Liquid lens

Abstract

The application discloses a liquid lens, which comprises a coil, a first light-transmitting conductive layer, a second light-transmitting conductive layer, a tubular cylinder, a first magnetic ring and a second magnetic ring. The coil is arranged in a tubular shape. The first light-transmitting conductive layer and the second light-transmitting conductive layer are respectively sealed and connected to two axial ends of the coil. The second light-transmitting conductive layer, the first light-transmitting conductive layer and the coil form an outer cavity. The first light-transmitting conductive layer comprises a first light-transmitting layer and a first conductive layer. The second light-transmitting conductive layer comprises a second light-transmitting layer and a second conductive layer. The tubular cylinder is located in the outer cavity. One axial end of the tubular cylinder is connected to the first conductive layer. The tubular cylinder and the first light-transmitting conductive layer form an inner cavity. The inner cavity is in communication with the outer cavity. The first magnetic ring is arranged outside the tubular cylinder. The second magnetic ring is connected to the first light-transmitting conductive layer. The magnetic poles of the second magnetic ring and the first magnetic ring are opposite. The overall lens structure is more stable. The first conductive layer is directly connected to an external power supply, and the circuit connection is simple and convenient. Stepless zoom can be realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of optical technology, and more particularly to a liquid lens. Background Technology

[0002] Optical imaging systems have become an important tool for people to understand the world and are widely used in various fields of our lives. However, traditional optical systems are complex in structure, large in size, and slow in response. With the continuous advancement of technology, existing optical systems cannot meet the development needs of miniaturization and high-speed response. Although liquid lens structures that can achieve zoom and magnification have emerged, they still have the following defects: (1) poor structural stability, the liquid interface will move, the lens structure is unstable, and the imaging is affected; (2) AC power needs to be applied, so it is necessary to connect to the outside of the entire liquid lens through leads, which brings great difficulty to the sealing of the liquid lens; (3) by stacking multiple coils and leading out multiple pins, the magnetic ring can be attracted to different heights by energizing the coils at different positions. However, this can only achieve limited stepped magnification, and the magnification has limitations. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of this invention is to provide a liquid lens.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, an embodiment of the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0005] A liquid lens, comprising:

[0006] A coil, wherein the coil is wound into a tubular shape;

[0007] A first light-transmitting and conductive layer is sealed and connected to one shaft end of the coil. The first light-transmitting and conductive layer includes a first light-transmitting layer and a first conductive layer disposed on the outer surface of the first light-transmitting layer.

[0008] The second light-transmitting conductive layer is sealed and connected to the other shaft end of the coil. The second light-transmitting conductive layer, the first light-transmitting conductive layer and the coil form an outer cavity. The second light-transmitting conductive layer includes a second light-transmitting layer and a second conductive layer disposed on the outer surface of the second light-transmitting layer.

[0009] A tubular cylinder is located inside the outer cavity. One axial end of the tubular cylinder is connected to the first conductive layer. The tubular cylinder and the first light-transmitting conductive layer form an inner cavity. The inner cavity is connected to the outer cavity. Both the inner cavity and the outer cavity are filled with polar liquid and non-polar liquid.

[0010] A first magnetic ring is disposed around the outside of the tubular cylinder and located within the outer cavity;

[0011] The second magnetic ring is connected to the first light-transmitting conductive layer and located outside the outer cavity. The magnetic poles of the second magnetic ring are opposite to those of the first magnetic ring.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, a first hydrophobic layer is provided on the inner surface of the coil.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the coil is bonded to the first light-transmitting conductive layer and the second light-transmitting conductive layer respectively using UV adhesive.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, both the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are ITO coatings.

[0015] As a further improvement of the present invention, the inner cavity includes a first cylindrical cavity, an inverted conical cavity, and a second cylindrical cavity that are connected in sequence, wherein the diameter of the first cylindrical cavity is larger than the diameter of the second cylindrical cavity.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present invention, the two axial ends of the tubular tube are respectively provided with a plurality of first grooves and a plurality of second grooves along the circumferential direction. The first grooves are connected to the inner cavity and the outer cavity, and the second grooves are connected to the inner cavity and the outer cavity.

[0017] As a further improvement of the present invention, one axial end of the tubular tube is connected to the first conductive layer by conductive adhesive.

[0018] As a further improvement of the present invention, the tubular cylinder is made of conductive metal, and a second insulating layer and a second hydrophobic layer are sequentially disposed on the surface of the tubular cylinder.

[0019] As a further improvement of the present invention, a third hydrophobic layer is provided on the outer surface of the first magnetic ring.

[0020] As a further improvement of the present invention, the coil, the tubular cylinder, the first magnetic ring, and the second magnetic ring are all coaxially arranged.

[0021] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0022] (1) The tubular tube of the present invention is firmly connected to the first light-transmitting conductive layer. The inner surface of the inner cavity of the tubular tube in contact with the liquid interface will not move, making the overall lens structure more stable and improving the imaging quality.

[0023] (2) The tubular cylinder of the present invention is electrically connected to the first conductive layer, and the tubular cylinder is energized by directly connecting to an external power source through the first conductive layer. The circuit connection is simple and convenient.

[0024] (3) This invention can adjust the electromagnetic force generated by the coil by steplessly adjusting the current through the coil, thereby attracting the first magnetic ring to stop at different heights, achieving stepless multiplication, and has a wide range of applications.

[0025] (4) This invention achieves zoom and magnification through electrical signal drive, which effectively reduces the complexity of the optical system structure, improves the response speed, and improves the focusing speed and zoom speed of the lens. The structure is compact and easy to integrate, and has broad application prospects in fields such as photoelectric reconnaissance, microscopic imaging, digital lens imaging, and endoscopes. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the tubular cylinder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the tubular cylinder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the preferred embodiment of the present invention before zooming;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention after zooming.

[0033] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the preferred embodiment of the present invention before magnification.

[0034] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the magnification of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] In the diagram: 1. Coil; 11. Outer cavity; 12. First hydrophobic layer; 2. First light-transmitting and conductive layer; 21. First light-transmitting layer; 22. First conductive layer; 3. Second light-transmitting and conductive layer; 31. Second light-transmitting layer; 32. Second conductive layer; 4. Tubular cylinder; 41. Inner cavity; 411. First cylindrical cavity; 412. Inverted conical cavity; 413. Second cylindrical cavity; 42. First groove; 43. Second groove; 44. Second insulating layer; 45. Second hydrophobic layer; 5. First magnetic ring; 51. Third hydrophobic layer; 6. Second magnetic ring; 71. Polar liquid; 72. Non-polar liquid; 73. Arc-shaped interface. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of this invention, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0037] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 3 This application discloses a liquid lens, including a coil 1, a first light-transmitting conductive layer 2, a second light-transmitting conductive layer 3, a tubular cylinder 4, a first magnetic ring 5, and a second magnetic ring 6. The coil 1 is wound into a tubular shape. The first light-transmitting conductive layer 2 is sealed and connected to one axial end of the coil 1. The first light-transmitting conductive layer 2 includes a first light-transmitting layer 21 and a first conductive layer 22 disposed on the outer surface of the first light-transmitting layer 21. The second light-transmitting conductive layer 3 is sealed and connected to the other axial end of the coil 1. The second light-transmitting conductive layer 3, the first light-transmitting conductive layer 2, and the coil 1 form an outer cavity 11. The second light-transmitting conductive layer 3 includes a second light-transmitting layer 31 and a second conductive layer 32 disposed on the outer surface of the second light-transmitting layer 31. A tubular cylinder 4 is located inside the outer cavity 11. One axial end of the tubular cylinder 4 is connected to the first conductive layer 22. The tubular cylinder 4 and the first light-transmitting conductive layer 2 form an inner cavity 41, which is connected to the outer cavity 11. Both the inner cavity 41 and the outer cavity 11 are filled with a polar liquid 71 and a non-polar liquid 72. A first magnetic ring 5 is disposed around the tubular cylinder 4 and located inside the outer cavity 11. A second magnetic ring 6 is connected to the first light-transmitting conductive layer 2 and located outside the outer cavity 11. The magnetic poles of the second magnetic ring 6 are opposite to those of the first magnetic ring 5.

[0038] A polar liquid 71 is disposed within the outer cavity 11 and the inner cavity 41 and is in contact with the second transparent conductive layer 3. A non-polar liquid 72 is disposed within the outer cavity 11 and the inner cavity 41 and is in contact with the first transparent conductive layer 2. The polar liquid 71 and the non-polar liquid 72 have different refractive indices and are immiscible. In this embodiment, the polar liquid 71 is a salt solution. The salt solution can be sodium chloride, potassium chloride, etc. The non-polar liquid 72 is a silicone oil with a high density. The silicone oil can be benzyl silicone oil. The second magnetic ring 6 and the first magnetic ring 5 have opposite magnetic poles. The second magnetic ring 6 generates an axial repulsive force on the first magnetic ring 5, and the repulsive force increases as the distance between the first magnetic ring 5 and the second magnetic ring 6 decreases.

[0039] Coil 1 is formed by winding a single coil. Coil 1 can be wound with enameled wire. The sealing of coil 1 is improved by applying a layer of sealant to the outer surface of coil 1. In some embodiments, a first hydrophobic layer 12 is provided on the inner surface of coil 1. The first hydrophobic layer 12 can be made of Teflon. The coating is applied to the inner surface of coil 1 by dip coating, but is not limited to Teflon; other hydrophobic materials can also be used.

[0040] To improve the stability and sealing of the connection between coil 1 and the first transparent conductive layer 2 and the second transparent conductive layer 3, it is preferable to use UV adhesive to bond coil 1 to the first transparent conductive layer 2 and the second transparent conductive layer 3 respectively. The UV adhesive is cured by ultraviolet light irradiation.

[0041] Preferably, both the first light-transmitting layer 21 and the second light-transmitting layer 31 are made of plexiglass. Preferably, both the first conductive layer 21 and the second conductive layer 31 are ITO coated.

[0042] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 3 Preferably, the inner cavity 41 includes a first cylindrical cavity 411, an inverted conical cavity 412, and a second cylindrical cavity 413 connected in sequence. The diameter of the first cylindrical cavity 411 is larger than the diameter of the second cylindrical cavity 413. The first cylindrical cavity 411 is located away from the second light-transmitting conductive layer 3, while the second cylindrical cavity 413 is located close to the second light-transmitting conductive layer 3. The conical inner surface of the inner cavity 41 can make the arc-shaped interface 73 formed by the polar liquid 71 and the non-polar liquid 72 within the inner cavity 41 more stable, which is beneficial to improving the performance of the lens.

[0043] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 4In this embodiment, the two axial ends of the tubular cylinder 4 are respectively provided with a plurality of first grooves 42 and a plurality of second grooves 43 along the circumferential direction. The first grooves 42 connect the inner cavity 41 and the outer cavity 11, and the second grooves 43 connect the inner cavity 41 and the outer cavity 11. In this way, the non-polar liquid 72 in the inner cavity 41 is connected to the non-polar liquid 72 in the outer cavity 11 through the first grooves 42, and the polar liquid 71 in the inner cavity 41 is connected to the polar liquid 71 in the outer cavity 11 through the second grooves 43, which facilitates the flow of polar liquid 71 and non-polar liquid 72.

[0044] Preferably, one axial end of the tubular cylinder 4 is connected to the first conductive layer 21 via conductive adhesive, thereby connecting the circuit between the tubular cylinder 4 and the first conductive layer 21 and ensuring a stable connection between the tubular cylinder 4 and the first conductive layer 21. The conductive adhesive can be conductive silver paste.

[0045] In this embodiment, the tubular cylinder 4 is made of a conductive metal, and a second insulating layer 44 and a second hydrophobic layer 45 are sequentially disposed on the surface of the tubular cylinder 4. Preferably, the conductive metal is copper, but it is not limited to copper and can also be aluminum, etc. Specifically, the outer surface of the tubular cylinder 4, the other axial end face, the inner surface of the inner cavity 41, and the groove surfaces of the first groove 42 and the second groove 43 are sequentially disposed with the second insulating layer 44 and the second hydrophobic layer 45. The second insulating layer 44 is a thin film. Specifically, the second insulating layer 44 can be a Parylene thin film deposited by chemical vapor deposition. Preferably, the second hydrophobic layer 45 is made of Teflon material.

[0046] Preferably, a third hydrophobic layer 51 is provided on the outer surface of the first magnetic ring 5. Preferably, the third hydrophobic layer 51 is made of Teflon material.

[0047] Ideally, coil 1, tubular cylinder 4, first magnetic ring 5, and second magnetic ring 6 are all coaxially arranged. Ensuring coaxiality is beneficial for the coaxiality of the assembly, helps the arc-shaped interface 73 to be stabilized at the center of the optical axis, and reduces optical distortion.

[0048] Implementation of zoom function: such as Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown, by applying an alternating current voltage between the first conductive layer 22 and the second conductive layer 32, the voltage of the alternating current voltage changes from U... AC1 Increase to U AC2 According to the dielectric wetting effect, the hydrophobicity of the polar liquid 71 on the surface of the inner cavity 41 decreases, resulting in a smaller contact angle of the polar liquid 71 on the surface of the inner cavity 41. Therefore, the curvature of the arc-shaped interface 73 formed by tension between the polar liquid 71 and the non-polar liquid 72 changes. Since the polar liquid 71 and the non-polar liquid 72 have different refractive indices, the change in curvature alters the angle of light refraction, thereby achieving zooming.

[0049] Implementation of zoom function: such as Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, when a direct current is applied to coil 1, it exerts an upward attractive force on the first magnetic ring 5, and this attractive force increases with the increase of the current in coil 1. The second magnetic ring 6 always exerts a downward repulsive force on the first magnetic ring 5, and this repulsive force increases as the distance between the first magnetic ring 5 and the second magnetic ring 6 decreases. The direct current flows from U... DC1 Increase to U DC2 As the current in coil 1 increases, the first magnetic ring 5 is attracted towards the second magnetic ring 6 by the increased magnetic force. The repulsive force of the second magnetic ring 6 on the first magnetic ring 5 increases as the distance decreases, causing the first magnetic ring 5 to reach a new force equilibrium. Since the volume of the polar liquid 71 remains constant, when the first magnetic ring 5 moves upward, the volume of the first magnetic ring 5 within the polar liquid 71 decreases, thus causing the volume of the liquid column of polar liquid 71 within the inner cavity 41 to decrease. This, in turn, causes the arc-shaped interface 73 to drop, thereby achieving a change in lens magnification.

[0050] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0051] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A liquid lens, characterized in that, include: A coil, wherein the coil is wound into a tubular shape; A first light-transmitting and conductive layer is sealed and connected to one shaft end of the coil. The first light-transmitting and conductive layer includes a first light-transmitting layer and a first conductive layer disposed on the outer surface of the first light-transmitting layer. The second light-transmitting conductive layer is sealed and connected to the other shaft end of the coil. The second light-transmitting conductive layer, the first light-transmitting conductive layer and the coil form an outer cavity. The second light-transmitting conductive layer includes a second light-transmitting layer and a second conductive layer disposed on the outer surface of the second light-transmitting layer. A tubular cylinder is located within the outer cavity. One axial end of the tubular cylinder is connected to the first conductive layer. The tubular cylinder and the first light-transmitting conductive layer form an inner cavity. The inner cavity is connected to the outer cavity. Both the inner cavity and the outer cavity are filled with a polar liquid and a non-polar liquid. The polar liquid is disposed within the outer cavity and the inner cavity and is in contact with the second light-transmitting conductive layer. The non-polar liquid is disposed within the outer cavity and the inner cavity and is in contact with the first light-transmitting conductive layer. A first magnetic ring is disposed around the outside of the tubular cylinder and located within the outer cavity; The second magnetic ring is connected to the first light-transmitting conductive layer and located outside the outer cavity. The magnetic poles of the second magnetic ring are opposite to those of the first magnetic ring.

2. A liquid lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner surface of the coil is provided with a first hydrophobic layer.

3. A liquid lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The coil is bonded to the first light-transmitting conductive layer and the second light-transmitting conductive layer respectively using UV adhesive.

4. A liquid lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are ITO coatings.

5. A liquid lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner cavity includes a first cylindrical cavity, an inverted conical cavity, and a second cylindrical cavity that are connected in sequence, wherein the diameter of the first cylindrical cavity is larger than the diameter of the second cylindrical cavity.

6. A liquid lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tubular tube has multiple first grooves and multiple second grooves arranged circumferentially at its two axial ends. The first grooves connect the inner cavity and the outer cavity, and the second grooves connect the inner cavity and the outer cavity.

7. A liquid lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the tubular tube is connected to the first conductive layer via conductive adhesive.

8. A liquid lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tubular cylinder is made of conductive metal, and a second insulating layer and a second hydrophobic layer are sequentially disposed on the surface of the tubular cylinder.

9. A liquid lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer surface of the first magnetic ring is provided with a third hydrophobic layer.

10. A liquid lens according to claim 1, characterized in that, The coil, tubular cylinder, first magnetic ring, and second magnetic ring are all coaxially arranged.

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