Lens design and methods of manufacture thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12411302-B2
Application number	US-201916696642-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2019
Priority date	Nov 26, 2019
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a lens comprising a central portion that comprises a first polymer; wherein the central portion is operative to transmit electromagnetic radiation through it; and a peripheral portion that comprises a second polymer; where the peripheral portion accommodates a dimensional change in the central portion by absorbing energy and being transformed from a lower energy state to a higher energy state. Disclosed herein too is a method of manufacturing a lens comprising injecting into a mold a molten polymer to produce the lens; where the lens comprises a central portion; and a peripheral portion; where the peripheral portion accommodates a dimensional change in the central portion by absorbing energy and being transformed from a lower energy state to a higher energy state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lens comprising: a central portion that comprises a first polymer; wherein the central portion is operative to transmit electromagnetic radiation through it; and a peripheral portion that comprises a second polymer; where the peripheral portion accommodates a dimensional change due to a temperature change in the central portion by absorbing energy and being transformed from a lower energy state to a higher energy state; and where the peripheral portion prevents distortion of the field of vision of the lens, where the peripheral portion comprises a prearranged deformation point that renders it the weakest point in the peripheral portion; and wherein the prearranged deformation point is a slot, a notch or a cavity.

2. The lens of claim 1 , where the peripheral portion undergoes a change in shape without any substantial dimensional change.

3. The lens of claim 1 , where the first polymer is the same as the second polymer.

4. The lens of claim 1 , where the first polymer is different from the second polymer.

5. The lens of claim 1 , where the peripheral portion surrounds the central portion along its entire circumferential periphery.

6. The lens of claim 5 , where the peripheral portion comprises a plurality of elements that do not contact each other.

7. The lens of claim 1 , where the peripheral portion has a cross-sectional area that has a linear profile or a curvilinear profile prior to energy absorption.

8. The lens of claim 1 , where the linear profile changes to a curvilinear profile due to the energy absorption.

9. The lens of claim 7 , where the curvilinear profile is a sinusoidal profile that may contain one or more troughs and one or more crests.

10. The lens of claim 9 , where the sinusoidal profile may contain a plurality of troughs and crests of varying amplitude and periodicity and where the amplitude or the periodicity change upon energy absorption.

11. The lens of claim 1 , where the peripheral portion comprises a prearranged deformation point.

12. The lens of claim 1 , where the second polymer has a negative coefficient of thermal expansion while the first polymer has a positive coefficient of thermal expansion.

13. The lens of claim 1 , where the first polymer and the second polymer comprise a cyclic olefin polymer.

14. The lens of claim 12 , where the cyclic olefin polymer comprises a cyclic olefin copolymer.

15. An article that comprises the lens of claim 1 .

16. The article of claim 15 , where the article is an advanced driver assistance system.

17. A method of manufacturing a lens comprising: injecting into a mold a molten polymer to produce the lens; where the lens comprises: a central portion; and a peripheral portion; where the peripheral portion accommodates a dimensional change due to a temperature change in the central portion by absorbing energy and being transformed from a lower energy state to a higher energy state; and where the peripheral portion prevents distortion of the field of vision of the lens, where the peripheral portion comprises a prearranged deformation point that renders it the weakest point in the peripheral portion; and wherein the prearranged deformation point is a slot, a notch or a cavity.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the molten polymer comprises a polyolefin.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the polyolefin comprises a cyclic olefin copolymer.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising disposing the lens in a fixture.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the fixture with the lens disposed therein is disposed in an advanced driver assistance system.

Assignees

• Zf Active Safety & Electronics Us Llc
• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Babala Michael
• Warmuth Matthew
• Blake Iii Thomas E

Classifications

• B29D11/00009 Primary

  Production of simple or compound lenses · CPC title

• B29K2023/38

  Polymers of cycloalkenes, e.g. norbornene or cyclopentene · CPC title

• B29K2995/0012

  having particular thermal properties · CPC title

• G02B1/041

  Lenses · CPC title

• B29K2995/0026

  Transparent · CPC title