An optical element manufacturing apparatus includes plural pairs of stage units that are each arranged opposite to each other so as to sandwich a mold set that houses a molding material, each of the plural pairs of stage units performing at least one of heating, pressurization, and cooling on the mold set, wherein each of the stage units includes a temperature control block for which temperature is controlled, and in a third direction orthogonal to a first direction and a second direction, the temperature control block includes heating regions that are positioned on sides of both ends and in which heating sources are arranged, and a non-heating region that is positioned on a central side and in which the heating sources are not arranged throughout the first direction, the first direction being a direction in which the plural pairs of stage units are arranged, and the second direction being a direction in which a pair of stage units are opposite to each other.

A shape forming system according to one embodiment includes a mold assemblies; a heating unit; a pressing unit; a cooling unit; an isolation chamber configured to accommodate therein the heating unit, the pressing unit, and the cooling unit arranged in parallel with each other; and a conveyance unit configured to move the plurality of mold assemblies each of which is arranged on a plate provided in each of the heating unit, the pressing unit, and the cooling unit to thereby convey the mold assemblies in sequence.

An optical element shaping mold set includes a first shaping mold and a second shaping mold that face each other; a tubular third shaping mold which is located around the first shaping mold and the second shaping mold and in which at least one of the first shaping mold and the second shaping mold slides, and heating, pressing and cooling are conducted with a shaping-target material accommodated between the first shaping mold and the second shaping mold, the third shaping mold has a slit formed on at least one of ends in a sliding direction of the at least one of the first shaping mold and the second shaping mold, and the third shaping mold has a linear expansion coefficient that is smaller than a linear expansion coefficient of the first shaping mold and smaller than a linear expansion coefficient of the second shaping mold.

An optical element molding mold set includes a first mold and a second mold that are opposite to each other, and a third mold that is located on an outer periphery of a cavity between the first mold and the second mold, and an inner peripheral surface of the third mold has different friction coefficients between one side and another side in an opposite direction of the first mold and the second mold.

An optical element manufacturing device includes a mold set including: a first shaping mold and a second shaping mold facing each other with a shaping-target material between the first and second shaping molds, and a sleeve located around the first and second shaping molds; and a plurality of stages on which the mold set is conveyed and which heat, press or cool the shaping-target material. The sleeve is conveyed to the stages in such a manner that a conveyance-direction front side of the mold set in an arrangement direction of the plurality of stages has a heat insulation portion with a heat insulation property that is higher than that on a conveyance-direction rear side of the mold set in order to reduce a temperature distribution in the shaping-target material.

A method for manufacturing an optical element includes heating an optical material up to a first temperature that is higher than a transition point, pressurizing the optical material using a first mold and a second mold that are situated opposite to each other across the optical material, first cooling the optical material down to a second temperature that is higher than a strain point and lower than the first temperature while pressurizing the optical material with a predetermined load using the first mold and the second mold, releasing the predetermined load at a set speed that is higher than or equal to a speed obtained in advance, at which an elastic deformation occurs preferentially over a viscous deformation in the optical material upon releasing a load, and second cooling the optical material down to a third temperature that is lower than the second temperature.

A shape forming system according to one embodiment includes a mold assemblies; a heating unit; a pressing unit; a cooling unit; an isolation chamber configured to accommodate therein the heating unit, the pressing unit, and the cooling unit arranged in parallel with each other; and a conveyance unit configured to move the plurality of mold assemblies each of which is arranged on a plate provided in each of the heating unit, the pressing unit, and the cooling unit to thereby convey the mold assemblies in sequence.

A shape forming system according to one embodiment includes a mold assemblies; a heating unit; a pressing unit; a cooling unit; an isolation chamber configured to accommodate therein the heating unit, the pressing unit, and the cooling unit arranged in parallel with each other; and a conveyance unit configured to move the plurality of mold assemblies each of which is arranged on a plate provided in each of the heating unit, the pressing unit, and the cooling unit to thereby convey the mold assemblies in sequence.

A method for manufacturing an optical element includes heating an optical material up to a first temperature that is higher than a transition point, pressurizing the optical material using a first mold and a second mold that are situated opposite to each other across the optical material, first cooling the optical material down to a second temperature that is higher than a strain point and lower than the first temperature while pressurizing the optical material with a predetermined load using the first mold and the second mold, releasing the predetermined load at a set speed that is higher than or equal to a speed obtained in advance, at which an elastic deformation occurs preferentially over a viscous deformation in the optical material upon releasing a load, and second cooling the optical material down to a third temperature that is lower than the second temperature.

An optical element shaping mold set includes a first shaping mold and a second shaping mold that face each other; a tubular third shaping mold which is located around the first shaping mold and the second shaping mold and in which at least one of the first shaping mold and the second shaping mold slides, and heating, pressing and cooling are conducted with a shaping-target material accommodated between the first shaping mold and the second shaping mold, the third shaping mold has a slit formed on at least one of ends in a sliding direction of the at least one of the first shaping mold and the second shaping mold, and the third shaping mold has a linear expansion coefficient that is smaller than a linear expansion coefficient of the first shaping mold and smaller than a linear expansion coefficient of the second shaping mold.