Plastic Lens Assembly for Miniaturized Wide-Angle Imaging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional lens assemblies face challenges in achieving miniaturization and wide-angle characteristics while maintaining high imaging quality, especially in near-infrared applications, where glass lenses increase manufacturing costs and are hindered by stray light interference.

Innovation Solution

A lens assembly comprising a first negative focal power lens, a second positive focal power lens, an aperture stop, a third positive focal power lens, and a filter, made of plastic materials, which allows specific near-infrared wavelengths to pass through, reducing interference and manufacturing costs, and optimizing curvature radii and focal lengths to enhance field angle and imaging quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If glass lenses are used to improve imaging quality, then imaging quality is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimaging qualityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive glass lenses with plastic lenses, using cheaper materials to achieve the required imaging quality without sacrificing performance. The plastic lenses are designed with specific curvature radii and thicknesses to compensate for any material limitations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent optimizes various parameters of the lens assembly including curvature radii (R1-R6), thicknesses (d1-d6), and focal lengths (f1-f3) to achieve high imaging quality with plastic materials. By carefully adjusting these parameters, the design compensates for the lower inherent quality of plastic compared to glass.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Volume of moving object

If miniaturization is achieved, then device size is reduced, but wide-angle characteristic is impeded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelens assembly sizeVSAvoidwide-angle characteristic
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the lens assembly into six distinct lens elements with alternating positive and negative focal powers. This segmentation allows each element to contribute differently to the overall optical performance, enabling both miniaturization and wide-angle characteristics to be achieved simultaneously through coordinated design of individual elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a composite structure combining multiple lens materials with different optical properties. By selecting materials with specific refractive indices and Abbe numbers, the design achieves both compact size and wide field of view through the synergistic effect of different material properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Illumination intensity

If visible light lens is used, then visible light transmission is achieved, but near-infrared application requirement is not met

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisible light transmissionVSAvoidnear-infrared application capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies a specialized coating on the lens surfaces that selectively transmits near-infrared wavelengths while blocking visible light. This local modification of the lens properties allows the same optical structure to be adapted for different wavelength ranges, enabling near-infrared application capability without changing the basic lens design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 enables a miniaturized lens assembly with a larger field angle and improved imaging quality, meeting the requirements for wide-angle and near-infrared applications while reducing material costs and minimizing stray light interference.

Implementation Method 1

a filter, made of plastic materials, which allows specific near-infrared wavelengths to pass through

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectNear-infrared transmission: Absorption (EM radiation)

Implementation Method 2

a first negative focal power lens, a second positive focal power lens, an aperture stop, a third positive focal power lens

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRefraction: Refraction

Data Source

PatentEP3104207B1Lens assembly
Publication Date: 2020.12.23 ZHEJIANG SUNNY OPTICAL CO LTD
  • EP3104207B1 patent drawingFigure 1~5
  • EP3104207B1 patent drawingFigure 6~10
  • EP3104207B1 patent drawingFigure 11~15

AI summary

Provided is an interactive lens assembly, including first lens, a second lens, an aperture stop, a third lens and a filter from an object side of the interactive lens assembly to an image side of the interactive lens assembly in turn. The first lens is of a negative focal power, an image side surface of the first lens is concave; the second lens is of a focal power; the third lens is of a positive focal power, an image side surface of the third lens is convex, and each of the first lens, the second lens and the third lens is made of a plastic material; the interactive lens assembly meets the following formulas: (CT1+CT2)/CT3<0.9; and ImgH/(f*TTL)≥0.4 mm-1. CT1 represents a central thickness of the first lens, CT2 represents a central thickness of the second lens, CT3 represents a central thickness of the third lens, ImgH represents half of a length of an effective pixel region diagonal of the interactive lens assembly at an imaging surface, f represents an effective focal length of the interactive lens assembly, and TTL represents a full length of the interactive lens assembly. Meeting requirements to the above conditions is beneficial to the miniaturization and the wide-angle characteristic of the interactive lens assembly, and the interactive lens assembly has a larger field angle.