Integral Molded Lens Holder with Sealed IR Cut Filter
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to create a small, high-performance image pickup lens unit with an IR cut filter that can be reliably incorporated while avoiding increased processing complexity and cost, particularly in reducing the size of the holder while maintaining optical precision.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves an image pickup lens unit with a lens, a filter, and a holder that incorporates a sealing portion between the lens and the filter, allowing for integral molding of the holder with the lens and filter, reducing the number of components and assembly time, and using LCP or PPA resin for the holder to enhance heat resistance and chemical resistance without the need for adhesives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the holder size is reduced to meet miniaturization requirements, then the camera module size decreases, but the adhesion surface area for fixing the IR cut filter decreases, making reliable fixation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the holder and IR cut filter into a single integral component through insert molding. The filter is embedded directly into the holder during the molding process, eliminating the need for separate adhesion processes. This merging of components resolves the contradiction by providing sufficient fixation surface area within the reduced holder volume while ensuring reliable filter positioning without requiring additional adhesive bonding.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert molding process performs the filter fixation action during the holder manufacturing process itself, before the holder is fully assembled. By pre-embedding the filter into the holder matrix during molding, the system ensures adequate adhesion surface area is available within the compact design, eliminating the need for subsequent adhesion steps that would be constrained by the reduced size.
2Ease of manufacture
If the IR cut filter is fixed using an adhesive after molding, then the filter can be attached, but the adhesion surface area is insufficient when the camera module is reduced in size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the filter attachment process with the holder manufacturing process through insert molding. Instead of applying adhesive separately after molding, the filter is embedded directly into the holder during the molding process itself. This integration provides sufficient fixation surface area within the compact camera module design while maintaining ease of manufacture by eliminating the need for separate adhesion steps.
3Manufacturing precision
If the holder and housing are molded separately, then each component can be optimized, but the number of processes increases, leading to increased cost and reduced yield
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the holder and housing into a single integral molded component. The insert molding process creates both components in one manufacturing step, with the filter embedded during the same process. This merging reduces the number of separate manufacturing processes, lowers production costs, and improves yield by eliminating multiple assembly steps, while still allowing optimization of the overall component design.
4Volume of moving object
If the holder size is reduced, then the camera module becomes more compact, but the optical lens size must be maximized to maintain optical precision, creating a space constraint
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by embedding the IR cut filter within the holder structure itself. The filter is positioned in a recess or cavity within the holder, allowing the holder to maintain a compact external dimensions while providing sufficient internal space for the optical lens to achieve maximum size for optimal optical precision. This nested arrangement efficiently utilizes the available volume.
Data Source
AI summary
A small, high-performance image pickup lens unit having an IR cut filter that can be incorporated reliably therein while avoiding an increase in processing complexity. A sealing portion 14 is disposed between a lens 11 and an IR cut filter 12 in order to seal an internal space IS sandwiched between the lens 11 and the IR cut filter 12, and therefore a holder 40 can be molded integrally with the lens 11 and the IR cut filter 12 incorporated therein while preventing liquid resin MP from flowing in between the lens 11 and the IR cut filter 12. By molding the holder 40 integrally with the lens 11 and the IR cut filter 12 incorporated therein in this manner, an image pickup lens unit 100 can be reduced in size, and reductions in the number of components and the number of assembly man-hours can be achieved.