Lens Reference Mounting Surface Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lenses in optical communications systems, such as ball lenses and aspherical lenses, face challenges with spherical aberration and alignment errors, leading to reduced coupling efficiency due to the need for precise alignment, which is not user-friendly and prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
A lens with a reference mounting surface positioned between planes normal to the optical axis, including principal points on both the incident and outgoing light sides, allowing for alignment insensitive to positional errors and enabling simple mounting operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a ball lens is used, then mounting is easy due to spherical shape, but coupling efficiency is reduced due to large spherical aberration
Solution Approach 1:
The lens is designed with different curvature radii for the front and back surfaces (R1 ≠ R2), creating asymmetric local geometry that corrects spherical aberration while maintaining the overall spherical shape for easy mounting. This local quality differentiation allows the lens to achieve both ease of mounting and high coupling efficiency.
2Productivity
If an aspherical lens is used, then coupling efficiency is improved, but alignment becomes difficult and sensitive to positioning errors
Solution Approach 1:
The lens incorporates self-alignment features including a reference mounting surface and positioning protrusions that automatically guide correct positioning during installation. The lens structure itself provides alignment references, eliminating the need for external alignment procedures and making the system insensitive to positioning errors.
3Reliability
If a lens with fixed optical axis is used, then optical performance can be achieved, but alignment errors cause large focus point shifting and reduced coupling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The lens design incorporates dynamic compensation capabilities through its asymmetric geometry and reference mounting surface, allowing the optical system to automatically adjust and maintain focus stability despite manufacturing tolerances and positioning variations. The reference surface ensures consistent optical axis alignment, preventing focus point shifting.
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 configuration ensures accurate lens positioning and maintains sufficient optical performance despite alignment errors, using the principles of the nodal slide method to control focus point shifting, thus enhancing coupling efficiency and ease of mounting.
Implementation Method 1
a lens having a reference mounting surface for alignment of the lens; particularly, with the reference mounting surface being suitable for attachment to a support surface of an optical coupler in an optical communications system
Data Source
AI summary
A lens is equipped with a reference mounting surface that is abutted to a surface of a lens support member at the time of mounting the lens, wherein the reference mounting surface is arranged between a plane which is normal to the optical axis of the lens and includes a principal point on the incident light side of the lens and a plane which is normal to the optical axis of the lens and includes a principal point on the outgoing light side of the lens.