Optical element

• US 7,499,618 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta OPTO Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta OPTO Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Fukui, Toshimi, Mataki, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Harlan; Robert D.
• Application Number:
  US10/866,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20050078926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,722 Days
• Field of Search: 359/599, 359/454, 359/707, 359/726, 359/653, 359/708, 359/720, 524/492, 524/493, 524/588, 385/129, 385/141
• US Class Current: 385/129
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/01 characterized by their specific function
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/041 Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/045 Light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/02 with non-spherical faces G02B3/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/04 Prisms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/08 Mirrors vehicle mirrors involving special optical features B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/18 Diffraction gratings holographic optical elements G02B5/32, G03H; integrally combined with optical fibres G02B6/02057; for coupling light guides G02B6/34; integrally combined with optical integrated light guides G02B6/12; grating systems G02B27/44
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/008 with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation

Abstract

An optical element for controlling light propagation including: transparent material; and inorganic fine particles dispersed in the transparent material, wherein the transparent material and the inorganic fine particles meet at least one of following a) and b): a) a rate of change of a refractive index of the transparent material with temperature and a rate of change of a refractive index of the inorganic fine particles with temperature are opposite in sign; b) a thermal expansion coefficient of the transparent material and a thermal expansion coefficient of the inorganic fine particles are opposite in sign.

Claims

1. An optical element for controlling light propagation, comprising:

a transparent material; and

inorganic fine particles dispersed in the transparent material,

wherein the transparent material and the inorganic fine particles meet at least one of following a) and b);

a) a rate of change of a refractive index of the transparent material with temperature and a rate of change of a refractive index of the inorganic fine particles with temperature are opposite in sign, and

b) a thermal expansion coefficient of the transparent material and a thermal expansion coefficient of the inorganic fine particles are opposite in sign,

wherein the inorganic fine particles comprise a functional group, the functional group being introduced into the inorganic fine particles by surface modification, and

wherein the transparent material is an organic polymer.

4. The optical element of claim 1,

wherein the inorganic fine particles include at least one inorganic material selected from the group consisting of LiAlSiO₄, PbTiO₃, Sc₂W₃O₁₂, ZrW₂O₈, AlPO₄, Nb₂O₅, LiNbO₃, and PLZT.

5. The optical element of claim 4, wherein the rate of change of the refractive index of the transparent material with temperature and the rate of change of the refractive index of the inorganic fine particles with temperature are opposite in sign.

6. The optical element of claim 5, wherein the thermal expansion coefficient of the transparent material and the thermal expansion coefficient of the inorganic fine particles are opposite in sign.

7. The optical element of claim 4, wherein the inorganic fine particles include at least one of LiNbO₃ and Nb₂O₅.

11. The optical element of claim 1, wherein a percentage of the inorganic fine particles in the transparent material is not more than 96 wt % of a total amount of the organic polymer and the inorganic fine particles in terms of solid content.

12. The optical element of claim 11, wherein the inorganic fine particles are inorganic oxide particles and surface-modified with a compound represented by a following chemical formula (1):

Si(OR₁)x(R₂)_4-x 

 

(1)

wherein X represents an integer number from 1 to 4, and each of R₁ and R₂ represents independently a monovalent combination group selected from a following group of chemical formulas (2);

wherein y represents an integer number from 1 to 30 and z represents an integer number from 0 to 5.

13. The optical element of claim 12, wherein the compound represented by the chemical formula (1) is at least one of tetramethoxysilane, tetraethoxysilane, tetraisopropoxysilane, tetraphenoxysilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, ethyltrimethoxysilane, propyltrimethoxysilane, methyltriethoxysilane, methyltriphenoxysilane, ethyltriethoxysilane, phenyltrimethoxysilane, 3-methylphenyltrimethoxysilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane, diethyldiethoxysilane, diphenyldimethoxysilane, diphenyldiphenoxysilane, trimethylmethoxysilane, triethylethoxysilane, triphenylmethoxysilane and triphenylphenoxysilane.

14. The optical element of claim 11, wherein the functional group is at least one of a (meth)acryloyl group, a carboxyl group, a carbonyl group, a hydroxyl group, an amide group of N-substituted amide group, a vinyl group, an ester group, a nitrile group, a glycidyl group, a diazo group, a halide alkyl group, an epoxy group, and an isocyanate group.

2. An optical element for controlling light propagation, comprising:

a transparent material; and

inorganic fine particles dispersed in the transparent material,

wherein the transparent material and the inorganic fine particles meet at least one of following a) and b);

a) a rate of change of a refractive index of the transparent material with temperature and a rate of change of a refractive index of the inorganic fine particles with temperature are opposite in sign, and

b) a thermal expansion coefficient of the transparent material and a thermal expansion coefficient of the inorganic fine particles are opposite in sign,

wherein the inorganic fine particles comprise a functional group, the functional group being introduced into the inorganic fine particles by surface modification, and

wherein the functional group is at least one of a group enhancing an affinity for the organic polymer, a reactive group, and a photosensitive group.

8. The optical element of claim 2, wherein the functional group is the reactive group or the photosensitive group.

9. The optical element of claim 8, wherein the functional group is a polymerizable photosensitive group.

3. An optical element for controlling light propagation, comprising:

a transparent material; and

inorganic fine particles dispersed in the transparent material,

wherein the transparent material and the inorganic fine particles meet at least one of following a) and b);

a) a rate of change of a refractive index of the transparent material with temperature and a rate of change of a refractive index of the inorganic fine particles with temperature are opposite in sign, and

b) a thermal expansion coefficient of the transparent material and a thermal expansion coefficient of the inorganic fine particles are opposite in sign,

wherein the inorganic fine particles comprise a functional group, the functional group being introduced into the inorganic fine particles by surface modification, and

wherein an amount of the functional group in the inorganic fine particles is 0.5 to 50 wt % in terms of a compound comprising the functional group.

10. The optical element of claim 3, wherein an amount of the functional group in the inorganic fine particles is 1 to 20 wt % in terms of a compound comprising the functional group.