CN210572836U

CN210572836U - Zoom lens and camera

Info

Publication number: CN210572836U
Application number: CN201922008805.1U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 时凯
Original assignee: Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-11-19
Filing date: 2019-11-19
Publication date: 2020-05-19
Anticipated expiration: 2029-11-19

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model discloses a zoom lens and camera relates to camera technical field, invents for reducing the consumption and difficult camera lens wearing and tearing that cause. A zoom lens, comprising: the zoom lens group and the focusing lens group are arranged in the lens barrel, and a main optical axis of the zoom lens group and a main optical axis of the focusing lens group are collinear with the central axis of the lens barrel; the variable power lens group and/or the focusing lens group comprise a liquid lens and/or a liquid crystal lens, and the liquid lens and/or the liquid crystal lens are connected with the lens control device. The embodiments of the present invention are applicable to imaging an object on an object side on an image side.

Description

Zoom lens and camera

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of cameras, in particular to a lens in a camera.

Background

A camera, a device for converting an optical image signal into an electrical signal for storage or transmission, generally includes a lens and an image sensor, the image sensor is located behind the lens and is coaxial with the lens, and a scene captured by the lens is imaged on a photosensitive surface of the image sensor.

The lenses used in the current video cameras generally include two major types, a fixed focus lens and a zoom lens. When the zoom lens zooms, the motor and the gear are needed to adjust the position of the lens to achieve the purpose of zooming. In the existing zooming mode, because a motor and a gear are needed to adjust the position of a lens during zooming, the power consumption is high, and the abrasion of a lens is easily caused.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of this, embodiments of the present application provide a zoom lens and a camera which are not only low in power consumption but also less prone to lens wear.

An embodiment of the present application provides a zoom lens, including: the zoom lens group and the focusing lens group are arranged in the lens barrel, and a main optical axis of the zoom lens group and a main optical axis of the focusing lens group are collinear with the central axis of the lens barrel; the zoom lens group and/or the focusing lens group comprise a liquid lens and/or a liquid crystal lens, and the liquid lens and/or the liquid crystal lens are connected with a lens control device.

According to a specific implementation of the embodiment of the application, the liquid lens and/or the liquid crystal lens are cylindrical, flat cylindrical or prismatic in shape.

According to a particular implementation of the embodiments of the application, the liquid lens includes: the box body is at least made of transparent materials at the light-transmitting part, liquid is filled in the box body, and the box body is arranged in the lens cone; a liquid slow-release opening is formed in one side of the light-transmitting part of the box body, and a transparent elastic film is arranged at the liquid slow-release opening; the box body is also provided with a liquid extrusion opening, and the lens control device is arranged at the liquid extrusion opening.

According to a concrete implementation mode of the embodiment of the application, the lens control device comprises an elastic membrane which is attached to the liquid extrusion opening and seals the liquid extrusion opening.

According to a specific implementation manner of the embodiment of the application, the lens control device comprises a plunger, the plunger is movably inserted into the liquid extrusion opening, and a sealing member is arranged between the liquid extrusion opening and the plunger.

According to a specific implementation manner of the embodiment of the application, the lens control device further comprises an electric telescopic rod, and the electric telescopic rod is connected with the end part of the plunger, which is positioned outside the liquid extrusion opening.

According to a specific implementation manner of the embodiment of the application, the lens control device comprises a liquid injector, and an injection port of the liquid injector is connected with the liquid extrusion port and seals the liquid extrusion port so as to supplement part of liquid into the box body or extract part of liquid from the box body.

According to a specific implementation manner of the embodiment of the application, the lens control device further comprises an electric telescopic rod, and the electric telescopic rod is connected with the push-pull end of the push rod of the liquid injector.

According to a particular implementation of the embodiments of the application, the liquid lens includes: the box body is at least made of transparent materials at the light transmission part, and first liquid and second liquid are filled in the box body and are immiscible; the box body is arranged in the lens barrel; a first electrode and a second electrode are arranged in the box body, the first electrode and the second electrode are arranged oppositely in parallel or in a right angle, and the first liquid and the second liquid are positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode; the lens control device is electrically connected with the first electrode and the second electrode and provides driving voltage for the first electrode and the second electrode.

According to a specific implementation manner of the embodiment of the application, the liquid crystal lens includes: the box body is at least made of transparent materials at the light transmission part and is arranged in the lens cone; a first electrode and a second electrode are arranged in the box body, the first electrode and the second electrode are arranged oppositely in parallel or in a right angle, the first electrode and the second electrode are at least made of transparent materials at the light transmission part, and liquid crystal is arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode; the lens control device is electrically connected with the first electrode and the second electrode and provides driving voltage for deflection of the liquid crystal.

The embodiment of the present application further provides a camera, which includes a lens and an image sensor, where the image sensor is located behind the lens and on the same axis as the lens, and the lens is a zoom lens of any of the foregoing implementation manners.

According to the zoom lens and the camera provided by the embodiment of the application, the zoom lens group and/or the liquid lens and/or the liquid crystal lens in the focusing lens group are controlled through the lens control device, the curvature radius of the liquid lens and/or the refractive index of the liquid crystal lens are changed in the process that the lens magnifies and/or focuses an image, so that the purpose of zooming and/or focusing is achieved, in the process of zooming and/or focusing, the position of the liquid lens and/or the liquid crystal lens in the lens barrel can be adjusted without a motor-driven mechanical device, and therefore power consumption is low, and the lens is not prone to wear.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below, it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a zoom lens according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an optical system in the zoom lens shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid lens in a zoom lens according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid lens structure of a zoom lens according to another embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid crystal lens in a zoom lens according to yet another embodiment of the present application;

fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a camera according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

It is a primary object of the embodiments of the present application to provide a zoom lens with a liquid lens and/or a liquid crystal lens and a camera with the zoom lens, so as to reduce power consumption of a device (such as a camera) with the zoom lens and reduce or avoid abrasion of the lens. The camera with the zoom lens can be applied to monitoring or shooting occasions such as security monitoring or road traffic monitoring.

The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the embodiments described are only a few embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a zoom lens 10 according to an embodiment of the present application, and fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an optical system in the zoom lens 10 shown in fig. 1, as shown in fig. 1 and fig. 2, the zoom lens 10 according to the present embodiment may include: the zoom lens group 2 and the focusing lens group 3 are arranged in the lens barrel 1, and a main optical axis of the zoom lens group 2 and a main optical axis of the focusing lens group 3 are collinear with a central axis of the lens barrel 1; the focusing lens group 3 includes a liquid lens 31, and the liquid lens 31 is connected to a lens control device (not shown in the figure).

The lens barrel 1 may also be referred to as a lens barrel, an optical lens barrel, an imaging barrel, or the like. The shape of the device can be cylindrical or flat cylindrical, and can also be prismatic, such as quadrangular prism, pentagonal prism, hexagonal prism and the like. The lens barrel 1 may be made of a material that does not easily rust, for example, a metal material such as brass, stainless steel, and aluminum-magnesium alloy, by a machining process, or an engineering plastic by an injection molding process. In order to reduce the influence of high and low temperature on the imaging quality, a proper lens barrel material can be selected to compensate the deviation of the focal plane caused by the lens deformation, specifically, the lens barrel can be properly deformed under the high and low temperature environment, particularly, the lens barrel deforms in the axial direction, and the deviation of the focal plane caused by the lens deformation can be compensated, so that the imaging quality is improved, and particularly, the material of the lens barrel can be determined by performing high and low temperature compensation tests on the lens barrel through simulating the material characteristics.

In order to facilitate the assembly between the lens barrel 1 and the zoom lens group 2 and the focusing lens group 3, the lens barrel 1 may be a split structure, and in one example, the lens barrel 1 may include an upper lens barrel and a lower lens barrel, and the upper lens barrel and the lower lens barrel may be fixedly connected together by a fastener such as a screw. In order to facilitate the installation and positioning of the zoom lens group 2 and the focusing lens group 3 inside the lens barrel 1, an installation structure (such as an installation seat, an installation groove or an installation step) of the zoom lens group 2 and the focusing lens group 3 may be arranged inside the lens barrel 1.

The variable power lens group 2 may be composed of one or more lenses for changing the focal length of the lens. The variable power lens group 2 may also be referred to as a Zoom group or a variable power group (Zoom group).

The focusing lens group 3 may be composed of one or more lenses for compensating the back focus of the lens to make the lens focus clearly. The focusing lens group 3 may also be referred to as a compensation group or a focusing group (Focus group).

The variable power lens group 2 and the focusing lens group 3 constitute a basic optical system of the zoom lens. In one example, the magnification-varying lens group 2 may be disposed in front of the focusing lens group 3, that is, between the object side corresponding to the zoom lens and the focusing lens group 3. In another example, the focusing lens group 3 may be disposed in front of the variable power lens group 2, that is, between the object side corresponding to the zoom lens and the variable power lens group 2.

The liquid lens 31, which may also be referred to as a liquid medium lens, is an optical element made of one or more liquids, and simply the medium of the lens is a liquid. The focal length can be varied by varying the liquid lens surface shape, i.e. the radius of curvature, by means of a lens control device.

One or more liquid lenses 31 may be used in the focusing lens group 3, and the number of liquid lenses 31 may be less than or equal to the total number of lenses in the focusing lens group 3. When the number of the liquid lenses 31 in the focusing lens group 3 is smaller than the total number of the lenses in the focusing lens group 3, the remaining lenses are made of glass or optical plastic. The lens in the dotted rectangular frame in fig. 1 and 2 is a schematic view of the liquid lens 31.

When the focusing lens group 3 includes both the liquid lens 31 and a lens made of glass or an optical plastic material, the liquid lens 31 may be located at any position in the focusing lens group 3.

The outer shape of the liquid lens can be adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the barrel of the lens barrel so as to fit the inner wall of the barrel. In one example, the liquid lens is cylindrical in shape; in another example, the liquid lens has an oblate cylindrical shape; in yet another example, the liquid lens has a prismatic shape in appearance. Wherein, the appearance of liquid lens is cylindrical, simple structure on the one hand, and the processing of being convenient for, on the other hand can have great printing opacity area. If the liquid lens is in a flat column shape or a prism shape, the liquid lens is convenient to position in the lens barrel, and the relative rotation between the liquid lens and the lens barrel is avoided.

The zoom lens in the present embodiment operates: when the focal length of the lens is changed, the focal plane on the imaging side of the zoom lens is changed, and the position of an observation point on the imaging side is fixed, so that an image received at the observation point is blurred, at the moment, the curvature radius of the liquid lens 31 in the focusing lens group 3 is adjusted through the lens control device, and the position of the focal plane is adjusted again, so that the focal plane is positioned at the observation point or a certain distance in front of and behind the observation point, and the image corresponding to the object space is clear. In actual operation, the focal length can be adjusted by the variable power lens group 2 and the image can be focused by the liquid lens 31 in the focusing lens group 3.

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid lens 31 in a zoom lens 10 according to an embodiment of the present application, and referring to fig. 3, the liquid lens 31 in the embodiment may include: a case 310a, the case 310a being made of a transparent material at least at a light-transmitting portion thereof, the case 310a being filled with a liquid 312a (e.g., water), the case 310a being provided in the lens barrel 1; a liquid slow-release opening 314a is formed in one side of the light-transmitting part of the box body 310a, and a transparent elastic film 316a is arranged at the liquid slow-release opening 314 a; the case body 310a is further provided with a liquid extruding port 318a, and the lens control device is provided at the liquid extruding port 318 a.

The case body 310a, which may also be referred to as a box or a container, for containing a liquid may include a circumferential portion having a ring shape and sidewalls connected to both sides of the circumferential portion. The annular circumferential part and the side walls on two sides of the circumferential part enclose a space for containing liquid. The annular circumferential portion is used for being connected with the inner wall of the lens barrel (for example, fixedly connected with the inner wall of the lens barrel through screws, buckles or solid glue), and the side walls on two sides of the circumferential portion are used for transmitting light.

On the case body 310a, at least at a light-transmitting portion (e.g., sidewalls at both sides of the circumferential portion) is made of a transparent material, which may be transparent glass or transparent plastic (e.g., polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), Polystyrene (PS), Polycarbonate (PC), etc.).

The transparent elastic film 316a, which may also be referred to as an elastic film or a deformable film, is a material that deforms when an external force is applied and disappears when the external force is removed. In one example, the transparent elastomeric film 316a is made of Thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer rubber (TPU) and has a thickness of 0.015 to 2.0 mm.

The transparent elastic membrane 316a can be adhered to the liquid release opening 314a through colloid, and can play a role in sealing the liquid release opening 314a besides being deformed by the extrusion of the liquid in the box body 310 a.

The size of the liquid release port 314a may be determined according to the light flux required to satisfy the imaging requirements.

The liquid pressing port 318a may be provided on a circumferential portion of the case body 310 a.

When the lens control device applies pressure to the liquid in the box body through the liquid extrusion port 318a, the liquid 312a in the box body flows by external force to extrude the transparent elastic membrane 316a, the transparent elastic membrane 316a deforms and protrudes towards the outside of the liquid slow-release port 314a, the curvature radius of the liquid at the liquid slow-release port 314a changes, and therefore the refraction angle of the light passing through the liquid slow-release port 314a changes, and the purpose of adjusting the focal length can be achieved. The change of the refractive index of the liquid lens in the embodiment can be determined by the mechanical property of the film, and the liquid lens can be unrelated to the filling liquid, and has the advantages of large zooming range, low driving power consumption and the like.

In some embodiments, an operation opening corresponding to the lens control device may be provided on the side wall of the lens barrel, so that manual operation of the lens control device is facilitated through the operation opening. To prevent malfunction, in one example, the lens control device may be hidden in the operation opening, and the operation may be reached by a finger inserted into the operation opening. In another example, the lens control device may also be partially exposed from the access opening for manual access.

Referring to fig. 3, in some embodiments, the lens control device may include an elastic membrane 320a, and the elastic membrane 320a may be attached to the liquid pressing port 318a by a gel and seal the liquid pressing port 318 a. The elastic film 320a may also be referred to as a press film or an extruded film, which may be made of an opaque elastic material. In one example, the elastic film 320a may be made of the same material as the transparent elastic film 316a, i.e., may be made of TPU, except that in the case of TPU for the elastic film 320a, a black pigment is added to make an opaque structure. The thickness of the elastic film 320a may be 1.0 to 3 mm. In another example, the elastic membrane 320a is made of silicone and has a thickness of 1.5-2.5 mm.

By applying pressure to the elastic membrane 320a manually or by other means, the elastic membrane 320a deforms and protrudes towards the inside of the box body 310a, the liquid 312a in the box body flows by being pressed by the elastic membrane 320a so as to press the transparent elastic membrane 316a, the transparent elastic membrane 316a deforms and protrudes towards the outside of the liquid slow-release opening 314a, and the radius of curvature of the liquid at the liquid slow-release opening 314a changes. The amount of deformation of the transparent elastic membrane 316a can be controlled by controlling the amount of pressure applied to the elastic membrane 320a, thereby allowing the liquid lens to obtain different radii of curvature.

As an alternative embodiment of the lens control device, the lens control device may comprise a plunger (not shown) movably inserted in the liquid squeezing port, and a sealing member is provided between the liquid squeezing port and the plunger to achieve a sliding seal between the plunger and the liquid squeezing port. In one example, the seal between the liquid extrusion port and the plunger may be a labyrinth seal. In one example, the outer diameter of the plunger may be sized to match the inner diameter of the fluid extrusion port, and the movement of the plunger may be guided by the inner wall of the fluid extrusion port.

When pushing force is applied to the plunger by hand or other means, the plunger moves towards the inside of the box body 310a, the liquid 312a in the box body is pressed by the plunger to flow so as to press the transparent elastic membrane 316a, the transparent elastic membrane 316a deforms and protrudes towards the outside of the liquid slow-release opening 314a, and the curvature radius of the liquid at the liquid slow-release opening 314a changes.

The plunger may be moved manually or electrically within the fluid expression port, and in one example, the lens control device may further include an electrically operated telescoping rod (not shown) coupled to an end of the plunger outside of the fluid expression port.

The electric telescopic rod can be electrified, so that the electric telescopic rod is stretched to push the plunger to move towards the inner direction of the box body in the liquid extrusion opening, the liquid 312a in the box body flows by being extruded by the plunger to extrude the transparent elastic membrane 316a, the transparent elastic membrane 316a deforms and protrudes towards the outer part of the liquid slow-release opening 314a, and the curvature radius of the liquid at the liquid slow-release opening 314a changes. Correspondingly, the electric telescopic rod can be powered on to make the electric telescopic rod perform a contraction action, the plunger is pulled to move in the liquid extrusion opening towards the outer direction of the box body, the liquid 312a in the box body flows under the pulling force of the plunger, the transparent elastic membrane 316a is stressed and deformed and is recessed towards the inner part of the liquid slow-release opening 314a, and the curvature radius of the liquid at the liquid slow-release opening 314a is changed.

The deformation of the transparent elastic membrane 316a can be controlled by controlling the stroke of the electric telescopic rod, so that the liquid lens can obtain different curvature radiuses.

As another alternative embodiment of the lens control device, the lens control device may include a liquid injector (not shown in the drawings), and an injection port of the liquid injector is connected to and seals the liquid squeezing port to supply or withdraw a part of the liquid into or from the cartridge body.

In this embodiment, the liquid injector is pre-stored with liquid. The liquid can be supplemented into the box body through the injection port of the liquid injector, and the liquid can also be pumped out from the box body, so that the volume of the liquid in the box body is changed, the shape of the liquid lens is changed, and the curvature radius of the liquid lens is changed. The liquid lens can be obtained in different shapes by different amounts of liquid to be supplied and liquid to be extracted, and the liquid lens has different curvature radii.

The plunger of the liquid syringe may be manually pushed or pulled to replenish liquid in the cartridge body or to withdraw a portion of liquid from the cartridge body. For convenience of operation, in one example, the lens control device may further include an electric telescopic rod connected to a push-pull end of a push rod of the liquid injector.

The electric telescopic rod can be electrified to enable the electric telescopic rod to do stretching action, the push rod of the liquid injector is pushed to move towards the direction of the box body, liquid is supplemented into the box body, the volume of the liquid in the box body is increased, so that the transparent elastic membrane 316a is extruded, the transparent elastic membrane 316a deforms and protrudes towards the outside of the liquid slow-release opening 314a, and the curvature radius of the liquid at the liquid slow-release opening 314a is changed. Correspondingly, the electric telescopic rod can be powered on to enable the electric telescopic rod to do contraction action, the push rod for drawing the liquid injector moves towards the direction opposite to the box body, liquid is drawn out from the box body, the volume of the liquid in the box body is reduced, the transparent elastic membrane 316a is stressed and deformed and is recessed towards the interior of the liquid slow-release opening 314a, and the curvature radius of the liquid at the liquid slow-release opening 314a is changed.

In some embodiments, the optical system in the zoom lens 10 shown in fig. 1 may further include a first fixed group, a second fixed group, a stop, and a filter. Referring to fig. 2, in one example, the optical system in the zoom lens 10 may include, in order from the object side: a first fixed group 4, a variable power group 2, a second fixed group 5 and a focusing group 3, wherein the first fixed group 4 comprises 3 lenses, the variable power group 2 comprises 3 lenses, the second fixed group 5 comprises 3 lenses, the focusing group 3 comprises 4 lenses, one of which is a liquid lens 31; the diaphragm 6 is in front of the second fixed group 5 and the filter 7 is behind the focusing group 3.

The first fixed group 4 and the second fixed group 5 can reduce aberration and improve imaging quality in the process of imaging an object. The diaphragm 6 is a solid body which plays a limiting role on the light beam in the optical system, and can be the edge of a lens, a frame or a specially arranged perforated screen, and the function of the diaphragm can comprise two aspects, namely that on one hand, the light beam can be limited or the size of a field of view (imaging range) can be limited, and on the other hand, the definition and the brightness of the image can be adjusted through the diaphragm 6. The optical filter 7 can be used to select light of a specific wavelength band in the incident light, so as to project the light passing through the optical filter 7 to the image sensor, and obtain an image corresponding to the light of the specific wavelength band.

In the embodiment, the liquid lens in the focusing lens group is controlled by the lens control device, the curvature radius of the liquid lens is changed in the process of focusing an image by the lens, so that the purpose of focusing is achieved, in the focusing process, the position of the liquid lens in the lens barrel can be adjusted without driving a mechanical device through a motor, and thus, the power consumption is low, the lens is not easy to wear, the service life of the zoom lens is prolonged, and in addition, the speed of the focusing process of the zoom lens is high, and the noise is low.

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid lens in a zoom lens of another embodiment of the present application, where the structure of the zoom lens of this embodiment is substantially the same as that of the zoom lens embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and the difference is that the structure of the liquid lens in this embodiment is different from that of the liquid lens in the zoom lens embodiment shown in FIG. 1. Referring to fig. 4, the liquid lens in the present embodiment may include: a cartridge 310b, in which the cartridge 310b is filled with a first liquid 312b and a second liquid 314b, and the first liquid 312b and the second liquid 314b are immiscible with each other; the case body 310b is provided in the lens barrel 1; a first electrode 316b and a second electrode 318b, the first electrode 316b and the second electrode 318b being disposed in parallel and opposite to each other, the first liquid 312b and the second liquid 314b being disposed between the first electrode 316b and the second electrode 318 b; the lens control device is electrically connected to the first electrode 316b and the second electrode 318b to supply a driving voltage to the first electrode 316b and the second electrode 318 b.

The box body 310b, which may also be referred to as a box or container, may include an annular circumferential portion and sidewalls attached to both sides of the circumferential portion. The annular circumferential portion and the side walls on both sides of the circumferential portion enclose a space for accommodating the first liquid 312b and the second liquid 314 b. The annular circumferential portion is used for being connected with the inner wall of the lens barrel (for example, fixedly connected with the inner wall of the lens barrel through screws, buckles or solid glue), and the side walls on two sides of the circumferential portion are used for transmitting light. The case body 310b is made of a transparent material at least at a light-transmitting portion (e.g., side walls on both sides of the circumferential portion). The transparent material may be transparent glass or transparent plastic (such as Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), Polystyrene (PS), Polycarbonate (PC), or the like).

In this embodiment, the first liquid 312b and the second liquid 314b are two mutually incompatible liquids, and may have different refractive indices. In one example, the first liquid may be water and the second liquid may be a clear oil.

In this embodiment, when no voltage is applied, the interface between the first liquid 312b and the second liquid 314b naturally forms a contact surface under the action of surface tension, and at this time, the radius of curvature of the contact surface is fixed; when a voltage is applied to the first electrode 316b and the second electrode 318b, under the action of an electric field, the electric quantity of the contact surface between the first liquid 312b and the first electrode 316b changes, so that an electrostatic force attracting each other is generated between the first liquid 312b and the first electrode 316b, the electrostatic force generates a squeezing action on the second liquid 314b, and the shape of the contact surface between the first liquid 312b and the second liquid 314b changes, so that the curvature radius of the contact surface, namely the curvature radius of the liquid lens, is changed. The process of changing the curvature radius is realized on the basis of an electrowetting effect as a theoretical basis, the electrowetting effect is a physical and chemical phenomenon, and the wetting characteristic of liquid on a solid surface is controlled by changing the external voltage of a liquid-solid interface, so that the contact angle of the liquid drop is changed, the liquid drop can change the curvature like the crystalline lens of a human eye, and the surface curvature of the liquid drop can be changed by different applied voltages.

Before the lens control device applies the driving voltage to the first electrode 316b and the second electrode 318b, the interface between the first liquid 312b and the second liquid 314b is concave, and in this case, the liquid lens is a concave lens and has a divergent effect on light. When the lens control device applies a driving voltage to the first electrode 316b and the second electrode 318b, the interface between the first liquid 312b and the second liquid 314b changes, so that the interface is convex, the liquid lens is a convex lens, and has a converging effect on light, and at this time, the focal plane moves to a position at an observation point or a certain distance in front of and behind the observation point, so that the whole zoom lens is focused clearly, thereby compensating the deviation of the focal plane caused by zooming, and realizing focusing.

In some embodiments, in order to improve the sensitivity of the liquid lens to the change of the curvature radius, an insulating layer 320b may be further disposed on the inner surface of the first electrode 316b contacting the first liquid 312b, and the insulating layer 320b is an insulating material that does not chemically react with the first liquid 312b and the second liquid 314 b; the droplets in the first liquid 312b are separated from the first electrode 316b by the insulating layer 320b, thereby improving the electrowetting effect of the droplets, and when a small voltage is applied, the radius of curvature of the liquid lens is changed.

In some embodiments, the first electrode and the second electrode may also be arranged at right angles.

In some embodiments, the lens control device may include a voltage source having a voltage value of 200V and a voltage regulating circuit capable of regulating a ratio of the output voltage to the voltage value of the voltage source, the final output voltage ranging from 0 to 200V.

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid crystal lens in a zoom lens according to yet another embodiment of the present application, where the structure of the zoom lens according to this embodiment is substantially the same as that of the zoom lens embodiment shown in fig. 1, except that in this embodiment, the liquid lens in the zoom lens embodiment shown in fig. 1 is replaced by a liquid crystal lens. Referring to fig. 5, the liquid crystal lens in the present embodiment may include: a case 310c made of a transparent material at least at a light-transmitting portion, the case being provided in the lens barrel 1; a first electrode 312c and a second electrode 314c are arranged in the box body 310c, the first electrode 312c and the second electrode 314c are arranged in parallel and oppositely, the first electrode 312c and the second electrode 314c are made of transparent materials at least at the light-transmitting part, and liquid crystal 316c is arranged between the first electrode 312c and the second electrode 314 c; a lens control device (not shown) is electrically connected to the first electrode 312c and the second electrode 314c for providing a driving voltage for the deflection of the liquid crystal 316 c.

The case body 310c, which may also be referred to as a liquid crystal case, a liquid crystal container, or a liquid crystal cell, for accommodating liquid crystal may include a circumferential portion having a ring shape and sidewalls connected to both sides of the circumferential portion. The annular circumferential portion and the side walls on both sides of the circumferential portion enclose a space for accommodating liquid crystal. The annular circumferential portion is used for being connected with the inner wall of the lens barrel (for example, fixedly connected with the inner wall of the lens barrel through screws, buckles or solid glue), and the side walls on two sides of the circumferential portion are used for transmitting light. The case 31a is made of a transparent material at least at a light-transmitting portion (e.g., side walls on both sides of the circumferential portion). The transparent material may be transparent glass or transparent plastic (such as Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), Polystyrene (PS), Polycarbonate (PC), or the like).

Liquid crystal 316c is in a material state between liquid and crystalline states, and has fluidity and anisotropic properties.

By applying a voltage to the first electrode 312c and the second electrode 314c by the lens control device, an electric field is formed between the first electrode 312c and the second electrode 314c, and liquid crystal molecules are deflected as the electric field distribution changes, thereby changing the refractive index of the liquid crystal lens.

In this embodiment, the lens control device can adjust the voltage applied to the first electrode 312c and the second electrode 314c to adjust the degree of liquid crystal molecule deflection, so that the liquid crystal lens obtains different refractive indexes, thereby facilitating to adjust the position of the focal plane to the observation point or a certain distance in front of or behind the observation point, and making the image corresponding to the object clear. The control voltage of the liquid crystal molecules is low, so that the voltage for controlling the liquid crystal lens is relatively low, and the liquid crystal molecules are easy to realize array, thereby being convenient for controlling the liquid crystal lens.

In some embodiments, in order to improve the symmetry of the liquid crystal lens, an alignment layer may be further provided at the first electrode and/or the second electrode. In one example, the first electrode and the second electrode are provided with alignment layers, specifically, the first alignment layer 318c is provided at the first electrode, and the second alignment layer 320c is provided at the second electrode, and referring to fig. 5, the first alignment layer 318c and the second alignment layer 320c may respectively have a plurality of regions, and the alignment direction of each region is gradually changed and symmetrical from one side to the opposite side, so that the liquid crystal molecules are gradually deflected to one direction (e.g., horizontal direction) under the action of the electric field, thereby changing the refractive index of the liquid crystal lens.

In the above embodiments, the focusing lens group mainly includes a liquid lens and/or a liquid crystal lens. In some embodiments, a liquid lens and/or a liquid crystal lens may also be included in the variable power lens group. In the zoom lens group, the liquid lens and/or the liquid crystal lens are controlled by the lens control device, the curvature radius of the liquid lens and/or the liquid crystal lens can be changed, so that the zoom purpose is achieved, in the process, the position of the liquid lens and/or the liquid crystal lens in the lens barrel can be adjusted without utilizing a motor to drive a mechanical device, and therefore the power consumption is low, the lens abrasion is not easily caused, and the service life of the zoom lens is conveniently prolonged. In addition, the zoom lens can be focused quickly and has low noise. The liquid lens and/or the liquid crystal lens in the zoom lens group have the same structure as the liquid lens and/or the liquid crystal lens in the focusing lens group, and are not described herein again.

It should be understood that in a specific application, the liquid lens and/or the liquid crystal lens may be disposed only in the focusing lens group, only in the variable power lens group, and both in the focusing lens group and the variable power lens group. The number of the liquid lenses and/or the liquid crystal lenses provided in the focusing lens group and/or the variable power lens group may be one or more.

Fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a camera 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and referring to fig. 6, in this embodiment, the camera 20 may include a lens 11 and an image sensor 12, the image sensor 12 is located behind the lens 11 and is on the same axis as the lens 11, and the lens 11 is a zoom lens according to any of the foregoing embodiments.

In the zoom lens and the camera in the embodiments of the present application, the zoom lens group and/or the focusing lens group includes the liquid lens and/or the liquid crystal lens, and the liquid lens and/or the liquid crystal lens are connected to the lens control device, so that the curvature radius of the liquid lens and/or the refractive index of the liquid crystal lens are/is changed during the zooming and/or focusing process of the zoom lens on the image, so as to achieve the zooming and/or focusing purpose Low noise and accurate focusing. Furthermore, a liquid lens with a liquid slow release opening and a liquid extrusion opening can be used in the zoom lens, pressure is applied to the liquid extrusion opening in a manual or electric mode to change the curvature radius of the liquid lens, the refractive index of the liquid lens can be determined only by the mechanical property of the film, and the liquid lens is irrelevant to liquid filling, and has the advantages of large zoom range, low driving power consumption and the like; the liquid lens with two liquids, which is manufactured by utilizing the electrowetting effect, can also be used in the zoom lens, different voltages are applied to the liquid lens, and the curvature of the interface of the two liquids is changed, so that the optical zooming is realized; the liquid crystal lens can also be used in the zoom lens, and the voltage required for controlling the liquid crystal molecules is low, so that the voltage for controlling the liquid crystal lens is relatively low, and the liquid crystal molecules are easy to array, thereby being convenient for controlling the liquid crystal lens. In addition, the camera in the present application includes the zoom lens in the above embodiments, so that power consumption of the camera is reduced, and abrasion of the lens can be reduced or avoided.

It is noted that, herein, relational terms such as first and second, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. Also, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. The term "comprising" is used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof, but does not exclude the presence of other similar features, integers, steps, operations, components, or groups thereof.

All the embodiments in the present specification are described in a related manner, and the same and similar parts among the embodiments may be referred to each other, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from the other embodiments.

The above description is only for the specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope of the present application should be covered within the scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A zoom lens, comprising: the zoom lens group and the focusing lens group are arranged in the lens barrel, and a main optical axis of the zoom lens group and a main optical axis of the focusing lens group are collinear with the central axis of the lens barrel;

the zoom lens group and/or the focusing lens group comprise a liquid lens and/or a liquid crystal lens, and the liquid lens and/or the liquid crystal lens are connected with a lens control device.

2. The zoom lens according to claim 1, wherein the liquid lens and/or the liquid crystal lens has a cylindrical, flat cylindrical, or prismatic outer shape.

3. A zoom lens according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid lens includes: the box body is at least made of transparent materials at the light-transmitting part, liquid is filled in the box body, and the box body is arranged in the lens cone;

a liquid slow-release opening is formed in one side of the light-transmitting part of the box body, and a transparent elastic film is arranged at the liquid slow-release opening;

the box body is also provided with a liquid extrusion opening, and the lens control device is arranged at the liquid extrusion opening.

4. The zoom lens according to claim 3, wherein the lens control device includes an elastic film that is attached to and seals the liquid pressing port.

5. The zoom lens according to claim 3, wherein the lens control device includes a plunger movably inserted in the liquid pressing port with a seal provided therebetween.

6. The zoom lens of claim 5, wherein the lens control device further comprises an electric telescopic rod connected to an end of the plunger outside the liquid squeezing port.

7. The zoom lens according to claim 3, wherein the lens control device includes a liquid injector having an injection port connected to and sealing the liquid pressing port to supply or withdraw part of the liquid into or from the case.

8. The zoom lens of claim 7, wherein the lens control device further comprises a power telescopic rod connected to a push-pull end of a push rod of the liquid injector.

9. A zoom lens according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid lens includes: the box body is at least made of transparent materials at the light transmission part, and first liquid and second liquid are filled in the box body and are immiscible; the box body is arranged in the lens barrel;

a first electrode and a second electrode are arranged in the box body, the first electrode and the second electrode are arranged oppositely in parallel or in a right angle, and the first liquid and the second liquid are positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode;

the lens control device is electrically connected with the first electrode and the second electrode and provides driving voltage for the first electrode and the second electrode.

10. A zoom lens according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid crystal lens comprises: the box body is at least made of transparent materials at the light transmission part and is arranged in the lens cone; a first electrode and a second electrode are arranged in the box body, the first electrode and the second electrode are arranged oppositely in parallel or in a right angle, the first electrode and the second electrode are at least made of transparent materials at the light transmission part, and liquid crystal is arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode;

the lens control device is electrically connected with the first electrode and the second electrode and provides driving voltage for deflection of the liquid crystal.

11. A camera comprising a lens and an image sensor, the image sensor being located behind the lens and on the same axis as the lens, characterized in that the lens is the zoom lens of any one of the preceding claims 1 to 10.