Lens-Surfaced Prism Compact Optical Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to create a compact optical lens system for small-sized imaging devices that balances high optical quality with compactness, given the constraints of miniaturization and limited size in hand-held devices.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a lens-surfaced prism with internal reflective surfaces and aspheric elements, combined with a reflecting mirror and aperture stop, reduces the thickness of the lens system while maintaining or increasing optical path length, allowing for a compact and high-performance optical design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a small number of optical lenses are used to reduce device size, then compactness is improved, but optical quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of a prism and lens surfaces into a single integrated component called a 'lens-surfaced prism'. This component combines refraction (from the lens surfaces) and reflection (from the prism's internal reflective surface), allowing the system to achieve the desired optical path folding and image formation with fewer discrete optical elements, thereby maintaining compactness while preserving optical quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a reflecting mirror surface that folds the optical path in a direction perpendicular to the main optical axis. This dimensional change allows the optical path length to be extended without increasing the overall device thickness, enabling high optical quality to be achieved while maintaining compact device dimensions.
2Reliability
If aspheric surface design is used to improve optical quality with few lenses, then manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lens-surfaced prism integrates multiple optical functions (refraction and reflection) into a single component, reducing the total number of optical elements that require precision manufacturing. While the lens surfaces are aspheric, the reduction in component count offsets the increased manufacturing complexity of individual aspheric surfaces.
3Reliability
If the optical path length is increased to improve image quality, then device thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a reflecting mirror surface to fold the optical path in a direction perpendicular to the main optical axis. This allows the optical path length to be extended without proportionally increasing the device thickness, effectively decoupling optical path length from device thickness and enabling high image quality in compact form factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The lens-surfaced prism's internal reflective surface further folds the optical path within the prism itself, allowing additional optical path length to be achieved within the compact prism structure without requiring additional space outside the prism.
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 results in a highly compact optical lens system with improved optical quality, enabling thinner and more versatile lens modules suitable for various small optical applications, including hand-held devices and portable cameras.
Implementation Method 1
The internal reflective surface of the lens-surfaced prism preferably makes a total internal reflection
Implementation Method 2
the internal reflective surface of the lens-surfaced prism is a reflective surface made of internal reflective coating
Implementation Method 3
The lens-surfaced prism is made of plastic with at least one aspheric surface on the object side and the image side
Data Source
AI summary
A compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of the present invention comprises a prism, an aperture stop, a first lens element, a second lens element, reflecting mirror surface, and image surface, optionally an infrared cut-off filter. By introducing a lens-surfaced prism, the compact image taking lens system with a lens-surfaced prism of the present invention has many advantages over the prior arts in the field of invention, such as compactness in thickness, small number of optical elements, high performance of optical quality, enough space for optional elements such as an infrared cut-off filter and diversity in optical geometries.