Lens, lens assembly including the same, and camera device

Abstract

Provided are a lens, a lens assembly including the lens, and a camera device. The lens assembly includes the lens and a lens barrel. The lens includes a wing portion extending toward the side of the lens. The lens barrel carries the lens and includes a storage slot opposite the wing portion of the lens for loading adhesive.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese invention patent application with application number 202011107942.1, application date October 16, 2020, and name “Lens and lens assembly including the lens and camera device”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a lens structure, in particular to a micro lens that is convenient for clamping by a clamp, a lens assembly including the micro lens, and a camera device. Background Art

[0003] The micro lens is usually manufactured separately from the image sensor, and during the assembly process, the micro lens is disposed on the image sensor by a fixture to form a sensor assembly.

[0004] However, during the assembly of miniaturized sensor assemblies, if the microlens is cylindrical, the clamps may not be able to easily hold the microlens due to its small size and cylindrical shape. Furthermore, the clamps may scratch the active area of ​​the microlens during the process. Furthermore, when adhesive is used to secure the microlens to the lens barrel, the adhesive may spread to the active area of ​​the microlens, causing contamination and affecting its optical performance.

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a lens structure including a wing portion extending from the side of a micro cylindrical lens for clamping by a clamp. The wing portion not only helps the clamp to configure the micro cylindrical lens in the lens barrel, but also can be adhered to the lens barrel by adhesive and / or mechanically pressurized by the wing portion for configuration, thereby effectively avoiding scratches and contamination of the active area of ​​the micro cylindrical lens. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides a cylindrical lens comprising wings extending from the side, so that a fixture can clamp or apply pressure to the wings without contacting the active area of ​​the lens when handling or moving the cylindrical lens.

[0007] The present invention also provides a lens assembly, wherein the lens barrel includes a storage groove opposite to the wing of the cylindrical lens. The storage groove can be used to store the adhesive injected through the wing to fix the cylindrical lens to the lens barrel, and the storage groove can be used as a positioning point when configuring the cylindrical lens to increase assembly accuracy.

[0008] The present invention provides a lens comprising a lens body and a wing portion. The lens body is cylindrical and includes a lens side surface parallel to the optical axis of the lens. The wing portion extends laterally from the lens side surface of the lens body to be gripped by a handling device and includes a through hole for passage of adhesive.

[0009] The present invention also provides a lens assembly including a lens and a lens barrel. The lens includes a lens body and a wing portion. The lens body is cylindrical and includes a lens side surface, which is parallel to the optical axis of the lens. The wing portion extends laterally from the lens side surface of the lens body to be clamped by a handling device and includes a through hole for passing adhesive. The lens barrel carries the lens and includes a storage groove relative to the wing portion of the lens, the storage groove being located opposite the through hole and used to accommodate the adhesive.

[0010] The present invention also provides a camera device comprising a substrate, a sensor, a lens and a lens barrel. The sensor is arranged on the substrate. The lens comprises a lens body and a wing portion. The lens body is cylindrical and comprises a lens side surface, which is parallel to the optical axis of the lens. The wing portion extends laterally from the lens side surface of the lens body for clamping by a transport device, and comprises a through hole for passage of adhesive. The lens barrel is arranged on the substrate for carrying the lens, and comprises a storage groove and a receiving hole. The storage groove is opposite to the through hole of the wing portion of the lens, and is used to receive the adhesive. The receiving hole is used to receive the sensor.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present invention, the cylindrical lens has a diameter of, for example, 1-3 mm, and the cylindrical lens and at least one of its wings are preferably made of the same material, for example, an integrally molded component molded from transparent plastic and / or transparent glass. Depending on the shape of the fixture and handling equipment, the wings can be configured to extend horizontally or obliquely from the side of the cylindrical lens, and the surface of the wings can be flat or curved. The lens barrel is, for example, molded from plastic.

[0012] In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent, the following will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in the present invention, the same components are represented by the same symbols and are hereby combined for clarity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lens according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a lens according to an embodiment of the present invention being clamped by a fixture;

[0015] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a lens according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 5 A perspective view of a lens according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of a lens according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Description of Reference Numerals

[0020] 300 Camera Device

[0021] 100 lenses

[0022] 101 lens body

[0023] 101A Active Area

[0024] 101S lens side

[0025] 103 Wing

[0026] 103H Wing notch

[0027] 301 substrate

[0028] 303 Sensor

[0029] 304 lens barrel

[0030] 304R storage tank

[0031] 90 viscose DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The present invention relates to a method of providing a cylindrical microlens body with at least one laterally extending wing to enhance the handling of the microlens. During assembly, a handling device applies pressure to the wing to insert the microlens into the lens barrel. Furthermore, the lens barrel can optionally be equipped with a reservoir for adhesive injection corresponding to the microlens wing, eliminating the need to inject adhesive into the edge of the cylindrical lens body. This arrangement effectively prevents scratching and contamination of the active lens area.

[0033] Please refer to Figure 1 , which is a perspective view of a lens 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The lens 100 includes a lens body 101 and a wing portion 103. The lens body 101 has an optical axis AX and is preferably a cylinder extending along the optical axis AX. Light is emitted from one surface of the lens body 101 (e.g. Figure 1 The top surface of the lens 100) enters the lens 100 and enters the lens 101 from another surface of the lens body 101 (eg Figure 1 The lens body 101 includes a lens side surface 101S parallel to the optical axis AX of the lens body 101.

[0034] The wing portion 103 extends laterally from the lens side surface 101S of the lens body 101 to provide support for the fixture 80 (e.g., referring to FIG. 1 ) when handling the lens 100, including transporting, assembling, and placing. Figure 2 ) or other positioning or handling devices to clamp or grab. It can be understood that, Figure 2 The clamp 80 shown is only an example. The clamp 80 does not contact the lens body 101. However, its shape, type and clamping method are not limited to Figure 2 shown.

[0035] The wing 103 can extend vertically or laterally from the lens side 101S at a specific angle, depending on the configuration of the clamp 80 or other positioning or handling device, as long as it can be easily clamped. In one embodiment, the lens body 101 and the wing 103 are an integrally formed component made of molded glass or plastic.

[0036] It must be pointed out that although Figure 1 The display lens 100 includes only a single wing portion 103, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the lens 100 may include more than one wing portion 103 extending from different directions of the lens side surface 101S. Figure 1 The perimeter of the side surface 101S of the display lens body 101 is greater than the perimeter of the lower side surface 101SL (i.e., different sections of the lens body 101 have different diameters), but the present invention is not limited to this. The step difference between the side surface 101S and the lower side surface 101SL is configured to allow the lens 100 to be placed in the lens barrel 304 (refer to Figure 3 ), the step difference of the lens body 101 can be placed on the internal flange 304F to support the lens 100.

[0037] However, in the embodiment where the lens 100 includes more than one wing 103, the wing 103 can be placed on the internal platform 304P of the lens barrel 304 (i.e., the lens barrel 304 includes the same number of internal platforms 304P as the wing 103) to support the lens 100 without configuring the lens side surfaces at different heights on the lens body 101. Figure 1 101S and 101SL have the same height or the same circumference, and there is no need to configure an internal flange 304F in the lens barrel 304.

[0038] The lens 100 further includes a lens top surface 101T connected to the lens side surface 101S, and the lens top surface 101T includes an active area 101A for light to pass through the lens body 101. It must be noted that although Figure 1 The light incident surface of the active area 101A is lower than the height of the lens top surface 101T, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the light incident surface of the active area 101A can have substantially the same height as the lens top surface 101T, such as Figure 4 In other words, in the present invention, the light incident surface of the active region 101A is at the same height as or lower than the lens top surface 101T. Figure 4 is a stereoscopic diagram of a lens 400 according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein Figure 1 The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0039] In some embodiments, in order to allow light to pass through the lens 100 only through the active area 101A, the portion of the lens top surface 101T other than the active area 101A is also covered with a lens shield 407, such as Figure 4 The lens shield 407 is, for example, a light-proof material formed by coating or sputtering, and is used to prevent and block light from entering the lens body 101 from areas outside the active area 101A. In some embodiments, the lens shield 407 is also formed on the surface of the wing portion 103.

[0040] In a non-limiting embodiment, the wing portion 103 includes a notch 103H parallel to the optical axis AX for injecting the adhesive 90 into the lens barrel 304, for example, referring to Figure 3 . Figure 1 and Figure 3 Although the notch 103H is shown as a semicircle, it is only for illustration and not for limiting the present invention. In other embodiments, the notch 103H may be a rectangle, a triangle or other irregular shapes, without any specific limitation, as long as the adhesive 90 can flow through. Figure 1 and Figure 3 The notch 103H is shown to be located on the top surface 1030 of the wing portion 103 , but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the notch 103H may be disposed on at least one of the two side surfaces 1031 of the wing portion 103 .

[0041] In another non-limiting embodiment, the top surface 1030 of the wing portion 103 does not include a notch and is a parallel surface, referring to Figure 5 . Figure 5 A perspective view of a lens 500 according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein Figure 1 The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0042] In another non-limiting embodiment, the wing portion 103 includes at least one through hole 603H parallel to the optical axis AX for injecting the adhesive 90 into the lens barrel 304, for example, referring to Figure 6 It must be pointed out that Figure 6 Although only one through hole 603H is shown, this is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the present invention. The wing portion 103 may be configured with multiple through holes parallel to the optical axis AX. In other embodiments, the through hole 603H may be rectangular, triangular, or other irregular shapes, without particular limitation, as long as it allows the adhesive 90 to flow through. Figure 6 is a perspective view of a lens 600 according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein Figure 1 The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0043] In addition, the implementation of the wing portion 103 may depend on the structure of the corresponding lens barrel 304 .

[0044] Please refer to Figure 3 , which is a cross-sectional view of an imaging device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The imaging device 300 includes a lens assembly, a substrate 301, and a sensor 303. The lens assembly includes Figure 1 and Figures 4 to 6 The lens 100 or 400 to 600 and the lens barrel 304. The lens barrel 304 is configured on the substrate 301 for carrying the lens 100 and includes a receiving hole for receiving the sensor 303. Figure 3 As shown, the receiving hole is the lower half of the hollow portion of the lens barrel 304, and the upper half of the hollow portion accommodates the lens. The lens barrel 304 is connected to the substrate 301 by, for example, soldering, conductive adhesive or ultrasonic bonding.

[0045] The substrate 301 may be a printed circuit board (PCB) or a flexible substrate (FCB), etc. In addition to being configured with the sensor 303 and the lens assembly, it may also be configured with other circuit components such as resistors and capacitors.

[0046] Sensor 303 is a semiconductor imaging device, such as a CMOS image sensor or a single-photon detector (SPAD) array, configured to detect light passing through active region 101A of lens 100 and output a detection signal to substrate 301. The detection signal is then transmitted to an external device via substrate 301. The method for disposing sensor 303 on substrate 301 is well known and is not a primary objective of the present invention, so it will not be described in detail here.

[0047] As described above, the lens barrel 304 may include an internal flange 304F (surrounding the inner surface of the lens barrel 304 but not overlapping the internal platform 304P) for contacting the step difference between the lens side surface 101S and the lower side surface 101SL, so as to facilitate the placement of the lens 100 inside the lens barrel 304. The lens barrel 304 also includes an internal platform 304P for supporting the bottom surface of the wing portion 103. In addition, the lens barrel 304 also includes a storage groove 304R opposite to the wing portion 103 of the lens 100, and the storage groove 304 is used to accommodate the adhesive 90. Figure 3As shown, the storage groove 304R is located between the inner platform 304P of the lens barrel 304 and the ring wall 304W, which surrounds the lens side 101S and the outside of the wing 103. According to different embodiments, the top surface 1030 of the wing 103 abuts or has a predetermined distance from the inner surface of the ring wall 304W.

[0048] For example, in Figure 1 and Figure 4 In the embodiment, because the wing portion 103 includes a notch 103H corresponding to the storage groove 304R, the top surface 1030 of the wing portion 103 can directly contact (but is not limited to) the inner surface of the ring wall 304W, and the adhesive 90 can be injected into the storage groove 304R through the notch 103H. It should be understood that the device used to inject the adhesive 90 is not particularly limited.

[0049] For example, in an embodiment where the notch is disposed on the side surface 1031 of the wing portion 103, the top surface 1030 of the wing portion 103 is preferably at a predetermined distance D from the inner surface of the annular wall 304W (see Figure 3 ), so as to facilitate the injection of the adhesive 90 into the storage tank 304R from the space of the predetermined distance D. In addition, in order to facilitate the injection of the adhesive 90, the top surface 1030 of the wing 103 and the opposite edge of the ring wall 304W can form a groove including an inclined angle instead of as shown in FIG. Figure 3 The vertical plane shown.

[0050] For example, in Figure 5 In the embodiment, the top surface 5030 of the wing 503 is preferably at a predetermined distance D from the inner surface of the ring wall 304W (refer to Figure 3 ), so as to facilitate the injection of the adhesive 90 into the storage tank 304R from the space of the predetermined distance D. In addition, in order to facilitate the injection of the adhesive 90, the top surface 5030 of the wing 503 and / or the opposite edge of the ring wall 304W can be formed with a groove including an inclined angle, rather than as shown in FIG. Figure 3 The vertical plane shown.

[0051] For example, in Figure 6 In the embodiment, since the wing 603 includes at least one through hole 603H corresponding to the storage tank 304R, the top surface 6030 of the wing 603 can directly abut (but not limited to) the inner surface of the ring wall 304W, and the adhesive 90 can be injected into the storage tank 304R through the through hole 603H.

[0052] In other embodiments, the wings may be configured with both notches and through holes to facilitate the injection of the adhesive 90 .

[0053] The lens 100 and the lens barrel 304 are typically manufactured separately. During the assembly process of placing the lens 100 into the lens barrel 304, the fixture 80 or other positioning or handling device can press the lens 100 into the lens barrel 304 by applying pressure to the wings 103. This prevents the fixture 80 from contacting the active area 101A of the lens 100 and thereby preventing damage to the active area 101A. Furthermore, the storage groove 304R also serves as a reference point for alignment when placing the lens 100.

[0054] In the present invention, since the adhesive 90 is not injected at the edge of the lens body 101 , there is no problem of the adhesive 90 flowing into the active area 101A and causing contamination.

[0055] It should be noted that although the lens barrel 304 includes a storage groove 304R in the above-described embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto. In embodiments where the lens barrel 304 does not include a storage groove 304R (i.e., lacks a groove), the adhesive 90 can be injected into the internal platform 304P through the notches and / or through-holes of the wing portion 103 to adhere the wing portion 103 to the internal platform 304P, thereby still preventing contamination of the active area 101A of the lens body 101.

[0056] In some embodiments, the camera device 300 further includes a filter (not shown) located between the lens body 101 and the sensor 303, or the filter material is directly coated on the active area 101A of the lens body 101 or the sensor 303 to improve the photosensitivity of the sensor 303.

[0057] In summary, the conventional cylindrical lens assembly has the problem that it is difficult to clamp the cylindrical lens and the active area of ​​the lens may be scratched or contaminated. Therefore, the present invention provides a cylindrical lens (such as Figure 1 、 Figures 4 to 6 ) and a lens assembly and an imaging device including the cylindrical lens (such as Figure 3 ) to solve various problems existing in conventional cylindrical lens assembly.

[0058] Although the present invention has been disclosed using the above examples, they are not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art will be able to make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A lens, comprising: a lens body, the lens body being cylindrical and comprising a lens side surface, the lens side surface being parallel to the optical axis of the lens; as well as The wing portion extends laterally from the lens side of the lens body to be clamped by a handling device and includes a through hole for the passage of adhesive, wherein: The lens body further includes a lens top surface, which is connected to the lens side surface. The top surface of the lens includes an active area for light to pass through. The light incident surface of the active area is at the same height as or lower than the top surface of the lens, and The portion of the top surface of the lens outside the active area is also covered with a lens shield to prevent light from outside the active area from entering the lens body.

2. The lens according to claim 1, wherein The lens body and the wing portion are integrally formed.

3. A lens assembly, comprising: A lens comprising: a lens body, the lens body being cylindrical and comprising a lens side surface, the lens side surface being parallel to the optical axis of the lens; and a wing portion extending laterally from the lens side surface of the lens body to be clamped by a handling device and comprising a through hole for passing adhesive; and A lens barrel, which carries the lens and includes a storage groove relative to the wing of the lens, the storage groove is located opposite to the through hole and is used to accommodate the adhesive, wherein, The lens body further includes a lens top surface, which is connected to the lens side surface. The top surface of the lens includes an active area for light to pass through. The light incident surface of the active area is at the same height as or lower than the top surface of the lens, and The portion of the top surface of the lens outside the active area is also covered with a lens shield to prevent light from outside the active area from entering the lens body.

4. The lens assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The lens barrel further includes a ring wall surrounding the side of the lens, and The top surface of the wing portion abuts against the annular wall or has a predetermined distance therebetween.

5. The lens assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The lens body and the wing portion are integrally formed.

6. A camera device, comprising: substrate; a sensor, the sensor being disposed on the substrate; A lens comprising: a lens body, the lens body being cylindrical and comprising a lens side surface, the lens side surface being parallel to the optical axis of the lens; and a wing portion extending laterally from the lens side surface of the lens body to be clamped by a handling device and comprising a through hole for passing adhesive; and A lens barrel is configured on the substrate for carrying the lens and includes: a storage tank, the storage tank being opposite to the through hole of the wing portion of the lens and being used for accommodating the adhesive; and The accommodating hole is used to accommodate the sensor, wherein: The lens body further includes a lens top surface, which is connected to the lens side surface. The top surface of the lens includes an active area, which is aligned with the sensor to allow light to pass through. The light incident surface of the active area is at the same height as or lower than the top surface of the lens, and The portion of the top surface of the lens outside the active area is also covered with a lens shield to prevent light from outside the active area from entering the lens body.

7. The imaging device according to claim 6, wherein: The lens barrel further includes a ring wall surrounding the side of the lens, and The top surface of the wing portion abuts against the annular wall or has a predetermined distance therebetween.

8. The imaging device according to claim 6, wherein: The lens body and the wing portion are integrally formed.

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