Liquid zoom lens

• US 7,382,545 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Lee, Young Ho, Jung, Ha Yong, Bae, Jae Young, Yang, Jin Hyuck, Kim, Sung Chan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman; Scott J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Collins; Darryl J.
• Application Number:
  US11/582,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20070097515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 359/665, 359/666, 359/667, 359/676
• US Class Current: 359/666
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/06 made of fluids in transparent cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0045 having five or more lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/006 at least one element being a compound optical element, e.g. cemented elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0075 having an element with variable optical properties
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/009 having zoom function
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/005 based on electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/14 of variable focal length

Abstract

A liquid zoom lens mounted on a portable terminal is provided. In the liquid zoom lens, a cylindrical body has upper and lower openings to which one pair of lenses is coupled. An auto-focus lens part includes a first insulating liquid layer, a first electrolyte layer, and a first lens. The first insulating layer and the first electrolyte layer are disposed to form an interface at a lower portion of the body. The first lens is disposed on the first electrolyte layer and has a periphery closely attached to a lower portion of an inner periphery of the body. An optical zoom lens part includes a second insulating liquid layer, a second electrolyte layer, and a second lens. The second insulating liquid layer and the second electrolyte layer are disposed to form an interface on the first lens. The second lens is fixed to be movable within the second insulating liquid layer, such that a periphery is closely attached to the inner periphery of the body. Accordingly, the auto-focus function and the optical zoom function can be simultaneously achieved through a single liquid lens whose curvature is varied by the difference of the inherent refractive index between the electrolyte and the insulating liquid.

Claims

1. A liquid zoom lens comprising:

a cylindrical body having upper and lower openings to which one pair of lenses is coupled;

an auto-focus lens part including a first insulating liquid layer, a first electrolyte layer, and a first lens, the first insulating layer and the first electrolyte layer being disposed to form an interface at a lower portion of the body, the first lens being disposed on the first electrolyte layer and having a periphery closely attached to a lower portion of an inner periphery of the body; and

an optical zoom lens part including a second insulating liquid layer, a second electrolyte layer, and a second lens, the second insulating liquid layer and the second electrolyte layer being disposed to form an interface on the first lens, the second lens being fixed to be movable within the second insulating liquid layer, such that a periphery is closely attached to the inner periphery of the body.

2. The liquid zoom lens according to claim 1,

wherein the body is made of one of metal and ceramic and a bottom surface of the body is inclined downwardly toward a center portion thereof, thereby forming an inclined surface.

3. The liquid zoom lens according to claim 1,

wherein the first lens is formed of an aspheric plastic lens based on cycloorefin copolymer (COC) or polycarbonate (PC).

4. The liquid zoom lens according to claim 1,

wherein the second insulating liquid layer and the second electrolyte layer of the optical zoom lens part are formed of liquids having different physical properties to thereby form a plurality of interfaces, the second electrolyte layer is disposed under and above the second insulating liquid layer, and the second lens is fixed to be movable in the center portion of the second insulating liquid layer.

5. The liquid zoom lens according to claim 4,

wherein the second lens is formed of an aspheric plastic lens based on cycloorefin copolymer (COC) or polycarbonate (PC).

6. The liquid zoom lens according to claim 4,

wherein the second lens includes hydrophobic coating layers formed on both sides, and a plurality of holes formed along an edge at equal distances.

7. The liquid zoom lens according to claim 1,

wherein the body includes a metal coating surface formed of gold (Au) at the inner periphery.

8. The liquid zoom lens according to claim 7, further comprising:

an insulating (parylene) coating layer disposed on the metal coating surface formed in the inner periphery of the body to thereby form an insulating surface with a plurality of liquids.

9. The liquid zoom lens according to claim 8, further comprising:

an expanded coating layer formed in the interface of the peripheries of the electrolyte layers so as to transfer a voltage applied to the electrolyte layers.

10. The liquid zoom lens according to claim 1

wherein the difference in the refractive index between the liquids of the first insulating liquid layer and the first electrolyte layer ranges from 0.05 to 0.1.

11. The liquid zoom lens according to claim 4,

wherein the difference in the refractive index between the liquids of the second insulating layer and the second electrolyte layer ranges from 0.08 to 0.15.

12. The liquid zoom lens according to claim 1,

wherein the electrolyte layer includes H₂O as a main component, and an inorganic salt and polar solvent as an additive component.

13. The liquid zoom lens according to claim 1,

wherein the insulating liquid layer includes a silicon oil as a main component and a nonpolar solvent as an additive component.