Imaging Lens Assembly Metal Spacing Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing process of imaging lens assemblies in camera modules often damages lens elements due to assembling forces, affecting yield and image quality, particularly with plastic lens elements that are prone to distortion and deformation.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a metal spacing structure with first and second spacing rings, along with blocking sheets, to maintain stable spacing between lens elements, resist assembly forces, and reduce reflections, while controlling thickness ratios to prevent deformation and ensure precise alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional assembling methods are used without metal spacing structure, then the device complexity is lower, but the lens elements are easily damaged due to assembling forces affecting manufacturing yield and image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The metal spacing structure acts as an intermediary component between lens elements during assembly. It provides a protective interface that distributes assembling forces, preventing direct contact and damage between fragile lens elements while maintaining precise positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal spacing structure is pre-installed to provide cushioning protection before lens elements are assembled. This beforehand protection absorbs and distributes assembly forces, preventing damage to lens elements during the manufacturing process.
2Ease of manufacture
If plastic lens elements are used to reduce cost, then the manufacturing cost decreases, but the lens elements are prone to distortion and deformation under assembling forces
Solution Approach 1:
The metal spacing structure serves as a mediator that protects plastic lens elements from direct assembling forces. By distributing these forces through the metal structure, the plastic lens elements are shielded from deformation while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution combines metal spacing structures with plastic lens elements to create a composite assembly. The metal provides strength and force distribution, while the plastic maintains manufacturing advantages, creating a synergistic combination that overcomes the weaknesses of individual materials.
3Manufacturing precision
If blocking sheets are placed between all lens elements to prevent damage, then the protection against assembling forces improves, but the reflections and image quality are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful blocking sheets are extracted from critical optical paths where they would cause reflections. Instead, protection is provided by metal spacing structures positioned strategically away from light paths, eliminating the harmful reflective effect while maintaining protective function.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection function is segmented from the blocking sheet approach and distributed through metal spacing structures positioned at specific locations. This segmentation allows protection where needed while avoiding placement in optical paths that would cause reflections.
4Strength
If thicker spacing rings are used to increase structural strength, then the resistance to assembling forces improves, but the distortion of plastic lens elements increases due to excessive pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The thickness parameters of the metal spacing rings are optimized to achieve the minimum required strength. By carefully controlling the thickness parameter, the structure provides sufficient protection against assembling forces while maintaining low enough pressure to avoid distorting plastic lens elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal spacing structure provides localized strength at critical contact points rather than uniformly thick construction. This local quality approach delivers necessary structural support where forces are applied while minimizing overall pressure and distortion on the lens elements.
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging lens assembly includes lens elements, a metal spacing structure and at least one blocking sheet. At least one lens element is a plastic lens element. The metal spacing structure is for maintaining the plastic lens element in a space between two sides thereof and two of the lens elements adjacent thereto, respectively. The metal spacing structure includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first spacing ring having a first through hole and a second spacing ring having a second through hole, wherein the second through hole is larger than the first through hole. At least one of the first spacing ring and the second spacing ring is made of metal material. The blocking sheet is disposed between two of the lens elements, and is not disposed between the first spacing ring and the second spacing ring.