Kinematic Mount for Split Camera Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of engineering extremely thin handheld electronic devices with integrated cameras is compounded by the need for precise alignment of internal componentry, which is compromised by the device's reduced rigidity as it is made thinner, affecting the stability and image quality of the camera's optical system.
Innovation Solution
A split camera design with front and back portions that are reversibly separable, featuring a kinematic mount with six contact points to maintain alignment, and a retaining member that couples the portions together, ensuring precise alignment and stability while allowing for thinness and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the device is made thinner to improve user comfort and aesthetics, then the device achieves extreme thinness, but the overall rigidity decreases and precise alignment of internal componentry is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The camera assembly is divided into separate front and back portions that can be independently positioned. The front portion contains the light-collecting unit while the back portion contains the imaging unit. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for thinness while maintaining overall alignment stability through the kinematic mount mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The kinematic mount provides a dynamic alignment mechanism that uses six contact points to automatically maintain proper alignment between the light-collecting and imaging units. The mounting features are configured to engage at specific contact points that constrain the relative positioning, ensuring stable alignment even in a thin device configuration.
2Length of moving object
If the device is made thinner to achieve extreme thinness, then the device achieves reduced thickness, but the rigidity decreases affecting camera optical system stability
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the camera into separate front and back portions, each portion can be made thin while the kinematic mount mechanism provides the necessary rigidity and stability through its six contact point configuration, resolving the contradiction between thinness and rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device employs a composite structure combining thin device housing with a robust kinematic mount mechanism. The mounting features include multiple contact points that create a rigid connection between the light-collecting and imaging units, providing structural strength despite the overall thin device profile.
3Device complexity
If a traditional single integrated camera design is used, then the structure is simpler, but achieving precise alignment and maintaining stability in thin devices becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The camera is segmented into front and back portions with dedicated mounting features. The front portion includes the light-collecting unit with front mounting features, while the back portion includes the imaging unit with back mounting features. This segmentation enables precise alignment through the kinematic mount mechanism while keeping each individual component simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The kinematic mount provides a dynamic alignment solution that uses six contact points to automatically ensure precise alignment between the light-collecting and imaging units. This dynamic mechanism compensates for manufacturing tolerances and maintains alignment precision without requiring complex fixed structures.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device comprising a split camera in front and back portions, and a retaining member. The front portion of the camera includes a set of front mounting features and a light-collecting unit configured to collect light from a subject. The back portion of the camera is reversibly separable from the front portion; it includes a set of back mounting features and an imaging unit configured to image the light. The set of back mounting features is configured to contact the set of front mounting features as the front and back portions are drawn together, forming, cooperatively, a kinematic mount to hold the light-collecting and imaging units in a state of alignment. The retaining member is configured to couple the front portion to the back portion when the front and back portions are drawn together and also when the front and back portions are separated.