JPS606902A - Lens with surface support - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a large-diameter lens with accurate curvature at low cost by fixing circumferential edges of two transparent flat plates to a holding member at a necessary interval, forming a transparent flat plate with charged liquid, and providing a support corresponding to necessary curvature outside of said transparent flat plate. CONSTITUTION:The two transparent circular flat plates 1 and 2 are fixed to the holding member 3 in a liquid-tight state at their circumferential edge parts to form a space 4. When a lens is formed, transparent liquid 9 from a tank 10 is charged in the space 4 by a pump 6 through a pipe 5, and air bubbles are eliminated completely at the same time. When the pressure of the liquid 9 in the space is further raised by the pump 6, the flat plates 1 and 2 are curved to deform as shown by 1' and 2'. At this time, external surfaces of the curved plates 1' and 2' contact the insides of support parts 7c and 8c of supports 7 and 8; and the insides 7a and 8d of the support parts 7c and 8c are formed corresponding to a desired lens shape.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a liquid-filled lens in which the lens surface uses a support to maintain an accurate surface curvature.

Optical lenses conventionally used are made entirely of a transparent solid material such as glass or plastic, and have a fixed focal point with a surface finished with a predetermined curvature. However, if this material were to be used in an astronomical telescope or solar heat harvesting device that requires a particularly large aperture, a large amount of work would be required to finish the material to a constant curvature. In particular, it has been uneconomical for spherical lenses used to collect and scorch the temperature of heat media in solar heat collection systems for household use.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, fix two transparent flat plates at a predetermined distance on their peripheries via a holding member, and allow transparent liquid to flow inside to make the transparent flat plates convex or A relatively large-diameter spherical surface that is deformed into a concave shape to form a lens, and a support body corresponding to the required curvature is brought into contact with the outer surface of this deformed transparent flat plate to accurately maintain the curvature of the lens surface. It is an object of the present invention to provide a lens with a surface support, which can be realized at low cost as a lens, an aspherical lens, or a cylindrical lens.

Next, the present invention will be explained by way of examples with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a top view thereof. In both figures, two transparent circular flat plates 1 and 2 each have a holding portion at their peripheral edge. 3 in a liquid-tight manner. In this state, two flat plates 1
, 2 are spaced at a constant interval to form a space 4. For example, when realizing a spherical lens, the two flat plates 1 and 2 are disks,
In the case of a cylindrical lens, a rectangular plate (or an elliptical plate, etc. may be used as necessary).A liquid inlet/outlet hole 3a is bored in the holding member B, and the tube 5 is connected to the inlet/outlet hole 6a. A pump 6 for feeding a transparent liquid into the space 4 is installed in the middle, and the end is connected to a tank 10 that stores a transparent liquid 9. Supports 7 and 8 are housed on the outer surfaces of the flat plates 1 and 2, respectively. The supports 7 and 8 have flange portions 7a and 8a that approximately correspond to the shape of the holding portion B, and short cylindrical portions 7b and 8b that are integrally formed with the flange portions 7a and 8a.
and support portions 7 arranged in a grid pattern inside the cylindrical portion 7b.
c.

8c each. Inner side 7a of support parts 7c, 8c.

8d, that is, on the flat plates 1 and 2 side, the flat plates 1 and 2 cause the transparent liquid 9 to flow into the space 4 to form a lens shape (1' and 2' in Fig. 1).
1) is formed to correspond to the shape shown in
, the flange portions 7a, 8a are each fixed to the outer surface of the middle 1lc1.2. Grid-like support portion 7c.

8c is thin, and therefore the aperture ratio of the lens formed on the plate 1, 2E, . . . is extremely large.

To form the lens of the present invention, a transparent liquid 9 from a tank 10 is caused to flow into the space 4 through the tube 5 through the liquid inlet/outlet hole 3a using the pump 6, and at the same time, air bubbles in the space 4 are completely removed. . To remove air bubbles, for example, by creating a hole (4' in the figure) in the holding member B, the liquid 9 can be removed from the space 4.
Once the inside is filled and the air bubbles are completely removed! If fJ1 pores are closed, 1- can be easily formed 3. When the pump 6 is used to further increase the force of the liquid in the space 4, the flat plates 1 and 2 gradually curve, forming 1' and 1'. Shape it as shown in 2'. At this time, ・[Since the plates 1 and 2 and the holding part 3 are liquid-tightly joined as shown in -1-
Even if there is a difference between the internal pressure and the external force, liquid will not leak or air will not enter from the outside.゛■'If plates 1 and 2 are circular plates, a curved surface that is close to an approximately spherical surface can be created; if plates 1 and 2 are rectangular, a curved surface that is close to a cylindrical surface is created, except near the ends of the short sides. can be obtained. At this time, the curved transparent plate 1'.

The outer surface of 2' contacts the inner side of the support portions 7c, 8c of the supports 7 and 8. Since the inner sides 7a and 8d of the support portions 7c+8'c' are each formed in a shape corresponding to a predetermined lens shape, the transparent plates 1' and 2' are accurately formed and maintained in the predetermined lens shape. Even if the lens is moved or tilted, the curved surface of the lens is hardly distorted because its surface is supported by the supporting parts 7c+8c.

Since the flat plates 1 and 2 have uniform thickness, their presence can be almost ignored optically, and the liquid in the space 4 functions as a lens.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the curve of the support 7, with the flange portion 7a
, the cylindrical part 7b is similar to that in FIG.
C consists of a plate body with a thin cylinder arranged in the center and attached radially to this cylinder. As described above, the support portion 7c has a groove cross section in the form of a thin net, and the support body 7 has a shape in which most of the axial direction is open. The distance between the flat plates 1 and 2, that is, the thickness of the space 4, may vary from approximately 0 to a variety of dimensions depending on the shape and size of the lens to be formed.

As the liquid to be filled in the space 4, water, transparent fats and oils such as silicone, transparent alcohols, ethers, etc. can be used. The transparent flat plate 1.2 is made of styrene resin, polycarbonate resin, or other synthetic resins 1
1. Quartz glass, lead glass, and other glasses are used, and an anti-reflective IL coating can of course be made on the surface. The support portion 7c is made of thin-walled metal such as carbon steel or stainless steel, or other rigid material, and is coated with non-reflective coating if necessary.

According to the present invention, since the flat plates 1 and 2 are flat, large-area, high-quality plates can be obtained at relatively low cost, and a large-diameter lens can therefore be realized at relatively low cost. 'Since the support contacts the lens surface according to its curvature, the curvature of the lens can be maintained extremely accurately both during lens formation and during use, and the projected area of the support is smaller than the area of the lens. Since it is extremely small, that is, the aperture area of the lens is extremely large, the presence of the support can be optically almost ignored. In addition to the above-mentioned convex lenses, concave lenses, plano-convex lenses, concave lenses, etc. can also be formed in the same manner.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of an embodiment of the pond of the invention. 1.2...Transparent flat plate 6...Holding member 4...Space 5...Pipe 6...Pump 7.8...・Support patent applicant Mitsui Toatsu Kikou Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] two transparent flat plates, at least one of which is flexible and arranged parallel to each other and facing each other; a holder that holds the two flat plates in a fluid-tight manner at their peripheral edges; a transparent liquid press-fitted between the two flat plates to transform at least one of the two flat plates into a lens-shaped curved surface; and a support having a large aperture ratio for the lens-shaped curved surface to maintain the lens-shaped curved surface at a predetermined curvature. A lens with a surface support, characterized by being formed by a body.