Patent ID: 8343393

Claim:
An optical element molding apparatus for press-molding a softened optical material, comprising: an upper die member on which a first molding surface is formed; a lower die member on which a second molding surface is formed; a guide member for holding the upper die member and the lower die member through the intermediary of multiple rolling bodies, with the first molding surface and the second molding surface facing each other, and with the upper die member and the lower die member being movable along the guide member in a direction in which the first molding surface and the second molding surface are brought close to and separated from each other; a heating unit configured to heat the upper die member, the lower die member, and the guide member; and a heater block configured to heat the optical material and the multiple rolling bodies in a state of the lower die member separated from the guide member, wherein the multiple rolling bodies are heated so that differences in temperature between the upper die member and the multiple rolling bodies, between the lower die member and the multiple rolling bodies, and between the guide member and the multiple rolling bodies are controlled while the softened optical material is press-molding in a state of the lower die member assembled with the guide member.