Interchangeable Outer Lens Structure for Wide-Angle Impact Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image capture devices face issues with optical distortion and degradation due to lens damage, particularly wide field-of-view lenses that protrude and are vulnerable to impact, leading to reduced image quality.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of interchangeable outer lens structures designed for both underwater and in-air use, which are optically compatible with a fixed lens barrel, allowing for maintenance and replacement to preserve image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If a wide field-of-view lens protrudes from the device body, then the field of view is expanded, but the lens becomes vulnerable to impact damage
Solution Approach 1:
The lens system is divided into two independent parts: a fixed inner lens assembly mounted within the device body and a replaceable outer lens that can be attached or removed. This segmentation allows the protruding outer lens to provide wide field of view while the protected inner lens maintains optical quality, and the outer lens can be replaced if damaged without affecting the inner lens.
Solution Approach 2:
The vulnerable outer lens is extracted as a separate replaceable component from the fixed inner lens assembly. This allows the outer lens to be removed and replaced independently when damaged, while the inner lens remains protected within the device body and continues to function.
2Reliability
If the entire lens barrel is replaced to fix lens damage, then image quality is restored, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lens assembly is segmented into replaceable outer lens components and a fixed inner lens barrel. This allows only the damaged outer lens to be replaced rather than the entire lens barrel, simplifying the replacement process and reducing cost while maintaining image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The damaged outer lens is discarded and replaced with a new or spare outer lens, while the functional inner lens barrel is retained and reused. This selective replacement approach reduces waste and lowers the overall cost and complexity compared to replacing the entire lens barrel.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a fixed lens is used in the device body, then structural stability is maintained, but adaptability to different environments is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The lens system is segmented into a stable fixed inner lens barrel and replaceable outer lenses designed for different environments (underwater, aerial, etc.). This allows the inner barrel to maintain structural stability while the outer lenses can be swapped to adapt to different environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixed inner lens barrel is designed with universal compatibility to work with multiple types of outer lenses designed for different environments. This multi-functionality allows a single stable barrel structure to support various lens configurations for underwater, aerial, and other specialized applications.
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 solution maintains image quality by enabling the use of hyper-hemispherical lenses without distortion, even when exposed to different environments, and reduces the need for replacing the entire lens barrel.
Implementation Method 1
the first set of two or more stacked lenses is configured to collimate light incident on the first outer lens when the first outer lens is underwater at an interface between the lens barrel and the first replaceable lens structure; a second set of two or more stacked lenses is configured to collimate light incident on the first outer lens when the second outer lens is in air at an interface between the lens barrel and the second replaceable lens structure
Data Source
AI summary
An image capture device includes a lens barrel, an outer lens, a retaining ring, an O-ring, and an image sensor. The lens barrel includes multiple inner lenses. The lens barrel includes a first end. The outer lens is mountable at the first end of the body of the lens barrel. The retaining ring is mounted to the lens barrel to fasten the outer lens to the first end of the body. The O-ring is positioned radially inside of the outer lens and located between the outer lens and the first end of the lens barrel. The image sensor is mounted at a second end of the lens barrel and configured to capture images based on light incident on the image sensor through the outer lens and the multiple inner lenses in the lens barrel.