Claims
- 1. A lens assembly adapted to be mounted in an environment subject to temperature change, the lens assembly comprising:
a generally tubular lens mount having an interior and an exterior and formed from a material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion, at least a first lens mounted along an axis within said interior of said lens mount, a generally tubular focus mount coupled to said exterior of said lens mount and formed from a material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion different than said first coefficient of thermal expansion, and adjustment and locking structure coupling said lens mount to said focus mount to allow said lens mount to be moved relative to said focus mount along said axis and then locked in position to provide an initial focus position of said first lens, wherein, after said first lens has been locked in the initial focus position and the lens mount and focus mount are subject to temperature change, the relative axial positions of said lens mount and said focus mount automatically change as a result of the first and second coefficients of thermal expansion to move said first lens to a new focus position.
- 2. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein said first lens is carried on one side of said adjustment and locking structure and said first lens moves away from said adjustment and locking structure after said lens mount is subjected to the temperature change.
- 3. The lens assembly of claim 2, wherein said adjustment and locking structure further comprises a fastener assembly with a first portion directly coupled with said lens mount and a second portion extending through and movable along a slot in said focus mount to move the lens mount to the initial focus position and including a locking element securable on an exterior of said focus mount to lock said lens mount at the initial focus position.
- 4. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein said adjustment and locking structure further comprises a threaded connection between said lens mount and said focus mount and a locking member on said lens mount and movable between locked and unlocked positions to selectively fix said lens mount at the initial focus position.
- 5. The lens assembly of claim 1, further comprising a second lens mounted along said axis and including a convex portion which is curved away from said first lens, wherein said convex portion distorts away from said first lens when heated during use and said first lens automatically moves toward said second lens as a result of the first and second coefficients of thermal expansion.
- 6. The lens assembly of claim 1, further comprising a liquid coolant contained therein, said liquid coolant having a refractive index which changes when subject to the temperature change and wherein the new focus position assists in correcting for defocussing which occurs as a result of the change in said refractive index.
- 7. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein said first coefficient of thermal expansion is higher than said second coefficient of thermal expansion.
- 8. The lens assembly of claim 7, wherein said first coefficient of thermal expansion is at least two times higher than said second coefficient of thermal expansion.
- 9. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein one of said focus mount and said lens mount is formed from plastic and the other of said focus mount and said lens mount is formed from metal.
- 10. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein said focus mount and said lens mount are each formed from plastic.
- 11. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein said focus mount and said lens mount are each formed from metal.
- 12. The lens assembly of claim 1, wherein said lens mount and said focus mount are each generally cylindrical.
- 13. A projection television lens assembly comprising:
a generally tubular lens mount having an interior and an exterior and formed from a material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion, at least a first lens mounted along an axis within said interior of said lens mount, a second lens mounted along said axis, said second lens adapted for mounting adjacent a light source, a generally tubular focus mount coupled to said exterior of said lens mount and formed from a material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion which is lower than said first coefficient of thermal expansion, and adjustment and locking structure coupling said lens mount to said focus mount to allow said lens mount to be moved relative to said focus mount along said axis and then locked in position to provide an initial focus position of said first lens relative to said second lens, wherein, after at least said first lens has been locked in the initial focus position and the lens mount, focus mount and second lens are heated by the light source, said lens mount and focus mount automatically move relative to each other to thereby move at least one of said first and second lenses to a new focus position as a result of the differing first and second coefficients of thermal expansion.
- 14. The projection television lens assembly of claim 13, wherein said first and second lenses are mounted for movement relative to one another along said axis using said adjustment and locking structure, and also upon heating by the light source.
- 15. The projection television lens assembly of claim 13, wherein said first and second lenses are mounted for movement together along said axis using said adjustment and locking structure, and also upon heating by the light source.
- 16. The projection television lens assembly of claim 13, further comprising a third lens positioned between said first and second lenses and mounted along said axis within said lens mount, wherein said third lens automatically moves toward said second lens as a result of the differing first and second coefficients of thermal expansion thereby moving said third lens to a new focus position relative to said second lens.
- 17. The projection television lens assembly of claim 16, wherein said first and third lenses are carried along said axis on one side of said adjustment and locking structure and said first and second lenses move away from said adjustment and locking structure after said lens mount is heated by the light source.
- 18. The projection television lens assembly of claim 13, wherein said adjustment and locking structure further comprises a fastener assembly with a first portion directly coupled with said lens mount and a second portion extending through and movable along a slot in said focus mount to move the lens mount to the initial focus position and including a locking element securable on an exterior of said focus mount to lock said lens mount at the initial focus position.
- 19. The projection television lens assembly of claim 13, wherein said first coefficient of thermal expansion is higher than said second coefficient of thermal expansion.
- 20. The projection television lens assembly of claim 19, wherein said first coefficient of thermal expansion is at least two times higher than said second coefficient of thermal expansion.
- 21. The projection television lens assembly of claim 13, wherein one of said focus mount and said lens mount is formed from plastic and the other of said focus mount and said lens mount is formed from metal.
- 22. The projection television lens assembly of claim 13, wherein said focus mount and said lens mount are each formed from plastic.
- 23. The projection television lens assembly of claim 13, wherein said focus mount and said lens mount are each formed from metal.
- 24. The projection television lens assembly of claim 13, wherein said second lens is a plastic field flattener lens.
- 25. The projection television lens assembly of claim 13, further comprising a liquid coolant contained therein, said liquid coolant having a refractive index which changes when heated by the light source and wherein the new focus position assists in correcting for defocussing which occurs as a result of the change in said refractive index.
- 26. The projection television lens assembly of claim 13, wherein said second lens includes a convex portion which is curved away from said first lens, wherein said convex portion distorts away from said first lens when heated during use and said first lens automatically moves toward said second lens under the effect of the first and second coefficients of thermal expansion.
- 27. The projection television lens assembly of claim 13, wherein said second lens is formed of a material which undergoes a distortion defocussing effect when heated during use and at least one of said first and second lenses automatically moves to the new focus position to compensate for the distortion.
- 28. A method of adjusting the focus of a projection television lens assembly which includes a generally tubular focus mount, a generally tubular lens mount coupled for movement along an axis relative to the focus mount, and at least a first lens carried by the lens mount along the axis, the lens mount and focus mount formed from materials having different coefficients of thermal expansion, the method comprising:
moving the focus mount and lens mount relative to one another along the axis to adjust the axial position of the first lens into an initial focus position, heating the focus mount and the lens mount with a light source, automatically adjusting the position of the lens mount and the first lens along the axis to a new focus position by thermally expanding at least one of the lens mount and the focus mount relative to the other using heat generated by the light source.
- 29. The method of claim 28, wherein automatically adjusting the axial position of the lens mount and the first lens further comprises:
thermally expanding the focus mount to a greater extent than the lens mount.
- 30. The method of claim 28, wherein the lens assembly further comprises a second lens and automatically adjusting the axial position of the lens mount and the first lens further comprises:
moving the first and second lenses relative to one another along the axis.
- 31. The method of claim 28, wherein the lens assembly further comprises a second lens and automatically adjusting the axial position of the lens mount and the first lens further comprises:
moving the first and second lenses together along the axis.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of Provisional Application Serial No. 60/264,483, filed Jan. 26, 2001 and currently pending. The disclosure of that provisional application is hereby fully incorporated by reference herein.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60264483 |
Jan 2001 |
US |