Lens barrel, lens-barrel wafer, and associated method
First Claim
1. A lens barrel comprising:
- an annular lower layer defining a lower aperture therethrough;
an annular upper layer defining an upper aperture therethrough having an upper width;
an annular middle layer, bonded between the lower layer and the upper layer, and defining a middle aperture having a middle width that is less than the upper width to form a ledge, the lower aperture, the middle aperture, and the upper aperture collectively forming at least part of a barrel aperture through the lower, middle, and upper layers;
a lens positioned on the ledge in the upper aperture;
a cap layer including a bottom surface, a first region thereof attached to a top surface of the annular upper layer, and a second region thereof extending over the upper aperture directly above the ledge; and
a securing layer spanning a region between the cap layer and a top surface of the lens, the cap layer and the securing layer cooperating to secure the lens within the upper aperture.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for forming a lens barrel includes aligning each of a plurality of upper apertures of an upper wafer to (i) a respective one of a plurality of middle apertures of a middle wafer and (ii) a respective one of a plurality of lower apertures of a lower wafer. The middle wafer is between the upper wafer and the lower wafer. The method also includes bonding the middle wafer to the upper wafer to form a lens barrel wafer. Each triad of co-aligned upper, middle, and lower apertures forms a wafer aperture spanning between a top surface of the upper wafer and a bottom surface of the lower wafer. Each upper aperture has a respective upper width and each middle aperture has a respective middle width less than the respective upper width to form, in each triad, a ledge for supporting a lens in the upper aperture.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A lens barrel comprising:
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an annular lower layer defining a lower aperture therethrough; an annular upper layer defining an upper aperture therethrough having an upper width; an annular middle layer, bonded between the lower layer and the upper layer, and defining a middle aperture having a middle width that is less than the upper width to form a ledge, the lower aperture, the middle aperture, and the upper aperture collectively forming at least part of a barrel aperture through the lower, middle, and upper layers; a lens positioned on the ledge in the upper aperture; a cap layer including a bottom surface, a first region thereof attached to a top surface of the annular upper layer, and a second region thereof extending over the upper aperture directly above the ledge; and a securing layer spanning a region between the cap layer and a top surface of the lens, the cap layer and the securing layer cooperating to secure the lens within the upper aperture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A lens-barrel wafer comprising:
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a lower wafer including a plurality of lower apertures each having a respective lower width and spanning between a bottom surface and a top surface of the lower wafer; an upper wafer including a plurality of upper apertures each having a respective upper width and spanning between a bottom surface and a top surface of the upper wafer; a middle wafer, bonded between the top surface of the lower wafer and the bottom surface of the upper wafer, and including a plurality of middle apertures each aligned with a respective one of the plurality of lower apertures and a respective one of the plurality of upper apertures, wherein each middle aperture, a lower aperture aligned thereto, and an upper aperture aligned thereto forms a wafer aperture spanning between the bottom surface of the lower wafer and the top surface of the upper wafer, and each middle aperture has a respective width less than the respective upper width of the upper aperture aligned thereto, to form a ledge; a plurality of lenses, each lens placed on a top surface of the ledge, the upper wafer forming a plurality of notches in a top surface of the upper wafer to facilitate adhesive dispensation in each notch for bonding a respective one of the lenses, when placed on the top surface of the respective ledge, to at least one of the middle wafer and the upper wafer, each of the notches (i) adjoining a respective one of the upper apertures, (ii) having a depth extending from the top surface to a non-zero distance from the top surface of the respective ledge and (iii) creating a gap between the respective one of the lenses and an outer edge of the notch spanning the depth. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for forming a lens barrel comprising:
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aligning each of a plurality of upper apertures of an upper wafer to (i) a respective one of a plurality of middle apertures of a middle wafer and (ii) a respective one of a plurality of lower apertures of a lower wafer, the middle wafer being between the upper wafer and the lower wafer; bonding the middle wafer to the upper wafer to form a lens barrel wafer, each triad of co-aligned upper, middle, and lower apertures forming a wafer aperture spanning between a top surface of the upper wafer and a bottom surface of the lower wafer, each of the upper apertures having a respective upper width and each of the middle apertures having a respective middle width that is less than the respective upper width to form, in each triad, a ledge for supporting a lens in the upper aperture; dispending adhesive in each of a plurality of notches in a top surface of the upper wafer, each of the notches (i) adjoining a respective one of the upper apertures, (ii) having a depth extending from the top surface to a non-zero distance from the top surface of the ledge, and (iii) creating a gap between the lens and an outer edge of the notch spanning the depth; and in each triad, disposing a respective lens on a top surface of the ledge, to adhere the lens to at least one of the upper wafer and the middle wafer via the adhesive, so as to form a lens-barrel wafer. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification