Image pickup lens unit and image pickup device

• US 20040047274A1
• Filed: 06/24/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Amanai, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,954,311 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/125
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/022 lens and mount having complementary engagement means, e.g. screw/thread
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/025 using glue

Abstract

Lenses 1, 2, and 4 as an optical element having a power are cemented together in an optical axis direction. An optical filter 3 is sandwiched between the lenses 2 and 4. Optical elements neighboring each other are cemented together such that a positioning section which is disposed on a side surface of the optical element disposes an appropriate space in an optical axis direction and optical axes of optical elements align in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis. The cemented optical element arrays are cemented together and cut at a line for cutting operation.

By doing this, it is possible to manufacture a small image pickup lens unit which can be used for an image pickup device in mass-production and in a low cost.

Claims

1. An image pickup lens unit comprising:

an optical system; and

a plurality of optical elements which form the optical system, wherein

a plurality of optical elements are cemented mutually of which optical axes are aligned;

side surfaces of the optical elements are disposed in a surface expands in a direction of the optical axes linearly.

3. An image pickup lens unit according to claim 1 which satisfies a formula such as 1.0<

MD/ED<

4.0 wherein a maximum outermost diameter of the image pickup lens unit in a cross section which crosses orthogonaly to the optical axes is defined as an MD and a maximum beam effective diameter in an optical system which is formed by a plurality of the optical elements is defined as an ED.

4. An image pickup lens unit according to claim 1 which satisfies a formula such as TT<

20 mm wherein a total cutting length in a direction of optical axes of a plurality of the optical elements is defined as a distance TT.

5. An image pickup lens unit according to claim 1 wherein

all optical elements have a side surface which is disposed in a same surface;

and

the same surface indicates a surface which expands in a direction along the optical axis linearly.

7. An image pickup lens unit according to claim 1 which is formed by 10 or less optical elements having a power and including at least a positive lens and at least a negative lens which is disposed so as to neighbor the positive lens.

8. An image pickup lens unit according to claim 1 having 10 or less air surfaces.

9. An image pickup lens unit according to claim 1 wherein a surface except an optical surface in the optical element is treated so as to absorb a light.

10. An image pickup lens unit according to claim 1 wherein an optical filter having a side surface which is disposed in the same surface as the side surface of the optical elements is cemented to the optical element.

11. An image pickup lens unit according to claim 1 wherein a hood section having a side surface which is disposed in the same surface as the surface of the optical element is cemented to the optical element.

12. An image pickup device which is provided with the image pickup lens unit according to claim 1.

13. An image pickup device according to claim 12 wherein image pickup elements are cemented to an optical element which forms a final surface in the image pickup lens unit.

14. An image pickup device according to claim 13 wherein the image pickup element has a side surface which is disposed in the same surface as the side surface of the optical element.

19. An image pickup lens which is used in the image pickup lens unit according to claim 1 wherein θ

is 60 degree or smaller in the optical element under condition that the θ

is defined as an angle made between the optical axis in an optical surface in the optical element and a normal in an effective diameter of the optical surface.

20. An image pickup unit which is used in the image pickup lens unit according to claim 1 having an cementing surface wherein a condition such as 0<

|φ

/φ

_A<

0.5 is satisfied.

2. An image pickup lens unit which is produced by cementing a plurality of optical element arrays mutually which are provided with a plurality of optical elements of which optical axes are aligned such that optical axes of a plurality of the optical element arrays are aligned with the optical axes of a plurality of the optical elements and cutting the cemented optical element arrays in a direction of the optical axes of a plurality of the optical elements between the optical elements.

6. An image pickup lens unit according to claim 2 wherein the optical element arrays are formed by disposing the optical elements in a second dimension.

15. An image pickup unit having a plurality of optical elements which is produced by:

preparing a plurality of optical element arrays in which a plurality of optical elements in a plurality of the optical elements are disposed;

aligning optical axes of a plurality of the optical elements;

cementing a plurality of the optical element arrays in a direction of the optical axes of a plurality of the optical elements; and

cutting between the neighboring optical elements in a direction the optical axes of a plurality of the optical elements.

16. An image pickup unit having at least three optical elements formed by a first optical element, a second optical element, and a third optical element produced by:

preparing a first optical element array in which a plurality of the first optical elements are disposed, a second optical element array in which a plurality of the second optical elements are disposed, and a third optical element array in which a plurality of the third optical elements are disposed;

aligning the optical axis of the first optical element and the optical axis of the third optical element and cementing the first optical element array and the third optical element array in the direction of the optical axes of a plurality of the optical elements; and

cutting between the neighboring optical elements in a direction of the optical axes of a plurality of the optical elements.

17. An image pickup unit according to claim 16 wherein:

the optical element has a flange section which is disposed on an optical surface through which a light passes and on an outer peripheral section on the optical surface;

a protruding section is formed on an outer peripheral section of the flange section;

an interval is formed between the protruding sections which neighbors each other in a direction of the optical axis.

18. An image pickup unit according to claim 16 wherein conditions such as ST/TD<

0.7 (condition

     1) and MT/TD<

0.5 (condition

     2) are satisfied.