Four-Lens Plastic Imaging Lens with Diffractive Aberration Correction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional imaging lenses for small-sized, high-density imaging elements in cellular phones face challenges in achieving sufficient resolution, large aperture ratio, and cost-effective aberration correction, particularly with chromatic aberration, due to the limitations of materials and manufacturing tolerances.

Innovation Solution

A four-lens imaging lens configuration with aspheric surfaces, utilizing a diffraction optics surface for chromatic aberration correction and all-plastic material construction, optimized to balance aberration corrections and reduce manufacturing costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a four-lens configuration is used to correct aberrations, then chromatic aberration correction is improved, but manufacturing cost increases due to multiple lenses and sensitive tolerance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaberration correctionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive glass lenses with plastic lenses, using cheaper materials to reduce manufacturing cost while maintaining aberration correction capability through the four-lens configuration and diffraction optics surface

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the chromatic aberration correction function from a separate correction lens and integrates it into the diffraction optics surface of the fourth lens, reducing the number of separate components and simplifying manufacturing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If glass material is used for lens construction, then aberration correction performance is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaberration correctionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the material parameter from glass to plastic, and compensates for the different optical properties by optimizing the lens curvatures, thicknesses, and spacing to achieve the desired aberration correction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If multiple lenses are used to correct chromatic aberration, then correction effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechromatic aberration correctionVSAvoidnumber of lenses

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the chromatic aberration correction function with the fourth lens by integrating a diffraction optics surface into it, merging multiple functions into a single component and reducing overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The fourth lens with the diffraction optics surface performs multiple functions: focusing light and correcting chromatic aberration simultaneously, making the lens system more efficient and less complex

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Measurement precision

If a large aperture ratio is achieved for high resolution, then imaging performance is improved, but aberration correction becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveresolutionVSAvoidaberration correction

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a composite optical system combining refractive plastic lenses with a diffractive optical surface, leveraging the complementary properties of both approaches to correct aberrations while maintaining large aperture ratio for high resolution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs aspheric surfaces on the plastic lenses to correct spherical aberration and other monochromatic aberrations that become more pronounced at large aperture ratios, working in conjunction with the diffraction optics for chromatic correction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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 corrects chromatic and other aberrations, achieving a high-performance, small-sized imaging lens with a larger aperture ratio while minimizing manufacturing costs by strategically placing the diffraction optics surface and using plastic materials.

Implementation Method 1

a diffraction optics surface exerting chromatic aberration correction function is arranged on any one surface from a surface of the first lens on an object side to a surface of the third lens on an object side

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDiffraction: Diffraction

Data Source

PatentUS9268115B2Imaging lens

Publication Date: 2016.02.23 TOKYO VISIONARY OPTICS CO LTD

AI summary

To provide a high image-quality, low cost, and small sized imaging lens suitable for an imaging lens which is compact and which has high density pixels, and with aberrations corrected satisfactorily. An imaging lens is configured from a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, and a fourth lens arranged in the named order from an object side, wherein both surfaces of each lens are formed from aspheric surface, and a diffraction optics surface exerting chromatic aberration correction function is arranged on any one surface from a surface of the first lens on an object side to a surface of the third lens on the object side, and each lens is configured from plastic material.