Fixing method, optical component and pickup manufactured by the fixing method

Abstract

Objective lens 20 is placed above the bobbin 40 at a position opposite to the light emitting end of the light guiding member, and the fixing portions 31 provided appropriately between the objective lens 20 and the lens support 41 are hardened in a short time because of being exposed to a UV hardening light beam which is selectively irradiated onto the fixing portions, or the intensity of which has been reduced to the wavelength region in which optical characteristics of the objective lens are practically deteriorated, in order to reduce the deterioration in the transmission characteristics in the wavelength range at which the optical elements are to be used, when fixing optical elements such as a plastic objective lens, etc., are used with a UV hardening type of adhesive.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
   
   
       29 . A fixing method of bonding an optical element, which is made of plastic and used in a prescribed working wavelength range in a wavelength region including at least blue light and ultraviolet light to another member by using a light-hardening type of adhesive, the fixing method comprising the steps of:
 supplying the light-hardening type of adhesive to a bonding spot between the optical element and the another member; and   selectively irradiating the bonding spot with a processing light beam to harden the light-hardening type of adhesive.   
   
   
       30 . The fixing method of  claim 29 ,
 wherein the bonding spot is selectively irradiated with the processing light beam by means of a light guiding device.   
   
   
       31 . The fixing method of  claim 30 ,
 wherein the light guiding device is an optical fiber which leads the processing light beam from a light source to an irradiating position opposed to the bonding spot.   
   
   
       32 . The fixing method of  claim 30 ,
 wherein the light guiding device is at least one reflecting device which leads the processing light beam from a light source to an irradiating position opposed to the bonding spot.   
   
   
       33 . The fixing method of  claim 29 ,
 wherein the processing light beam is prevented from entering an optical surface of the optical element at a periphery of the bonding spot by using a light shielding device.   
   
   
       34 . The fixing method of  claim 33 ,
 wherein the light shielding device is a mask to cover the optical surface of the optical element.   
   
   
       35 . The fixing method of  claim 33 ,
 wherein the light shielding device is a filter to cover the optical surface of the optical element.   
   
   
       36 . The fixing method of  claim 29 ,
 wherein the prescribed working wavelength range of the optical element is in a range from 380 to 450 nm and the processing light beam has an emission peak in a hardening wavelength range from 280 to 330 nm.   
   
   
       37 . The fixing method of  claim 36 ,
 wherein the processing light beam is emitted from a high pressure mercury vapor lamp as a light source.   
   
   
       38 . The fixing method of  claim 29 ,
 wherein the another member is a supporting member for supporting the optical element.   
   
   
       39 . The fixing method of  claim 29 ,
 wherein the another member is an optical member for performing a prescribed optical function in cooperation with the optical element.   
   
   
       40 . An optical component comprising:
 an optical element, and   another member;   wherein the optical element and the another member are fixed to each other by the fixing method of  claim 29 .   
   
   
       41 . The optical component of  claim 40 ,
 wherein the optical element is an objective lens through which an incident luminous flux converges so as to form a spot on a recording surface of an optical recording medium.   
   
   
       42 . An optical pickup comprising:
 the optical component of  claim 40 ,   wherein information can be read from, or written on, a recording surface of an optical recording medium.   
   
   
       43 . The fixing method of  claim 29 , which is used for an optical component of an optical pickup. 
   
   
       44 . A fixing method for bonding a periphery of an optical element to another member by using a light-hardening type of adhesive, wherein the optical element is made of plastic and has an optical surface within the periphery for use in a prescribed working wavelength range in a wavelength region including at least blue light and ultraviolet light, the fixing method comprising the steps of:
 supplying the light-hardening type of adhesive to a bonding spot between the periphery and the another member; and   selectively irradiating an area including the bonding spot and excluding the optical surface with a processing light beam by controlling the processing light beam so as to harden the light-hardening type of adhesive.   
   
   
       45 . The fixing method of  claim 44 ,
 wherein the processing light beam has a light emission in a specific wavelength range from 280 to 330 nm.   
   
   
       46 . The fixing method of  claim 45 ,
 wherein the processing light beam has a first emission peak having a first illumination intensity in a first wavelength range from 350 to 450 nm; and   wherein the processing light beam has a second emission peak in the specific wavelength range from 280 to 330 nm, which has an illumination intensity less than or equal to 30% of the first illumination intensity of the first emission peak.   
   
   
       47 . The fixing method of  claim 45 ,
 wherein the processing light beam has an emission peak in the specific wavelength range from 280 to 330 nm.   
   
   
       48 . A fixing device for bonding an optical element, which is made of plastic and which is used in a prescribed working wavelength range in a wavelength region including at least blue light and ultraviolet light, to another member by using a light-hardening type of adhesive, the fixing device comprising:
 a supplying device which supplies the light-hardening type of adhesive to a bonding spot between the optical element and the another member; and   a light irradiating device which selectively irradiates the bonding spot with a processing light beam to harden the light-hardening type of adhesive.