METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN OPTICAL LENS ELEMENT, PARTICULARLY A HEADLIGHT LENS FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE HEADLIGHT

• US 20100202154A1
• Filed: 07/12/2008
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Docter Optics Se
• Original Assignee: Docter Optics GmbH
• Inventors: Hamkens, Jan H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,421,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/520
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3444 using pressurising feeding means located in the mould, e.g. plungers or pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/021 characterised by the shape of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0055 Shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/561 Injection-compression moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0026 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2011/0016 Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/30 Vehicles, e.g. ships or aircraft, or body parts thereof vanes or blades B29L2031/08, air bags B29L2022/027
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/255 Lenses with a front view of circular or truncated circular outline
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/275 Lens surfaces, e.g. coatings or surface structures

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing an optical lens element (2), particularly for illumination purposes, particularly for producing a headlight lens (2) for a vehicle headlight, particularly for a motor vehicle headlight (1), wherein a blank (136) made of a transparent plastic is shaped in an injection molding tool (131, 132) by means of an injection molding method, and the blank (136) is subsequently pressed into the lens element (2) by means of a final shape mold (140, 141, 142), particularly in a polished manner.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. Method for manufacturing a lens element, the method comprising;

moulding a blank from transparent plastic material by means of an injection-pressing method in an injection-pressing mould, and

subsequently blank-moulding the blank by means of a final-shape mould to form the lens element.

11. Method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the transparent plastic material is thermoplastic plastic material.

12. Method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the blank is produced by means of the injection-pressing method from essentially liquid plastic material.

13. Method as claimed in claim 10, wherein, by means of the injection-pressing process, the blank is produced with an integral sprue.

14. Method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the blank is cooled and heated again.

15. Method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the blank is removed from the injection-pressing mould and subsequently cooled and heated again.

16. Method as claimed in claim 10, wherein by means of the final-shape mould a light dispersing surface structure is embossed into an optically operative surface of the lens element.

17. Method for manufacturing a batch of headlight lenses for imaging an edge of a shield of a vehicle headlight as a light-dark-borderline having a defined gradient, the method comprising;

moulding a blank from transparent plastic material by means of an injection-pressing method in an injection-pressing mould,

subsequently blank-moulding the blank by means of a final-shape mould to form a headlight lens, and

consecutively repeating the previous steps such that the standard deviation of the gradients of the headlight lenses of the batch is smaller than or equal to 0.005

18. Method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the batch comprises 10 consecutively produced headlight lenses.

19. Method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the batch comprises 100 consecutively produced headlight lenses.

20. Method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the transparent plastic material is thermoplastic plastic material.

21. Method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the blank is produced by means of the injection-pressing method from essentially liquid plastic material.

22. Method for manufacturing a headlight lens for imaging an edge of a shield of a vehicle headlight as a light-dark-borderline, the method comprising;

moulding a blank from transparent plastic material by means of an injection-pressing method in an injection-pressing mould, and

blank-moulding the blank by means of a final-shape mould to form the headlight lens.

23. Method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the transparent plastic material is thermoplastic plastic material.

24. Method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the blank is produced by means of the injection-pressing method from essentially liquid plastic material.

25. Method as claimed in claim 22, wherein, by means of the injection-pressing process, the blank is produced with an integral sprue.

26. Method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the blank is cooled and heated again.

27. Method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the blank is removed from the injection-pressing mould and subsequently cooled and heated again.

28. Method as claimed in claim 22, wherein by means of the final-shape mould a light dispersing surface structure is embossed into an optically operative surface of the headlight lens.

29. Batch of headlight lenses produced consecutively for imaging an edge of a shield of a vehicle headlight as a light-dark-borderline having a defined gradient, wherein each headlight lens is made of at least essentially transparent plastic material, and wherein the standard deviation of the gradients of the headlight lenses of the batch is smaller than or equal to 0.005.

30. Batch as claimed in claim 29 comprising 10 consecutively produced headlight lenses.

31. Batch as claimed in claim 29 comprising 100 consecutively produced headlight lenses.