Lens Module Air Outlet for Pressure Relief and Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lens assembly processes face challenges with air pressure causing lenses to float and shift during assembly, leading to poor reliability and optical quality, especially in environments with temperature changes, and traditional solutions like retainers increase product size, contradicting miniaturization trends.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an air outlet between the inner and outer surfaces of the lens barrel allows for air discharge during assembly, preventing lens position shifts and enabling precise placement, while omitting retainers to maintain miniaturization goals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a retainer is set at the opening of the lens barrel to provide inward resistance, then the lens position stability is improved, but the product size increases, contradicting the miniaturization trend
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the air pressure problem from the lens barrel by providing an air outlet, eliminating the need for a retainer to counteract outward pressure. This removes the retainer component entirely, achieving miniaturization while maintaining lens position stability through a different mechanism (air discharge rather than mechanical retention).
Solution Approach 2:
The air outlet acts as an intermediary mechanism that mediates between the air pressure inside the lens barrel and the lens positioning. Instead of using a retainer to directly resist outward pressure, the air outlet allows controlled air discharge, indirectly managing the pressure to maintain lens position without adding mechanical retention components.
2Manufacturing precision
If the lens is forced to be assembled completely to prevent floating, then the assembly precision is improved, but the lens reliability deteriorates due to pressure-induced position deviation in temperature changes
Solution Approach 1:
The air outlet is provided in advance during the lens barrel design phase, allowing air to be discharged before the lens assembly is completed. This preliminary air discharge action prevents air pressure buildup that would otherwise cause lens position deviation under temperature changes, ensuring both assembly precision and long-term reliability without requiring forced assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of trapped air pressure (which causes lens floating and position deviation) into a beneficial mechanism by providing an air outlet. The air pressure that would normally be harmful is now controlled and discharged through the outlet, transforming the problem into a solution that maintains both precision and reliability.
3Device complexity
If air is not discharged from the lens barrel, then the lens can be assembled with simple structure, but the optical quality deteriorates due to pressure-induced lens position deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The air outlet is segmented into multiple openings distributed along the lens barrel, allowing air to be discharged from different positions. This segmentation enables effective air discharge without requiring a single complex mechanism, maintaining structural simplicity while achieving the optical quality needed for precise lens positioning.
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 air outlet facilitates easy lens assembly and maintains precise positioning, enhancing reliability and optical quality without increasing the lens module's size, even in varying temperature conditions.
Implementation Method 1
an air outlet communicating with the outside is provided between the inner-wall surface and the outer-wall surface of the lens barrel, wherein the air outlet is used for discharging air
Data Source
AI summary
A lens module including a lens barrel and a plurality of lenses having refractive power is provided. The lenses are arranged in the lens barrel from an object side to an image side. The lens barrel has an inner-wall surface and an outer-wall surface opposite to each other, and has an air outlet communicating with outside. The air outlet is located between the inner-wall surface and the outer-wall surface. A first lens of these lenses is a lens closest to the object side. The first lens has an object-side optical surface facing the object side. At least over 95% of the surface area of the object-side optical surface of the first lens is exposed to outside, and a material of the first lens is glass. Furthermore, another lens module is also provided.