GB2532840A - Wide-angle lens - Google Patents

Wide-angle lens Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2532840A
GB2532840A GB1515919.7A GB201515919A GB2532840A GB 2532840 A GB2532840 A GB 2532840A GB 201515919 A GB201515919 A GB 201515919A GB 2532840 A GB2532840 A GB 2532840A
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United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
lens element
lens
wide
angle
element group
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Granted
Application number
GB1515919.7A
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GB2532840B (en
GB201515919D0 (en
Inventor
Achtner Bertram
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Hensoldt Optronics GmbH
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Airbus DS Optronics GmbH
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Publication of GB201515919D0 publication Critical patent/GB201515919D0/en
Publication of GB2532840A publication Critical patent/GB2532840A/en
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    • GPHYSICS
    • G02OPTICS
    • G02BOPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B13/00Optical objectives specially designed for the purposes specified below
    • G02B13/14Optical objectives specially designed for the purposes specified below for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation
    • GPHYSICS
    • G02OPTICS
    • G02BOPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B13/00Optical objectives specially designed for the purposes specified below
    • G02B13/001Miniaturised objectives for electronic devices, e.g. portable telephones, webcams, PDAs, small digital cameras
    • GPHYSICS
    • G02OPTICS
    • G02BOPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B13/00Optical objectives specially designed for the purposes specified below
    • G02B13/001Miniaturised objectives for electronic devices, e.g. portable telephones, webcams, PDAs, small digital cameras
    • G02B13/008Miniaturised objectives for electronic devices, e.g. portable telephones, webcams, PDAs, small digital cameras designed for infrared light
    • GPHYSICS
    • G02OPTICS
    • G02BOPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B13/00Optical objectives specially designed for the purposes specified below
    • G02B13/06Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
    • GPHYSICS
    • G02OPTICS
    • G02BOPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B13/00Optical objectives specially designed for the purposes specified below
    • G02B13/18Optical objectives specially designed for the purposes specified below with lenses having one or more non-spherical faces, e.g. for reducing geometrical aberration

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Toxicology (AREA)
  • Lenses (AREA)

Abstract

A wide-angle lens 1 for infrared radiation, suitable for use in a cooled infrared camera, has two lens element groups 2, 3 arranged along an optical axis A. The groups have a plurality of lens elements 22, 24, 26, 28, 32, 34 and there is also a detector unit 4 which may consist of a Focal Plane Array (FPA), filter, cold-light diaphragm and window. The lens element group nearest the object 2 has a negative refractive power and the lens element group nearest the image 3 has a positive refractive power. The quotient of the back focal length s' and the focal length f is greater than 3.5 and may be less than 4.5. The quotient of the distance L from the first lens element 22 closest to an object to the image plane and the focal length f is less than 15 and may be greater than 12. The lens element closest to the object may consist of silicon or sapphire and may also have spherical shaping. The object-side element group may consist only of lenses with a negative refractive power and the image-side element group may consist only of lenses with a positive refractive power.

Description

Description:
Wide-angle lens The invention relates to a wide-angle lens according to the preamble of Claim 1.
For the infrared spectral range, wide-angle lenses are already known which serve as an auxiliary optical unit for retrofitting or supplementing existing imaging optical units. The primary purpose of such systems is to be able to acquire large fields of view for 10 example in poor visibility conditions or even at night.
The document EP 1 533 638 B1 discloses an optical infrared imaging system constructed from an object-side front lens element group having negative optical power, a middle lens element group and an image-side rear lens element group having positive optical power. The lens element material of the first lens element of the front lens element group consists of zinc sulphide, zinc selenide, arsenic trisulphide or amtir-1 having a refractive index of approximately 2.0 to 3.0. The refractive index of the lens element material is preferably 2.2 to 2.6. The middle lens element group has a refractive index of approximately 1.35 to 2.0 and the rear lens element group has a refractive index of approximately 2.0 to 3.0. An infrared detector located behind the lens optics receives the light beam from the rear lens element group, wherein the pupil of the optical imaging system is situated between the rear lens element group and the detector. Comparatively compact designs can already be realized by means of such infrared imaging systems.
It is an object of the invention to further develop a wide-angle lens with regard to a compact design.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by means of the features 30 mentioned in Claim 1. The further dependent claims relate to advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention.
The invention includes a wide-angle lens for the infrared spectral range, comprising two lens element groups arranged along an optical axis and having a plurality of lens elements, and a detector unit, wherein in the direction from an object side to an image side an object-side lens element group has a negative refractive power and an image-side lens element group has a positive refractive power. According to the invention, the quotient of the back focal length s' and the focal length f is greater than 3.5, and the quotient of the distance L from the first lens element vertex of the lens element closest to an object up to the image plane and the focal length f is less than 15.
The invention is based on the consideration that modular wide-angle lenses having a high transmission for the infrared spectral range, in particular in a range of 3.5 to 5.0 pm, can be constructed increasingly compactly. In the context of the present invention, negative refractive power effect of a lens element group is understood to mean that the lens element group has a diverging effect on incident beam paths, whereas positive refractive power effect of a lens element group is understood to mean that the lens element group has a converging effect on incident beam paths.
The wide-angle lenses according to the invention additionally have a large object field, which can be up to 180°. The larger here the field of view that is imaged onto a detector by an optical system, the smaller the focal length f has to be. Cooled infrared detectors usually consist of a so-called Focal Plane Array (FPA) radiation detector, a filter, a cold-light diaphragm and a window. These assemblies are arranged along the optical axis behind of the lens element system. The region between the window and the FPA is not available for the structural configuration of the optical unit. In other words: apart from the filter present, no further optically effective elements can be introduced in this region. For the lens embodiment this has the consequence that the back focal length s' of the lens has to be at least as long as the structural length of the detector. The back focal length s' is the distance from the vertex point of the rearmost lens element up to the image plane.
In the case of a wide-angle lens for a cooled infrared detector, the quotient sif is greater than 1. However, the larger this quotient, the more complex the associated optical system. In principle, a compact design can also be characterized from the quotient L/f. L denotes the length from the first lens element vertex up to the image plane for an extended construction. In other words: all lens element thicknesses and air spacings are added in terms of absolute value. The smaller L/f, the more compact the design.
The wide-angle lenses according to the invention preferably have at least one aperture of f/2.0 or smaller. A suitable refractive power distribution and selection of the lens element materials result in correspondingly high image field flattening.
Moreover, the wide-angle lenses according to the invention are athermal on account of the low coefficient of linear expansion of the mount material used.
One particular advantage of the invention is that it is possible to realize a compact design of the optical unit with reduced space requirement.
In a preferred embodiment, the quotient of the back focal length s' and the focal length f can be greater than 3.5 and less than 4.5. With this preferred selection interval, it is possible structurally to realize all lens variants with a particularly compact design.
Advantageously, the quotient of the distance L from the first lens element vertex of the lens element closest to an object up to the image plane and the focal length f can be greater than 12 and less than 15. With this preferred selection interval, in particular in conjunction with a quotient of the back focal length s' and the focal length f of greater than 3.5 and less than 4.5, structurally particularly compact lenses can be produced.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one lens element can consist of silicon or sapphire. Further lens element materials can be zinc sulphide, zinc selenide, calcium fluoride or chalcogenides. In any case all lens element materials which have a sufficiently low temperature dependence of the refractive index and a sufficiently high transmission at elevated temperature are suitable for use.
Furthermore, advantageously, the first lens element of the object-side lens element group which is closest to an object can consist of sapphire or silicon. These materials are very hard and extremely resistant to environmental influences.
Preferably, the first lens element of the object-side lens element group can have a spherical shaping.
With further preference, the object-side lens element group can exclusively consist of 10 lens elements having negative refractive power.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the image-side lens element group can exclusively consist of lens elements having positive refractive power.
Advantageously, the object-side lens element group can consist of three or four lens elements. Said lens elements can be meniscus lens elements which can be arranged at a correspondingly small distance from one another in succession. As a result, the optical unit overall can be kept particularly compact.
In a preferred embodiment, the image-side lens element group can consist of two lens elements.
Furthermore, advantageously, the two lens element groups can consist of a total of five or six lens elements. By way of example, aberrations or aperture aberrations can 25 be at least partly corrected or compensated for by means of a corresponding combination of the lens elements.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in the lens element groups at least one surface of a lens element can have an aspherical shaping. A suitable combination of lens elements having spherical and aspherical shaping can be expedient both in terms of production engineering and in terms of price. A spherical shaping can be produced more simply from the standpoint of geometrical considerations, and thus already more cost-effectively.
Advantageously, in the lens element groups at most four surfaces can have an aspherical shaping.
In a preferred configuration, the exit pupil of the two lens element groups can coincide with a cold-light diaphragm of the detector unit.
Furthermore, advantageously, the diameter of the exit pupil of the two lens element 10 groups can be at least of the same magnitude as the diameter of a cold-light diaphragm of the detector unit.
Advantageously, in the lens element groups at least one lens element can be exchangeable. In this way, the lens is constructed modularly. By way of example, the first two of the lens elements of the object-side lens element group which are closest to an object can be exchanged. The material sapphire has for example a refractive index n < 2. Silicon, by contrast, has a refractive index n > 3. Thus, the lens can be adapted to different application scenarios with few changes.
In a preferred embodiment, in the lens element groups at least one lens element can be displaceable along the optical axis. In conjunction with lens element exchange, a wide variety of compact wide-angle lenses can be realized.
The Petzval sum -1 of the wide-angle lens can be greater than -0.01 and less than 25 0.01, in particular greater than -0.005 and less than 0.005.
It is advantageous if the Petzval sum of the wide-angle lens is small. The refractive power distribution and the selection of the lens element materials in the wide-angle lens according to the invention can result in almost perfect image field flattening in association with a small value of the Petzval sum. In this case, the Petzval sum 1 is R' 1 k.
defined as follows: - n n " wherein R' is the Petzval radius, k is the n', R n'y nvry number of surfaces, n is the refractive index before the refractive surface, n' is the refractive index behind the refractive surface and r is the radius of the refractive surface. For the Petzval sum in the case of the wide-angle lenses according to the invention the following can thus hold true: -0.01< ' <0.01.
R
Further advantageous developments and embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the exemplary embodiments described in principle below with reference to the drawings.
In the figures: Fig. 1 shows a schematic drawing concerning the lens element and detector arrangement of a wide-angle lens according to the invention comprising a lens 15 element system composed of six lens elements, and Fig. 2 shows a schematic drawing concerning the lens element and detector arrangement of a wide-angle lens according to the invention comprising a lens element system composed of five lens elements.
Fig. 1 shows a schematic drawing concerning the lens element and detector arrangement of a wide-angle lens 1 according to the invention comprising a lens element system composed of six lens elements. The first object-side lens element group 2 consists of four object-side lens elements 22, 24, 26, 28, which all have a negative refractive power in this exemplary embodiment. The second image-side lens element group 3 consists of two image-side lens elements 32, 34 having a positive refractive power. The structural components of the detector unit 4 comprise a window 42 and a cold-light diaphragm 44 having a filter effect, which coincides with the exit pupil of the two lens element groups 2, 3. A detector 46 is positioned as an FPA (Focal Plane Array) at the image-side end along the optical axis A. In the case of the wide-angle lens according to Fig. 1 embodied by way of example, sc/f = 4.09 and L/f = 13.47 hold true for the quotients. These values lie in a particularly preferred range in which the quotient of the back focal length s' and the focal length f is greater than 3.5 and less than 4.5 and the quotient of the distance L from the first lens element vertex up to the image plane and the focal length f is greater than 12 and less than 15.
Such preferred values for the quotients sr/f = 4.09 and L/f = 13.47 are obtained for example with the lens element sequence comprising the stated materials presented to in Table 1. In this case, the first lens element 22 closest to an object optionally consists of the materials sapphire or silicon.
Table 1: Lens element sequence with material selection Element Material [reference sign] 22 Sapphire or silicon 24 Silicon 26 Silicon 28 Silicon 32 ZnS 34 ZnS 42 Silicon 44 Silicon Fig. 2 shows a schematic drawing concerning the lens element and detector arrangement of a further wide-angle lens 1 according to the invention comprising a lens element system composed of five lens elements. The first object-side lens element group 2 consists of three object-side lens elements 22, 24, 28, which all have a negative refractive power in this exemplary embodiment. The second image-side lens element group 3 consists of two image-side lens elements 32, 34 having a positive refractive power. In the case of the detector unit 4, the position for the cold-light diaphragm 44 coincides with the exit pupil of the two lens element groups 2, 3.
The actual detector 46 is once again positioned as an FPA at the image-side end along the optical axis A. For the wide-angle lens according to Fig. 2 it holds true that: s'/f = 3.99 and LIf = 13.47. These values once again lie in the particularly preferred range already mentioned in which the quotient of the back focal length s' and the focal length f is greater than 3.5 and less than 4.5 and the quotient of the distance L from the first lens element vertex up to the image plane and the focal length f is greater than 12 and less than 15.
The lens element sequence comprising the stated materials presented in Table 2 can be arranged by way of example. In this case, the first lens element 22 closest to an object consists of sapphire.
Table 2: Lens element sequence with material selection Element Material [reference sign] 22 Sapphire 24 Silicon 28 Silicon 32 ZnS 34 ZnS 42 Silicon 44 Silicon In both variants according to Fig. 1 or 2, the refractive index of the object-side lens element group 2 is greater than the refractive index of the image-side lens element group 3 in terms of absolute value, with the exception of the component 22.
The Petzval sum R' ' of the wide-angle lenses according to Fig. 1 and 2 can advantageously be greater than -0.01 and less than 0.01, in particular greater than -0.005 and less than 0.005.
List of reference signs: 1 Wide-angle lens 2 Object-side lens element group 22, 24, 26, 28 Object-side lens elements 3 Image-side lens element group 32, 34 Image-side lens elements 4 Detector unit 42 Window 44 Filter with cold-light diaphragm 46 Detector (Focal Plane Array) A Optical axis

Claims (18)

  1. Claims: 1. Wide-angle lens (1) for the infrared spectral range, comprising two lens element groups (2, 3) arranged along an optical axis (A) and having a plurality of lens elements (22, 24, 26, 28, 32, 34), and a detector unit (4), wherein in the direction from an object side to an image side an object-side lens element group (2) has a negative refractive power and an image-side lens element group (3) has a positive refractive power, characterized - in that the quotient of the back focal length s' and the focal length f is greater than 10 3.5, and - in that the quotient of the distance L from the first lens element vertex of the first lens element (22) closest to an object up to the image plane and the focal length f is less than 15.
  2. 2. Wide-angle lens (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the quotient of the back focal length s' and the focal length f is greater than 3.5 and less than 4.5.
  3. 3. Wide-angle lens (1) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the quotient of the distance L from the first lens element vertex of the lens element (22) closest to an 20 object up to the image plane and the focal length f is greater than 12 and less than 15.
  4. 4. Wide-angle lens (1) according to any of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least one lens element (22, 24, 26, 28, 32, 34) consists of silicon or sapphire.
  5. 5. Wide-angle lens (1) according to Claim 4, characterized in that the first lens element (22) of the object-side lens element group (2) which is closest to an object consists of sapphire or silicon.
  6. 6. Wide-angle lens (1) according to any of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the first lens element (22) of the object-side lens element group (2) has a spherical shaping.
  7. 7. Wide-angle lens (1) according to any of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the object-side lens element group (2) exclusively consists of lens elements (22, 24, 26, 28) having negative refractive power.
  8. 8. Wide-angle lens (1) according to any of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the image-side lens element group (3) exclusively consists of lens elements (32, 34) having positive refractive power.
  9. 9. Wide-angle lens (1) according to any of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the 10 object-side lens element group (2) consists of three or four lens elements.
  10. 10. Wide-angle lens (1) according to any of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the image-side lens element group (3) consists of two lens elements.
  11. 11. Wide-angle lens (1) according to any of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the two lens element groups (2, 3) consist of a total of five or six lens elements.
  12. 12. Wide-angle lens (1) according to Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that in the lens element groups (2, 3) at least one surface of a lens element has an aspherical 20 shaping.
  13. 13. Wide-angle lens (1) according to Claim 12, characterized in that in the lens element groups (2, 3) at most four surfaces have an aspherical shaping.
  14. 14. Wide-angle lens (1) according to any of Claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the exit pupil of the two lens element groups (2, 3) coincides with a cold-light diaphragm (44) of the detector unit (4).
  15. 15. Wide-angle lens (1) according to any of Claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the 30 diameter of the exit pupil of the two lens element groups (2, 3) is at least of the same magnitude as the diameter of a cold-light diaphragm (44) of the detector unit (4).
  16. 16. Wide-angle lens (1) according to any of Claims 1 to 15, characterized in that in the lens element groups (2, 3) at least one lens element (22, 24, 26, 28, 32, 34) is exchangeable.
  17. 17. Wide-angle lens (1) according to any of Claims 1 to 16, characterized in that in the lens element groups (2, 3) at least one lens element (22, 24, 26, 28, 32, 34) is displaceable along the optical axis (A).
  18. 18. Wide-angle lens (1) according to any of Claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the to Petzval sum -1 of the wide-angle lens (1) is greater than -0.01 and less than 0.01.
GB1515919.7A 2014-11-25 2015-09-08 Wide-angle lens Active GB2532840B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE102014117275.2A DE102014117275B4 (en) 2014-11-25 2014-11-25 Wide-angle lens

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GB201515919D0 GB201515919D0 (en) 2015-10-21
GB2532840A true GB2532840A (en) 2016-06-01
GB2532840B GB2532840B (en) 2021-08-04

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Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10670841B2 (en) * 2017-07-20 2020-06-02 Raytheon Company Two-color inverse telephoto refractive optical form with external pupil for cold shielding
CN108873258B (en) * 2018-07-17 2020-10-27 莆田学院 Super wide angle, large aperture fisheye lens optical system

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2007094032A (en) * 2005-09-29 2007-04-12 Fujinon Corp Wide angle lens system and imaging apparatus
US20100046094A1 (en) * 2008-08-21 2010-02-25 Taro Asami Imaging lens and imaging apparatus
WO2012069491A1 (en) * 2010-11-23 2012-05-31 Umicore Super wide angle lens arrangement for infrared applications
US20120229892A1 (en) * 2011-03-09 2012-09-13 Samsung Techwin Co., Ltd. Infrared optical lens system
CN203773134U (en) * 2014-03-31 2014-08-13 嘉兴中润光学科技有限公司 Infrared confocal optical system

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6989537B2 (en) * 2003-11-18 2006-01-24 Raytheon Company Compact inverse-telephoto infrared imaging optical system
CN103064174A (en) * 2011-10-19 2013-04-24 鸿富锦精密工业(深圳)有限公司 Projection lens

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2007094032A (en) * 2005-09-29 2007-04-12 Fujinon Corp Wide angle lens system and imaging apparatus
US20100046094A1 (en) * 2008-08-21 2010-02-25 Taro Asami Imaging lens and imaging apparatus
WO2012069491A1 (en) * 2010-11-23 2012-05-31 Umicore Super wide angle lens arrangement for infrared applications
US20120229892A1 (en) * 2011-03-09 2012-09-13 Samsung Techwin Co., Ltd. Infrared optical lens system
CN203773134U (en) * 2014-03-31 2014-08-13 嘉兴中润光学科技有限公司 Infrared confocal optical system

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GB2532840B (en) 2021-08-04
DE102014117275B4 (en) 2016-06-23
DE102014117275A1 (en) 2016-05-25
GB201515919D0 (en) 2015-10-21

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