Variable-focus liquid lens

• US 7,369,321 B1
• Filed: 01/16/2007
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Central Florida Research Foundation Inc. (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: University of Central Florida Research Foundation Inc. (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Wu, Shin-Tson, Ren, Hongwen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lester; Evelyn A.
• Application Number:
  US11/653,735
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 359665-667
• US Class Current: 359/666
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/14 of variable focal length

Abstract

A variable focus liquid lens is formed using two substrates with at least two through holes in at least one of the substrates. One end of each through hole is covered with a distensible membrane, one on the exterior surface of the substrate and the other on the interior surface. The substrates are sealed about the periphery to form a chamber and the chamber is filled with a liquid material. When pressure is applied to the membrane the liquid in the chamber is redistributed to form the lens. The variable focus liquid-filled lens is formed by providing a first and second substrate, forming at least two through holes in at least one of the first and second substrate, sealing one end of each of the at least two holes with a flexible transparent membrane, and sandwiching a liquid in a chamber formed between the first and second substrate.

Claims

1. A variable focus liquid-filled lens comprising:

a first and a second substrate fixedly connected about a periphery of the first and second substrate to form a cell chamber therebetween, at least two through holes in at least one of the first and second substrate and at least one of the first and second substrate is a clear material;

a distensible membrane attached to the at least one substrate to cover the at least two through holes;

a liquid material within the cell chamber, wherein when pressure is applied to the distensible membrane the liquid material in the cell chamber is redistributed.

2. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 1, wherein the at least one through hole comprises:

a first through hole in the first substrate covered with a first distensible membrane on one of the inner and outer surface of the first substrate; and

a second through hole in the second substrate covered with a second distensible membrane on an opposite one of the inner and outer surface of the second substrate, wherein the first and second hole are horizontally offset by a distance and when the pressure is applied to the outer surface distensible membrane the inner surface distensible membrane inflates outward.

3. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 1, wherein the at least one through hole comprises:

a first through hole in the first substrate covered with a first distensible membrane on one of the inner and outer surface of the first substrate; and

a second through hole in the second substrate covered with a second distensible membrane on an opposite one of the inner and outer surface of the second substrate, wherein the first and second hole are aligned vertically and when the pressure is applied to the outer surface distensible membrane the inner surface distensible membrane inflates outward.

4. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 2, further comprising:

a convex lens formed on the outer surface of the one of the first and second substrate having the distensible membrane on the outer surface, the convex lens aligned exactly above the hole in the opposite substrate.

5. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 2, further comprising:

a concave lens formed on the outer surface of the one of the first and second substrate having the distensible membrane on the outer surface, the convex lens aligned exactly above the hole in the opposite substrate.

6. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 1, wherein the at least two through holes comprises:

a first and second through hole in one of the first and second substrate, one covered with a first distensible membrane on one of the inner surface and the other covered with a second distensible membrane on the outer surface of the substrate.

7. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 6, further comprising:

a third through hole in an opposite one of the first and second substrate, the third through hole aligned directly above one of the first and second through hole.

8. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 1, wherein the at least one through hole comprises:

an array of through holes in one of the first and second substrates covered with a first distensible membrane on an inner surface; and

one through hole in the opposite one of the first and second substrate, the one through hole cover on the outer surface with a second distensible membrane.

9. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 1, further comprising:

an adhesive for sealing the periphery edges of the first and second substrate to prevent leakage of the liquid material.

10. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 9, wherein the adhesive is selected from a group consisting of cyanoacrylate, an epoxy adhesive and an ultraviolet monomer.

11. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 9, wherein the adhesive is preferably cyanoacrylate.

12. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 1, wherein the first and second substrate comprise:

a rigid material selected from a group including a polycarbonate, glass, transparent crystal plate, rigid polymer, and plastic.

13. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 1, wherein the liquid material is selected from a group consisting of:

degassed water, mineral oil, glycerin and silicone.

14. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 1, wherein the liquid material is selected to have an index of refraction and viscosity suitable for an intended application.

15. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 1, wherein the liquid material is tinted and the variable focus liquid filled lens is used for sunglasses.

16. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 1, wherein the distensible membrane is a flexible, optically transparent, water impermeable material.

17. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 1, wherein the distensible membrane is selected from a group consisting of:

polyvinylidene chloride resin, polyvinylidene chloride film, rubber, polydimethyl-silioxane (PDMS) membrane and an elastic polymer.

18. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 1, wherein the distensible membrane is wedged into each of the at least two holes using a circular ring.

19. The variable focus liquid-filled lens of claim 1, wherein a shape of the first and second substrates is one of circular, disk-shape, square or rectangular corresponding to an application of the variable focus liquid-filled lens.

20. A method for producing a variable focus liquid-filled lens comprising the steps of:

providing a first and second substrate;

forming at least two through holes in at least one of the first and second substrate;

sealing one end of each of the at least two holes with a flexible transparent membrane, wherein at least one hole is sealed on an interior surface of the substrate and another hole is sealed on an exterior surface; and

sandwiching a liquid in a chamber formed between the first and second substrate.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step forming at least two through holes comprises the step of:

forming a first through hole in the first substrate, the first through holes sealed on the exterior surface of the first substrate; and

forming a second through hole in the second substrates, the second through holes sealed on an interior surface of the second substrate.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of:

vertically aligning the first and second through holes.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of providing a first and second substrate comprises the step of:

providing a first substrate having one of a concave and a convex lens formed in one side of the first substrate; and

aligning the lens with one of the first and second through holes.

24. The process of claim 20, wherein the sealing one end of each of the at least two holes with a flexible transparent membrane comprises the step of:

selecting a transparent flexible membrane material from a group consisting of elastomeric rubber, rubber-like compound, elastic polymer, and elastic Saran.

25. The process of claim 20, wherein the providing a first and second rigid substrate step comprises the step of:

selecting a substrate material from a group consisting of glass, clear crystal plate, transparent plastic, rigid clear polymer and metal.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of sandwiching a liquid comprises the steps of:

sealing a periphery edge of the first and second substrate to form the chamber with an opening for the liquid;

filling the chamber with the liquid; and

sealing the opening to prevent the liquid from leaking.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein sealing the periphery edge step includes the step of:

selecting at least one periphery sealing material from a group consisting of a light-weight plastic, light-weight metal, light-weight crystal, light-weight glass and solid polymeric resin.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of filling the chamber includes the step of:

forming a convex lens with the liquid in the chamber, wherein the liquid deforms at least one of the flexible membranes covering the at least two holes.