Metal-Plastic Lens Casing for Submicron Fit and Ridge Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing metal casings for outdoor lenses in vehicles and sports cameras suffer from machining accuracy issues, high eccentricity, and inability to fit with bumpy ridge structures, while plastic casings lack load-carrying performance and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A dual-casing design comprising a metal outer casing and a softer plastic inner casing with complementary concave-convex structures and a rough engaging section, allowing precise fitting and improved stability, reducing machining requirements and enhancing engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metal casing is used for outdoor lenses, then load-carrying performance and reliability are improved, but machining accuracy and fit level deteriorate due to high eccentricity and size control issues
Solution Approach 1:
The casing is divided into an outer metal casing and an inner plastic casing. The outer metal casing provides structural strength and reliability, while the inner plastic casing ensures precise fitting with the lens group. This segmentation allows each material to fulfill its optimal function without the drawbacks of using a single material.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite structure combining metal and plastic materials. The metal outer casing offers high strength and reliability for harsh environments, while the plastic inner casing provides excellent machining accuracy and fit control (fit level less than 1 μm), effectively resolving the contradiction between reliability and manufacturing precision.
2Strength
If a metal casing is used, then strength and durability are improved, but adaptability to different fitting structures deteriorates as it can only match stacked outer diameter structures
Solution Approach 1:
The inner plastic casing is designed with a rough part on its outer surface that can adapt to different fitting structures (both stacked outer diameter and bumpy ridge types). This local adaptation allows the overall strong metal casing to work with various lens fitting structures, enhancing versatility without compromising strength.
3Manufacturing precision
If a plastic casing is used, then adaptability and fit level are improved, but load-carrying performance and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The casing is segmented into functional zones: the outer metal casing handles mechanical strength and load-bearing, while the inner plastic casing handles precision fitting and adaptability. This functional segmentation allows each material to excel at its designated task.
Solution Approach 2:
By combining metal and plastic in a composite casing structure, the invention achieves both high strength (from metal) and excellent fit level with adaptability to various fitting structures (from plastic), resolving the contradiction between strength and manufacturing precision.
4Manufacturing precision
If metal casing machining accuracy is improved, then fit level is improved, but manufacturing complexity and proofing cycle lengthen due to high blackening accuracy requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The inner plastic casing acts as a precision interface component that can be manufactured with high accuracy through molding rather than complex machining and blackening processes. This reduces the proofing cycle and manufacturing complexity while maintaining the required fit level, as plastic molding is generally simpler and faster than precision metal machining and surface treatment.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a casing and a lens and relates to the technical field of optical equipment. The casing includes an outer casing provided with an accommodating hole and an inner casing accommodated in the outer casing and provided with a mounting hole. The outer casing is made of metal material, and a hardness of the inner casing is lower than a hardness of the outer casing, thereby the outer casing can meet the metal shape requirements of the lens. The relatively soft inner casing can solve the problem that a metal material cannot be tightly fitted with the lens group. The casing not only has advantages of metal profiles, but also can take a fitting structure with stacked outer diameters and a bumpy ridge fitting structure into account due to providing the relatively soft inner casing inside, which is more beneficial for lenses with high performance requirements.