Lens assembly

• US 10,215,949 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2016
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Hee Jung, Noh, Jin Mi, Moon, Won Ha, Bae, Seok, Lee, Jong Hyuk, Lee, Hyun Ji
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, William
• Application Number:
  US15/566,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20180088295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 359513, 359811, 359819, 359829
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/14 Protective coatings, e.g. hard coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/18 Coatings for keeping optical surfaces clean, e.g. hydrophobic or photo-catalytic films G02B1/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/02 for lenses supports for magnifying lenses G02B25/002
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/022 lens and mount having complementary engagement means, e.g. screw/thread
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/08 Waterproof bodies or housings

Abstract

A lens assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a housing; a lens received in the housing; a retainer which is coupled to one end of the housing and supports the lens; and a hydrophilic coating layer formed on one surface of the lens and on the retainer.

Claims

1. A lens assembly comprising:

a housing;

a lens accommodated in the housing;

a retainer coupled to one end of the housing and configured to support the lens; and

a hydrophilic coating layer formed on one surface of the lens and formed on the retainer,

wherein the hydrophilic coating layer includes a polymer containing a hydrophilic functional group, and

wherein the hydrophilic functional group is selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl group, an amino group, and an epoxy group.

2. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein the one surface of the lens is a surface that is exposed to the outside.

3. The lens assembly of claim 2, wherein the retainer includes a sidewall configured to surround an edge of the surface that is exposed to the outside and protrude in a direction toward an object side.

4. The lens assembly of claim 3, wherein the sidewall is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane of the lens.

5. The lens assembly of claim 4, wherein an angle formed by the sidewall and the horizontal plane of the lens is 20 degrees or less.

6. The lens assembly of claim 3, wherein the sidewall includes a recess extending from a boundary between the lens and the sidewall in the direction toward the object side.

7. The lens assembly of claim 3, wherein the sidewall has a concave shape.

8. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic coating layer has a thickness in a range of 1 nm to 100 nm.

9. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic functional group is bound to each monomer forming the polymer.

10. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein the lens and the hydrophilic coating layer are covalently bound to each other.

11. The lens assembly of claim 10, wherein the lens and the hydrophilic coating layer are covalently bound to each other by O of the lens and Si or C of the hydrophilic coating layer.

12. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein a contact angle of the surface of the lens is 15 degrees or less, and wherein the contact angle is a spreading angle of the water.

13. A lens assembly comprising:

a housing;

a lens accommodated in the housing;

a retainer coupled to one end of the housing and configured to support the lens;

a hydrophilic coating layer formed on one surface of the lens; and

a water-repellent coating layer formed on the retainer.

14. The lens assembly of claim 13, wherein the one surface of the lens is a surface that is exposed to the outside.

15. The lens assembly of claim 14, wherein the retainer includes a sidewall configured to surround an edge of the surface that is exposed to the outside and protrude in a direction toward an object side.

16. The lens assembly of claim 15, wherein the sidewall is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane of the lens.

17. The lens assembly of claim 16, wherein an angle formed by the sidewall and the horizontal plane of the lens is 20 degrees or less.

18. The lens assembly of claim 15, wherein the sidewall includes a recess extending from a boundary between the lens and the sidewall in the direction toward the object side.

19. The lens assembly of claim 15, wherein the sidewall has a concave shape.

20. The lens assembly of claim 13, wherein each of the hydrophilic coating layer and the water-repellent coating layer has a thickness in a range of 1 nm to 100 nm.