Process and apparatus for producing contoured molded mirrors with improved optical properties
US5702649A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 10, 1995 |
| Grant date | Dec 30, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 10, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S425/808
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Production of precision reflective mirror surfaces on low cost, lightweight molded plastic substrates (10). The process involves making a master pattern (12) having a precision machined contoured surface (13) corresponding to the precision mirror surface desired on the plastic substrate. A release layer (14) and a reflective layer (17) are applied to the master pattern and then transferred to the molded plastic substrate (10), with a curable replication layer (18) therebetween preferably comprising a filler-reinforced polymer composition which is compatible with the polymeric substrate and has a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) which closely matches the CTE of the substrate. The replication layer (20) is cured to replicate the precision of the surface (13) of the master pattern (12), which can be reused to produce a multiplicity of high precision molded plastic mirrors (21). In order to achieve improved accuracy and lower cost, the molded substrate tooling is adjusted (corrected) to account for differences in dimensions and/or surface contour. This more accurate substrate allows for a thinner replication layer which is less sensitive to error during curing and when the pa…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.