Optical Part Manufacturing with Alignment Projections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing optical parts, such as lens arrays and molds, face challenges in aligning and bonding optical parts with bonded members, often resulting in inconsistent gaps and poor bonding due to difficulties in maintaining precise alignment and uniform pressure.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a deformation step where a molding material is shaped to copy the profile of a transfer body, hardened, and repeatedly transferred to form optical elements and projections, allowing for precise alignment and bonding of optical parts, and a mold manufacturing process that replicates counter profiles to ensure accurate molding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional bonding methods are used to bond optical parts with other parts, then the bonding process can be completed, but the alignment precision deteriorates and gap consistency worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming projections on the optical part surface before the bonding process. These projections are created during the optical part manufacturing stage, allowing the alignment features to be pre-established. When bonding occurs, the projections automatically engage with corresponding recesses on the bonded member, ensuring precise alignment without requiring complex real-time adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces projections as intermediary alignment features that mediate between the optical part and the bonded member. These projections serve as physical intermediaries that guide the bonding process, ensuring that the optical part and bonded member align correctly while maintaining consistent gaps. The projections act as a bridge that translates the bonding interface requirements into tangible geometric features.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional bonding methods are used to bond optical parts with other parts, then the bonding process can be completed, but the gap consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming projections on the optical part surface before the bonding process. These projections are created during the optical part manufacturing stage, allowing the alignment features to be pre-established. When bonding occurs, the projections automatically engage with corresponding recesses on the bonded member, ensuring precise alignment without requiring complex real-time adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies self-service by designing the bonding interface to be self-aligning through the projection structures. The projections on the optical part automatically find their corresponding positions on the bonded member during the bonding process, eliminating the need for external alignment tools or complex positioning mechanisms. The structure itself performs the alignment function.
3Manufacturing precision
If repeated transfer steps are used to manufacture optical parts with projections, then the alignment precision improves, but the manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the optical element formation process with the projection formation process into a single integrated manufacturing step. By using the same transfer body and molding material to create both the optical elements and the alignment projections simultaneously, the patent eliminates the need for separate projection fabrication and bonding steps, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency while maintaining high alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies universality by designing the transfer body to serve multiple functions: it forms both the optical elements and the alignment projections in a single operation. The molding material also serves dual purposes by creating both the functional optical components and the structural alignment features. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of manufacturing steps required.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables successful alignment and bonding of optical parts with improved precision and consistency, reducing the likelihood of gaps and enhancing the manufacturing efficiency of optical parts and molds.
Implementation Method 1
a deformation step of bringing a molding material and a transfer body having a transfer element including an optical element forming part to form an optical element in the molding material
Implementation Method 2
a molding material made of a light curing material is used and the hardening step hardens the molding material by light irradiation
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an optical part manufacturing method and an optical part manufacturing apparatus capable of manufacturing optical parts, whereby aligning an optical part with a bonded member and bonding the optical part and the bonded member can be accomplished successively, and a mold manufacturing method and a mold manufacturing apparatus capable of manufacturing a mold that is used to mold optical parts as above. A molding apparatus 10 performs a deformation step of bringing a light curing resin and a first transfer body 102 having a profile to form an optical element 404 and projections 406 in the light curing resin into contact with each other and deforming the light curing resin to copy the profile of the first transfer body 102, a hardening step of hardening the deformed light curing resin, a detaching step of detaching the light curing resin and the first transfer body 102 from each other, and repeats a transfer step of transferring the profile of the first transfer body 102 to the light curing resin a plurality of times to manufacture a lens array 402.