The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing an optical element out of glass, wherein a blank made of glass is laid on an annular contact face of a supporting body having a hollow cross section, and is heated on the supporting body, in a cavity of a protective cap that is arranged in a furnace cavity, such that a temperature gradient is established in the blank in such a way that the blank is cooler inside than on an outside region, wherein the contact face is cooled by means of a cooling medium flowing through the supporting body, wherein following heating the glass blank is press molded to form the optical element.

A micro- and nano-hot embossing method for an optical glass lens array, including: preparing a mold with a micro-hole array by micro EDM, where the micro-hole array matches an optical glass lens array and the mold is made of a hard metal material which is conductive and meets strength and temperature requirements; preparing a nano nitride-based graded composite coating on a surface of the mold by magnetron sputtering; and pre-fabricating a glass preform and then placing the glass preform on the surface of the mold; heating the glass preform and hot embossing by a glass molding machine in vacuum; cooling in nitrogen atmosphere; and demolding to produce the optical glass lens array. The micro- and nano-hot embossing method of the present invention improves the surface quality of the optical glass lens array and reduces the cost and difficulty for manufacturing.

A pair of moulds for moulding an optical component is disclosed. The pair of moulds includes a first mould having a first surface, and a second mould having a second surface. The first surface includes a moulding portion for moulding a first optical surface of the optical component, and an alignment portion for alignment with the second mould. The alignment portion extends around the moulding portion. The second surface includes a moulding portion for moulding a second, opposite optical surface of the optical component, and an alignment portion for alignment with the first mould via a contact with the alignment portion of the first surface. When the moulds are brought together, they self-align. A corresponding moulding apparatus and a method may use the mould pair to manufacture various optical components.

Plurality of glass droplets are simultaneously dropped toward center of a regular polygon of each unit on a first transfer surface of a first forming die where a plurality of the units is regularly arranged along the same plane, taking, as one unit, three or more first optical transfer surfaces for forming a lens portion placed in such a manner as to overlap vertices of the regular polygon respectively. After the divided glass droplets flow on the first transfer surface, are connected to each other between adjacent units, and are formed into united glass, and before the united glass hardens completely, a second forming die including a plurality of second optical transfer surfaces corresponding respectively to the plurality of first optical transfer surfaces is pressed relatively against the united glass on the first forming die to form the united glass, and released from the dies.

Provided is a mold manufacturing method that is capable of manufacturing a mold of a complex shape particularly of an optical element with sufficient shape accuracy and within a relatively short time. This mold manufacturing method includes: a step for forming a base made of metal into a first shape through machining; a step for coating the base with a resin layer; a step for forming the resin layer into a second shape; and a step for forming the base into a third shape through dry-etching.

There are provided a lens forming mold, and a manufacturing method for a cylindrical lens, with which cylindrical lenses having good mass productivity can be manufactured. A lens forming mold for forming a molding on which a plurality of cylindrical surfaces are arranged in parallel includes: a first mold including a plurality of cylindrical surface forming portions that are arranged in parallel at equal intervals; and a first flat surface forming portion that is provided between adjacent cylindrical surface forming portions; and a second mold that sandwiches the glass material and faces the first mold when the molding is molded, in which the second mold includes a second flat surface forming portion that faces the plurality of cylindrical surface forming portions and the first flat surface forming portion.

A mold for molding a glass product is provided. The mold includes a first pressing mold having a first surface and a second pressing mold having a second surface. The first surface is located on a side of the first pressing mold. The second surface is located on a side of the second pressing mold. The first pressing mold includes a first molding portion formed by bending from the first surface. The second pressing mold includes a second molding portion and is formed by bending from the second surface. The first pressing mold further includes a plurality of first hydraulic resistance portions that are spaced apart from each other, close to an outer edge of the first pressing mold, and protrude from the first surface. The disclosure achieves a technical effect of increasing a peripheral molding pressure of the mold and improving yield of products.

A convex fitting portion 30 is provided on a center side to protrude from a support portion 20, and thus, in an assembling process of joining the lens array 100 to another lens array and the like, the lens array 100 can be precisely positioned by being supported from behind. Furthermore, a fitting portion transfer surface 83c forming the convex fitting portion 30 forms a concave portion on the center side of a die at the time of molding of the lens array 100, and thus a volume of a glass droplet, that is, heat capacity is increased, which is advantageous from a viewpoint of making molding of the optical surfaces 11a and 12a stable and highly precise, and the problems such as breakage are less likely to occur.

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an primary optical array for a vehicle headlight, wherein the primary optical array comprises a first primary optical element with a light entry face, at least one second primary optical element with a light entry face, and a basic part connecting the first primary optical element mechanically to the second primary optical element, wherein a first mold and a second mold are provided, wherein the first mold comprises at least one first web for molding a side face of the first primary optical element facing the second primary optical element, and for molding a side face of the second primary optical element facing the first primary optical element, wherein the at least one first web has a web edge the width of which amounts to no more than 0.25 mm, wherein a gob is placed between the first mold and the second mold, wherein the gob is press-molded or pressed into the primary optical array by the first mold and the second mold moving towards each other.

The present invention provides an infrared-transmitting glass that is a chalcogenide glass, has a reduced Ge content, can sufficiently cover atmospheric windows, is free from highly toxic elements, such as Se and As, and is suitable for mold forming. Specifically, the present invention provides an infrared-transmitting glass suitable for mold forming, comprising, in terms of molar concentration: 0 to 2% of Ge, 3 to 30% of Ga, 10 to 40% of Sb, 45 to 70% of S, 3 to 30% of at least one member selected from the group consisting of Sn, Ag, Cu, Te, and Cs, and 0 to 30% of at least one member selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, and I.