Support for optical lenses and method for polishing lenses

• US 5,951,375 A
• Filed: 05/15/1997
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OptoTech Optikmaschinen GmbH
• Original Assignee: OptoTech Optikmaschinen GmbH
• Inventors: Mandler, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Rose, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US08/856,705
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 451/42, 451/56, 451/285, 451/384, 451/388, 451/390, 451/398, 451/72, 451/461, 451/443
• US Class Current: 451/42
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 13/005 Blocking means, chucks or the like; Alignment devices
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 13/01 Specific tools, e.g. bowl-like; Production, dressing or fastening of these tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00009 Production of simple or compound lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00932 Combined cutting and grinding thereof

Abstract

A holder for precision working of optical lenses comprises a cylindrical base (4) designed as a dressing tool, a diaphragm holder (5) fastened thereto, an elastic diaphragm (6) attached air-tight thereto as well as a centric duct (22, 23) crossing the base (4) and the diaphragm holder (5) axially. The dressing tool (4) is preferably a cup-shaped tool to which a lens holder formed as a ring element (15) can be fastened in a capping manner. The lens holder (15) is provided with banking and/or supporting surfaces (21) as well as engaging elements (17) for holding a lens (19) to be worked; moreover, it may be provided with additional dressing elements (18). The dressing tool (4) and the lens holder (15) are combined to a combined tool K which can be fastened to a common rotating machine spindle (1). A polishing tool (13) is first dressed with the cup-shaped tool (4) whereupon the lens holder (15) is mounted and the lens (19) held by it is polished with the dressed polishing tool (13) against which the lens (19) is uniformly pressed by the diaphragm (6).

Claims

1. Holder for optical lenses, comprising a cylindrical base (4), an elastic lens support surface (6) attached thereto as well as a centric duct (22) crossing the base (4) axially, wherein the base (4) is adapted to receive a lens holder formed as a ring element (5) which has supporting surfaces (21) for a lens (19), wherein in the base includes a cup-shaped tool (4) the cup-shaped tool being capped by he ring element (15) constituting the lens holder.

2. Holder for optical lenses, comprising a cylindrical base (4), an elastic lens support surface (6) attached thereto as well as a centric duct (22) crossing the base (4) axially, wherein the base (4) is adapted to receive a lens holder formed as a ring element (15) which has supporting surfaces (21) for a lens (19), wherein the lens holder (15) is fastened to the base (4) by means of a bayonet joint.

3. Method of producing high-precision lens geometries, comprising the steps of using an axis controlled machine with a lens holder (15) for rationally firm mounting of a lens (19) to be worked, using a polishing tool (13) fastened to a rotable polishing spindle (10) of the machine for polishing the lens surface, the machine including a dressing tool (4) for dressing the polishing tool (13), wherein the dressing tool (4) and the lens holder (15) are fastened to a common rotating machine spindle (1).

4. Method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of dressing the polishing tool (13) with the dressing tool (4) whereupon the lens holder (15) is mounted over the dressing tool (4) and the lens (19) is polished with the dressed polishing tool (13).

5. Method according to claim 3, wherein during the polishing procedure, the (19) is uniformly pressed against the polishing tool (13) by an elastic lens supporting surface (6) provided within the dressing tool (4).

6. Method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of dressing and correcting the polishing tool (13) by the lens holder (15) during the polishing procedure.

7. Method according to claim 3, wherein the steps thereof are implemented by sequentially performing the steps of:

mounting the polishing tool 13 onto the polishing spindle (10) and mounting a dressing tool (4) onto the machine spindle (1);

adjusting the spindles (1,

     10) relative to each other,

feeding the dressing tool (4) towards the polishing tool (13) for dressing the polishing tool;

axially retracting the machine spindle (1);

mounting the lens holder (15) over the dressing tool (4) and attaching the lens holder (15) to the dressing tool (4) by bolts (16) to form a combined tool (K);

inserting the lens (19) to be worked into the lens holder (15);

feeding the combined tool (K) towards the polishing tool (13) via the machine spindle (1);

admitting compressed air to a rubber diaphragm (6) via a coaxial duct (22,

     23), whereby the lens (19) is pressed uniformly against the surface of a polisher carrier (14); and

polishing the lens (19) thus held on the rotatingly driven lens holder (15) by the polishing tool (13) driven by the rotating polishing spindling (10).

8. A method for precision working of optical lenses comprising the steps of:

first dressing a polishing tool (13) with a cup-shaped tool (4);

mounting a lens holder (15) over the cup-shaped tool;

inserting a lens (19) in the lens holder (15) and

polishing the lens (19) with the dressed polishing tool (13) against which the lens (19) is uniformly pressed by a diaphragm (6).

9. Holder for optical lenses, comprising a cup-shaped dressing tool having a cylindrical base (4) which is fixed to a rotating machine spindle (1) and through which a centric duct (22) extends axially, wherein a lens holder (15) is adapted to be removably mounted to the base (4) so as to positively cap and snugly enclose the base thereby to form a combined tool (K) that is mounted to a single rotating machine spindle (1).

10. Holder according to claim 9, wherein the lens holder comprises a ring element (15) having supporting surfaces (21) for concentrically mounting a lens (19) to be worked, said supporting surfaces (21) including plane portions.

11. Holder according to claim 10, wherein the supporting surfaces (21) include engaging elements (17) which positively bear against a lens (19) attached to the ring element.

12. Holder according to claim 9, further comprising dressing elements (18) on the lens holder (15).

13. Holder according to claim 9, wherein the lens holder (15) is threadedly fastened to the base (4) by a screw thread.

14. Holder according to claim 13, wherein the screw thread is formed as a bayonet joint.

15. Holder according to claim 9, further comprising a clamping device for fastening the lens holder (15) to the base (4).

16. Holder according to claim 9, wherein the lens holder (15) includes an elastic lens support surface (6) comprising a rubber diaphragm which is air-tight anchored onto the base (4) by a diaphragm holder (5) having a centric through duct (23) connected to the duct (22) in the base (4).

17. Holder according to claim 16, wherein the base (4), the diaphragm holder (5), the diaphragm (6) and the lens holder (15) together form a combined tool (K) that is mounted on a common rotating spindle (1) and that serves both for polishing a lens (19) and for dressing the polishing tool (13).

18. Holder according to claim 9, wherein the rotating machine spindle (1) is the tool spindle of a polishing or dressing machine.

19. Holder for precision working of optical lenses, comprising a cup-shaped dressing tool having a cylindrical base (4), a diaphragm holder (5) fastened thereto and an elastic diaphragm (6) attached air-tight thereto and a centric duct (22, 23) axially extending through the base (4) and the diaphragm holder (5),

wherein a lens holder formed as a ring element (15) is adapted to be mounted onto the base (4) in a capping manner, the lens holder (15) having supporting surfaces (21) and engaging elements (17) for holding a lens (19) to be worked, and wherein the base (4) and the lens holder (15) together form a combined tool (K) fastened to a common rotating machine spindle (1).