Fixed focus lens and imaging system

• US 8,279,536 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2010
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Young Optics, Inc. (Coretronic Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Young Optics, Inc. (Coretronic Corporation)
• Inventors: Hsu, Ya-Ling, Liao, Long-Sheng, Chen, Sung-Nan, Chen, Chao-Shun
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrington, Alicia M
• Application Number:
  US12/801,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20110002051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 359/726, 359/727, 359/364, 353/37, 353/102, 353/77
• US Class Current: 359/726
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/16 for use in conjunction with image converters or intensifiers , or for use with projectors, e.g. objectives for projection TV
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/08 Catadioptric systems used in non-imaging applications G02B19/00

Abstract

A fixed-focus lens capable of imaging a light valve disposed at a reduced side onto a magnified side is provided. The fixed-focus lens includes a first lens group, a second lens group, and a free form reflective mirror. The first lens group is disposed in the light path between the reduced side and the magnified side. The second lens group is disposed in the light path between the first lens group and the magnified side and includes a first free form lens. The free form reflective mirror is disposed in the light path between the second lens group and the magnified side. An imaging surface imaged from the light valve by the fixed-focus lens is a curved surface. An imaging system using the fixed-focus lens is also provided.

Claims

1. A fixed-focus lens capable of imaging a light valve disposed at a reduced side onto a magnified side comprising:

a first lens group, disposed in the light path between the reduced side and the magnified side,

a second lens group, disposed in the light path between the first lens group and the magnified side and comprising a first free form lens and an aspherical lens, the aspherical lens being disposed in the light path between the first lens group and the first free form lens, wherein the aspherical lens and the first free form lens both have negative refractive power, and

a free form reflective mirror, disposed in the light path between the second lens group and the magnified side, wherein the free form reflective mirror is a convex mirror, and wherein an imaging surface imaged from the light valve by the fixed-focus lens in the magnified side is a curved surface.

2. The fixed-focus lens as claimed in claim 1, wherein the imaging surface imaged from the light valve by the fixed-focus lens in the magnified side is a part of a cylindrical surface.

3. The fixed-focus lens as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aspherical lens and the first free form lens are convex-concave lenses with a concave surface facing the reduced side.

4. The fixed-focus lens as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first lens group comprises a second free form lens, and the second free form lens is nearest to the reduced side in the first lens group.

5. The fixed-focus lens as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first lens group comprises a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, a fifth lens, a sixth lens, and a seventh lens arranged in sequence from the reduced side to the magnified side, the first lens is the second free form lens, and refractive powers of the first lens, the second lens, the third lens, the fourth lens, the fifth lens, the sixth lens, and the seventh lens are respectively positive, positive, negative, positive, positive, negative, and positive.

6. The fixed-focus lens as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first lens is a concave-convex lens with a concave surface facing the reduced side, the second lens is a biconvex lens, the third lens is a convex-concave lens with a convex surface facing the reduced side, the fourth lens is a biconvex lens, the fifth lens is a biconvex lens, the sixth lens is a convex-concave lens with a concave surface facing the reduced side, and the seventh lens is a biconvex lens.

7. The fixed-focus lens as claimed in claim 5, wherein the third lens and the forth lens form a double cemented lens, and the fifth lens and the sixth lens form another double cemented lens.

8. The fixed-focus lens as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixed-focus lens has an optical axis, and the offset of the light valve relative to the optical axis is more than 100%.

9. An imaging system, comprising:

a fixed-focus lens, capable of imaging a light valve disposed at a reduced side on to a magnified side comprising;

a first lens group, disposed in the light path between the reduced side and the magnified side;

a second lens group, disposed in the light path between the first lens group and the magnified side and comprising a first free form lens and an aspherical lens, the aspherical lens being disposed in the light path between the first lens group and the first free form lens, wherein the aspherical lens and the first free form lens both have negative refractive power; and

a free form reflective mirror, disposed in the light path between the second lens group and the magnified side, wherein the free form reflective mirror is a convex mirror, and wherein an imaging surface imaged from the light valve by the fixed-focus lens in the magnified side is a curved surface; and

a curved screen, disposed at the magnified side, wherein the imaging surface imaged from the light valve by the fixed-focus lens in the magnified side and the curved screen substantially coincide with each other.

10. The imaging system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the imaging surface imaged from the light valve by the fixed-focus lens in the magnified side is a part of a cylindrical surface.

11. The imaging system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the aspherical lens and the first free form lens are respectively a convex-concave lens with a concave surface facing the reduced side.

12. The imaging system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first lens group comprises a second free form lens, and the second free form lens is nearest to the reduced side in the first lens group.

13. The imaging system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first lens group comprises a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, a fifth lens, a sixth lens, and a seventh lens arranged in sequence from the reduced side to the magnified side, the first lens is the second free form lens, and refractive powers of the first lens, the second lens, the third lens, the fourth lens, the fifth lens, the sixth lens, and the seventh lens are respectively positive, positive, negative, positive, positive, negative, and positive.

14. The imaging system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first lens is a concave-convex with a concave lens facing the reduced side, the second lens is a biconvex lens, the third lens is a convex-concave lens with a convex surface facing the reduced side, the fourth lens is a biconvex lens, the fifth lens is a biconvex lens, the sixth lens is a convex-concave lens with a concave surface facing the reduced side, and the seventh lens is a biconvex lens.

15. The imaging system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the third lens and the forth lens form a double cemented lens, and the fifth lens and the sixth lens form another double cemented lens.

16. The imaging system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fixed-focus lens has an optical axis, and the offset of the light valve relative to the optical axis is more than 100%.