Patent ID: 7988441

Claim:
An optical element molding apparatus having a first platen and a first mold attached to the first platen and a second platen and a second mold attached to the second platen to mold an optical element, wherein by moving the first platen and the second platen so as to approach each other, the first mold and the second mold are clamped, and a molding material is injected into a formed cavity between both molds while clamping the first mold and the second mold so as to mold the optical element, the optical element molding apparatus comprising: a first mold matching surface provided at the first mold and a second mold matching surface provided at the second mold, to be matched with the first mold matching surface at mold clamping, provided when clamping the molds; a first taper shape provided at the first mold matching surface and a second taper shape, to fit with the first taper shape, provided at the second matching surface; and a first friction mechanism disposed between the first platen and the first mold to permit a movement of the first mold in respect to the first platen in a plane perpendicular to a mold clamping direction; wherein the first friction mechanism includes an elastic member to be compressed in the mold clamping direction when clamping the molds.