Lens Module Illumination Uniformity via Spacer Ring Aperture Constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional lens modules exhibit significant bending or tapering in their relative illumination curves due to manufacturing errors, leading to non-uniform optical quality and failure in optical quality tests.
Innovation Solution
The lens module design includes a specific arrangement of lenses and spacer rings, where the effective diameters of the lenses and the inner diameter of the spacer rings satisfy certain constraints, allowing for adjustable assembly and reducing peripheral luminance, thereby flattening the relative illumination curve.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If traditional lens module design is used with flat relative illumination curve design, then the design stage illumination uniformity is improved, but manufacturing errors cause significant bending or tapering in the actual relative illumination curve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by pre-compensating for manufacturing errors in the lens design stage. The relative illumination curve is intentionally designed with a predetermined bending or tapering characteristic that is opposite to the expected manufacturing error direction. This pre-compensated design ensures that when manufacturing variations occur, the actual relative illumination curve remains within the acceptable uniformity range (0.8-1.2) rather than deviating significantly from flatness.
2Illumination intensity
If the effective diameters of lenses and inner diameter of spacer rings are constrained according to the patent design, then peripheral luminance is reduced and relative illumination uniformity is improved, but device assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by establishing specific mathematical relationships between the effective diameters of lenses (first lens effective diameter, second lens effective diameter) and the inner diameter of the aperture stop. The design constraints require that the aperture stop inner diameter be larger than the first lens effective diameter but smaller than the second lens effective diameter. By optimizing these dimensional parameters, the patent controls peripheral luminance to reduce the magnitude of bending or tapering in the relative illumination curve while maintaining a manageable assembly process.
3Reliability
If manufacturing errors occur in traditional lens modules, then the actual relative illumination curve bends or tapers significantly, but increasing manufacturing precision would increase production cost and difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating error compensation directly into the lens optical design stage. Rather than relying on high manufacturing precision, the design proactively accounts for expected manufacturing variations by pre-configuring the relative illumination curve with compensatory bending or tapering. This preliminary compensation ensures that even with standard manufacturing tolerances, the final product meets optical quality requirements and passes reliability tests.
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
This design effectively avoids the significant tapering phenomenon, ensuring a more uniform relative illumination curve and improved optical quality by efficiently decreasing peripheral luminance on the image sensor.
Implementation Method 1
a first lens 12, a first spacer ring 13, a second lens 14, a second spacer ring 15, a third lens 16 and an infrared cut-off filter 17 are coaxially assembled within the barrel 11
Data Source
AI summary
A lens module comprises a barrel, a first lens, a first spacer ring, a second lens having an effective aperture A, a second spacer ring having an inner diameter B, and a third lens having an effective aperture C. The first lens, the first spacer ring, the second lens, the second spacer ring, the third lens and the infrared cut-off filter are coaxially assembled within the barrel, along an axial direction of the barrel in that order. The first spacer ring is sandwiched between the first lens and the second lens, the second spacer ring is sandwiched and located between the second lens and the third lens. The inner diameter B of the second spacer ring is smaller than the effective aperture C of the third lens and larger than the effective aperture A of the second lens, so as to satisfy the condition of C>B>A.