US20150277210A1 - Micro-iris unit and camera module including the same - Google Patents
Micro-iris unit and camera module including the same Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20150277210A1 US20150277210A1 US14/335,847 US201414335847A US2015277210A1 US 20150277210 A1 US20150277210 A1 US 20150277210A1 US 201414335847 A US201414335847 A US 201414335847A US 2015277210 A1 US2015277210 A1 US 2015277210A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- fluid
- micro
- iris unit
- transparent substrate
- support member
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 102
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 37
- 230000005684 electric field Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 claims description 11
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 9
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 claims description 6
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 description 36
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 5
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000011810 insulating material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000002834 transmittance Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000009736 wetting Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000004075 alteration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000007772 electrode material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005459 micromachining Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03B—APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
- G03B9/00—Exposure-making shutters; Diaphragms
- G03B9/02—Diaphragms
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B13/00—Optical objectives specially designed for the purposes specified below
- G02B13/001—Miniaturised objectives for electronic devices, e.g. portable telephones, webcams, PDAs, small digital cameras
- G02B13/0055—Miniaturised objectives for electronic devices, e.g. portable telephones, webcams, PDAs, small digital cameras employing a special optical element
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B26/00—Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements
- G02B26/004—Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid
- G02B26/005—Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid based on electrowetting
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B5/00—Optical elements other than lenses
- G02B5/005—Diaphragms
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B2207/00—Coding scheme for general features or characteristics of optical elements and systems of subclass G02B, but not including elements and systems which would be classified in G02B6/00 and subgroups
- G02B2207/115—Electrowetting
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to a micro-iris unit allowing an amount of light passing therethrough to be easily adjusted and a camera module including the same.
- a micro-iris unit is mounted in a camera module to adjust an amount of light incident on an image sensor disposed therein.
- a micro-iris unit may have a structure utilizing an electro-wetting scheme using a liquid by way of example.
- Such an iris unit utilizing an electro-wetting scheme adjusts a size of an aperture by partially dispersing the liquid using an electrical field or electrical force.
- Some embodiments in the present disclosure may provide a micro-iris unit allowing for improved operational reliability and a camera module including the same.
- a micro-iris unit may include a structure capable of increasing an area of contact between a support member and a fluid to allow a fluid distributed to an edge of an aperture to be stably maintained in place.
- a camera module may include the micro-iris unit having the above-described structure.
- FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a micro-iris unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 2 is a plan view of the micro-iris unit illustrated in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the micro-iris unit illustrated in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the micro-iris unit illustrated in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIGS. 6 through 9 are partially-cutaway perspective views illustrating other examples of the micro-iris unit illustrated in FIG. 5 ;
- FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the micro-iris unit illustrated in FIG. 10 ;
- FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the micro-iris unit illustrated in FIG. 12 ;
- FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a micro-iris unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 2 is a plan view of the micro-iris unit illustrated in FIG. 1
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the micro-iris unit illustrated in FIG. 1
- FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the micro-iris unit illustrated in FIG. 1
- FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIGS. 6 through 9 are partially-cutaway perspective views illustrating other examples of the micro-iris unit illustrated in FIG. 5
- FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the micro-iris unit illustrated in FIG. 10
- FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the micro-iris unit illustrated in FIG. 12
- FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- a micro-iris unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will hereinafter be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 .
- the micro-iris unit 100 may include a transparent substrate 110 , a support member 130 , and two types of fluid 140 and 150 .
- the micro-iris unit 100 may further include a case capable of accommodating the above-described elements.
- the micro-iris unit 100 configured as described above may be used for a camera module, a projector, as well as several other types of device in which adjustments to an amount of light are required.
- the transparent substrate 110 may be formed to have a disk shape. However, the shape of the transparent substrate 110 is not limited thereto. For example, the transparent substrate 110 may be formed to have a rectangular plate shape.
- the transparent substrate 110 may be formed of a material having excellent light transmittance.
- the transparent substrate 110 may include a glass material.
- the material of the transparent substrate 110 is not limited thereto.
- the transparent substrate 110 may be formed of a plastic material having excellent light transmittance.
- the transparent substrate 110 may have an electrode pattern 112 formed thereon.
- the electrode pattern 112 may be formed on one surface of the transparent substrate 110 .
- a location of the electrode pattern 112 is not limited to one surface of the transparent substrate 110 .
- the electrode pattern 112 may be formed on both surfaces of the transparent substrate 110 .
- the transparent substrate 110 may be coated with an insulating material.
- an upper surface of the transparent substrate 110 on which the electrode pattern 112 is formed may be coated with the insulating material.
- the electrode pattern 112 may have a circular form as illustrated in FIG. 2 .
- the electrode pattern 112 may have a concentric circular form, portions of which are centered on an optical axis C-C.
- the electrode pattern 112 may be provided as a plurality of pattern portions.
- the electrode pattern 112 may include two or more pattern portions having different polarities.
- the electrode pattern 112 may be disposed adjacent to the optical axis C-C.
- portions of the electrode pattern 112 may be formed at predetermined intervals from the optical axis C-C (see FIG. 2 ).
- the above-mentioned arrangement of the electrode pattern 112 may be advantageous in concentrating a magnetic field or electrical force in the proximity of the optical axis C-C.
- the location of the electrode pattern 112 is not limited to that illustrated in FIG. 2 .
- the electrode patterns 112 may be spaced apart from the optical axis C-C by a significant distance, as illustrated in FIG. 3 .
- the above-mentioned arrangement of the electrode patterns 112 may be advantageous in generating a magnetic field or electrical force around the optical axis C-C.
- the support member 130 may be formed on the transparent substrate 110 .
- the support member 130 may be formed to have a ring shape around an edge of the transparent substrate 110 .
- the support member 130 formed as described above, may form a fluid accommodating space 114 on one side of the transparent substrate 110 (the upper surface of the transparent substrate 110 , based on FIG. 1 ).
- the support member 130 may include a side having flexures.
- a plurality of flexures 134 may be formed on an inner peripheral surface 132 of the support member 130 .
- the shape of the flexures 134 may increase an area of contact between the inner peripheral surface 132 of the support member 130 and the fluid 140 .
- the fluid 140 may be maintained in a state in which it is closely adhered to the inner peripheral surface 132 . Due to the above characteristics, a size of an aperture may be very stably maintained.
- the flexure 134 of the inner peripheral surface 132 may be modified to have any form.
- the flexure 134 of the inner peripheral surface 132 may be formed to have a shape in which protrusions and grooves are repeated.
- the flexure 134 of the inner peripheral surface 132 may be formed by micro machining.
- the fluids 140 and 150 may be accommodated in the fluid accommodating space 114 .
- a first fluid 140 and a second fluid 150 may be stored in a closed space formed by the transparent substrate 110 and the support member 130 so as not to be leaked.
- the first fluid 140 and the second fluid 150 may have different properties from each other.
- the first fluid 140 may be an opaque liquid or gas through which light may not be transmitted
- the second fluid 150 may be a transparent fluid through which light may be transmitted.
- the first fluid 140 may include a shading material or a shading dye.
- the first fluid 140 may be a non-polar fluid
- the second fluid 150 may be a polar fluid.
- the characteristics of the first fluid 140 and the second fluid 150 are not limited to those as described above.
- the first fluid 140 may be transparent and the second fluid 150 may be opaque.
- the first fluid 140 may be a polar fluid and the second fluid 150 may be a non-polar fluid.
- the fluids 140 and 150 may have different refractive indices.
- the refractive index of the first fluid 140 may be higher than 1, and the refractive index of the second fluid 150 may be close to 1.
- the refractive indices of the first fluid 140 and the second fluid 150 are not limited to those as described above.
- both the refractive indices of the first fluid 140 and the second fluid 150 may be close to 1.
- the first fluid 140 and the second fluid 150 may have different specific gravities or different viscosities.
- the specific gravity of the first fluid 140 may be higher than the specific gravity of the second fluid 150
- the viscosity of the first fluid 140 may be higher than the viscosity of the second fluid 150 .
- the above-mentioned characteristics may be advantageous in allowing the first fluid 140 to completely cover the entire upper surface of the transparent substrate 110 in a non-driving state of the micro-iris unit 100 .
- the above-described characteristics may facilitate a separation between the first fluid 140 and the second fluid 150 by an electrical signal.
- the specific gravities and the viscosities of the first fluid 140 and the second fluid 150 are not necessarily different from each other.
- the specific gravities and the viscosities of the first fluid 140 and the second fluid 150 may be equal to each other.
- the micro-iris unit 100 may open or close the aperture by moving the first fluid 140 according to the electrical signal applied to the electrode pattern 112 .
- the first fluid 140 may block light while being widely spread over the entire upper surface of the transparent substrate 110 .
- the second fluid 150 having a polarity pushes the first fluid 140 toward an edge of the optical axis C-C, such that the aperture through which light may pass may be formed in the transparent substrate 110 .
- the size of the aperture may be adjusted according to a magnitude of the electrical signal applied to the electrode pattern 112 .
- the first fluid 140 pushed toward the edge, may be firmly adhered to the inner peripheral surface 132 of the support member 130 having the flexure 134 formed thereon, thereby stably maintaining the size of the opened aperture.
- the size of the aperture may be rapidly and stably adjusted, according to the electrical signal.
- micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.
- elements of this exemplary embodiment corresponding to those of the previous exemplary embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the previous exemplary embodiment, and details thereof will be omitted.
- micro-iris unit Another example of the micro-iris unit according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 3 .
- the micro-iris unit 100 may be distinguished from the above-described form in terms of the location of the electrode pattern 112 .
- the electrode pattern 112 may be formed on an edge portion (for example, a portion outside of a maximum region of the aperture) of the transparent substrate 110 .
- the first fluid 140 may be a polar fluid and the second fluid 150 may be a non-polar fluid.
- the arrangement of the electrode pattern 112 may allow for a large degree of freedom in the selection of the material of the electrode pattern 112 , as the electrode pattern 112 may be formed of an opaque electrode material.
- micro-iris unit Another example of the micro-iris unit according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 4 .
- micro-iris unit 100 may be distinguished from the above-described form in terms of a flexure shape of the support member 130 .
- a plurality of protrusions 138 may be formed on the inner peripheral surface 132 of the support member 130 .
- the plurality of protrusions 138 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval on the inner peripheral surface 132 in a height direction thereof (based on FIG. 4 ).
- the plurality of protrusions 138 may have different sizes.
- the sizes of the protrusions 138 may be gradually reduced from a lower portion of the inner peripheral surface 132 toward an upper portion thereof.
- the protrusions 138 may be formed to be denser from the lower portion of the inner peripheral surface 132 toward the upper portion thereof.
- the plurality of protrusions 138 may be formed to have arbitrary sizes and intervals on the inner peripheral surface 132 in the height direction.
- the micro-iris unit 100 may further include a transparent substrate 120 .
- the transparent substrate 120 may be configured to cover an upper portion of the fluid accommodating space 114 .
- the upper transparent substrate 120 may be formed of a material substantially identical or similar to that of the lower transparent substrate 110 .
- the electrode pattern may also be formed on the upper transparent substrate 120 .
- the micro-iris unit 100 having the above-mentioned configuration may double an area of contact between the first fluid 140 and the inner peripheral surface 132 by using the plurality of protrusions 138 .
- a micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 5 .
- micro-iris unit according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 through 9 .
- the micro-iris unit 100 according to the present exemplary embodiment may be distinguished from that according to the above-described exemplary embodiment in terms of the shape of the support member 130 .
- the inner peripheral surface 132 of the support member 130 may be an inclined surface having a predetermined inclined angle with respect to the optical axis C-C.
- a plurality of grooves 136 may be formed in the inclined inner peripheral surface 132 .
- the plurality of grooves 136 may be formed to have ring shapes in the inner peripheral surface 132 .
- the plurality of grooves 136 may be formed to have different depths in the inner peripheral surface 132 in the height direction thereof.
- the depths of the plurality of grooves 136 may generally become shallow in the inner peripheral surface 132 in the height direction thereof.
- the plurality of grooves 136 may be shaped like teeth of a comb, which are twisted at a predetermined angle with respect to the inner peripheral surface 132 .
- the plurality of grooves 136 may be formed in chevron shapes in the inner peripheral surface 132 .
- the plurality of grooves 136 may be shaped like waves in the inner peripheral surface 132 .
- the micro-iris unit 100 may increase an area in which the inner peripheral surface 132 and the first fluid 140 may be in contact with each other.
- the first fluid 140 may rapidly and easily move along the inner peripheral surface 132 .
- a micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 .
- the inner peripheral surface 132 of the micro-iris unit 100 may be curved.
- the inner peripheral surface 132 may be a concave curved surface.
- the plurality of grooves 136 may be formed in the curved inner peripheral surface 132 as illustrated in FIG. 10 or the plurality of protrusions 138 may be formed on the curved inner peripheral surface 132 as illustrated in FIG. 11 .
- micro-iris unit 100 having the above-mentioned structure may significantly increase the area of contact between the inner peripheral surface 132 and the first fluid 140 , it may stably maintain the first fluid 140 on the inner peripheral surface 132 .
- a micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13 .
- the inner peripheral surface 132 of the micro-iris unit 100 may be curved.
- the inner peripheral surface 132 may be a convex curved surface.
- the plurality of grooves 136 may be formed in the curved inner peripheral surface 132 as illustrated in FIG. 12 or the plurality of protrusions 138 may be formed on the curved inner peripheral surface 132 as illustrated in FIG. 13 .
- micro-iris unit 100 having the above-mentioned structure may allow the first fluid 140 on the inner peripheral surface 132 to rapidly flow downwardly, it may be advantageous in a case in which the aperture needs to be rapidly closed.
- the camera module includes any micro-iris unit according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.
- the micro-iris unit which may be included in the camera module is not limited to the forms illustrated in the drawings.
- the camera module may include any one of the above-described examples of the micro-iris unit.
- the camera module may include two or more of the above-described examples of the micro-iris unit.
- the camera module 200 may include a plurality of lenses 210 , 220 , and 230 . Further, the camera module 200 may include a lens barrel 202 capable of accommodating the above-described elements. Further, the camera module 200 may include the micro-iris unit 100 . The micro-iris unit 100 may be disposed in an initial position of an optical system including one or more lenses. The micro-iris unit 100 disposed as described above may adjust an amount of light incident on a first lens 210 .
- FIGS. 15 and 16 Next, a camera module according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16 .
- the camera module 200 according to the present exemplary embodiment may be distinguished from that according to the previous exemplary embodiment in terms of a location of the micro-iris unit 100 .
- the micro-iris unit 100 may be disposed between the first lens 210 and a second lens 220 .
- the micro-iris unit 100 may adjust an amount of light incident on the second lens 220 from the first lens 210 .
- the micro-iris unit 100 may serve as an interval maintaining member maintaining an interval between the first lens 210 and the second lens 220 .
- the micro-iris unit 100 may decrease a flare phenomenon occurring between the first lens 210 and the second lens 220 .
- the micro-iris unit 100 may be formed in the lens 210 .
- the micro-iris unit 100 may adjust an amount of light incident on the second lens 220 .
- the micro-iris unit 100 may adjust a refractive index of light incident on the first lens 210 or may improve chromatic aberration.
- driving reliability of the iris unit may be improved.
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- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Optics & Photonics (AREA)
- Mechanical Light Control Or Optical Switches (AREA)
- Lens Barrels (AREA)
- Diaphragms For Cameras (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0037620 filed on Mar. 31, 2014, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
- The present disclosure relates to a micro-iris unit allowing an amount of light passing therethrough to be easily adjusted and a camera module including the same.
- A micro-iris unit is mounted in a camera module to adjust an amount of light incident on an image sensor disposed therein. A micro-iris unit may have a structure utilizing an electro-wetting scheme using a liquid by way of example. Such an iris unit utilizing an electro-wetting scheme adjusts a size of an aperture by partially dispersing the liquid using an electrical field or electrical force.
- However, since such an iris unit according to the related art may not have a structure allowing for the liquid therein to be stably maintained in place in the case that the aperture is in an opened state, the size of the aperture may be altered by flowing of the liquid.
- Some embodiments in the present disclosure may provide a micro-iris unit allowing for improved operational reliability and a camera module including the same.
- According to some embodiments in the present disclosure, a micro-iris unit may include a structure capable of increasing an area of contact between a support member and a fluid to allow a fluid distributed to an edge of an aperture to be stably maintained in place.
- According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a camera module may include the micro-iris unit having the above-described structure.
- The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a micro-iris unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the micro-iris unit illustrated inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the micro-iris unit illustrated inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the micro-iris unit illustrated inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIGS. 6 through 9 are partially-cutaway perspective views illustrating other examples of the micro-iris unit illustrated inFIG. 5 ; -
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the micro-iris unit illustrated inFIG. 10 ; -
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the micro-iris unit illustrated inFIG. 12 ; -
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and -
FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. - Hereinafter, embodiments in the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the shapes and dimensions of elements may be exaggerated for clarity, and the same reference numerals will be used throughout to designate the same or like elements.
-
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a micro-iris unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,FIG. 2 is a plan view of the micro-iris unit illustrated inFIG. 1 ,FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the micro-iris unit illustrated inFIG. 1 ,FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the micro-iris unit illustrated inFIG. 1 ,FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,FIGS. 6 through 9 are partially-cutaway perspective views illustrating other examples of the micro-iris unit illustrated inFIG. 5 ,FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the micro-iris unit illustrated inFIG. 10 ,FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the micro-iris unit illustrated inFIG. 12 ,FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, andFIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a camera module according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. - A micro-iris unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will hereinafter be described with reference to
FIGS. 1 and 2 . - The
micro-iris unit 100 may include atransparent substrate 110, asupport member 130, and two types offluid micro-iris unit 100 may further include a case capable of accommodating the above-described elements. Themicro-iris unit 100 configured as described above may be used for a camera module, a projector, as well as several other types of device in which adjustments to an amount of light are required. - Next, main elements of the
micro-iris unit 100 will be described. - The
transparent substrate 110 may be formed to have a disk shape. However, the shape of thetransparent substrate 110 is not limited thereto. For example, thetransparent substrate 110 may be formed to have a rectangular plate shape. Thetransparent substrate 110 may be formed of a material having excellent light transmittance. For example, thetransparent substrate 110 may include a glass material. However, the material of thetransparent substrate 110 is not limited thereto. For example, thetransparent substrate 110 may be formed of a plastic material having excellent light transmittance. - The
transparent substrate 110 may have anelectrode pattern 112 formed thereon. For example, theelectrode pattern 112 may be formed on one surface of thetransparent substrate 110. However, a location of theelectrode pattern 112 is not limited to one surface of thetransparent substrate 110. For example, theelectrode pattern 112 may be formed on both surfaces of thetransparent substrate 110. Thetransparent substrate 110 may be coated with an insulating material. For example, an upper surface of thetransparent substrate 110 on which theelectrode pattern 112 is formed may be coated with the insulating material. - The
electrode pattern 112 may have a circular form as illustrated inFIG. 2 . For example, theelectrode pattern 112 may have a concentric circular form, portions of which are centered on an optical axis C-C. In addition, theelectrode pattern 112 may be provided as a plurality of pattern portions. For example, theelectrode pattern 112 may include two or more pattern portions having different polarities. Theelectrode pattern 112 may be disposed adjacent to the optical axis C-C. For example, portions of theelectrode pattern 112 may be formed at predetermined intervals from the optical axis C-C (seeFIG. 2 ). The above-mentioned arrangement of theelectrode pattern 112 may be advantageous in concentrating a magnetic field or electrical force in the proximity of the optical axis C-C. However, the location of theelectrode pattern 112 is not limited to that illustrated inFIG. 2 . For example, theelectrode patterns 112 may be spaced apart from the optical axis C-C by a significant distance, as illustrated inFIG. 3 . The above-mentioned arrangement of theelectrode patterns 112 may be advantageous in generating a magnetic field or electrical force around the optical axis C-C. - The
support member 130 may be formed on thetransparent substrate 110. For example, thesupport member 130 may be formed to have a ring shape around an edge of thetransparent substrate 110. Thesupport member 130, formed as described above, may form a fluid accommodatingspace 114 on one side of the transparent substrate 110 (the upper surface of thetransparent substrate 110, based onFIG. 1 ). Thesupport member 130 may include a side having flexures. For example, a plurality offlexures 134 may be formed on an innerperipheral surface 132 of thesupport member 130. The shape of theflexures 134 may increase an area of contact between the innerperipheral surface 132 of thesupport member 130 and thefluid 140. Therefore, when the magnetic field or the electrical force is formed in the fluidaccommodating space 114 by theelectrode pattern 112, the fluid 140 may be maintained in a state in which it is closely adhered to the innerperipheral surface 132. Due to the above characteristics, a size of an aperture may be very stably maintained. Theflexure 134 of the innerperipheral surface 132 may be modified to have any form. For example, theflexure 134 of the innerperipheral surface 132 may be formed to have a shape in which protrusions and grooves are repeated. Theflexure 134 of the innerperipheral surface 132 may be formed by micro machining. - The
fluids accommodating space 114. For example, afirst fluid 140 and asecond fluid 150 may be stored in a closed space formed by thetransparent substrate 110 and thesupport member 130 so as not to be leaked. - The
first fluid 140 and thesecond fluid 150 may have different properties from each other. For example, thefirst fluid 140 may be an opaque liquid or gas through which light may not be transmitted, and thesecond fluid 150 may be a transparent fluid through which light may be transmitted. To this end, thefirst fluid 140 may include a shading material or a shading dye. In addition, thefirst fluid 140 may be a non-polar fluid, while thesecond fluid 150 may be a polar fluid. However, the characteristics of thefirst fluid 140 and thesecond fluid 150 are not limited to those as described above. For example, thefirst fluid 140 may be transparent and thesecond fluid 150 may be opaque. Thefirst fluid 140 may be a polar fluid and thesecond fluid 150 may be a non-polar fluid. In addition, thefluids first fluid 140 may be higher than 1, and the refractive index of thesecond fluid 150 may be close to 1. However, the refractive indices of thefirst fluid 140 and thesecond fluid 150 are not limited to those as described above. For example, both the refractive indices of thefirst fluid 140 and thesecond fluid 150 may be close to 1. Thefirst fluid 140 and thesecond fluid 150 may have different specific gravities or different viscosities. For example, the specific gravity of thefirst fluid 140 may be higher than the specific gravity of thesecond fluid 150, and the viscosity of thefirst fluid 140 may be higher than the viscosity of thesecond fluid 150. The above-mentioned characteristics may be advantageous in allowing thefirst fluid 140 to completely cover the entire upper surface of thetransparent substrate 110 in a non-driving state of themicro-iris unit 100. In addition, the above-described characteristics may facilitate a separation between thefirst fluid 140 and thesecond fluid 150 by an electrical signal. However, the specific gravities and the viscosities of thefirst fluid 140 and thesecond fluid 150 are not necessarily different from each other. For example, in the case in which only any one of thefirst fluid 140 and thesecond fluid 150 is a polar fluid, the specific gravities and the viscosities of thefirst fluid 140 and thesecond fluid 150 may be equal to each other. - The
micro-iris unit 100, configured as described above, may open or close the aperture by moving thefirst fluid 140 according to the electrical signal applied to theelectrode pattern 112. For example, in the case in which the electrical signal is not applied to theelectrode pattern 112, thefirst fluid 140 may block light while being widely spread over the entire upper surface of thetransparent substrate 110. Unlike this, in the case in which the electrical signal is applied to theelectrode pattern 112, thesecond fluid 150 having a polarity pushes thefirst fluid 140 toward an edge of the optical axis C-C, such that the aperture through which light may pass may be formed in thetransparent substrate 110. Here, the size of the aperture may be adjusted according to a magnitude of the electrical signal applied to theelectrode pattern 112. Meanwhile, thefirst fluid 140, pushed toward the edge, may be firmly adhered to the innerperipheral surface 132 of thesupport member 130 having theflexure 134 formed thereon, thereby stably maintaining the size of the opened aperture. - Therefore, in the
micro-iris unit 100 according to the present exemplary embodiment, the size of the aperture may be rapidly and stably adjusted, according to the electrical signal. - Hereinafter, a micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. For reference, in the following description, elements of this exemplary embodiment corresponding to those of the previous exemplary embodiment, will be denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the previous exemplary embodiment, and details thereof will be omitted.
- Another example of the micro-iris unit according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to
FIG. 3 . - Another example of the
micro-iris unit 100 may be distinguished from the above-described form in terms of the location of theelectrode pattern 112. For example, theelectrode pattern 112 may be formed on an edge portion (for example, a portion outside of a maximum region of the aperture) of thetransparent substrate 110. In this case, thefirst fluid 140 may be a polar fluid and thesecond fluid 150 may be a non-polar fluid. - The arrangement of the
electrode pattern 112 may allow for a large degree of freedom in the selection of the material of theelectrode pattern 112, as theelectrode pattern 112 may be formed of an opaque electrode material. - Another example of the micro-iris unit according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to
FIG. 4 . - Another example of the
micro-iris unit 100 may be distinguished from the above-described form in terms of a flexure shape of thesupport member 130. For example, a plurality ofprotrusions 138 may be formed on the innerperipheral surface 132 of thesupport member 130. For example, the plurality ofprotrusions 138 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval on the innerperipheral surface 132 in a height direction thereof (based onFIG. 4 ). In addition, the plurality ofprotrusions 138 may have different sizes. For example, the sizes of theprotrusions 138 may be gradually reduced from a lower portion of the innerperipheral surface 132 toward an upper portion thereof. As a further example, theprotrusions 138 may be formed to be denser from the lower portion of the innerperipheral surface 132 toward the upper portion thereof. As a further example, the plurality ofprotrusions 138 may be formed to have arbitrary sizes and intervals on the innerperipheral surface 132 in the height direction. - In addition, another example of the
micro-iris unit 100 may further include atransparent substrate 120. For example, thetransparent substrate 120 may be configured to cover an upper portion of the fluidaccommodating space 114. The uppertransparent substrate 120 may be formed of a material substantially identical or similar to that of the lowertransparent substrate 110. In addition, the electrode pattern may also be formed on the uppertransparent substrate 120. - The
micro-iris unit 100 having the above-mentioned configuration may double an area of contact between thefirst fluid 140 and the innerperipheral surface 132 by using the plurality ofprotrusions 138. - A micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to
FIG. 5 . - Other examples of the micro-iris unit according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to
FIGS. 6 through 9 . - The
micro-iris unit 100 according to the present exemplary embodiment may be distinguished from that according to the above-described exemplary embodiment in terms of the shape of thesupport member 130. For example, the innerperipheral surface 132 of thesupport member 130 may be an inclined surface having a predetermined inclined angle with respect to the optical axis C-C. - A plurality of
grooves 136 may be formed in the inclined innerperipheral surface 132. For example, the plurality ofgrooves 136 may be formed to have ring shapes in the innerperipheral surface 132. In addition, the plurality ofgrooves 136 may be formed to have different depths in the innerperipheral surface 132 in the height direction thereof. For example, the depths of the plurality ofgrooves 136 may generally become shallow in the innerperipheral surface 132 in the height direction thereof. As a further example, the plurality ofgrooves 136 may be shaped like teeth of a comb, which are twisted at a predetermined angle with respect to the innerperipheral surface 132. As a further example, the plurality ofgrooves 136 may be formed in chevron shapes in the innerperipheral surface 132. As a further example, the plurality ofgrooves 136 may be shaped like waves in the innerperipheral surface 132. - Since the inner
peripheral surface 132 of themicro-iris unit 100 having the above-mentioned structure is inclined at the predetermined angle and has the plurality of grooves, themicro-iris unit 100 may increase an area in which the innerperipheral surface 132 and thefirst fluid 140 may be in contact with each other. In addition, since the innerperipheral surface 132 is inclined at the predetermined angle with respect to the optical axis C-C, thefirst fluid 140 may rapidly and easily move along the innerperipheral surface 132. - A micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to
FIGS. 10 and 11 . - The inner
peripheral surface 132 of themicro-iris unit 100 according to the present exemplary embodiment may be curved. For example, the innerperipheral surface 132 may be a concave curved surface. In addition, the plurality ofgrooves 136 may be formed in the curved innerperipheral surface 132 as illustrated inFIG. 10 or the plurality ofprotrusions 138 may be formed on the curved innerperipheral surface 132 as illustrated inFIG. 11 . - Since the
micro-iris unit 100 having the above-mentioned structure may significantly increase the area of contact between the innerperipheral surface 132 and thefirst fluid 140, it may stably maintain thefirst fluid 140 on the innerperipheral surface 132. - A micro-iris unit according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to
FIGS. 12 and 13 . - The inner
peripheral surface 132 of themicro-iris unit 100 according to the present exemplary embodiment may be curved. For example, the innerperipheral surface 132 may be a convex curved surface. In addition, the plurality ofgrooves 136 may be formed in the curved innerperipheral surface 132 as illustrated inFIG. 12 or the plurality ofprotrusions 138 may be formed on the curved innerperipheral surface 132 as illustrated inFIG. 13 . - Since the
micro-iris unit 100 having the above-mentioned structure may allow thefirst fluid 140 on the innerperipheral surface 132 to rapidly flow downwardly, it may be advantageous in a case in which the aperture needs to be rapidly closed. - Hereinafter, a
camera module 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference toFIG. 14 . For reference, it has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings that the camera module includes any micro-iris unit according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the micro-iris unit which may be included in the camera module is not limited to the forms illustrated in the drawings. For example, the camera module may include any one of the above-described examples of the micro-iris unit. In addition, the camera module may include two or more of the above-described examples of the micro-iris unit. - The
camera module 200 according to this exemplary embodiment may include a plurality oflenses camera module 200 may include alens barrel 202 capable of accommodating the above-described elements. Further, thecamera module 200 may include themicro-iris unit 100. Themicro-iris unit 100 may be disposed in an initial position of an optical system including one or more lenses. Themicro-iris unit 100 disposed as described above may adjust an amount of light incident on afirst lens 210. - Next, a camera module according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to
FIGS. 15 and 16 . - The
camera module 200 according to the present exemplary embodiment may be distinguished from that according to the previous exemplary embodiment in terms of a location of themicro-iris unit 100. - For example, the
micro-iris unit 100 may be disposed between thefirst lens 210 and asecond lens 220. In this case, themicro-iris unit 100 may adjust an amount of light incident on thesecond lens 220 from thefirst lens 210. In addition, themicro-iris unit 100 may serve as an interval maintaining member maintaining an interval between thefirst lens 210 and thesecond lens 220. In addition, themicro-iris unit 100 may decrease a flare phenomenon occurring between thefirst lens 210 and thesecond lens 220. - As another example, the
micro-iris unit 100 may be formed in thelens 210. In this case, themicro-iris unit 100 may adjust an amount of light incident on thesecond lens 220. Further, in the case in which the transparent fluid of themicro-iris unit 100 has a refractive index different from that of thefirst lens 210, themicro-iris unit 100 may adjust a refractive index of light incident on thefirst lens 210 or may improve chromatic aberration. - As set forth above, according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, driving reliability of the iris unit may be improved.
- While exemplary embodiments have been shown and described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations could be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
Claims (20)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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KR1020140037620A KR20150113538A (en) | 2014-03-31 | 2014-03-31 | Micro Iris Unit and Camera Module including the Same |
KR10-2014-0037620 | 2014-03-31 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US9128350B1 US9128350B1 (en) | 2015-09-08 |
US20150277210A1 true US20150277210A1 (en) | 2015-10-01 |
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US14/335,847 Expired - Fee Related US9128350B1 (en) | 2014-03-31 | 2014-07-18 | Micro-iris unit and camera module including the same |
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KR (1) | KR20150113538A (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20190246018A1 (en) * | 2016-09-02 | 2019-08-08 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Camera module, electronic device employing camera module, and method for controlling same |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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KR102619638B1 (en) * | 2016-01-28 | 2023-12-29 | 엘지이노텍 주식회사 | Lens module and Camera module including the same |
US20210088697A1 (en) | 2018-03-16 | 2021-03-25 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Liquid iris, optical device comprising same, and mobile terminal |
Family Cites Families (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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JPS569729A (en) * | 1979-07-05 | 1981-01-31 | Canon Inc | Stopping-down checking device of optical system |
JPH11174522A (en) * | 1997-12-15 | 1999-07-02 | Asahi Optical Co Ltd | Iris device |
JP2007127719A (en) * | 2005-11-01 | 2007-05-24 | Fujifilm Corp | Photographing apparatus |
CN101902568B (en) * | 2009-05-25 | 2013-11-20 | 鸿富锦精密工业(深圳)有限公司 | Camera module |
KR101849974B1 (en) | 2011-09-16 | 2018-04-19 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Numerical aperture controlling unit, variable optic probe and depth scanning method using the same |
KR101299053B1 (en) | 2012-01-20 | 2013-08-21 | 주식회사 나노브릭 | Method for controlling light transmittance, device for controlling light transmittance and method for manufacturing the same |
KR101969849B1 (en) * | 2013-01-07 | 2019-04-17 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Method and apparatus for adjusting aperture |
-
2014
- 2014-03-31 KR KR1020140037620A patent/KR20150113538A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2014-07-18 US US14/335,847 patent/US9128350B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20190246018A1 (en) * | 2016-09-02 | 2019-08-08 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Camera module, electronic device employing camera module, and method for controlling same |
US11277549B2 (en) * | 2016-09-02 | 2022-03-15 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Camera module, electronic device employing camera module, and method for controlling same |
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KR20150113538A (en) | 2015-10-08 |
US9128350B1 (en) | 2015-09-08 |
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