JP5266112B2 - Manufacturing method of lens array for three-dimensional image - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lens array for a three-dimensional image and a method for manufacturing the same, for simply achieving high lens disposition accuracy, and having high and uniform optical performance of individual lenses. <P>SOLUTION: The high performance lens array for a three-dimensional image is obtained as follows. A ring which is circular inside and has a surface hard to wet by liquid-like photo-curable resin is made to closely adhere to a certain portion of a transparent substrate, a fixed amount of the liquid-like photo-curable resin is dripped in the ring, and when the liquid-like resin spreads all over the inside of the ring and also it is formed into a domed-shape by surface tension, and the photo-curable resin is cured like a dome by irradiating light to form one lens. The lenses thus formed by a dome of photo-curable resin are arranged in two dimensions on the transparent substrate by repeating a series of operations from positioning of the ring to curing of photo-curable resin while the position on the transparent substrate is varied. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  In particular, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a micro convex lens array important for integral photography (IP) and integral videography (IV) with high accuracy and ease.

  In “Integral Photography (IP)”, which is one of the three-dimensional image display methods, and “Integral Videography (IV)” in which the display of the image group is digitized to support moving images, a micro convex lens is used. By combining a two-dimensionally arranged convex lens array and a group of images arranged on its focal plane, A three-dimensional image can be observed with the naked eye without wearing special glasses. 2. Multiple observers can observe at the same time. 3. Even if the observer moves up and down, left and right and back and forth, a three-dimensional image localized in space can be obtained, and a three-dimensional image having excellent features such as no distortion in the three-dimensional image can be obtained.

  This method was proposed about 100 years ago, and even though it is an excellent method capable of recording and reproducing a theoretically excellent three-dimensional image, it has not yet been put to practical use. The major cause is the difficulty in manufacturing this lens array.

  Since each lens is an imaging lens, it is required to be an optically superior lens, to have a good focal length, etc., and to have excellent lens placement accuracy. Even if the plate is to be processed directly by cutting or grinding, the surface on which the convex surfaces are arranged must be manufactured, so that the cutting tool interferes with the adjacent lens surface and cannot be processed. If it is a mold that heat-presses a resin plate, the concave lens is arranged side by side, so it is possible to avoid the adjacent lens surface from interfering with the cutting tool during processing, but a lens array to obtain a high-quality three-dimensional image. Then, tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of lenses are required, and it was extremely difficult to process such a number of precise depressions without defects.

  As a simple manufacturing method, a method of screen printing a photocurable ink is known. Briefly describing this manufacturing method, a printed material is printed on a transparent substrate using a thick screen with transparent openings arranged in a regular pattern and transparent light-curing ink, and circular parts coated with thick transparent ink are regularly arranged. It is done. After a few seconds to several tens of seconds after printing, the surface of the transparent ink becomes close to a spherical surface due to its own surface tension, so if you look at that time and apply the light to cure the transparent ink, the convex lenses are regularly arranged on the transparent substrate. A thing (lens array) is made.

  The lens array produced by this manufacturing method is often used for 3D images, but it is difficult to increase the lens placement accuracy due to the movement of the screen accompanying the movement of the squeegee during printing. The formed circular ink gradually spreads around until it is cured, and it is difficult to stabilize the radius of each lens that is completed. In addition, the outer shape of each lens is not round and round with fine irregularities, and a slight change in printing conditions often changes the amount of ink attached, resulting in uneven lens diameters. It was difficult to obtain a lens array in which high-precision optical lenses with uniform characteristics were arranged in the entire area.

  A high-performance lens array used for recording and reproducing three-dimensional images is very difficult to manufacture, and a high-performance lens array cannot be manufactured by a simple manufacturing method using screen printing.

  If the arrangement and characteristics of each lens are poor, only a three-dimensional image with a large blur can be obtained, or a three-dimensional image with different distortions depending on the viewing direction, and a high-quality three-dimensional image cannot be obtained.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for improving the lens placement accuracy and improving the optical performance of each lens while following the advantages of a simple manufacturing method using screen printing.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a ring having a circular inner surface and a surface that is difficult to wet with the liquid photo-curing resin is adhered to a portion of the transparent substrate, and a certain amount of the liquid photo-curing resin is placed in the ring. When the liquid resin spreads over the entire inside of the ring and forms a dome shape due to surface tension, light is irradiated to cure the photocurable resin into a dome shape to form a single lens on the transparent substrate. The lens formed by the photo-curing resin dome is two-dimensionally arranged on the transparent substrate by repeating a series of operations from positioning the ring to curing the photo-curing resin by changing the position. to provide a method of manufacturing a three-dimensional image for Les Nzuarei to.

  According to the present invention, the lens is manufactured by using the surface tension of the transparent resin for each convex lens shape of the lens array, which is similar to the screen printing method. By using a ring that is hard to get wet with the cured resin, the size and shape of the light-curing resin that spreads are regulated, so that the circular outer shape and diameter of each lens are precisely aligned, and it is necessary for each lens by using a dispenser device. By moving the circular ring with a three-axis linear stage having excellent positioning accuracy while stabilizing the amount of a light-curing resin, it is possible to easily manufacture a convex lens array having a precise diameter, shape, and placement accuracy.

  The lens surface shape of each lens is manufactured using a spherical surface generated by the surface tension of the photo-curing resin, so all lenses are manufactured with the same circular ring, and a dispenser that can accurately drop a certain amount is combined. Thus, a lens group with uniform optical characteristics is manufactured, and an accurate spherical surface obtained by the surface tension of the photo-curing resin is cured as it is, so that a spherical lens having excellent optical characteristics can be obtained.

FIG. 3 shows an initial process for fabricating a lens array according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows the state where dripped photocuring resin became circular dome shape Diagram showing the process of curing a circular dome-shaped photo-curing resin The figure which shows the state where the first convex lens was completed and the ring was separated from the substrate Diagram showing the first process of manufacturing the second lens The figure which shows the state in which the photocured resin dripped 2nd became circular dome shape The figure which showed the process of hardening 2nd circular dome shape photocuring resin The figure which shows the state which completed two convex lenses and separated the ring from the substrate Diagram showing the first process of manufacturing the third lens The figure which shows the state which completed the lens group 1 row. A perspective view of a lens array in which lens groups are arranged two-dimensionally (completed drawing)

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples.

  An apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional image lens array according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 is a base of the lens array manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, 1b is a column, and 1c is an upper beam.

  The column 1b is fixed on the base 1, and the beam 1c is fixed on the two columns 1b.

  Reference numeral 2 denotes a linear stage for back and forth movement, which is fixed to the base 1. 2b is a movable stage of the linear stage 2 and is movable in a direction (front and back) perpendicular to the paper surface.

  2c is a movable table on which the workpiece is placed, and is fixed on the stage 2b, and the surface on which the workpiece is placed is set substantially horizontally. Reference numeral 3 denotes a linear stage for lateral movement, which is fixed to the beam 1c.

  3b is a movable stage of the linear stage, and is movable in the left-right direction on the paper surface.

  Reference numerals 4 and 5 denote linear stages for vertical movement, which are fixed to the left-right movable stage 3b via a metal fitting 3c.

  4b is a movable stage of the linear stage 4, and 5b is a movable stage of the linear stage 5, both of which are movable in the vertical direction.

  A dispenser 6 is filled with a photo-curing resin, and discharges a certain amount of photo-curing resin from a nozzle with a thin tip according to a signal from a computer (not shown in the figure).

  Reference numeral 7 denotes a ring with a supporting arm, which is the key of the present invention. The inner side of the ring is circular and is subjected to fluororesin processing that is difficult to wet with the photo-curing resin, and is fixed to the movable stage 5b. This figure shows a state in which the movable stage 5 b is driven and the entire surface of the ring 7 is in close contact with the substrate 9. In this figure, the ring 7 is shown as a sectional view.

  8 is a light source for curing a photo-curing resin that can illuminate the substrate 9 in the ring 7 almost uniformly when it is lit.

  Reference numeral 9 denotes a transparent glass substrate of the lens array to be manufactured.

  Reference numeral 10 denotes a photo-curing resin that is discharged from a nozzle having a thin tip by a predetermined amount according to a signal from the computer.

  Reference numeral 10 c denotes a convex lens made of a photocured resin that has already been cured, and is fixed to the substrate 9.

  Although not shown in the figure, the linear stage 2, the linear stage 3, the linear stage 4, the linear stage 5, the dispenser 6, and the light source 8 are controlled from a single computer via respective drivers.

  Hereinafter, the manufacturing process of the lens array will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 shows the first step of fabricating a convex lens array according to the present invention.

  First, the linear stage 5 is driven to bring the circular ring 7 into close contact with the transparent glass substrate 9, and then the linear stage 4 so that the nozzle tip of the dispenser 6 has a height suitable for dropping the photo-curing resin onto the substrate 9. , And finally, the dispenser 6 is driven and the photo-curing resin 10 is dripped almost at the center of the ring 7 in close contact with the glass substrate.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the next step of FIG. 1, and the dripped photo-curing resin 10b spreads over the entire surface of the circular ring 7, and the inside of the ring 7 is processed with fluororesin so that it is difficult to get wet with the photo-curing resin 10b. The surface of the photo-curing resin 10b on the side not touching the glass substrate 9 becomes a clean spherical surface due to the surface tension of the photo-curing resin 10b (the photo-curing resin being dropped is represented by 10, whereas one side is the glass substrate) A liquid photo-curing resin that is in close contact and has a spherical surface is represented by 10b).

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a process of curing the photocurable resin 10b.

  First, the stage 4 is driven and the dispenser 6 is moved away from the light source 8 in order not to cure the photo-curing resin at the tip of the nozzle of the dispenser 6.

  Next, after waiting for the surface of the liquid photocurable resin 10b to become a clean spherical surface, the light source 8 is turned on for a certain period of time to cure the liquid photocurable resin 10b, resulting in a plano-convex lens-shaped solid photocurable resin 10c.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the next step of FIG. 3. After the liquid photocurable resin 10 b is cured and becomes a plano-convex lens 10 c made of a solid photocured resin, the linear stage 6 is driven by a signal from the computer, A state in which the ring 7 is separated from the glass substrate 9 is shown.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the next step of FIG. 4 and shows an initial state in which a second convex lens is manufactured next to the completed first convex lens 10c.

  From the state of FIG. 3, a signal is sent to the linear stage 3, and the movable stage 3b is moved to the right by the lens pitch of the lens array to be manufactured.

  Since the movable stage 3c is equipped with the linear stage 4, the movable stage 4b, the dispenser 6, the linear stage 5, the movable stage 5b, the ring 7, and the light source 8 through the metal fitting 3c, all of them are also moved to the right by the lens pitch. Move to.

  After the linear stage 3 moves to a predetermined position, the linear stage 5 is driven to bring the ring 7 into close contact with the glass substrate 9.

  Thereafter, the linear stage 4 is driven so that the nozzle tip of the dispenser 6 has a height suitable for dropping the photocurable resin onto the substrate 9, and finally the dispenser 6 is driven to place the photocurable resin 10 on the glass substrate. It is dripped in the substantially center of the ring 7 which was stuck.

  In this state, one convex lens 10c formed of an already hardened photo-curing resin is fixed to the glass substrate, and the lens pitch of the lens array produced by the position of the lens movable stage 3b and the equipment mounted thereon. Except for moving right by minute, it is exactly the same as FIG.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the next step of FIG. 5, and the dripped photocurable resin 10 b spreads over the entire surface of the circular ring 7, resulting in a liquid photocurable resin 10 b having a spherical surface.

  In this process, one convex lens 10c formed of a photocured resin that has already been cured is fixed to the glass substrate, and the lens pitch of the lens array that is produced by the position of the lens movable stage 3b and the device mounted thereon. Except for moving right by minute, it is exactly the same as FIG.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the next step of FIG. 6 and showing the same step as FIG. 3 for curing the photo-curing resin 10b.

  In this process as well, one convex lens 10c formed of a photocured resin that has already been cured is fixed to the glass substrate, and the lens pitch of the lens array produced by the position of the lens movable stage 3b and the device mounted thereon. Since it is exactly the same as FIG. 3 except that it has moved to the right, description of the operation will be omitted.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the next step of FIG. 7, after the liquid photocurable resin 10 b is cured to become a plano-convex lens 10 c made of an individual photocurable resin, the linear stage 6 is driven by a signal from the computer, A state in which the ring 7 is separated from the glass substrate 9 is shown.

  Also in this process, there are two convex lenses 10c formed of a cured photo-curing resin fixed to the glass substrate, and the lens pitch of the lens array produced by the position of the movable stage 3b and the equipment mounted thereon. Except for moving right by minute, it is exactly the same as FIG.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the next step of FIG. 8 and shows an initial state in which a third convex lens is manufactured next to two completed convex lenses 10c.

  In this process as well, one convex lens 10c formed of a photocured resin that has already been cured is fixed to the glass substrate, and the lens pitch of the lens array produced by the position of the lens movable stage 3b and the device mounted thereon. Except for the movement to the right, it is exactly the same as FIG. 1 and FIG.

  As described above, the position of the movable stage 3b and the equipment mounted thereon is moved to the right by the lens pitch, and the steps shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are repeated to complete a lens group for one column of the lens array. . This is shown in FIG.

  After the lens group for one row of the lens array is completed, the linear stage 2 is driven to move the movable stage 2b, the table 2c mounted thereon, and the glass substrate 9 by one lens pitch, and the movable stage 3b. 1 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 1, and the next lens group is manufactured.

  In the lens group manufacturing process of the next row, a plurality of convex lenses 10c formed of a photocured resin that has already been cured are fixed to the glass substrate in one row, a lens movable stage 2b and a table 2c mounted thereon, Since the position of the glass substrate 9 is moved to the back of the lens pitch of the lens array to be manufactured, it is exactly the same as the steps of FIGS.

  If the lens group of the 2nd row is completed, while moving the glass substrate 9 back 1 lens pitch, the process of FIGS. 1-9 is repeated.

  Furthermore, by repeating the steps of FIGS. 1 to 9 by the number of lens rows of the lens array to be manufactured, a lens array in which lenses are arranged in two dimensions is completed.

  FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the lens array thus completed.

  In this figure, the arrangement of the lens array is shown as a grid pattern of equidistant vertical and horizontal distances, but other arrangements such as those having different vertical and horizontal pitches and honeycomb arrangements can also be produced by the method of the present invention. .

  In the embodiment described above, a transparent plate glass is used as the substrate of the lens array. However, depending on the purpose, a transparent resin plate may be used as the substrate.

  According to the present invention, a lens is arranged using a linear stage while having the great feature that a mold is not necessary in the same way as the screen printing method in that the lens is manufactured with the surface tension of the transparent resin for each convex lens shape of the lens array. By using the dispenser device, the amount of photo-curing resin required for each lens is stabilized, and the inner ring is dripped using a ring with a surface that is difficult to wet with photo-curing resin as a guide. By doing so, the spherical surface due to surface tension can be made elaborate, so that it is possible to easily manufacture a convex lens array in which individual lenses have excellent optical characteristics and uniform optical characteristics.

  Therefore, the micro-convex lens array, which is important for integral photography (IP) and integral videography (IV), can be manufactured with high accuracy and ease, and still images and moving image display devices that can produce clear tertiary images are simple. In addition to being used for medical image display, machine design, flow visualization, etc., it is expected to be used in various fields such as entertainment, exhibitions, outdoor displays, etc.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Base 1b of lens array manufacturing apparatus Column 1c of lens array manufacturing apparatus Upper beam 2 of lens array manufacturing apparatus of this invention 2 Linear stage 2b for a back-and-forth movement The movable stage 2c of the linear stage 2 for a back-and-forth movement The movable table 3 fixed to the movable stage 2b Linear stage for movement 3b Movable stage 3c for left and right linear stage 3 Metal fitting 4 for attaching vertical movement stages 4 and 5 to movable stage 3b Vertical movement linear stage 4b for dispenser 6 Vertical movement linear stage 4 movable stage 5 Ring 7 vertical movement Linear stage 5b Movable stage 6 of vertically moving linear stage 5 Dispenser 7 Circular ring with arm fixed to movable stage 5b 8 Light-curing resin curing light source 9 Transparent glass substrate 10 Liquid photo-curing resin 10b dropped from dispenser in a circular dome shape Liquid photocuring Resin 10c Photo-curing resin cured in circular dome shape

Claims (1)

  A ring having a circular inner surface and a surface that is difficult to wet with the liquid photocurable resin is brought into close contact with a portion of the transparent substrate, and a certain amount of the liquid photocurable resin is dropped into the ring, and the liquid resin is attached to the ring. When the dome shape is spread by the surface tension and spreads all over the inside of the, the light curing resin is cured into a dome shape to form one lens, and the position of the ring is changed by changing the position on the transparent substrate A lens array for a three-dimensional image, wherein the lens formed by the dome of the photo-curing resin is two-dimensionally arranged on the transparent substrate by repeating a series of operations from the curing to the curing of the photo-curing resin. Production method.

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