Electrically activated lens component with interlock feature

• US 9,632,384 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2015
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: McAllister, Iain Alexander, Yoshida, Jun, Scepanovic, Miodrag, Shinohara, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, NATHAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US14/727,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20160377947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 455566
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0075 having an element with variable optical properties
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/153 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/157 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 9/02 Diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers

Abstract

A mobile device lens assembly having an electrically activated lens component with an electro-optic portion is disclosed. More particularly, embodiments of the mobile device lens assembly include the electro-optic portion and an interlock feature to engage a second lens element. The second lens element may have an interlock surface, which when engaged or mated with the interlock feature of the electrically activated lens component, may maintain alignment of the lens components along an optical axis. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A lens assembly, comprising:

an electrically activated lens component, the electrically activated lens component including

an electro-optic portion having an electrochromic layer coupled to a substrate, wherein the electro-optic portion includes a front surface on the electrochromic layer and a rear surface on the substrate, and wherein a first interlock boss extends rearward from the rear surface,

a front lens mounted on the front surface, and

a rear lens mounted on the rear surface and aligned with the front lens along an optical axis, wherein the rear lens includes an outer edge laterally inward from the first interlock boss; and

a lens element having an interlock surface that is to engage with the first interlock boss to align the electrically activated lens component and the lens element along the optical axis.

2. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein a second interlock boss extends forward from the lens element, the second interlock boss having the interlock surface that is to resist transverse dislocation of the electrically activated lens component relative to the lens element when the interlock surface is engaged with the first interlock boss.

3. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrically activated lens component includes a biconvex lens component, and wherein the lens element includes a meniscus lens element.

4. The lens assembly of claim 3, wherein the biconvex lens component is a positive biconvex lens component, and wherein the meniscus lens element is a negative meniscus lens element.

5. The lens assembly of claim 4, further comprising a field flattener lens aligned with the lens element along the optical axis.

6. The lens assembly of claim 5, further comprising at least two intermediate lens elements between the lens element and the field flattener lens, wherein the intermediate lens elements are aligned with the lens element and the field flattener lens along the optical axis.

7. The lens assembly of claim 6, wherein the front lens and the field flattener lens are separated by a z-height of less than 6 mm.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a portable electronic device being a smartphone or a tablet computer and having a driver circuit and a lens assembly, the lens assembly including;

an electrically activated lens component, the electrically activated lens component including

an electro-optic portion having an electrochromic layer coupled to a substrate, wherein the electro-optic portion includes a front surface on the electrochromic layer and a rear surface on the substrate, and wherein a first interlock boss extends rearward from the rear surface,

a front lens mounted on the front surface, and

a rear lens mounted on the rear surface and aligned with the front lens along an optical axis, wherein the rear lens includes an outer edge laterally inward from the first interlock boss, and

a lens element having an interlock surface that is to engage with the first interlock boss to align the electrically activated lens component and the lens element along the optical axis;

wherein the driver circuit is to output a drive voltage to the electro-optic portion to control the electrically activated lens component.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a second interlock boss extends forward from the lens element, the second interlock boss having the interlock surface that is to resist transverse dislocation of the electrically activated lens component relative to the lens element when the interlock surface is engaged with the first interlock boss.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the electrically activated lens component includes a biconvex lens component, and wherein the lens element includes a meniscus lens element.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the biconvex lens component is a positive biconvex lens component, and wherein the meniscus lens element is a negative meniscus lens element.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a field flattener lens aligned with the lens element along the optical axis.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising at least two intermediate lens elements between the lens element and the field flattener lens, wherein the intermediate lens elements are aligned with the lens element and the field flattener lens along the optical axis.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the front lens and the field flattener lens are separated by a z-height of less than 6 mm.

15. A lens assembly, comprising:

an electrically activated lens component, the electrically activated lens component including

an electro-optic portion having an electrochromic layer coupled to a substrate, wherein the electro-optic portion includes a front surface on the electrochromic layer and a rear surface on the substrate, and wherein a first interlock boss extends rearward from the rear surface,

a front lens mounted on the front surface,

a rear lens mounted on the rear surface and aligned with the front lens along an optical axis, wherein the rear lens includes an outer edge laterally inward from the first interlock boss; and

a lens element directly coupled with the electrically activated lens component such that the electrically activated lens component and the lens element are aligned along the optical axis.

16. The lens assembly of claim 15, wherein a second interlock boss extends forward from the lens element to engage the first interlock boss, the second interlock boss having an interlock surface that is to resist transverse dislocation of the electrically activated lens component relative to the lens element when the interlock surface is engaged with the first interlock boss.

17. The lens assembly of claim 15, wherein the electrically activated lens component includes a biconvex lens component, and wherein the lens element includes a meniscus lens element.

18. The lens assembly of claim 17, wherein the biconvex lens component is a positive biconvex lens component, and wherein the meniscus lens element is a negative meniscus lens element.

19. The lens assembly of claim 18, further comprising a field flattener lens aligned with the lens element along the optical axis.

20. The lens assembly of claim 19, further comprising at least two intermediate lens elements between the lens element and the field flattener lens, wherein the intermediate lens elements are aligned with the lens element and the field flattener lens along the optical axis.