Plastic Optical Lens with Homogeneous UV Absorber

Solution Overview

Problem

Plastic optical lens elements used in compact photographing lens systems are prone to damage from short-wavelength lights like UV and blue lights, leading to deterioration and reduced durability and image quality, with existing lens coating technologies being costly and technically challenging to implement effectively.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a short-wavelength light absorbing agent homogeneously mixed with the plastic material of optical lens elements, which are designed with aspheric surfaces, to absorb UV and blue light, thereby enhancing durability and image quality without the need for additional coatings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If lens coating technology is used to reflect UV lights, then the damage caused by UV lights is reduced, but the cost is high and the technical difficulty for obtaining a uniform film is excessively high

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovedurabilityVSAvoidtechnical difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the approach from surface coating to bulk material modification by adding specific additives (UV absorbers and blue light absorbers) to the plastic material formulation. This allows the lens element itself to absorb harmful short-wavelength light throughout its volume, eliminating the need for complex coating processes while providing reliable protection against UV and blue light damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite plastic material by combining the base plastic (such as PC, PMMA, or COC) with specific functional additives including UV absorbers and blue light absorbers. This composite material inherently provides protection against short-wavelength light damage without requiring additional coating layers, thus reducing technical complexity while maintaining or improving durability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If lens coating technology is used to reflect UV lights, then the damage caused by UV lights is reduced, but the cost is high

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovedurabilityVSAvoidcost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the approach from surface coating to bulk material modification by adding specific additives (UV absorbers and blue light absorbers) to the plastic material formulation. This allows the lens element itself to absorb harmful short-wavelength light throughout its volume, eliminating the need for complex coating processes while providing reliable protection against UV and blue light damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite plastic material by combining the base plastic (such as PC, PMMA, or COC) with specific functional additives including UV absorbers and blue light absorbers. This composite material inherently provides protection against short-wavelength light damage without requiring additional coating layers, thus reducing technical complexity while maintaining or improving durability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Volume of moving object

If plastic material is used for optical lens elements, then compact design and mass production are enabled, but the lens elements cannot effectively resist damage from short-wavelength lights

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecompactnessVSAvoiddurability

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite plastic material by combining the base plastic (such as PC, PMMA, or COC) with specific functional additives including UV absorbers and blue light absorbers. This composite material inherently provides protection against short-wavelength light damage without requiring additional coating layers, thus reducing technical complexity while maintaining or improving durability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the approach from surface coating to bulk material modification by adding specific additives (UV absorbers and blue light absorbers) to the plastic material formulation. This allows the lens element itself to absorb harmful short-wavelength light throughout its volume, eliminating the need for complex coating processes while providing reliable protection against UV and blue light damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 absorbs short-wavelength light, preventing damage and improving image quality by reducing purple fringing and fluorescence issues, while allowing for compact design and mass production, thus addressing the limitations of existing coating technologies.

Implementation Method 1

at least one short-wavelength light absorbing agent, wherein the short-wavelength light absorbing agent is homogeneously mixed with the plastic material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAbsorption (EM radiation): Absorption (EM radiation)

Data Source

PatentUS11073638B2Optical image lens assembly and plastic material thereof, image capturing apparatus and electronic device

Publication Date: 2021.07.27 LARGAN PRECISION

AI summary

An optical image lens assembly includes at least one optical lens element which is made of a plastic material and includes at least one short-wavelength light absorbing agent. The short-wavelength light absorbing agent is homogeneously mixed with the plastic material. The optical lens element including the short-wavelength light absorbing agent has refractive power, and at least one of the object-side surface and the image-side surface of the optical lens element including the short-wavelength light absorbing agent is aspheric.