Collapsible Lens Mount Systems

Abstract

Systems are presented with special mechanical means to switch a set of lens elements to form a compound lens from a storage position to an imaging position, In the storage mode, these arrangements offer highly efficient space saving schemes suitable for use in application where space is a premium. In the imaging mode, a plurality of lens singlets are brought together on a common imagine axis whereby they operate to form very high quality images at a single image plane. Singlet lenses are held in a lens mount device of a disk element. A plurality of similar cooperating disk elements move against adjacent coupled disks to cause well-regulated desirable motion and positioning. Specifically, portions of the disk include a cam system which permits smooth movement as disk elements are counter rotated with respect to each other thus driving the preferred positioning.

Claims

1) Mechanical apparatus comprising a plurality of disk elements coupled about a common axis whereby relative rotational motion between them drives a prescribed positioning scheme.

2) Mechanical apparatus of claim 1, said disk elements are comprised of lens receiving seats into which optical singlet lenses may be affixed and firmly mounted.

3) Mechanical apparatus of claim 2, said relative rotational motion is further characterized as counter rotation with respect to an immediately adjacent disk element.

4) Mechanical apparatus of claim 3, said disk elements further comprise a cam system disposed about a peripheral annulus.

5) Mechanical apparatus of claim 4, said cam system is spatially cooperative with the cam system of a coupled adjacent disk element.

6) Mechanical apparatus of claim 5, said spatially cooperative cam system is arranged whereby counter rotational displacements with respect to an adjacent coupled disk element provides linear translation M the axial direction.

7) Mechanical apparatus of claim 6, said linear translation effected is of a magnitude on the order of a disk element thickness.

8) Mechanical apparatus of claim 6, said linear translation accompanied by counter rotation causes lenses of the respective disk elements to come into alignment on a common optic axes.

9) Mechanical apparatus of claim 6, said linear translation accompanied by counter rotation causes lenses of respective disk elements to collapse into a common plate.

10) Mechanical apparatus of claim 6, said spatially cooperative cam system is further characterized as a formation on external and internal surfaces of disk annuli.

11) Mechanical apparatus of claim 10, the formation on the external surface of a peripheral annulus is spatially cooperative with the formation on the interior surface of a peripheral annulus of an adjacent coupled disk element.

12) Mechanical apparatus of claim 4, the annulus of a first disk element is characterized by having a peripheral annulus with an external surface having a radius substantially equal to the radius of an internal surface of a peripheral annulus of an adjacent disk element.

13) Mechanical apparatus of claim 4, each of said disk elements further Comprise a second annulus characterized as a central annulus.

14) Mechanical apparatus of claim 13, said central annuli are comprised of a cam system spatially cooperative with the cam system of the peripheral annulus whereby a disk element is displaced in an axial direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0025] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present inventions will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims and drawings where:

[0026] FIG. 1 is an axial view line drawing of six nested disk elements in a retracted mode;

[0027] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a nested disk elements in retracted mode;

[0028] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of these disk elements in an imaging or expanded mode;

[0029] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of six disk elements slightly separated in an axial direction and decoupled each from the others in a non-operational arrangement;

[0030] FIG. 5 illustrates in detail a cam system of a peripheral annulus both on an internal surface and on an external surface thereof;

[0031] FIG. 6 similarly shows the cam systems of six related disk elements which together form an apparatus of these collapsible lens mount devices;

[0032] FIG. 7 is another exploded view having additional clarity;

[0033] FIG. 8 is a shaded representation of a preferred version showing additional clarity; and

[0034] FIG. 9 illustrates the system in an alternative perspective.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0035] In accordance with each of preferred embodiments of the invention, dual mode lens mount systems are provided. Lens mount systems of these teachings include those having an imagine mode in one configuration and a storage mode in another configuration. It will be appreciated that each of the embodiments described include an apparatus and that the apparatus of one preferred embodiment may be different than the apparatus of another embodiment. Accordingly, limitations read in one example should not be carried forward and implicitly assumed to be part of an alternative example.

[0036] Collapsible lens systems presented herein are unique in that they cooperate particularly well in applications that demand a very thin profile when in a storage mode. Because special mechanical arrangements of interlocking parts permits a collapsing action that is characterized as helical or ‘off-axis’ a highly efficient high performance imaging means is realized. Individual lenses of a compound lens are not stacked together one on top of the other, but rather, are moved off the imaging axis and into a very thin planar volume.

[0037] The mechanical device supports translation between two modes including a storage mode and an imaging mode. When manipulated from one to the other mode, the device operates to rearrange lenslet elements so they cooperate together in support of the particular mode into which they are set. When imaging, the lenslets are all aligned on a common axis and with a prescribed spatial separation such that they form an excellent high quality image on an image plane detector. When placed into a storage mode, the mechanical system moves all lenslets into a thin planar volume distributed about. The thickness of the device in a storage mode may be approximately as thin as the thickest lenslet.

[0038] Because these arrangements are generally limited to systems having just a few lenslet elements, compound lenses are arranged in more simple configurations. While a compound lens of an advanced SLR camera may have 11 optical elements for example, these systems do not easily accommodate such large number of independent elements. Rather, preferred compound lenses of these systems have between about 2 and 6 lens elements. For example, one preferred compound lens arrangement that provide excellent image results and is only comprised of a 3 lens elements is known as a Cooke triplet.

[0039] This type of compound lens cooperates with the mechanical nature of these devices because of the limited number of elements, while at the same time providing very good imaging performance. Accordingly, these mechanical systems are best deployed when there are fewer than about 6 lenslet elements.

[0040] To accommodate lens elements, mechanical devices arranged as disks having a lens receiving space and lens mounting seat are provided. These disks are each further designed with regard to their mechanical cooperation with adjacent disks. Specifically, their peripheries may include a cam and cam following apparatus Whereby the relative motion between them is very closely regulated to assure placement of the lenses held therein.

[0041] When several of these disks or ‘frame’ elements are coupled together, they hold lenslets in a fashion whereby they are translated between the two working modes of the system. Specifically, gentle tactile pressure from the force which may be applied by a user's finger causes the device to translate from one terminal position to the other.

[0042] While manual operation is sometimes preferred, it is fully anticipated that these systems may also be deployed as electrically driven mechanical translation devices as well. For clarity, the illustrative drawings herefollowing do not include the complexities associated with an electrical drive system, however that is left as an engineering exercise with the understanding that such systems are included version of these inventions.

[0043] To illustrate most preferred versions, the reader is directed to the nine appended drawing figures with references. These are intended to be illustrative examples which show preferred versions and best modes. However, it will be understood that alternative version will be many and these will nevertheless gain the same advantages of an off axis collapsible lens system.

[0044] FIG. 1 illustrates a first preferred version in which six nested disk elements lie mechanically coupled together to form a concentric arrangement which lies in a very thin substantially planar volume. When in this configuration, an outermost disk element 1. contains concentrically therein five additional disk elements of which includes an innermost disk element 2. Each disk is comprised of portions including a peripheral annulus 3 (second disk), a proximal or central annulus 4 (second disk), a lens seat 5 into which an optical singlet or double type lens element may be affixed and firmly held, radially extending support members or spokes 6, and an indexing or alignment grove 7.

[0045] The peripheral annulus of each disk element may be shaped as a cylindrical section having a thickness of a few millimeters or about the same thickness as the lens it is designed to carry, The annulus additionally has two primary surfaces including an external surface and internal surface. The normal from the external surface extends radially outward and the normal from the internal surface extends radially inward toward the system center. Into these surfaces of the annulus, formations such as surface reliefs may be provided as a cam and cam following system. A formation in agreement with this description may be set forth as having a raised portion, a ridge portion and a recess portion. These will be presented in greater detail herefollowing,

[0046] Each disk element may additionally include a central annulus formed similarly. A central annulus is also characterized as a cylindrical section having at least two surfaces including an external surface and an internal surface. These surfaces may have formed therein a cam and cam following system of raised and recessed portions demarked by a ridge portion of particular shape and design.

[0047] Each disk element is intended to be coupled to at least one adjacent disk element both by proximity and via the cam system to form a sort of mechanical interlock that holds them together in good relation but slidably movable with respect to each other. For example, the interior surface of a peripheral annulus may have similar radius as the external surface of an adjacent disk element whereby a pressure fit permits them to move with respect to each other in a counter rotational sense but easily slide one within the other such that the cam systems of each drive motion in the axial direction. This is more readily understood in view of diagrams having more detail in a third dimension.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows the apparatus in a perspective illustration which yields an indication of the depth of the device. Peripheral annuli 21 are shown as six rings nested one within the other. The external surface 22 of the outermost peripheral annulus may be smooth and without any cam system as that surface does not couple with any adjacent disk. A plurality of central annuli 23 each lie one within the other to form six concentric rings which lie about a system axis. The internal surface 24 of the innermost central annulus may be similarly smooth without any cam systems as this surface does not couple with any adjacent disk element. However, each of the other disk elements, e.g. disks 2-5, include both external and internal surfaces having a cam system formed thereon.

[0049] These disk elements additionally include a lenslet seat or lenslet holder receiving cavity into which an optical lenslet (either singlet or doublet) may be inserted and affixed. This lenslet seat may be formed as a ‘pie wedge’ shape extending from the central annulus to the peripheral annulus of a single disk element. A surface relief pattern 26 may additionally be provided as indexing means, to couple with a complementary index of an adjacent pie wedge when the system is expanded into an imaging mode.

[0050] While some versions include one lens per disk element, other alternative versions include disk elements allocated for use other than singlet lens mounting. For example, an electronic imaging detector may be accommodated in one of the disk elements. Alternatively, a simple shaped aperture 27 may be used in some versions to block undesirable light from entering the imaging system.

[0051] When these disk elements so arranged as described are counter rotated against each other, the cam systems on each of the annuli surfaces drive against each other or more particularly the immediate adjacent annulus to which it is coupled to cause the disk elements to rise and fall in the axial direction in a manner regulated by the cam shape and design. When rotated over its entire throw, the disk elements extend axially while simultaneously stacking the lens holder ‘pie wedges’ one on top of the other to cause all lenses held therein to come into alignment on a common optical or imaging axis. The optical axis is displaced from the system or disk rotational axis, but parallel thereto.

[0052] FIG. 3 illustrates. Peripheral annuli 31 having been rotated are forced to rise on ridges of adjacent cam systems resulting in respective displacements of the disk elements in the axial direction. Further, lens receiving cavities are aligned to form a lens stack that satisfies the imaging condition. Each lens either singlet or doublet held in each disk is aligned axially and spaced apart by a carefully prescribed amount to support the imaging condition of the compound lens. Spoke elements 33 provide for structural integrity between the central annuli and peripheral annuli.

[0053] Careful inspection of the external surfaces of disk element peripheral annuli reveal one important version of a cam system A cam system may be formed of a raised portion 34, a ridge portion 35, and a recessed portion 36. When closely coupled with the cam system of the adjacent disk element, these surface relief features cause the disk to rise and fall relative to its neighbor in the axial direction as the respective disks are counter rotated against each other.

[0054] The system can be more clearly understood in view of the diagram of FIG. 4 which is an exploded view showing the disk elements each spatially removed from the others in a configuration which is not operational, The exploded view affords opportunity to more clearly illustrate the nature of the disk elements 41 and the constituent parts from which they are comprised.

[0055] A mechanical system giving rise to a high performance compound lens having an imaging mode and a storage mode may be constructed oft plurality of six cooperating disk elements shown in FIG. 4. A disk element may be comprised of a peripheral annulus 42, a central annulus 43, a lens receiving space, a lens holder or lens seat 44, radially extending spoke elements 45, and a cam system 46 which couples a first disk element to a second adjacent disk element.

[0056] When assembled together, these disk elements operate in concert to bring about two operational modes including an imaging mode and a storage mode. In a storage mode, the disk elements are all collapsed together to lie in a thin planar volume (see FIG. 1.) whereby lenses held therein are distributed about and occupy a very thin space. In an imaging mode, the lenses are stacked on a single imaging axis and held in precise relation with each other to yield the imaging condition whereby a high resolution image is formed in an image plane having an electronic detector therein.

[0057] The cam systems which are formed on the internal and external surfaces of annuli are more readily understood in view of the close-up diagram of FIG. 5 which shows illustrative version of same.

[0058] Two cooperating neighbor disk elements are shown including disk element 51 which fits into and couples with disk element 52. Particularly, a cam system of recesses 53, ridges 54 and raised portions 55. Lens receiving cavity 56 is formed in a ‘pie wedge’ portion of the disk element device. Spokes 57 connect the peripheral annular ring to the central annular ring 59. When the disks are pushed together they fit one within the other such that their respective cam systems drive against each other when the disks are rotated in relative opposing directions, one of them will rise in the axial direction and be linearly displaced. Further, the pie wedge shaped lens seat elements will come into alignment on top of the other to form a stack and optical alignment of a first lens held in the first disk element with a second lens in the second lens element.

[0059] The entire system may be comprised of six discrete disk elements as shown in the exploded view of FIG. 6. When pushed together, each of the disk elements fits into and couples with the cam system of its neighbor. Thus, rotations in one direction cause all six elements to expand in the axial direction and simultaneously align the lens holders on an optic axis to realize the imaging mode. Rotation in an opposing direction cause the disk elements to collapse one into the other until all lenses are distributed about and come to lie in a common planar volume making a very thin arrangement suitable for storage in a very confined space.

[0060] FIG. 7 includes shading to make the image more understandable. Six disk elements are arranged in an exploded view each separated from its neighbor for clarity. It is readily apparent that the disk element having the largest peripheral annulus also has the smallest central annulus. The disk element having the smallest peripheral annulus has the largest central annulus. In this way, each disk element can easily fit into the space made by the configuration of its neighbor and further support rotational motion between the cooperating devices.

[0061] FIG. 8 is a diagram with shading to show the apparatus in a storage mode whereby all the disk elements are collapsed into a thin planar volume, in this mode, all parts of the system including all six disk elements and the lenses held by them tit tightly within each other.

[0062] The operation mode characterized as the imaging mode is illustrated in the shaded diagram of FIG. 9, All lens receiving cavities are aligned on a single imaging axis and all annuli are displaced axially from its nearest neighbor to from an expansion in the axial direction.

[0063] One will now fully appreciate how collapsible lens systems may be achieved to realize most efficient space and weight savings while additionally supporting very high imaging fidelity. Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with clear and concise language and with reference to certain preferred versions thereof including best modes anticipated by the inventors, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the invention should not be limited by the description of the preferred versions contained therein, but rather by the claims appended hereto.