Patent ID: 7731874

Claim:
A method of pressing a material softened by heating and an optical component comprising: providing a first mold and a second mold which mold the optical component; providing a trunk mold which centers the first mold and the second mold coaxially; providing a supporting device which supports the first mold and the trunk mold in such a way that the first mold and the trunk mold are centered so as to comprise a common rotational symmetry axis and relatively move along the common rotational symmetry axis; providing a holding device which holds the first mold, the trunk mold, and the supporting device in such a way that the first mold, the trunk mold, and the supporting device are not separated from one another; wherein the trunk mold causes a first tapered surface on a side of the trunk mold to contact a second tapered surface on a side of the second mold to center the first mold and the second mold coaxially and to make the first mold and the second mold share the common rotational symmetry axis, and wherein after the first mold and the second mold are centered, the trunk mold is held substantially stationary while the material is pressed, wherein pressing the material comprises moving the first mold relative to the second mold along the common rotational symmetry axis with respect to the trunk mold, such that the material is pressed between the first and second molds, whereby a molded product having a desired thickness and a shape is obtained.