Liquid lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11287553-B2
Application number	US-201816475581-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2018
Priority date	Jan 9, 2017
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A liquid lens according to an embodiment includes a first plate comprising a cavity in which a conductive liquid and a non-conductive liquid are disposed, the cavity having an inclined surface; a first electrode disposed on the inclined surface; a second electrode disposed on the first plate; and a black insulation layer disposed between the first electrode and the conductive liquid, wherein the conductive liquid and the non-conductive liquid form an interface therebetween, and the interface moves along one surface of the black insulation layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A liquid lens, comprising:
a first plate comprising a cavity in which a conductive liquid and a non-conductive liquid are disposed, the cavity having an inclined surface;
a first electrode disposed on the inclined surface;
a second electrode disposed on the first plate;
a black insulation layer disposed between the first electrode and the conductive liquid;
an another plate disposed under the first plate; and
a transparent insulation layer disposed between the another plate and the non-conductive liquid,
wherein the conductive liquid and the non-conductive liquid form an interface therebetween, and the interface moves along one surface of the black insulation layer.

2. The liquid lens according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent insulation layer has a thickness that is greater than or equal to a thickness of the black insulation layer.

3. The liquid lens according to claim 1 , wherein the black insulation layer extends to an upper side of the first plate.

4. The liquid lens according to claim 1 , wherein an area in which the transparent insulation layer and the non-conductive liquid are in contact with each other is greater than or equal to an area in which the another plate and the transparent insulation layer are in contact with each other.

5. The liquid lens according to claim 1 , wherein the black insulation layer comprises graphite, a soma film, or a black resin.

6. The liquid lens according to claim 1 , wherein the black insulation layer is disposed so as not to overlap an open surface, which is formed under the non-conductive liquid.

7. The liquid lens according to claim 1 , wherein the black insulation layer is disposed so as to be in contact with the first electrode or the second electrode transmitting an electrical signal for controlling the interface.

8. The liquid lens according to claim 1 , wherein the black insulation layer is disposed so as to extend along a lower side of the first plate.

9. A liquid lens, comprising:
a first plate comprising a cavity in which a conductive liquid and a non-conductive liquid are disposed, the cavity having an inclined surface;
a first electrode disposed on the inclined surface;
a second electrode disposed on the first plate;
a second plate disposed on the second electrode;
a third plate disposed under the first electrode; and
an insulation layer disposed on the third plate and the first electrode,
wherein the insulation layer comprises a first region and a second region having respectively different light transmittances.

10. The liquid lens according to claim 9 , wherein the first region has higher light transmittance than the second region,
wherein the first region is a region disposed between the non-conductive liquid and the third plate, and
wherein the second region is a region disposed among the first electrode, the conductive liquid, and the non-conductive liquid.

11. A liquid lens, comprising:
a first plate comprising a cavity in which a conductive liquid and a non-conductive liquid are disposed, the cavity having an inclined surface;
a second plate disposed on the first plate;
a third plate disposed under the first plate;
a first electrode disposed on the inclined surface of the cavity;
a second electrode disposed between the first plate and the second plate; and
a reflection-suppressing layer disposed among the first electrode, the conductive liquid, and a non-conductive liquid.

12. The liquid lens according to claim 11 , comprising:
an insulation layer disposed between the non-conductive liquid and the third plate,
wherein the insulation layer has a thickness of 0.5 μm to 15 μm, and the reflection-suppressing layer has a thickness of 0.5 μm to 10 μm.

13. A liquid lens, comprising:
a first plate comprising a cavity in which a conductive liquid and a non-conductive liquid are disposed, the cavity having an inclined surface;
a first electrode disposed on the inclined surface;
a second electrode disposed on the first plate;
a black insulation layer disposed between the first electrode and the conductive liquid; and
a reflection-preventing layer disposed on the black insulation layer,
wherein the conductive liquid and the non-conductive liquid form an interface therebetween, and the interface moves along one surface of the black insulation layer.

14. The liquid lens according to claim 13 , wherein the reflection-preventing layer is disposed on a position, at which the interface is formed, along the inclined surface.

15. The liquid lens according to claim 13 , wherein the reflection-preventing layer is disposed on the first electrode and the black insulation layer.

16. The liquid lens according to claim 13 , wherein the reflection-preventing layer is disposed so as to be in contact with an edge interface, which is adjacent to the black insulation layer.

17. The liquid lens according to claim 13 , wherein the reflection-preventing layer is integrally formed with the black insulation layer.

18. The liquid lens according to claim 13 , wherein the reflection-preventing layer lowers the reflectance with respect to light having a wavelength of 380 nm to 800 nm, which corresponds to visible light, to less than 5% or less than 10%.

19. The liquid lens according to claim 13 , wherein the reflection-preventing layer is formed of a material that does not reflect light or a material that has a lower light reflectance than the black insulation layer.

Assignees

• Lg Innotek Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Kyu Tae
• Eom Seong Su

Classifications

• G02B13/0075

  having an element with variable optical properties · CPC title

• G02F1/03

  based on ceramics or electro-optical crystals, e.g. exhibiting Pockels effect or Kerr effect (G02F1/061 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B13/009

  having zoom function · CPC title

• G02B27/646

  compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake (movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68) · CPC title

• G02B3/14 Primary

  of variable focal length · CPC title