Liquid Lens System

• US 20100202054A1
• Filed: 08/11/2008
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optotune AG (Optotune Switzerland AG)
• Original Assignee: Optotune AG (Optotune Switzerland AG)
• Inventors: Niederer, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,000,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/558
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/14 of variable focal length

Abstract

The invention is directed to an optical system (1). The optical system (1) has a housing (2) with an opening (3) extending through the housing (2) encompassing an in general constant volume (V). A membrane (6) with two or more membrane sections is arranged across the opening separating the volume (V) in a first and a second chamber (7, 8) filled with at least one fluid. The membrane is attached to an annular holding frame (9). An actuator is interconnected to the membrane (6) directly or indirectly to change the optical behaviour of the membrane.

Claims

1. An optical system comprising a housing with an opening extending in axial direction and at least one membrane arranged across the opening, defining at the inside of the housing at least one chamber filled with an in general constant amount of a fluid, whereby the membrane comprises an optically active and an optically passive section and at least one actuator to influence the geometry of the optically active section of the membrane by relocation of the fluid, thereby changing the optical characteristics of the optical system.

2. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the optically active and the optically passive section of the membrane are attached to at least one annular holding frame.

3. The optical system according to claim 2, wherein the optically active and the optically passive section of the membrane are attached to the same annular holding frame.

4. The optical system according to claim 3, wherein the annular holding frame separates the membrane in an optically active and an optically passive section.

5. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is interconnected to the optically passive section of the membrane.

6. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein an actuator is interconnected to the annular holding frame to displace the annular holding frame in axial direction.

7. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the annular holding frame is arranged at a certain distance to an inner side surface of the opening.

8. The optical system according to claim 5 wherein the actuator to displace the membrane consists out of at least two electrodes, which are interconnected to the membrane, electrically isolated with respect to each other and encompassing at least partially one section of the membrane.

9. The optical system according to claim 8, wherein the electrodes are made out of metallic powders, conductive eutectic alloys, metallic structures, implanted ions, carbon nanotubes, carbon black, conductive polymers or an optically transparent electrode material.

10. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the housing encompasses an in general constant volume (V) and the at least one membrane separates the inside of the housing into a first and a second chamber filled with a first and a second fluid having the same or a different index of refraction.

11. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the means to displace the at least one membrane are arranged inside the housing.

12. The optical system according to claim 11, wherein the means to displace the membrane are controlled from the outside of the housing by an electrical signal.

13. The optical system according to claim 8, wherein the means to displace the membrane are actuated from the outside of the housing by an electrical field, a magnetic field or by a direct mechanical force transmission mechanism.

14. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the parts of the membrane are ferromagnetic or magnetic.

15. The optical system according to claim 14, wherein the membrane comprises a magnetic or a ferromagnetic ring.

16. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the optically active part of the membrane contains rigid, absorbing, refractive, diffractive, diffusive or reflective structures.