Concentrating Lens with Dual Optical Paths for Thin Photodetectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Concentrating lenses for photodetectors face a challenge in achieving a reduction in thickness while maintaining high efficiency, as traditional designs require a bulky optical system with increased length to enhance concentration efficiency, contradicting the need for reduced thickness.
Innovation Solution
A concentrating lens design featuring an incident surface with a central and outer portion, where the central portion functions as both a reflective and transmitting surface, and a reflective surface that surrounds the emitting surface, allowing for two overlapping optical paths, thereby reducing thickness and enhancing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a bulky optical system is used to increase concentration efficiency, then concentration efficiency is improved, but thickness is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a planar lens structure with optimized surface geometries (incident surface, emitting surface, and reflective surface) that operate in two dimensions while maintaining thinness in the third dimension. The reflective surface is positioned at a specific angle to redirect light efficiently, achieving high concentration efficiency without requiring increased thickness or length in the optical axis direction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes parameters such as the angle of the reflective surface, the geometry of the incident and emitting surfaces, and the material properties to achieve high concentration efficiency within a thin structure. By carefully adjusting these parameters, the lens concentrates light effectively without requiring the bulky optical systems traditionally used to improve concentration efficiency.
2Length of stationary object
If the lens thickness is reduced, then thickness is decreased, but concentration efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional bulkier optical systems with a planar lens structure that uses reflective and refractive principles to achieve light concentration. The reflective surface is designed at a specific angle to redirect light toward the emitting surface, while the incident and emitting surfaces are optimized to control light transmission and concentration, achieving high efficiency without increased thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes a composite structure combining transparent material for the lens body with reflective and refractive surface treatments. This composite approach allows the thin lens to perform multiple functions (reflection, refraction, and light concentration) simultaneously, maintaining high concentration efficiency while minimizing thickness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design achieves a reduction in thickness and high concentration efficiency by spatially overlapping two optical paths, allowing for effective light concentration and transmission, even with scattered light, while preventing total reflection and improving strength through a reflective member combination.
Implementation Method 1
A first light incident on the outer portion of the incident surface transmits through the outer portion
Implementation Method 2
is reflected by the reflective surface, reflected by the incident surface again
Implementation Method 3
The central portion also reflects the first light reflected by the reflective surface, toward the emitting surface and transmits the second light
Implementation Method 4
a concentrating lens that concentrates light incident along an optical axis direction and emits the light
Data Source
AI summary
A concentrating lens includes an incident surface, an emitting surface, and a reflective surface. The incident surface includes a central portion and an outer portion. The incident surface is formed by an inner surface of a depression portion. The reflective surface surrounds the emitting surface. The reflective surface extends so as to go toward a first side as going toward an outside. A first light incident on the outer portion of the incident surface transmits through the outer portion, is reflected by the reflective surface, reflected by the incident surface, and incident on the emitting surface. A second light incident on the central portion of the incident surface transmits through the central portion and is incident on the emitting surface. The central portion of the incident surface reflects the first light reflected by the reflective surface, toward the emitting surface and transmits the second light.