Induction heating assembled lens unit

A camera, comprising:

• a plurality of lenses assembled coaxially, each lens positioned sequentially along a common optical axis and attached to a corresponding disk positioned adjacent the lens via a melted peripheral portion of the lens, wherein each lens comprises a central portion that is configured to refract light incident on the lens;
• the corresponding one or more disks comprise metal, have a center portion that is open and that permits light to pass through the center portion, and are interleaved with the lenses and coaxial with the lenses, each disk attached to at least one corresponding adjacent lens of the plurality of lenses at a respective side of the disk via at least some of the melted peripheral portion of the corresponding adjacent lens;
• and
• an image sensor configured to receive light refracted from the plurality of lenses.

A method, comprising:

• assembling, coaxially along an optical axis, items comprising:
• a plurality of refractive lenses, each lens having two respective sides, and
• a plurality of metallic disks, each metallic disk having a respective opening that permits light to pass through the opening, wherein individual ones of the disks are interleaved with successive ones of the lenses along the optical axis,
• wherein a peripheral portion of a corresponding side of each lens is in physical contact with a corresponding side of one of the metallic disks;
• and
• applying an electromagnetic field to the assembled items that causes inductive heating of the metallic disks, wherein individual ones of the inductively heated metallic disks cause melting of the corresponding peripheral portion of those lenses in physical contact with the inductively heated metallic disk, wherein at least some of the melted peripheral portion of the lenses in physical contact with the metallic disk adhere to the metallic disk.