JPH0713207A - Refractive index variable lens and optical antenna - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate moving parts and to enable high-speed response by arranging extremely fine resistance wires in a matrix form on the surface of the lens or between the layers of the lens and discretely heating and controlling the resistance wires of the respective matrices. CONSTITUTION:The heaters 3 of the extremely fine resistance wires are arranged in the matrix form. Plural heater X conductors and plural heater Y conductors for supplying driving power are orthogonally arranged in the heaters 3. The heaters 3 are disposed at the intersected points of the X conductors and the X conductors. Such X conductors and Y conductors are formed of the extremely fine wires. The heaters 3 are arranged in the nXn piece matrix. The heater Y conductors consists of n-pieces of the Y conductors Y1 to Yn and the heater X conductors consist n-pieces of the X conductors X1-1 to X1-2...Xn-1 to Xn-n for each of one column of the heaters. The heaters 3 and the conductors X, Y are extremely thinly formed by printing and baking methods on the surface of the lens 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical lens, and more particularly to an optical field such as a telescope or an optical antenna which requires a variable focus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In optical communication, in particular, in a lens group which constitutes an optical antenna (telescope) used when searching for a partner station in outer space, the distance between the group lenses is changed by a motor or the like in order to change the focus.

[0003]

Optical devices such as optical antennas used in outer space are required to avoid moving parts as much as possible in order to maintain reliability. Also from the viewpoint of productivity, there is a problem that a mechanism having a movable portion often requires adjustment and the number of parts increases.

On the other hand, there is a demand for a variable focus lens system having a high-speed response that exceeds the response limit of the movable portion.

An object of the present invention is to provide a variable refractive index lens which has no movable part and enables a high speed response.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an optical antenna using a variable refractive index lens.

[0007]

In the variable refractive index lens of the present invention, an extremely fine resistance wire is formed in a matrix form on the surface or between layers of a lens made of a material having a physical property whose refractive index has a great temperature dependence. It is characterized in that the resistance lines of each matrix are individually heated and controlled.

An optical antenna according to the present invention is characterized by including an objective lens composed of the variable refractive index lens, a controller for individually heating and controlling the resistance wire, and an eyepiece lens.

[0009]

[Function] Heater circuits with ultra-fine resistance wires are arranged in a matrix between the surfaces or layers of a lens (even a flat surface) made of a substance whose refractive index has a large temperature dependence, and each heater circuit is controlled by a controller , Control the local temperature of the lens. The lens changes in temperature and therefore the refractive index.
The lens is not mechanically movable, and the heater circuit is used alone or in plural, so that a variable focus optical antenna having no movable portion can be realized.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a variable refractive index lens 1 which is an embodiment of the present invention. The refractive index variable lens 1 is made of a material having a large temperature-dependent control of the refractive index, and a heater circuit 2 is provided in the middle thereof.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the heater circuit 2. In this heater circuit, the heaters 3 made of extremely fine resistance wires are arranged in a matrix. In the heater 3, a plurality of heater X conducting wires for supplying electric power and a plurality of heater Y conducting wires are arranged orthogonally. The heater 3 is arranged at the intersection of the X conducting wire and the Y conducting wire. Such X conductors and Y conductors are formed by ultrafine wires.

In FIG. 2, the heaters 3 are arranged in a matrix of n × n, and the heater Y lead wires are n lead wires Y ₁ to Y ₁ .
Y _n , and the heater X conducting wire is composed of n X conducting wires X _{1-1 to} X _1-n ... X _{n-1 to} X _{nn for} each heater in one row. In the figure, for simplification, the number of n X conductors in each column is 1
Illustrated in books. Actually, one X conductor is connected to each of the n heaters 3 in one row.

The variable refractive index lens 1 having such a heater circuit 2 in the middle is manufactured as follows.

The variable refractive index lens 1 includes two lenses 1.
It consists of a and 1b. On the surface of the lens 1a, the heater 3 and the conductive wire are formed extremely thin by the printing / baking method. The X conductor and the Y conductor are assumed to be insulated from each other. In this way, the lens 1a and the lens 1b having the heater circuit 2 formed thereon are overlapped with each other to form an integrated structure. If the heater circuit 2 is extremely thin, the influence on the transmittance of the lens can be minimized.

In the above example, the heater circuit 2 is formed by the printing / printing method. However, when the lens is large, the lens 1a is used.
The heater circuit 2 can be provided by adhering an extra fine wire to the surface of the.

Matrix-shaped array heater 3 as described above
By selectively heating, the lens can be locally heated independently and freely.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which the X conductor 5 and the Y conductor 4 are connected to the controller 6 in order to locally heat the heater. The controller 6 selects the X conducting wire and the Y conducting wire and supplies electric power to the desired heater 3 to heat it. Since the lens 1 has a large refractive index temperature dependency, the lens refractive index can be locally changed by local heating by the heater.

Although the heater circuit is provided in the lens intermediate portion in the above embodiments, it may be provided on the lens surface.

Further, in the above embodiments, one heater circuit is provided in the lens middle portion, but when the lens is composed of a plurality of lens groups of three or more, two or more heater circuits can be provided. .

FIG. 4 is a conceptual view of an optical antenna as an example using the variable refractive index lens according to the present invention. This optical antenna includes an objective lens group 7 including a variable refractive index lens, a controller 6, and an eyepiece lens 8. By the control of the controller 6, the refractive index of the objective lens group 7 can be locally changed. Therefore, an optical antenna having a variable focus can be constructed.

Further, by stacking a plurality of variable refractive index lenses of the present invention, focus control over a wide range becomes possible.

The present invention can be applied not only to such an optical antenna, but also to a lens such as an ordinary canara. Further, since the refractive index in the lens can be controlled to partially different values, the optimum corrected refractive index can be easily determined by applying it to the eye examination system at the time of manufacturing eyeglasses.

[0024]

As described above, since the refractive index can be changed by using a lens having a large refractive index temperature dependency and an extremely fine matrix heater, it is possible to obtain a lens group such as an optical antenna without moving parts. You can

As a result, not only the reliability of the lens group can be improved, but also an optical antenna (telescope) having a lens group excellent in variable response can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a variable index lens according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a heater circuit of the variable refractive index lens shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a connection for local heating of the heater circuit shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of an optical antenna as an example using a variable index lens according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 lens 2 heater circuit 3 heater 4 heater Y lead wire 5 heater X lead wire 6 controller 7 objective lens group 8 eyepiece lens

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An extremely fine resistance wire is arranged in a matrix form on the surface or between layers of a lens made of a material whose refractive index has a large temperature-dependent physical property, and the resistance wire of each matrix is individually heated and controlled. A refractive index variable lens characterized by: 2. An optical antenna comprising: an objective lens composed of the variable refractive index lens according to claim 1, a controller for individually heating and controlling a resistance wire, and an eyepiece lens.