends outwardly and extends horizontally from the tubular leg part 2 providing connection to other lens parts 1, and the cover glass 4 of the image sensor chip 5, which is fixed onto the lower surface of the planar part 3, and/or image sensor chip 5 which is disposed below the lens part 1.

Abstract: To provide a glass sheet incorporating a plurality of optical elements, which incorporates a plurality of glass optical elements and realizes higher productivity and uniform quality of glass optical elements. The glass sheet incorporating a plurality of optical elements includes a plurality of lens parts formed by molding a glass material, reference surface areas each of which is formed around an outer periphery of each lens part and is horizontal to the lens part, and connection parts each of which extends from one reference surface area and connects one lens part to another lens part, in which the connection part has a margin for facilitating separation of the glass sheet into a plurality of pieces.

Abstract: An optical component molding device and method is disclosed. The molding device includes a heating section, a heating/pressing section, and a cooling section. A carrying member sequentially conveys molding units between these treatment sections. Either the molding units or the carrying member is provided with coded information pertaining to the treatment each molding unit is to receive. A sensor scans the coded information and relays it to a master control unit that controls the operation of the various sections. The device automatically accommodates different height molds, as well as allows for different length pressing strokes, as well as different pressures, temperatures and rates of heating and cooling, and different durations of pressing to be individually controlled for each mold unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a front-end optical component of an endoscope realizing resistance to humidity. In the method of manufacturing a front-end optical component in which a lens is mounted on the front end of a metallic lens-barrel provided on the front end of the inserting portion of an endoscope, the configuration is made such that a lens raw material is placed on the front-end side in the lens-barrel, the lens raw material is press-formed in a heat-softened state with a pair of upper and lower shaping dies, thereby tightly joining the outer edge of the pressed lens raw material to the inner peripheral surface of the lens-barrel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an optical element with a lens barrel, in which an optical raw material is placed on a placement portion projecting toward the center of the lens barrel from the inner peripheral surface thereof, and assuming that a distance between the opposing ends of the projection of the placement portion is L1, the outside diameter of the optical raw material is L2, the inside diameter of the lens barrel portion which is positioned close to and above the placement portion and to which the perimeter of the optical element obtained after forming is joined is L3, and the inside diameter of the smallest opening on the upper end side of the lens barrel is L4, design is performed to satisfy a relation of L1<L2<L3<L4.

Abstract: A transfer mechanism for transferring optical glass material to be molded into optical glass elements such as lenses or the like, one after another from a container holding a large number of work pieces of the optical glass material onto a molding surface of a lower mold member of a mold assembly unit located at a work loading/unloading station of a glass molding line. The transfer mechanism employs a tubular positioning member which is located in such a way as to circumvent a suction nozzle and adapted to hold the outer periphery of optical glass material for accurate positioning.