Method for Producing a Holding Device

Abstract

1. A method for producing a holding device (1), wherein a light guide channel (2) is formed in the holding device (1) and extends from a first end section (2a) to a second end section (2b) of the holding device (1), wherein the first end section (2a) has a receiving region, in which a first optical element (3) can be fastened in a form-fitting manner, wherein the second end section (2b) has a stop surface (5) for the connection to a second optical element (4), and wherein the method comprises the following steps:

a) providing the first optical element (3),

b) providing an injection molding device for carrying out an injection molding process, wherein the injection molding device has two mold halves,

c) introducing the first optical element (3) into the first mold half of the injection molding device,

d) closing the mold halves,

e) forming the first end section (2a) of the holding device,

f) forming a shell of the holding device (1), which encloses the light guide channel (2),

g) forming the second end section (2b), which terminates the shell of the holding device (1), together with the stop surface (5).

Claims

1. A method for producing a holding device (1), wherein a light guide channel (2) is formed in the holding device (1), wherein said light guide channel extends from a first end section (2a) to a second end section (2b) of the holding device (1) and ends in a light emitting region, wherein the first end section (2a) has a receiving region, in which a first optical element (3) can be fastened in a form-fitting manner, wherein the first optical element (3) has a first optical axis (3a), wherein the second end section (2b) has a stop surface (5) for the connection to a second optical element (4), wherein the second optical element (4) has a second optical axis (4a), wherein the stop surface (5) encloses and delimits the light emitting region, the method comprising: a) providing the first optical element (3), b) providing an injection molding device for carrying out an injection molding process, wherein the injection molding device has a first and a second mold half, which in the closed state jointly enclose a cavity for forming the holding device (1), wherein a first part of the cavity is formed in the first mold half and a remaining second part of the cavity is formed in the second mold half, wherein the second part of the cavity in the second mold half is designed in the form of a depression, which extends from a dividing line of the two mold halves up to a first end face formed in the second mold half, wherein this first end face delimits the stop surface of a holding device to be formed in the cavity, wherein a die, which in the closed state extends in the direction of the first mold half, is arranged in the depression and defines the inner surface of a shell of the holding device (1) enclosing this die in order to form the light guide channel (2) of the holding device (1), wherein a second end face is formed by the end of the die facing the first mold half, and wherein the second end face of the die is formed parallel to the first end face formed in the second mold half, c) introducing the first optical element (3) into the first mold half of the injection molding device, d) closing the mold halves, wherein the first optical element (3) flatly abuts on the second end face such that its orientation is at least partially defined, e) forming the first end section (2a) of the holding device (1) by introducing injection molding material into the cavity and thereby overmolding the first optical element (3) with injection molding material, wherein the first optical element (3) abuts on the second end face in a form-fitting manner during the overmolding process, f) introducing additional injection molding material for forming a shell of the holding device (1), which encloses the light guide channel (2), by overmolding the die with injection molding material, and g) forming the second end section (2b), which terminates the shell of the holding device (1), together with the stop surface (5) by introducing additional injection molding material into the cavity.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal axis of the die is oriented normal to the first and the second end face and the optical axis (3a) of the first optical element (3) is in step d) oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the die.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the holding device (1) is designed in such a way that the optical axis (3a) of the first optical element (3) and the second optical axis (4a) of the second optical element (4) extend parallel to one another when the first optical element (3) is fastened on the receiving region of the first end section (2a) and the second optical element (4) is fastened on the stop surface (5) of the second end section (2b).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein light propagates within the light guide channel (2) from the first optical element (3) to the second optical element (4) parallel to the optical axes (3a, 4a) of the first (3) and the second optical element (4).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first optical element (3) is a collimator.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second optical element (4) is a microlens array.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the holding device (1) and the first (3) and second optical elements (4) fastened thereon form a closed volume.

8. A holding device (1) produced by the method of claim 1.

Description

[0024] The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to a preferred exemplary embodiment, but it should be noted that the invention is not limited to this exemplary embodiment. In the drawings:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a side view of an inventive holding device with a first and a second optical element;

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the holding device according to FIG. 1; and

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a first and a second optical element without the holding device.

[0028] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show views of a holding device 1, wherein a light guide channel 2 is formed in the holding device 1, and wherein said light guide channel extends from a first end section 2a to a second end section 2b of the holding device 1 and ends in a light emitting region. A first optical element 3 with a first optical axis 3a (see FIG. 3) is fastened on the first end section 2a. The first optical element 3 is a collimator in the exemplary embodiment shown. A second optical element 4 with a second optical axis 4a is fastened on the second end section 2b. The second optical element 4 is a microlens array in the exemplary embodiment shown. The first end section 2a has a receiving region, in which the first optical element 3 is fastened in a form-fitting manner. The second end section 2b has a stop surface 5, on which the second optical element 4 is fastened. FIGS. 1 and 2 show that a heat sink may be fastened on the first optical element.

[0029] Due to the inventive method, the first end section 2a and the second end section 2b are designed in such a way that the first optical axis 3a and the second optical axis 4a extend parallel, preferably coaxial, to one another when the first optical element 3 is fastened on the first end section 2a and the second optical element 4 is fastened on the second end section 2b.

[0030] According to FIG. 3 (in which the holding device is not illustrated in order to provide a better overview), the first optical element 3 has the first optical axis 3a and an optically active surface 3b extending orthogonal to the first optical axis, wherein light, preferably collimated light, can be emitted from said optically active surface. The light is emitted in the direction of the second optical element 4 and is incident on a second optically active surface 4b of the second optical element 4. The light passes through the second optical element 4 and is emitted on a light emitting surface 4c. In order to allow an efficient and preferably lossless light transfer from the first optical element 3 to the second optical element 4, as well as a preferably uniform light emission from the light emitting surface 4c of the second optical element 4, it is advantageous to orient the first optically active surface 3b and the second optically active surface 4b as parallel to one another as possible. In order to minimize the deviation of the parallelism, the injection mold, in which the holding device 1 is produced, is designed in such a way that a first and a second end face, on which the orientation of the first optical element 3 and the second optical element 4 is defined, are formed in the same mold half, namely in the second mold half in this example.