Lens Assembly Backoff Mechanism for Compact Camera Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional retractable camera lens assemblies require a thicker camera housing due to the stacking of lenses and optical components along the optical axis during retraction, and existing backoff designs are complex and difficult to fabricate and assemble.
Innovation Solution
A lens assembly with a backoff mechanism that moves the image sensor away from the optical axis, allowing the lens barrel to be retracted closer to the base frame, reducing the overall thickness and simplifying the structure for easier fabrication and assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the lens barrel is retracted with lenses and optical components stacked along the optical axis, then the lens assembly can be compact, but the camera housing thickness must be greater
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by moving the image sensor from its conventional position on the optical axis to a position offset from the optical axis. This allows the lens to be positioned closer to the base frame when retracted, reducing the thickness of the camera housing while maintaining the compact stacked arrangement of optical components along the optical axis.
2Length of stationary object
If a lens backoff design is used to move lens sets to one side of the image sensor, then the thickness of the retracted lens assembly can be reduced, but the structure becomes complicated and difficult to fabricate and assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning the image sensor at an offset from the optical axis during manufacturing. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for complex mechanical backoff mechanisms during operation, as the image sensor is already in the correct position to receive light from the lens when the lens is retracted to the base frame.
3Length of moving object
If the image sensor is moved away from the optical axis during retraction, then the lens can be positioned closer to the base frame, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the lens set radially outward from the optical axis during retraction (conventional backoff design), the patent inverts the approach by positioning the image sensor offset from the optical axis. This allows the lens to move straight along the optical axis to the base frame without requiring complex radial movement mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A lens assembly includes a base frame, an image sensor, a lens barrel, a lens and a backoff mechanism. By means of the backoff mechanism, the image sensor is mounted at the base frame and movable between an operative position and a non-operative backoff position. When the image sensor is in the operative position, the lens barrel is in a first position far frame the base frame, and the optical axis of the lens intersects the image sensor. When the lens barrel is moved to a second position close to the base frame, the image sensor is moved to the non-operative backoff position, and the optical axis of the lens is not intersected with the image sensor.