Liquid optical module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10921494-B2
Application number	US-201916257740-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2019
Priority date	Jan 25, 2018
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A liquid optical module is provided, including a liquid lens driving mechanism and a liquid lens assembly. The liquid lens driving mechanism includes a fixed portion, a movable portion and a driving assembly. The movable portion is movably connected to the fixed portion. The liquid lens assembly includes a liquid lens element, a fixing member and a deforming member. The fixing member is disposed on a first fixed portion surface of the fixed portion, and the deforming member is disposed on a movable portion surface of the movable portion. The movable portion surface and the first fixed portion surface face the same direction, and when the movable portion is driven by the driving assembly to move relative to the fixed portion, the liquid lens element is deformed by the deforming member, causing the optical properties of the liquid lens element to change.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid optical module, comprising:
a liquid lens driving mechanism, including:
a fixed portion;
a movable portion, movably connecting the fixed portion; and
a driving assembly, configured to drive the movable portion to move relative to the fixed portion; and

a liquid lens assembly, including:
a liquid lens element, having an optical axis;
a fixing member, disposed on a first fixed portion surface of the fixed portion; and
a deforming member, disposed on a movable portion surface of the movable portion;

wherein the movable portion surface and the first fixed portion surface face the same direction, and when the movable portion is driven by the driving assembly to move relative to the fixed portion, the liquid lens element is deformed by the deforming member, causing the optical properties of the liquid lens element to change; and
wherein both the first fixed portion surface and the movable portion surface are not parallel to the optical axis.

2. The liquid optical module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the direction of the optical axis, the first fixed portion is closer to a light incident end of the liquid optical module than the movable portion surface.

3. The liquid optical module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fixed portion further includes a plurality of first fixed portion surfaces, and the movable portion further includes a plurality of movable portion surfaces, and when viewed along the optical axis direction, the first fixed portion surfaces and the movable portion surfaces surround the optical axis and are arranged with a staggered configuration.

4. The liquid optical module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the movable portion has at least one movable portion pillar, the fixed portion has at least one fixed portion pillar, the movable portion surface belongs to a portion of the movable portion pillar, and the first fixed portion surface belongs to a portion of the fixed portion pillar of the fixed portion, wherein the movable portion pillar and the fixing portion pillar are oriented toward the liquid lens assembly and extend along the optical axis direction.

5. The liquid optical module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the movable portion has a plurality of movable portion pillars, the fixed portion has a plurality of fixed portion pillars, the movable portion pillars are connected to the deforming member of the liquid lens assembly, and the fixed portion pillars are connected to the fixing portion of the liquid lens assembly, wherein the movable portion pillars and the fixed portion pillars are oriented toward the liquid lens assembly and extend along the optical axis direction.

6. The liquid optical module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fixed portion further includes a second fixed portion surface which is not parallel with the first fixing portion surface, and the second fixed portion surface has a recessed structure.

7. The liquid optical module as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising a first adhesive member disposed in the recessed structure, and the first adhesive member is directly connected the second fixed portion surface of the fixed portion and the fixing member of the liquid lens assembly.

8. The liquid optical module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the deforming member has a protruding portion connected to the movable portion surface, and when viewed from the direction of the optical axis, the protruding portion protrudes from the liquid lens element and the fixing member.

9. The liquid optical module as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising a second adhesive member directly connecting the protruding portion of the deforming member and the movable portion surface, and the second adhesive member at least partially overlaps the protruding portion when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

10. The liquid optical module as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the protruding portion has at least one connecting structure extending in a direction not parallel to the optical axis, and the connecting structure at least partially protrudes from the liquid lens element when viewed along the optical axis direction.

11. The liquid optical module as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the connecting structure has a recess, and the second adhesive member is disposed in the recess to connect the deforming member to the movable portion surface.

12. The liquid optical module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the driving assembly is an electromagnetic driving assembly including a coil and a magnetic element corresponding to coil.

13. The liquid optical module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the deforming member linearly or obliquely moves to deform the liquid lens element when the driving member drives the movable portion to force the deforming member.

14. The liquid optical module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the deforming member presses a lower side of the liquid lens element when the driving assembly drives the movable portion to force the deforming member.

15. The liquid optical module as claimed in claim 14 , wherein when the driving assembly drives the movable portion to force the deforming member, the deforming member moves toward the liquid lens element and presses the liquid lens element, and the liquid lens element is deformed.

16. A liquid optical module, comprising:
a liquid lens driving mechanism, including:
a fixed portion;
a movable portion, movably connecting the fixed portion; and
a diving assembly, configured to drive the movable portion to move relative to the fixed portion; and

a liquid lens assembly, including:
a liquid lens element, having an optical axis;
a fixing member, disposed on a first fixed portion surface of the fixed portion; and
a deforming member, disposed on a movable portion surface of the movable portion;

wherein the movable portion surface and the first fixed portion surface face the same direction, and when the movable portion is driven by the driving assembly to move relative to the fixed portion, the liquid lens element is deformed by the deforming member, causing the optical properties of the liquid lens element to change; and
wherein the shortest distance between the first fixed portion surface and the optical axis is shorter than the shortest distance between the movable portion surface and the optical axis.

17. A liquid optical module, comprising:
a liquid lens driving mechanism, including:
a fixed portion;
a movable portion, movably connecting the fixed portion; and
a driving assembly, configured to drive the movable portion to move relative to the fixed portion; and

a liquid lens assembly, including:
a liquid lens element, having an optical axis;
a fixing member, disposed on a first fixed portion surface of the fixed portion; and
a deforming member, disposed on a movable portion surface of the movable portion;

wherein the movable portion surface and the first fixed portion surface face the same direction, and when the movable portion is driven by the driving assembly to move relative to the fixed portion, the liquid lens elements is deformed by the deforming member, causing the optical properties of the liquid lens element to change; and
wherein the liquid optical module further comprises a circuit board disposed outside the movable portion and connected to the fixed portion.

18. The liquid optical module as claimed in claim 17 , further comprising a first sensing element and a second sensing element respectively disposed on the circuit board and the movable portion.

19. The liquid optical module as cla

Assignees

• Tdk Taiwan Corp

Inventors

• KAO Kuo-Chun
• Lin meng-ting
• Huang I-Mei
• SONG Sin-Jhong

Classifications

• G03B13/32

  Means for focusing · CPC title

• G02B26/004 Primary

  based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid · CPC title

• G02B7/04

  with mechanism for focusing or varying magnification · CPC title

• H04N23/57

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title

• H04N23/45

  for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images · CPC title