1. Field of the Invention
The instant disclosure relates to a liquid lens package structure, and more particularly to a variable focus liquid lens package structure.
2. Description of Related Art
Cameras, mobile phone cameras and 3D-image processing devices often utilize a zoom lens to automatically focus, enlarge or reduce an image, so as to obtain a desired image. Conventionally, a zoom lens has multiple lens groups. These lens groups move along an optical axis of the lens to thereby change the spaces among them and accordingly, the overall focal length of the lens without affecting the imaging distance thereof. However, this type of lens needs relatively long lens group movement distance, and the movement distances of the lens groups are not in a linear relationship. Therefore, the zoom lens has difficulties in the structural design and control precision thereof, and has high manufacturing cost that could not be easily lowered. Currently, a liquid lens or liquid crystal lens (LC lens) has been used to improve the movement distances of lens groups in order to obtain reduced camera size.
According to the general principle of liquid lens, the liquid lens includes a tunable liquid-filled lens and a solid lens. By changing the shape of the liquid-filled lens to be a biconvex lens or a biconcave lens, or by using filling media of different refractive indexes, it is able to tune the focal length of the lens and achieve the purpose of zooming. Or, by using the liquid crystal-filled lens and changing the refractive index of the liquid crystal with an applied electric field, an electrically tunable-focus LC lens can be realized.
One aspect of the instant disclosure relates to a liquid lens package structure for preventing liquids from leaking out through the junction of the liquid lens package structure.
One of the embodiments of the instant disclosure provides a liquid lens package structure, comprising: a first light-transmitting unit, a second light-transmitting unit, a first elastic surrounding unit, a second elastic surrounding unit and a package unit. The first light-transmitting unit includes at least one first light-transmitting element, wherein the first light-transmitting element has a first top surface and a first bottom surface corresponding to the first top surface. The second light-transmitting unit includes at least one second light-transmitting element, wherein the second light-transmitting element has a second top surface and a second bottom surface corresponding to the second top surface. The first elastic surrounding unit includes at least one first elastic surrounding body, wherein the first elastic surrounding body is disposed between the first light-transmitting element and the second light-transmitting element to form an enclosed space among the first light-transmitting element, the second light-transmitting element and the first elastic surrounding body for receiving and enclosing two predetermined liquids that do not be mingled with each other, and the first elastic surrounding body has a first surrounding bottom side contacting the first top surface of the first light-transmitting element and a first surrounding top side corresponding to the first surrounding bottom side and contacting the second bottom surface of the second light-transmitting element. The second elastic surrounding unit includes at least one second elastic surrounding body disposed on the second top surface of the second light-transmitting element, wherein the second elastic surrounding body has a second surrounding bottom side contacting the second top surface of the second light-transmitting element and a second surrounding top side corresponding to the second surrounding bottom side. The package unit includes a first retaining seat and a second retaining seat mated with the first retaining seat, wherein the first retaining seat has a first opening for exposing one portion of the first bottom surface of the first light-transmitting element, the second retaining seat has a second opening for exposing one portion of the second top surface of the second light-transmitting element, and the first light-transmitting unit, the second light-transmitting unit, the first elastic surrounding unit and the second elastic surrounding unit are disposed between the first retaining seat and the second retaining seat.
More precisely, both the first light-transmitting element and the second light-transmitting element are transparent glass plate bodies, and the first top surface and the first bottom surface of the first light-transmitting element and the second top surface and the second bottom surface of the second light-transmitting element are plane surfaces.
More precisely, the first retaining seat is abutted against the first bottom surface of the first light-transmitting element, the second retaining seat is abutted against the second surrounding top side of the second elastic surrounding body, and the first light-transmitting unit, the first elastic surrounding unit, the second light-transmitting unit and the second elastic surrounding unit are tightly stacked on top of one another in sequence.
More precisely, the liquid lens package structure further comprises: a third elastic surrounding unit including at least one third elastic surrounding body disposed on the first bottom surface of the first light-transmitting element, wherein the third elastic surrounding body has a third surrounding top side contacting the first bottom surface of the first light-transmitting element and a third surrounding bottom side corresponding to the third surrounding top side, wherein the first retaining seat is abutted against the third surrounding bottom side of the third elastic surrounding body, the second retaining seat is abutted against the second surrounding top side of the second elastic surrounding body, and the third elastic surrounding unit, the first light-transmitting unit, the first elastic surrounding unit, the second light-transmitting unit and the second elastic surrounding unit are tightly stacked on top of one another in sequence.
More precisely, both the first elastic surrounding body and the second elastic surrounding body are elastic O rings, the size of the first elastic surrounding body is the same as or different from the second elastic surrounding body, the package unit has a predetermined thickness formed by mating the first retaining seat and the second retaining seat, and the number of the two predetermined liquids is adjusted according to the predetermined thickness of the package unit.
More precisely, the first retaining seat has a plurality of first retaining elements projected upwardly from the top surface thereof and a plurality of first retaining grooves respectively disposed on the first retaining elements, and the second retaining seat has a plurality of second retaining elements disposed on the inner surface thereof and respectively received in the first retaining grooves and a plurality of second retaining grooves respectively adjacent to the second retaining elements for respectively receiving the first retaining elements, thus the relative position between the first retaining seat and the second retaining seat is fixed.
More precisely, the first retaining seat has an outer screw structure projected upwardly from the top surface thereof, and the second retaining seat has an inner screw structure disposed on the inner surface thereof for mating with the outer screw structure, thus the relative position between the first retaining seat and the second retaining seat is fixed.
More precisely, the liquid lens package structure further comprises: a plurality of securing elements, wherein the first retaining seat has a plurality of first through holes, the second retaining seat has a plurality of second through holes correspondingly communicated with the first through holes, and each securing element passes through the corresponding first through hole and the corresponding second through hole, thus the relative position between the first retaining seat and the second retaining seat is fixed.
More precisely, the first retaining seat has a plurality of extending grooves concaved inwardly from the peripheral surface thereof and a plurality of retaining grooves respectively connected with the extending grooves, and the second retaining seat has a plurality of extending portions extended downwardly from the peripheral surface thereof and respectively received in the extending grooves and a plurality of retaining elements respectively connected with the extending portions and respectively retained in the retaining grooves, thus the relative position between the first retaining seat and the second retaining seat is fixed.
Another one of the embodiments of the instant disclosure provides a liquid lens package structure, comprising: a first light-transmitting unit, a second light-transmitting unit, a first elastic surrounding unit, a third elastic surrounding unit and a package unit. The first light-transmitting unit includes at least one first light-transmitting element, wherein the first light-transmitting element has a first top surface and a first bottom surface corresponding to the first top surface. The second light-transmitting unit includes at least one second light-transmitting element, wherein the second light-transmitting element has a second top surface and a second bottom surface corresponding to the second top surface. The first elastic surrounding unit includes at least one first elastic surrounding body, wherein the first elastic surrounding body is disposed between the first light-transmitting element and the second light-transmitting element to form an enclosed space among the first light-transmitting element, the second light-transmitting element and the first elastic surrounding body for receiving and enclosing two predetermined liquids that do not be mingled with each other, and the first elastic surrounding body has a first surrounding bottom side contacting the first top surface of the first light-transmitting element and a first surrounding top side corresponding to the first surrounding bottom side and contacting the second bottom surface of the second light-transmitting element. The third elastic surrounding unit includes at least one third elastic surrounding body disposed on the first bottom surface of the first light-transmitting element, wherein the third elastic surrounding body has a third surrounding top side contacting the first bottom surface of the first light-transmitting element and a third surrounding bottom side corresponding to the third surrounding top side. The package unit includes a first retaining seat and a second retaining seat mated with the first retaining seat, wherein the first retaining seat has a first opening for exposing one portion of the first bottom surface of the first light-transmitting element, the second retaining seat has a second opening for exposing one portion of the second top surface of the second light-transmitting element, and the first light-transmitting unit, the second light-transmitting unit, the first elastic surrounding unit and the third elastic surrounding unit are disposed between the first retaining seat and the second retaining seat.
Therefore, In conclusion, the first light-transmitting unit, the first elastic surrounding unit, the second light-transmitting unit and the second elastic surrounding unit can be tightly stacked on top of one another in sequence and retained between the first retaining seat and the second retaining seat, and the third elastic surrounding unit, the first light-transmitting unit, the first elastic surrounding unit, the second light-transmitting unit and the second elastic surrounding unit can be tightly stacked on top of one another in sequence and retained between the first retaining seat and the second retaining seat, thus the liquid lens package structure of the instant disclosure can be applied to prevent the two predetermined liquids from leaking out between the second light-transmitting element and the first elastic surrounding body during heat expansion or between the first light-transmitting element and the first elastic surrounding body during cold contraction.
To further understand the techniques, means and effects of the instant disclosure applied for achieving the prescribed objectives, the following detailed descriptions and appended drawings are hereby referred, such that, through which, the purposes, features and aspects of the instant disclosure can be thoroughly and concretely appreciated. However, the appended drawings are provided solely for reference and illustration, without any intention to limit the instant disclosure.
Referring to
First, the first light-transmitting unit 1 includes at least one first light-transmitting element 10, and the first light-transmitting element 10 has a first top surface 101 and a first bottom surface 102 corresponding and opposite to the first top surface 101. Moreover, the second light-transmitting unit 2 includes at least one second light-transmitting element 20, and the second light-transmitting element 20 has a second top surface 201 and a second bottom surface 202 corresponding and opposite to the second top surface 201. For example, both the first light-transmitting element 10 and the second light-transmitting element 20 may be transparent glass plate bodies shown as squares, and the first top surface 101 and the first bottom surface 102 of the first light-transmitting element 10 and the second top surface 201 and the second bottom surface 202 of the second light-transmitting element 20 may be plane surfaces. Of course, both the first light-transmitting element 10 and the second light-transmitting element 20 may be plane-concave lens, plane-concave lens, concave-convex lens, or convex-concave lens etc. In addition, one of the first light-transmitting element 10 and the second light-transmitting element 20 may be a driving circuit board for providing a predetermined voltage. However, the above-mentioned design for the first light-transmitting element 10 and the second light-transmitting element 20 of the first embodiment is merely an example and is not meant to limit the instant disclosure.
Furthermore, the first elastic surrounding unit 3 includes at least one first elastic surrounding body 30, and the first elastic surrounding body 30 has a first surrounding bottom side 302 contacting the first top surface 101 of the first light-transmitting element 10 and a first surrounding top side 301 corresponding to the first surrounding bottom side 302 and contacting the second bottom surface 202 of the second light-transmitting element 20. More precisely, the first elastic surrounding body 30 is disposed between the first light-transmitting element 10 and the second light-transmitting element 20 to form an enclosed space 300 among the first light-transmitting element 10, the second light-transmitting element 20 and the first elastic surrounding body 30 for receiving and enclosing two predetermined liquids (L1, L2) that do not be mingled (blended or mixed) with each other (as shown in
Furthermore, the package unit 6 includes a first retaining seat 61 and a second retaining seat 62 mated with the first retaining seat 61 by any mating methods. The first retaining seat 61 has a first opening 610 for exposing one portion of the first bottom surface 102 of the first light-transmitting element 10, the second retaining seat 62 has a second opening 620 for exposing one portion of the second top surface 201 of the second light-transmitting element 20, and the first light-transmitting unit 1, the second light-transmitting unit 2, the first elastic surrounding unit 3 and the second elastic surrounding unit 4 are disposed between the first retaining seat 61 and the second retaining seat 62. In addition, after mating the first retaining seat 61 with the second retaining seat 62, both the first elastic surrounding body 30 and the second elastic surrounding body 40 can be pressed by a predetermined compression deformation, thus the two unmingled predetermined liquids (L1, L2) can be effectively enclosed in the enclosed space 300. More precisely, referring to
For example, the first retaining seat 61 has a plurality of first retaining elements 611 projected upwardly from the top surface thereof and a plurality of first retaining grooves 612 respectively disposed on the first retaining elements 611, and the second retaining seat 62 has a plurality of second retaining elements 621 disposed on the inner surface thereof and respectively received in the first retaining grooves 612 and a plurality of second retaining grooves 622 respectively adjacent to the second retaining elements 621 for respectively receiving the first retaining elements 611, thus the relative position between the first retaining seat 61 and the second retaining seat 62 can be fixed. In other words, the relative position between the first retaining seat 61 and the second retaining seat 62 can be fixed quickly by matching the first retaining element 611 and the second retaining groove 622 and matching the first retaining groove 612 and the second retaining element 621.
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In conclusion, the first light-transmitting unit 1, the first elastic surrounding unit 3, the second light-transmitting unit 2 and the second elastic surrounding unit 4 can be tightly stacked on top of one another in sequence and retained between the first retaining seat 61 and the second retaining seat 62, and the third elastic surrounding unit 5, the first light-transmitting unit 1, the first elastic surrounding unit 3, the second light-transmitting unit 2 and the second elastic surrounding unit 4 can be tightly stacked on top of one another in sequence and retained between the first retaining seat 61 and the second retaining seat 62, thus the liquid lens package structure of the instant disclosure can be applied to prevent the two predetermined liquids (L1, L2) from leaking out between the second light-transmitting element 20 and the first elastic surrounding body 30 during heat expansion or between the first light-transmitting element 10 and the first elastic surrounding body 30 during cold contraction.
The above-mentioned descriptions merely represent the preferred embodiments of the instant disclosure, without any intention or ability to limit the scope of the instant disclosure which is fully described only within the following claims. Various equivalent changes, alterations or modifications based on the claims of instant disclosure are all, consequently, viewed as being embraced by the scope of the instant disclosure.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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5436766 | Leary | Jul 1995 | A |
20080304160 | Hendriks et al. | Dec 2008 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20140355128 A1 | Dec 2014 | US |