Lens Unit Holding Frame Structure for Thermal Tilt Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical instruments like digital cameras and interchangeable lenses experience deterioration in optical performance due to tilt changes in lens holding members caused by variations in environmental temperature.
Innovation Solution
A lens unit design featuring a resin-molded holding frame with a guide member and connection portions having alternating thicknesses to align fiber orientations and maintain mechanical strength, thereby stabilizing the lens position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a resin-molded holding frame is used to hold the lens, then ease of manufacture and integration are improved, but tilt stability under temperature changes deteriorates due to thermal expansion differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the connection portion by creating an uneven thickness distribution (first thickness and second thickness smaller than the first thickness) along the optical axis direction. This parameter change compensates for thermal expansion effects in the resin holding frame, maintaining tilt stability while preserving the ease of resin molding manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating a non-uniform thickness distribution specifically in the connection portion between the holding portion and guided portion. The first thickness and second thickness are alternately repeated only in this critical region, providing localized compensation for thermal expansion while keeping other parts of the holding frame simple and easy to manufacture.
2Ease of manufacture
If the connection portion has uniform thickness, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but mechanical strength and fiber orientation alignment deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thickness parameter of the connection portion from uniform to non-uniform, with first thickness and second thickness smaller than the first thickness alternately repeated. This parameter variation enhances mechanical strength and fiber orientation alignment in the resin-molded structure while remaining compatible with standard injection molding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The uneven thickness distribution in the connection portion creates a structure that better distributes stress and aligns fiber orientations during resin molding, achieving more uniform stress distribution (equipotentiality) under thermal and mechanical loads, thereby enhancing overall mechanical strength.
3Stability of the object's composition
If additional tilt prevention members are added to prevent tilt changes, then tilt stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tilt prevention function into the holding frame itself by creating an uneven thickness distribution in the connection portion. This eliminates the need for separate tilt prevention members, maintaining tilt stability while reducing device complexity through functional integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection portion with uneven thickness distribution serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, compensates for thermal expansion, and prevents tilt changes. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for additional dedicated tilt prevention components, reducing overall device complexity.
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
The design effectively restrains tilt variations of the lens holding frame, maintaining optical performance by aligning fiber orientations and enhancing mechanical strength without additional components.
Implementation Method 1
When the environmental temperature changes during use, the tilt of the holding member changes, resulting in a problem of deterioration in optical performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A lens unit in which tilt variation of a lens holding frame caused by change in environmental temperature is simply restrained with a compact constitution and which has an optical member including a lens, a resin-molded holding frame holding the optical member, a guide member guiding movement of the holding frame in a direction along an optical axis of the optical member, a holding portion holding the optical member, a guided portion abutting the guide member, and a first connection portion connecting the holding portion and the guided portion. The first connection portion has a first shape in which a first thickness and a second thickness smaller than the first thickness are alternately repeated a plurality of times in a direction along the optical axis from a position overlapping the holding portion when viewed in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis.