Glass manufacturing – Press molding machine – With means for heating or cooling apparatus
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-19
2001-05-01
Vincent, Sean (Department: 1731)
Glass manufacturing
Press molding machine
With means for heating or cooling apparatus
C065S323000, C065S355000, C065S356000, C100S25800A, C100S918000, C425S406000, C425S409000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223561
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART
The present invention relates to a press mold for press molding a large plate-shaped glass substrate molded object, and a pressing method for the glass substrate.
As fiber alignment components, there are known fiber arrays which are used to connect fibers with other optical components, and MT connectors which are used to connect fibers with one another. These connecting optical components are fabricated using a glass substrate having fiber securing grooves. The molded object for a glass substrate having such grooves on its surface is generally molded using a press mold consisting of an upper mold and a lower mold.
That is, the glass substrate is fabricated by flowing molten glass material into a mold for press molding. In press molding for a plate-shaped glass substrate, the glass substrate is normally fabricated by means of a two-step molding process consisting of a first step of molding from molten glass to a plate-shaped glass substrate, and a second step of molding more precisely by re-heating the glass substrate obtained in the first step.
Here, in the case of molding a glass substrate having grooves on its surface as described above, in the second step, a so-called re-heat press process, molding is performed using a press mold consisting of an upper mold and a lower mold each having a groove-shaped mold surface. In recent years, a large glass substrate molded object has been requested in terms of operation efficiency and cost.
If, however, the glass substrate molded object is made as large as, for example, two inches or more in diameter, a tensile force of a fixed value or more is exerted between the molds and the glass substrate molded object when the mold is released after pressing, and as a result, the glass substrate molded object and the molds may be damaged. Also, when the glass substrate size is made larger and the thickness is made thinner, the tensile force tends to become larger.
The present invention has been achieved in the light of above-described conventional problem, and is aimed to provide a press mold for glass substrate and a pressing method capable of applying uniform pressure to an entire mold surface and thereby preventing a molded object or a mold from being damaged and eliminating variance in pressure on the mold surface of the mold as far as possible on molding a large glass substrate molded object.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a press mold for a glass substrate comprising an upper mold and a lower mold, and pressure means for applying pressure to the upper mold and the lower mold, for molding a plate-shaped glass substrate having a predetermined thickness between the upper mold and the lower mold, wherein an engaging projected piece is projectingly provided on a side portion of the foregoing upper mold, an engaging projected piece supporting portion for supporting the engaging projected piece is provided on a side portion of the foregoing lower mold, and the end portion of the upper mold is formed so as to be released from the lower mold with the engaging projected piece as a rotating shaft.
Also, in the present invention, it is preferable that there is arranged a pressure member above the upper mold with a pressure intermediate plate interposed therebetween, and the central upper surface of the pressure intermediate plate is formed into a concave shape, and a spherical seat formed into such a convex shape as to correspond to the concave shape on the pressure intermediate plate is provided on the central lower surface of the pressure member.
Also, according to the present invention, there is provided a pressing method for a glass substrate for molding a plate-shaped glass substrate having a predetermined thickness between the upper mold and the lower mold by applying pressure to the upper mold and the lower mold through pressure means, wherein variance in pressure on mold surfaces in the foregoing upper mold and lower mold are detected, and a buffer made of material having lower compressive yield strength than material constituting the lower mold is inserted between the lower mold and the pressure means in a position corresponding to a mold surface portion at lower pressure.
REFERENCES:
patent: 827484 (1906-07-01), Wadsworth
patent: 1381591 (1921-06-01), Powell
patent: 3200454 (1965-08-01), Gramenzi
patent: 3809357 (1974-05-01), Gallap
patent: 4555258 (1985-11-01), Curiel
patent: 4632689 (1986-12-01), De Willegen et al.
patent: 4698089 (1987-10-01), Matsuzaka et al.
patent: 4756737 (1988-07-01), Yoshimura et al.
patent: 4915720 (1990-04-01), Hirota et al.
Fukuyama Masashi
Maeda Masahiro
Tohyama Kazutoshi
Burr & Brown
NGK Insulators Ltd.
Vincent Sean
LandOfFree
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