Adjustable optical lens

• US 8,755,124 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optotune AG (Optotune Switzerland AG)
• Original Assignee: Optotune AG (Optotune Switzerland AG)
• Inventors: Aschwanden, Manuel, Graetzel, Chauncey, Kem, Thomas, Gebbers, Pit
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOI, WILLIAM C
• Application Number:
  US13/683,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20130114148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 359/665, 359/666
• US Class Current: 359/666
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/004 based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/14 of variable focal length
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

The disclosure provides an adjustable optical lens comprising a membrane, a support for the membrane, a fluid between the membrane and the support, an actuator for deforming the membrane, and a rigid ring connected to the membrane for moving with the membrane for ensuring that a section of the membrane surrounded by the rigid ring has a defined circumference.

Claims

1. An adjustable optical lens, comprising

a membrane,

a support for the membrane,

a fluid between the membrane and the support,

an actuator for deforming the membrane, and

a rigid ring connected to the membrane for moving with the membrane in lateral and axial direction for ensuring that a section of the membrane surrounded by the rigid ring has a defined circumference.

2. The adjustable optical lens of claim 1 wherein said actuator for deforming the membrane comprises a first electrode and a second electrode and

wherein said adjustable optical lens further comprises a holder for holding the second electrode.

3. The adjustable optical lens of claim 2 wherein said first electrode is interconnected to the membrane, and

wherein the second electrode is arranged above the membrane such that the first electrode is arranged between the support and the second electrode.

4. A method for operating the optical lens of claim 3 the method comprising steps of:

applying a first voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode for moving the periphery of the membrane away from the support for effecting a moving of the interior of the membrane towards the support, and

applying a second voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode for moving the periphery of the membrane towards the support for effecting a moving of the interior of the membrane away from the support.

5. The adjustable optical lens of claim 2, wherein the second electrode comprises first segments with a first conductivity and at least one second segment with a second conductivity, wherein the first conductivity exceeds the second conductivity, and wherein each one of the second segments is arranged between two of the first segments.

6. The optical lens of claim 5, wherein the number of the first and the second segments each is at least three.

7. The optical lens of claim 6, wherein the number of the first and the second segments each is four.

8. A method for operating the optical lens of claim 5, the method comprising steps of:

applying a first voltage between the first electrode and a first one of the first segments of the second electrode, and

applying a second voltage between the first electrode and a second one of the first segments of the second electrode,

wherein the first and the second ones of the first segments are neighbouring first segments with a single second segment in between, and wherein the first voltage is different from the second voltage, causing a lateral displacement of a peak of the lens.

9. The optical lens of claim 2, wherein the second electrode is electrically insulated from the first electrode through an insulation layer interconnected with the second electrode.

10. The optical lens of claim 9, wherein the holder comprises an optically transparent central opening and a sloped portion including at least a part of the second electrode facing at least a part of the first electrode, wherein the second electrode and the insulation layer are arranged at a bottom surface of the holder facing the first electrode, and wherein a part of the insulation layer is interconnected with a part of the first electrode.

11. The optical lens of claim 2, wherein a cross section of the second electrode has one of the shapes of the group of rounded, s-shaped, straight, and kinked.

12. The optical lens of claim 2 wherein the second electrode is a circumferential electrode.

13. A method for fabricating the adjustable optical lens of claim 2, comprising steps of

filling the fluid into the support,

attaching the membrane to the support, and

arranging a pre-fabricated holder including the second electrode on top of the membrane.

14. The optical lens of claim 1, wherein the membrane comprises an interior and a periphery, and wherein the actuator is designed such that it solely engages with the periphery of the membrane, wherein moving the periphery away from the support effects a moving of the interior towards the support, and wherein moving the periphery towards the support effects a moving of the interior away from the support.

15. The optical lens of claim 1, wherein the membrane is pre-stretched.

16. The optical lens of claim 1, comprising at least one of the following material properties:

the membrane being transparent and elastic;

at least a portion of the support being transparent.

17. The optical lens of claim 1 comprising a shaper element defining a shape of an interior of the membrane.