With Wearing Away Of Surface Material (e.g., Abrading Or Grinding) Patents (Class 65/61)
  • Publication number: 20020073733
    Abstract: The invention relates to a water-repellent glass pane having a glass substrate and a water-repellent film formed thereon. This glass pane is prepared by a first or second method. The first method includes sequential steps of (a) mixing together a raw material for producing the water-repellent film, an organic solvent for diluting the raw material, and water for hydrolyzing the raw material, such that the raw material is subjected to hydrolysis and then to dehydration and polycondensation, thereby to turn a mixture of the raw material, the organic solvent and the water into a sol; (b) adjusting water content of the sol, thereby to prepare a coating liquid; and (c) applying the coating liquid to the glass substrate, in an atmosphere having a first temperature and a relative humidity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2001
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Applicant: Central Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yoshinori Akamatsu, Shigeo Hamaguchi, Yoshihiro Nishida, Hideki Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20020059815
    Abstract: There are disclosed a method for producing an optical fiber base material ingot comprising depositing a soot on a starting core member, and subjecting the soot to dehydration, vitrification by sintering, and then cylindrical grinding, wherein the cylindrical grinding is performed while a core portion central axis is brought into line with a rotation axis of cylindrical grinding machine, and an optical fiber base material ingot produced by the method. According to the present invention, there are provided an optical fiber base material ingot having excellent ingot roundness and excellent core portion eccentricity, and a production method capable of producing the optical fiber base material ingot in a short period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 1999
    Publication date: May 23, 2002
    Inventors: MASAMI TERASHIMA, TADADATSU SHIMADA, HIDEO HIRASAWA
  • Publication number: 20020054976
    Abstract: A molded glass substrate for a magnetic disk is manufactured in the following manner: press-molding a heated glass material in the inside space of a molding die including a pair of dies, each having a predetermined processing plane, and a barrel die for slidably guiding the dies while forming the outer circumference of the glass material joined to both principal surfaces corresponding to the dies as a molding-free face; cooling the press-molded glass substrate; and forming a predetermined through-hole in the central portion of the glass substrate. This method enables manufacturing that prevents generation of industrial waste, such as glass power, abrasive, and solvent, as much as possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Publication date: May 9, 2002
    Inventors: Shoji Nakamura, Takahisa Kondou, Hidenao Kataoka, Yoshiyuki Shimizu
  • Patent number: 6383404
    Abstract: In a glass substrate for use in a magnetic recording medium, a surface roughness of at least a principal surface of the glass substrate is measured by the use of the interatomic force microscope (AFM), Ra falls within the range between 0.2 and 2.5 nm, Rmax falls within the range between 3 and 25 nm, and Rmax/Ra falls within the range between 3 and 35.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Sakai, Katsutoshi Ono, Syoji Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20020050154
    Abstract: An apparatus for grinding a glass base material having a core and a clad comprising: a grinding wheel for grinding the clad; a measuring unit for measuring an eccentricity between a center position of the glass base material and a center position of the core at a plurality of positions along a longitudinal direction of the glass base material; a design unit for calculating target diameters substantially continuous throughout the longitudinal direction of the glass base material so that the eccentricity becomes substantially zero for each of the plurality of positions; and a control unit for controlling the grinding wheel to grind the clad so that a diameter of the glass base material to be the target diameter substantially continuous throughout the longitudinal direction of the glass base material based on the target diameters calculated by the design unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Inventors: Hirofumi Kase, Hiroyuki Koide
  • Patent number: 6380112
    Abstract: The invention relates to lead-free optical glasses having a refractive index nd of from 1.52 to 1.58, an Abbe number vd of from 50 to 57 and a negative partial dispersion &Dgr;Pg,F of <−0.0090, having a composition (in % by weight, based on oxide) of SiO2>15-25; B2O3 45-55; Al2O3 8-13; CaO 2-8; ZnO 0-5; with CaO+ZnO 2-10; Li2O 0-4; Na2O 0-4; K2O 0-4; with Li2O+Na2O+K2O 3-8; La2O3 0-14; Nb2O5 0-4.8; Ta2O5>10-17; with Ta2O5+Nb2O5>10-17; SnO2 0-2; ZrO2 0-7; with Ta2O5+ZrO2>10-<18.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Schott Glas
    Inventors: Uwe Kolberg, Ute Wölfel, Magdalena Winkler-Trudewig, Nicole Surges
  • Patent number: 6379777
    Abstract: On the pressing surface of a die, a first protrusion having a substantially triangular cross section and a second protrusion having a length which is greater than a width thereof and a substantially trapezoidal cross section in planes extending through both length and width dimensions thereof are provided. By press forming, a groove with a substantially V-shaped cross section to mount an optical part, and a groove with a substantially inverse-trapezoidal cross section providing an alignment marking are formed, being inverse-transferred in correspondence with the respective protrusions on one principal surface of a glass substrate. Forming such a pattern on a glass substrate produced with a die enables alignment of the glass substrate with a mask for photolithography with high accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignees: NGK Insulators, Ltd., NGK Optoceramics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Ota, Masashi Fukuyama, Kazutoshi Tohyama
  • Patent number: 6378338
    Abstract: Magnetic disk substrates are produced by subjecting glass substrates to at least steps of degreasing, etching, sensitization with tin chloride, activation and sensitivity-enhancing treatment in that order, then plating the pretreated substrates with a nickel/phosphorus film, and thereafter polishing the plated substrates. In the process, the substrates being processed are washed with hot pure water at a temperature of not lower than 50° C. for a period of from 20 to 90 seconds, after the sensitization step but before the activation step, and heated at a temperature of not lower than 70° C. for a period of from 5 to 100 minutes, after the sensitization step but before the nickel/phosphorus-plating step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Showa Denko K.K.
    Inventors: Kurata Awaya, Kazuyoshi Nishizawa, Kiyoshi Tada
  • Publication number: 20020043081
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an extreme ultraviolet lithography mirror for use in includes machining a bottom face of a mirror blank, polishing a top face of the mirror blank to produce a polished mirror, and cutting a piece from the polished mirror. Another method for manufacturing an extreme ultraviolet lithography mirror for use in includes annealing a faceplate to a honeycomb core, polishing the faceplate to produce a polished mirror, and cutting a piece from the polished mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Publication date: April 18, 2002
    Inventors: Bradley F. Bowden, Claude L. Davis, Kenneth E. Hrdina, Gautam Meda
  • Publication number: 20020043080
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an EUV lithography element mirror includes sagging a plate of a glass material to produce an EUV mirror blank; and polishing a top face of the EUV mirror blank to produce a polished EUV mirror. A method for manufacturing an EUV lithography element mirror includes grinding a top face of a piece of a glass material; sagging a plate of the glass material over the top face of the piece to produce an EUV mirror blank; and polishing a top face of the EUV mirror blank to produce an EUV polished mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Publication date: April 18, 2002
    Inventors: Michael E. Best, Claude L. Davis, Mary J. Edwards, Thomas W. Hobbs, Gregory L. Murray
  • Patent number: 6363748
    Abstract: An ophthalmic, protective, filter lens, and a method of producing such lens, the lens having a ratio of Z and Y tristimulus values between 0.25-0.40, a dominant wavelength between 570-580 nm. on a color mixture diagram, a sharp transmission drop between 450-500 nm. and a transmission not over 30% between 400-450 nm. The lens is produced by firing a silver halide-containing, photochromic glass lens in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere within a temperature range of 465° C. to 495° C. for less than 20 minutes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Corning SA
    Inventors: Thomas G. Havens, David J. Kerko, Brent M. Wedding
  • Publication number: 20020035853
    Abstract: A method for edge finishing glass sheets. Glass sheets are separated into desired sizes, after which the edges of the glass sheets are finished using first grinding wheels to grind the edges, followed by polishing wheels to round off the ground edges by contacting and moving the edges of the glass sheet against stationary rotating grinding and polishing wheels which are each oriented approximately parallel to the major surface of the glass sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Publication date: March 28, 2002
    Applicant: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: James W. Brown, Bruce H. Raeder, Masayuki Shinkai
  • Patent number: 6361849
    Abstract: A bent glass sheet for a vehicle window of the present invention has a roughened region for eliminating distortion of transmitted light through the bent glass sheet. The bent glass sheet comprises a main surface surrounded by an edge of the bent glass sheet and the main surface has a smooth transparent region. The main surface also has the roughened region that covers at least a portion of a peripheral region of the main surface and in the portion of the peripheral area the roughened region extends at least 3 mm from the edge of the bent glass sheet. The roughened region covers an area in which the transmitted light are distorted. Therefore, the discomfort of passengers due to distortion of transmitted light is relieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyoichi Shukuri, Kazuo Yamada, Takahiro Shimomura
  • Publication number: 20020014092
    Abstract: There are provided a method of manufacturing an optical glass element, for which flatness and smoothness of the surfaces of the optical glass element can be improved while securing the similarity of the cross-sectional shape of the optical glass element to that of the mother glass, and for which continuous production involving few steps can be carried out, and an optical glass element manufactured using the method. A mother glass is prepared, which has a cross-sectional shape substantially similar to a desired cross-sectional shape of the optical glass element, and the mother glass is drawn while heating to a predetermined temperature such that the mother glass has a viscosity of 105 to 109 poise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2001
    Publication date: February 7, 2002
    Applicant: NIPPON SHEET GLASS CO., LTD
    Inventors: Masahiro Morishita, Katsuya Kamisaku, Toshiaki Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20020011079
    Abstract: A process for producing a glass substrate for information recording media which comprises polishing one side of a float glass in a finish polishing step to remove a surface layer therefrom in a thickness of 5 &mgr;m or larger and keeping the one side of the float glass not substantially in contact with any jig in each of the processing steps other than the finish polishing step. The number of processing steps in glass substrate production is reduced by utilizing only one side of a float glass as a data recording side to thereby attain a reduced production cost and stable supply of glass substrates and thus contribute to the progress of an information-oriented society.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Publication date: January 31, 2002
    Applicant: NIPPON SHEET GLASS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Norihiro Fujioka
  • Publication number: 20020005049
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a rippled edge beveler comprising a wheelhead feeding mechanism having an upper planker and a grinding wheel, wherein the upper planker 2 is connected to the middle planker which is connected to the lower planker fixed on the grinding wheel beam. A drive motor is joined to the lower part of the grinding wheel beam, the drive motor connected to a driving gear which engages the middle gear. The spin axis is connected to the middle gear. Several driven gears are joined to the middle of the spin axis. The driven gears are connected to the input end of the worm screw decelerator, whose output end is connected to the vertical shaft, whose end is connected to the middle planker. The present structure is reliable to use, convenient and easy to install and pleasing to the eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Publication date: January 17, 2002
    Inventors: Xiqing Chen, Junhui Huang, Changchun Zhou
  • Publication number: 20020000098
    Abstract: A method for the production of a glass substrate for magnetic recording mediums is herein provided and this method is characterized in that the final cleaning step is performed in two stages, in which scrubbing and dip-cleaning steps are carried out after the completion of the first cleaning stage and after the growth of needle-like projections comprising an alkali metal carbonate on the surface of the glass substrate. The method for the production of a glass substrate for magnetic recording mediums does not require the use of an expensive device having high resistance to acids. Moreover, in the glass substrate for magnetic recording mediums produced by the foregoing method, any growth of needle-like projections containing an alkali metal carbonate on the surface of the glass substrate is inhibited even during temporal storage of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Publication date: January 3, 2002
    Applicant: MITSUI MINING AND SMELTING CO.,
    Inventors: Akio Fujimura, Daisaku Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20010054302
    Abstract: There are disclosed a method for producing an optical fiber base material ingot comprising depositing a soot on a starting core member, and subjecting the soot to dehydration, vitrification by sintering, and then cylindrical grinding, wherein the cylindrical grinding is performed while a core portion central axis is brought into line with a rotation axis of cylindrical grinding machine, and an optical fiber base material ingot produced by the method. According to the present invention, there are provided an optical fiber base material ingot having excellent ingot roundness and excellent core portion eccentricity, and a production method capable of producing the optical fiber base material ingot in a short period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2001
    Publication date: December 27, 2001
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masami Terashima, Tadakatsu Shimada, Hideo Hirasawa
  • Publication number: 20010039810
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to prevent the adhesion of particles such as fine iron powders onto a glass substrate upon the production of a glass substrate for an information recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2001
    Publication date: November 15, 2001
    Applicant: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji Eda, Jun Ozawa
  • Publication number: 20010022705
    Abstract: A polished glass disk medium substrate table for use as a substrate for a hard disk, a hard disk containing the substrate and methods for making the substrate. Glass forming raw materials are formed into a disk having a diameter between about 70 mm and about mm, a thickness between about 0.7 mm and about 0.9 mm, a flutter of less than 90 nm at 10,000 rpm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2001
    Publication date: September 20, 2001
    Inventors: Toshiharu Mori, Hideki Kawai, Akira Sugimoto, Hiroshi Yuki, Hideki Nagata, Kazuhiko Ishimaru
  • Patent number: 6269660
    Abstract: A lamp for vehicle that includes a light source, a housing, a reflector and a lens is disclosed. The lens is made by the process that includes the steps of (a) assuming an imaginary plane with a cross hatching pattern made of crossing groups of plural lines disposed in parallel at a constant pitch, (b) deforming the imaginary plane by a desired shape consisting of a convex surface, a concave surface or a combination of both surfaces, so that the cross hatching pattern is deformed into a process surface, and (c) processing a lens cut in accordance with the cross hatching pattern when the process surface is orthographically projected onto the lens surface. The deformation given to the imaginary plane is performed so that the maximum pitch of the cross hatching pattern orthographically projected onto the lens surface is 1.5 times or more and 20 times or less the minimum pitch. The lens cut may have curvatures of the same diffusion coefficient regardless of the pitch of the cross hatching pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Kondo, Toshio Miyokawa
  • Patent number: 6269661
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an optical component that have increased transmittance in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum. The method includes the steps of cutting out a part from a block material; polishing optical sides of the part; subjecting the part to heat treatment at a temperature of between 100 and 900° C.; and subjecting the part to acid treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Jinbo, Akiko Moriya, Norio Komine
  • Patent number: 6263704
    Abstract: A quartz glass which would not become a source for the contamination even if it contains metallic impurities. This quartz glass includes a region where a concentration of E′ center as measured by means of an electron spin resonance analysis is 3×1019 cm−3 or more. This quartz glass can be manufactured by a method including the steps of forming an initial quartz glass by melting and quenching a raw material for quartz glass, and implanting therein an ion, which is capable of entering into an SiO2 network of the initial quartz glass and substantially incapable of externally diffusing, to increase a concentration of E′ center in at least part of the initial quartz glass. This quartz glass can be manufactured by a method making use of a quartz glass raw material containing 0.01 to 0.1% by weight of silicon, by a method of irradiating ultraviolet ray to the initial quartz glass, or by a method of giving an abrasion damage to the surface of the initial quartz glass by means of sand blast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Ceramics., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tomita, Tsuneo Ishii, Chie Hongo
  • Patent number: 6262389
    Abstract: A sheet of silicate glass having a thickness of 2 mm and composed mainly of SiO2, and containing Al2O3, B2O3, Na2O, F, etc., is immersed in a molten salt comprising a mixture of 50 mol % of silver nitrate and 50 mol % of sodium nitrate. Na ions in the surface of the glass are eluted, diffusing Ag ions in the molten salt into the glass. When a laser beam is applied to the glass substrate thus formed, the glass substrate is evaporated or ablated progressively from its surface. The glass substrate is processed to a smooth finish without causing cracking or breakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Koyama, Keiji Tsunetomo
  • Patent number: 6241903
    Abstract: A diffuser master is provided which is manufactured mechanically instead of holographically. The master can be made from a suitable substrate including relatively hard materials such as plastic, glass or metal. A substrate having a first side is worked to form a diffuser surface relief structure thereon. The substrate can be buffed using a buffing agent of a selected grit in order to form surface scratches in the first side of the substrate. The substrate can also be blasted with shot particles in order to form indentations and depressions in the first side. The substrate can alternatively be acid or alkali etched in order to form surface irregularities in the first side. The scratches, depressions or irregularities can be formed in order to create a desired surface relief and hence desired diffuser output characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
    Inventors: Gajendra D. Savant, Kevin H. Yu, Andrew A. Kostrzewski
  • Patent number: 6185961
    Abstract: A nanopost glass array contains up to 1012/cm2 of magnetizable nanoposts having diameter of 10-1000 nm that are straight and parallel to each other and are typically of a uniform diameter relative to each other and along the post length. The array is made using a reference electrode and a nanochannel glass template structure connected to each other electrically through an electrical source and both disposed in a plating solution. A magnetizable material is electroplated from the plating solution into the channels of the template structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Ronald J. Tonucci, Paul P. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 6174827
    Abstract: A glass-ceramic substrate for an information storage medium includes, as a predominant crystal phase, lithium disilicate (Li2O·2SiO2) or a combination of lithium disilicate and at least one crystal phase selected from the group consisting of &agr;-quartz (&agr;-SiO2), &agr;-quartz solid solution (&agr;-SiO2 solid solution), &agr;-cristobalite (&agr;-SiO2) and &agr;-cristobalite solid solution (&agr;-SiO2 solid solution). This substrate has Young's modulus (GPa)/specific gravity of 37 or over, surface roughness Ra (arithmetic mean roughness) of 5.0 Å or below, a coefficient of thermal expansion within a temperature range from −50° C. to +70° C. which ranges from +65×10−7/° C. to +130×10−7/° C. and bending strength of 400 MPa or over.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Ohara
    Inventors: Naoyuki Goto, Junko Ishioka, Yasuyuki Kawashima
  • Patent number: 6143382
    Abstract: A glass substrate having fine holes formed therein by use of a laser beam without cracks or fragmentation occurring. A glass substrate is used in which silver is contained in the form Ag atoms, Ag colloid or Ag ions, to a predetermined depth from a surface of the glass, and further the concentration gradient of the silver is a maximum at one side surface on which the fine hole machining is performed and gradually decreases toward the other side surface, whereby ablation and evaporation occurs from the surface having the maximum concentration of silver layer by layer without causing cracking or fragmentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Koyama, Keiji Tsunetomo, Hideki Imanishi
  • Patent number: 6128926
    Abstract: A non-phase separable glass material for fabricating a GRIN lens comprises 5-20 mole % boron oxide and ratio R of network modifiers in mole % to the network former boron oxide in mole % is in the range of about 1-1.5. The melted preform of such glass material is extruded through an opening to form a glass rod where the extrusion process eliminates bubbles that may be present in the preform. Neodymium oxide may be added in the frit material for forming the preform to reduce friction forces in the extrusion process and reduces the stress in the glass rod. Centerless grinding may be performed to control the diameter and roughness of the surface of the rod to control the diffusion parameters during the subsequent ion-exchange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: Dicon Fiberoptics, Inc.
    Inventors: Udayan Senapati, Ho-Shang Lee
  • Patent number: 6119483
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to prevent the dhesion of particles such as fine iron powders onto a glass substrate upon the production of a glass substrate for an information recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Takahashi, Kazuhiko Maeda, Shinji Eda, Jun Ozawa, Katsutoshi Ono, Kinobu Osakabe, Nobuyuki Eto
  • Patent number: 6114039
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for treating glass substrates, in particular those used as memories for "peripherals" in the field of data processing.According to the invention, the process includes a surface ion-exchange strengthening step and a subsequent substrate surface dealkalization step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Saint Gobain Vitrage
    Inventor: Fran.cedilla.oise Rifqi
  • Patent number: 6050107
    Abstract: A method of forming barrier ribs for a display panel, comprising the steps of: forming a glass layer for an underlying layer having a first low-melting glass powder with a softening point of a temperature A dispersed in a vehicle, and a glass layer for a barrier-rib layer having a second low-melting glass powder with a softening point of a temperature B2 higher than the temperature A and a third low-melting glass powder with a softening point of a temperature B1 higher than the temperature A but lower than the temperature B2 dispersed in a vehicle, on a substrate in this order; heating up to sinter the glass layer for the underlying layer and the glass layer for the barrier-rib layer at a temperature Z higher than the temperature A but lower than the temperature B2, thereby burning out the vehicles therefrom, forming a carve-resistive underlying layer and a barrier-rib material layer easy to carve; forming a mask for carving in a pattern corresponding in plan to barrier ribs on the barrier-rib material layer,
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Osamu Toyoda, Keiichi Betsui, Akira Tokai, Hironobu Kawano
  • Patent number: 6041623
    Abstract: The smoothness of refractory dielectric bodies, particularly silica sol-gel bodies, is substantially improved by a relatively straightforward treatment. In particular, the surface of the body is treated with a plasma fireball, such as induced by a plasma torch. The treatment is able to reduce the roughness, as measured by RA, in overcladding tubes formed by a sol-gel process by at least a factor of 2, typically at least a factor of 5. It is also possible to improve the smoothness of silica tubes that are drawn from a billet. Typically, the process reduces the roughness of silica bodies to an RA of about 1 microinch or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: James William Fleming, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5987920
    Abstract: A method of producing a surfacial marking (11) on a surface (1b) of a body (1) of transmissive material, whereby use is made of a laser beam (5) having a wavelength .lambda. to which the material is substantially transparent, which method comprises the following steps:(a) providing a layer (3) of assistant material against the surface (1b), which assistant material is absorptive at the wavelength .lambda.;(b) directing the laser beam (5) through the body (1) onto the layer (3), so as to locally heat and ablate the layer (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Johan Bosman, Raymond J. L. Van Kooyk
  • Patent number: 5983672
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an optical component that have increased transmittance in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum. The method includes the steps of cutting out a part from a block material; polishing optical sides of the part; subjecting the part to heat treatment at a temperature of between 100 and 900.degree. C.; and subjecting the part to acid treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Jinbo, Akiko Moriya, Norio Komine
  • Patent number: 5951732
    Abstract: A method of forming glass uses the steps of forming base glass from layered stacks of colored glass; V-Grooving a plurality of base glass layers; stacking the grooved layers; heating and maintaining at an elevated temperature for flow and air entrainment elimination; recutting the block to desired dimensions and reforming into sheet form. The glass has ribbons of color contained within a glass matrix, the ribbons being aligned perpendicularly to the face of the glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Inventor: Mark Duro
  • Patent number: 5951731
    Abstract: For forming bores for insertion of optical fibers, etc., on one side surface of a micro lens with high accuracy and easy work, a laser processing method that includes the steps of: irradiating a laser beam onto the one side surface of the micro lens; then focusing the laser beam in a layer having superiority in absorbency with respect to the laser beam; and forming the bores because the laser beam exceeds the threshold value of causing fusion, evaporation or ablation in the superior laser beam absorption layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiji Tsunetomo, Tadashi Koyama
  • Patent number: 5879424
    Abstract: An optical micro-machining method of glass characterized in that after light is applied to glass including SiO.sub.2 and 30-70 mol % GeO.sub.2, the irradiated area is removed by etching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Agency of Industrial Science & Technology
    Inventors: Junji Nishii, Hiroshi Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 5867327
    Abstract: Method for manufacturing cylindrical microlenses having exceptional optical properties, and the lenses manufactured according to the process. According to the present invention, a method is provided for fabricating cylindrical microlenses, the method comprising the steps of forming a glass preform by means of grinding at least one face thereof in the direction transverse to longitudinal axis of the lens, the preform having the shape of a cylindrical lens, and drawing the glass preform to reduce its cross-sectional dimensions while retaining its cross-sectional shape, thereby providing a cylindrical microlens with a high numerical aperture or other desirable characteristics. The drawing step may be facilitated by means of the application of heat to the preform. Further, the preform may be roughly formed to a shape intermediate to its finished form by casting, sintering, extruding, or other glass forming methodology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: Blue Sky Research
    Inventor: James J. Snyder
  • Patent number: 5851251
    Abstract: A blank master for manufacturing an optical disc is produced by the method including steps of grinding a glass disc, cleansing the glass disc, drying the glass disc, coating a binding agent on the glass disc, coating a photo resist on the glass disc within 24 hours from the grinding, and baking the glass disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kondo, Takeyoshi Suetsuna
  • Patent number: 5846444
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for treating a surface on a glass article with a fluid. The article is surrounded by a containment system for the treating fluid and the fluid is continuously agitated by an agitator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen P. Edwards, Donald B. Kloeber, Joseph W. Neubert, Stephen R. Ormsby
  • Patent number: 5843321
    Abstract: Methods of manufacturing optical elements such as diffraction type lenses, aspherical lenses and diffraction gratings are disclosed. Deposited on a glass substrate is a workpiece film made of a material which can be machined much more easily than the substrate. Then the workpiece film is machined to form a predetermined shape or contour therein. After forming the predetermined shape or contour in the workpiece film, the workpiece film and substrate are subjected to etching to duplicate the predetermined shape or contour formed in the workpiece film into the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kamihara, Hitoshi Ohashi, Ayami Imamura
  • Patent number: 5840391
    Abstract: A decorative glass sheet simulating a multi-pane, camed window or door, and a method for forming the same. The decorative glass sheet includes a glass panel having an outer surface. At least one groove is formed through the outer surface and into the glass panel. Each groove includes a first wall extending from a first peripheral edge to a groove bottom apex and a second wall extending from the apex to a second peripheral edge. The second wall has a width greater than a width of the first wall. At least one decorative caming strip is adhered to the outer surface of the glass panel and is disposed adjacent and along the first peripheral edge of the at least one groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Glass Unlimited of High Point, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith L. Eichhorn, Lars Richter
  • Patent number: 5785729
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a large-sized primary treated quartz glass tube by perforating a cylindrical quartz glass mother material by a hot carbon drill press-in-process followed by etching and washing. The large-sized primary treated quartz glass tube is converted to a large-sized quartz glass preform by combining it with a core glass rod for an optical fiber. Another embodiment is a method for fabricating a large-sized quartz glass tube by heating, hot drawing or hot drawing under pressure using a tool-free drawing method under control of an inside pressure of the large-sized primary treated quartz glass tube at a temperature ranging from 1600.degree. C. to 3000.degree. C. to satisfy a specific equation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignees: Heraeus Quarzglas GmbH, Shin-Etsu Quartz Products Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Yokokawa, Masaaki Aoyama, Gerhart Vilsmeier
  • Patent number: 5776219
    Abstract: In the measurement of internal transmittance of optical pieces, a standard is set for the piece for measuring the transmittance and a method of making the piece is provided. In the piece for measuring the transmittance of optical materials having two opposing polished surfaces, their surface roughness rms is set to 10 .ANG. or less, thereby making it possible to accurately measure the internal transmittance in the short wavelength region of 300 nm or less where the intensity of the light source of spectrophotometer begins to decrease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Jinbo, Satoru Oshikawa, Hiroyuki Hiraiwa
  • Patent number: 5770123
    Abstract: An energy beam is irradiated to a workpiece through a beam transmission hole defined in a mask. At that time, a relative position between an energy beam source and the mask or the mask and the workpiece is changed, so that machining depth of the workpiece is varied depending on machining portions of the workpiece, which correspond to amounts of irradiation of the energy beam. With this method, a machined product having locally different depths very easily can be made and further the product can be machined to desired depths with high accuracy by a single machining operation in a short time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignees: Ebara Corporation, Yotaro Hatamura
    Inventors: Masahiro Hatakeyama, Katsunori Ichiki, Tadasuke Kobata, Masayuki Nakao, Yotaro Hatamura
  • Patent number: 5724185
    Abstract: In the method and apparatus of the present invention, a first optical element having a surface stressed by an optical coating is optically contacted with a second optical element. The first optical element is treated with a frequency or polarization selective coating which causes deformation of the treated surface. A pliable intermediate optical element is joined with the coated surface. The intermediate element is sufficiently pliable to substantially conform to the contour of the coated surface, providing optical contact therebetween. An opposite face of the intermediate element is polished and a second optical element is optically contacted to the intermediate element. This provides a precise and economical method for joining two optical elements, one of which is treated with an optical coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Assignee: Hughes Danbury Optical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Carolyn F. Hickey, Robert O. Woodbury, Dale A. Allen
  • Patent number: 5720791
    Abstract: An optical lens element is produced by the following steps of:preparing a glass pre-form;forming a metal thin layer or a powder layer, said metal thin layer including gold, platinum, rhodium, nickel, or palladium; andpressing the glass pre-form with the metal thin layer against molding surfaces to form the optical lens element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1998
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomoko Miyaura
  • Patent number: 5674305
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process wherein a large glass preform is flame abraded to have a clear and smooth surface. In particular, the present invention pertains to a method for flame abrading a surface of a rotating glass preform by an oxyhydrogen flame which moves along a length of the glass preform, in which a movement velocity of the oxyhydrogen flame or a flow rate of oxyhydrogen of the oxyhydrogen flame is varied to conduct the flame abrasion treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuichi Ohga, Susumu Uchida
  • Patent number: 5669951
    Abstract: This invention teaches a method for forming a tempered, coated, grooved and/or beveled decorative glass sheet. The decorative glass sheet includes a coating on a surface thereof and a groove or bevel formed in the surface. The coating is substantially registered with at least on peripheral edge of the groove or bevel such that the coating is not disposed within the groove or bevel. The decorative glass sheet is formed by applying a coating, preferably by screen printing, to a surface of the glass panel. The coating is fired so as to set the coating into the glass panel. A groove and/or bevel is formed in the coated surface. The glass panel is then tempered. Preferably, the step of firing the coating is followed by the step of cooling the glass panel at a rate sufficient to temper the glass panel and, more preferably, at a rate sufficient to induce heat strengthening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1997
    Assignee: Glass Unlimited of High Point, Inc.
    Inventor: Keith L. Eichhorn