Lens Unit Waterproofing via Low-Moisture Permeable Adhesive Bonding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In-vehicle camera lens units face issues with moisture ingress due to O-ring attachment failures, leading to fogging and optical performance degradation, and require additional components and complex attachment processes.
Innovation Solution
A lens unit design that uses low-moisture permeable adhesives to bond the first lens with adjacent optical components, eliminating the need for O-rings and ensuring waterproofing between lenses and the lens barrel, thereby preventing fogging and maintaining optical performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an O-ring is used to waterproof the lens barrel, then waterproofing performance is improved, but the risk of attachment failure and fogging increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the O-ring from the lens barrel assembly and replaces it with a resin-molded waterproof structure. The first lens is directly integrated with the lens barrel through molding, eliminating the separate sealing component that was prone to attachment failures and moisture ingress.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the first lens and lens barrel into a single integrated component through resin molding. This combination eliminates the interface between separate parts where O-rings were required, creating a unified structure that inherently prevents moisture ingress without additional sealing elements.
2Reliability
If an O-ring is compressed between the first lens and lens barrel to ensure sealing, then waterproofing is improved, but optical performance degrades due to lens deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the O-ring compression mechanism that caused mechanical stress on the first lens. By eliminating this elastic seal member, the lens is no longer subjected to radial compression forces that would cause deviation from the optical axis and degrade imaging performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated molding of the first lens and lens barrel creates a unified structure where the lens is positioned without mechanical compression. This merging eliminates the force transmission path from the sealing mechanism to the lens, preserving optical alignment.
3Reliability
If an O-ring is incorporated into the lens barrel to achieve sealing, then waterproofing is improved, but device complexity and assembly time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the O-ring component from the lens barrel assembly. This eliminates the need for separate sealing elements, reducing the total component count and simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining waterproofing through integrated molding.
Solution Approach 2:
By merging the sealing function into the molded structure of the lens barrel and first lens, the patent eliminates the need for separate sealing components. This integration reduces device complexity and removes the assembly step of installing O-rings, streamlining both design and manufacturing.
4Reliability
If an O-ring is used for sealing between the first lens and lens barrel, then waterproofing is improved, but attachment process becomes more time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the O-ring attachment process from the assembly sequence. By eliminating this separate sealing component and its installation steps, the manufacturing process is streamlined, reducing both time and labor requirements while maintaining waterproofing through the molded integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is merged into the molding process itself, creating the waterproof structure as an integral part of the lens barrel and first lens assembly. This eliminates the need for separate attachment operations, improving productivity by reducing assembly steps and labor intensity.
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 solution effectively prevents moisture ingress and optical performance degradation, reduces component complexity, and simplifies attachment processes, ensuring reliable waterproofing and improved durability.
Implementation Method 1
a first lens located closest to an object side among the plurality of lenses and an optical component adjacent to the first lens on an image side are bonded together to be waterproofed with a low-moisture permeable adhesive
Data Source
AI summary
A lens unit and a camera module are provided capable of reliably waterproofing a lens space between a first lens and a second lens without use of an O-ring, preventing a back surface of the first lens from becoming fogged, and preventing degradation of optical performance.Among the plurality of lenses, a first lens 13, which is located closest to the object side, and a second lens 14, which is adjacent to the first lens 13 on an image side, are bonded together to be waterproofed with a low-moisture permeable adhesive ad, so that a space between the first lens and the lens barrel can be reliably waterproofed without use of the O-ring, the back surface of the first lens can be prevented from becoming fogged, and optical performance can be prevented from degrading.