Image capturing apparatus with adhesion suppressing capabilities

• US 7,903,158 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Noto, Goro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peterson; Christopher K
• Application Number:
  US11/558,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20070103580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 356/38, 356/239.7, 356/239.8, 356335-340, 396/439
• US Class Current: 348/294
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 17/06 by giving articles subject to fouling a special shape or arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/18 Coatings for keeping optical surfaces clean, e.g. hydrophobic or photo-catalytic films G02B1/16 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

This invention can suppress adhesion of dust to the surface of an optical filter and the cover glass surface of a solid-state image sensor without any optically adverse effect. An image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing device which converts the optical image of an object into an electrical signal, and an optical element (11) arranged in front of the image capturing device. Minute particles of a single layer (11a) are arrayed on a surface of the optical element on the object side.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image capturing unit which converts an optical image of an object into an electrical signal; and

an optical element arranged in front of said image capturing unit,

wherein minute particles of a single layer are arrayed on a surface of said optical element on an object side, and diameters of the minute particles are not more than 200 nm,

wherein a relationship between a contact angle θ

1 with water of a surface of said optical element on which the minute particles of the single layer are not arrayed and a contact angle θ

2 with water of a surface of said optical element on which the minute particles of the single layer are arrayed satisfies a relationship θ

1<

θ

2, and

wherein a relationship between a Van der waals force Fv1 acting between a foreign substance and the surface of said optical element on which the minute particles of the single layer are arrayed and a Van der waals force Fv2 acting between a foreign substance and the surface of said optical element on which the minute particles of the single layer are not arrayed satisfies a relation ship Fv1<

Fv2.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a film of at least one layer is formed on the surface of said optical element on the object side, and minute particles of the single layer are arrayed on a surface of the film.

3. An image capturing apparatus comprising an image capturing unit which converts an optical image of an object into an electrical signal,

wherein minute particles of a single layer are arrayed on a surface of said image capturing unit on an object side, and diameters of the minute particles are not more than 200 nm,

wherein a relationship between a contact angle θ

1 with water of a surface of said image capturing unit on which the minute particles of the single layer are not arrayed and a contact angle θ

2 with water of a surface of said image capturing unit on which the minute particles of the single layer are arrayed satisfies a relationship θ

1<

θ

2, and

wherein a relationship between a Van der waals force Fv1 acting between a foreign substance and the surface of said image capturing unit on which the minute particles of the single layer are arrayed and a Van der waals force Fv2 acting between a foreign substance and the surface of said image capturing unit on which the minute particles of the single layer are not arrayed satisfies a relation ship Fv1<

Fv2.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a film of at least one layer is formed on the surface of said image capturing unit on the object side, and minute particles of the single layer are arrayed on a surface of the film.