Optical lens or lens group, process for the production thereof, as well as optical image acquisition device

Abstract

The invention relates to an optical hybrid lens. According to the invention, the lens consists of a substrate (1) that consists of a ceramic having a predetermined shape and at least another material (2), which covers a surface of the substrate (1) at least in certain sections in order to form a lens surface. Use of an optical ceramic as a material enables an additional degree of freedom for adjusting the imaging properties of the hybrid lens. The optical ceramic may have a high refractive index and a low dispersion. The other material can be a material that can be deformed or recast at temperatures that are low in comparison to those of the optical ceramic. In particular the other material can be a low-TG glass or a polymer. The other material is directly applied onto the substrate without a further surface finishing being necessarily required. Other aspects of the invention relate to an optical lens group, an optical image acquisition device, and a process for manufacturing a hybrid lens.

Description

[0001] This application claims the priority of the German Patent Application 10 2005 045 197.7 “Optical Lens or Lens Group, Process for the Production Thereof as Well as Optical Image Acquisition Device,” filed on Sep. 21, 2005, whose content is expressly included herewith by way of reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates in general to the field of optical lenses and relates in particular to hybrid lenses that consist of at least two different materials. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Hybrid lenses, which consist of different materials, are known in the form of glass polymer hybrids from the prior art. The latter consist of a glass, generally in spherical shape, which is surrounded by a polymer, generally with an aspherical outside shape. The hybrid lenses thus consist of at least two different materials with different refractive indices and different dispersion. By using at least one other material, the imaging properties of the hybrid lens, in particula...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] The object of this invention is thus to provide an optical hybrid lens and a process for the production thereof, with which simple and economical production processes can be carried out and nevertheless a high resolution or imaging quality can be achieved. According to another aspect of this invention, in particular an optical hybrid lens and a process for the production thereof is to be provided, with which processing techniques that are suitable for mass production can be carried out, in particular for the production of precision optical systems for consumer electronics devices. According to another aspect of this invention an optical lens group as well as an optical image acquisition device are to be provided with at least one such hybrid lens.

Problems solved by technology

In addition, disadvantages of the plasticity of glasses are compensated for by the combination with the plastic polymer that can easily be deformed.

While precision lenses made of glass must be ground at great expense and finished, production processes, such as, for example, injection molding or pressing, with which lens elements can be produced in a simple way and without expensive surface finishing, are increasingly demanded for reasons of cost.

With the material combinations that are currently available, optical imaging defects can often be compensated for only inadequately, however, since the refractive index of glasses is comparatively low or the dispersion is too high.

This limits the achievable optical qualities with respect to resolution, monochromatic defects (for example spherical aberration) and chromatic defects, and with respect to other optical properties.

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