Monolithic Catoptric Array with Stray Light Shielding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses face issues with uneven imaging characteristics and light quantity degradation due to lens axis offsets and misalignment during assembly, leading to performance degradation and increased manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
The imaging device array is designed with lenses and mirrors formed as a single monolithic molding member, featuring asymmetric surfaces to control shapes and reduce positional offsets, along with a dedicated light-shielding mirror to minimize stray light, thereby enhancing image quality and light quantity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If multiple lenses and mirrors are assembled separately to form imaging optics, then the device can be manufactured with standard components, but misalignment occurs during assembly leading to degradation in imaging performance and increased manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate optical components (lenses and mirrors) into a single integrated optical element. This monolithic structure eliminates the need for separate assembly of multiple components, thereby preventing misalignment issues while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through monolithic fabrication processes
2Ease of manufacture
If the optical axis of different lenses are offset from each other in the lens array, then the lens array can be manufactured, but unevenness in imaging characteristics and light quantity degrades the image significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple lenses into a single monolithic optical element where all lens elements share a common optical axis. This integration ensures precise alignment of optical axes across all lenses while maintaining the ability to manufacture the array structure through monolithic fabrication techniques
3Manufacturing precision
If a monolithic imaging device array is used to ensure precise alignment, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to the integrated structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monolithic imaging device array into multiple functional units, each containing integrated lenses and mirrors. This segmentation allows the complex monolithic structure to be manufactured as repeating modules, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining precise alignment within each module
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 solution increases the depth of the object field, improves light quantity, and reduces manufacturing complexity and costs by ensuring precise alignment and efficient light management within the image forming apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a surface for ameliorating propagation of light other than light reflected from the plural reflective surfaces to the exit surface is formed adjacent to a periphery of at least one reflective surface
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, the imaging device array in an embodiment has plural imaging devices formed integrally, imaging the light that is output from the exit surface imaged at the image point including an incidence surface for the incidence of light, plural reflective surfaces including four reflective surfaces for reflecting the light from the incidence surface, and an exit surface that outputs light that has gone through the plural reflective surfaces, in which the plural imaging devices are arranged as an array, and a surface for ameliorating the propagation of light other than the light reflected from the reflective surfaces to the exit surface is formed on the periphery of at least one reflective surface among the plural reflective surfaces.