Method of fabricating a holder and optical element device

Abstract

A holder and optical element device includes a holder having a substantially cylindrical interior shape and an optical element fitted in the holder along an inner surface of the holder. The holder may have a step on the inner surface thereof. This step has a surface that is inclined downward and inward from the interior surface of the holder. The optical element may have a convex optical surface section on a surface thereof and a flat surface section around the optical surface section, the flat surface section being disposed on the downward-inclined surface. The optical element is disposed on the inner surface of the holder in such a manner that the step is in contact with the peripheral surface, of the optical element.

1 .- 15 . (canceled)  
   
   
       16 . A method for fabricating a holder and optical element device comprising: 
 placing an optical element material inside a holder having a substantially cylindrical interior surface shape; and    pressing the optical element material by a molding surface of a die, the optical element contacting an inner surface of the holder,    wherein a surface of the optical element material has a central portion and a peripheral portion, the central portion being pressed by a concave optical-surface-molding section in the molding surface, and the peripheral portion of the optical element material being pressed by a planar flat-surface-molding section.    
   
   
       17 . The method for fabricating a holder and optical element device according to  claim 16 , wherein a step is provided on the interior cylindrical surface of the holder, the step including a surface that is inclined downward and inward from the interior cylindrical surface, and when the optical element material is pressed by the die, the inclined surface of the step and the flat-surface-molding section of the die face each other.  
   
   
       18 . The method for fabricating a holder and optical element device according to  claim 17 , wherein the planar flat-surface molding section is inclined downward and outward.