Optical Assembly and Method for Manufacturing Same

• US 20160373627A1
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e.solutions GmbH
• Original Assignee: e.solutions GmbH
• Inventors: CHRISTMANN, STEFAN, RASMUSSEN, JENS
• Granted Patent: US 10,027,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0006 with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/00 Simple or compound lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/12 Fluid-filled or evacuated lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/025 using glue
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof

Abstract

An optical assembly is described. The optical assembly comprises a transparent front cover, a lens having a lens surface facing the front cover, wherein the lens surface is designed to be essentially planar and has a central region and a transparent medium. The optical assembly optically couples at least the central region of the lens surface extensively to the front cover by the fact that the refractive index of the transparent medium differs from the refractive index of the front cover and the refractive index of a segment of the lens adjacent to the lens surface by less than 0.5. Furthermore, an electronic device having the optical assembly, a motor vehicle comprising the electronic device and a method for manufacturing the optical assembly are described.

Claims

1. An optical assembly, comprising:

a transparent front cover;

a lens having a lens surface facing the front cover, wherein the lens surface is designed to be essentially planar and has a central region; and

a transparent medium which optically couples at least the central region of the lens surface to the front cover by the refractive index of the transparent medium differing from the refractive index of the front cover and from the refractive index of a segment of the lens adjacent to the lens surface by less than 0.5.

2. The optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the refractive index of the transparent medium differs from the refractive index of the front cover and from the refractive index of the segment of the lens adjacent to the lens surface by less than 0.3.

3. The optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the transparent medium comprises a transparent adhesive which bonds at least the central region of the lens surface to the front cover.

4. The optical assembly according to claim 3, wherein the transparent medium comprises a transparent liquid adhesive.

5. The optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the central region comprises a region of the lens surface which is determinative for the optical imaging properties of the lens.

6. The optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the transparent medium optically couples essentially the entire lens surface extensively to the front cover.

7. The optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the front cover extends essentially parallel to the lens surface.

8. The optical assembly according to claim 7, wherein a distance between the lens surface and the side of the front cover facing the lens is between 0.1 mm and 1.5 mm.

9. The optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lens is a focusing lens whose focus is adjustable without any mechanical movement of the lens.

10. The optical assembly according to claim 9, wherein lens is one of a liquid lens, a liquid crystal lens and a polymer lens.

11. The optical assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor which is designed for detecting incident light passing through the lens and striking the sensor.

12. The optical assembly according to claim 11, wherein the lens and the sensor are part of a camera module.

13. The optical assembly according to claim 12, wherein the transparent medium optically couples essentially an entire side of the camera module facing the front cover to the front cover.

14. The optical assembly according to claim 12, wherein the camera module has a housing and wherein the lens surface and a surface of the housing facing the front cover are arranged essentially in the same plane.

15. The optical assembly according to claim 12, wherein the lens surface of the lens extends essentially over the entire surface of the camera module facing the front cover.

16. An electronic device comprising an optical assembly according to claim 1.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, further comprising a display device wherein a frame with a light inlet opening is preferably provided for the display device and the optical assembly is arranged at least partially in the region of the light inlet opening in the frame.

18. The electronic device according to claim 16, further comprising a display device wherein the transparent front cover of the optical assembly forms a segment of a transparent front cover provided in front of the display device.

19. A motor vehicle, comprising an electronic device according to claim 16.

20. A method for manufacturing an optical assembly, comprising a transparent front cover and a lens with a lens surface facing the front cover wherein the lens surface is designed to be essentially planar and comprises a central region, wherein the method comprises:

optical coupling of at least the central region of the lens surface to the front cover by means of a transparent medium by the refractive index of the transparent medium differing by less than 0.5 from the refractive index of the front cover and from the refractive index of a segment of the lens which is adjacent to the lens surface.