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US 2010/0134861 A1Published application
Optical element and imaging apparatus
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorsTadahiro Ohishi, Keita Tanaka, Masaki Ando, Kazuhiro Tanaka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical element is disclosed. The optical element may include a container having a holding chamber, a polar or conductive first liquid filled in the holding chamber, a second liquid filled in the holding chamber and not mixing with the first liquid, first and second electrodes for applying an electric field to the first liquid, and voltage application means for applying voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode.
Claims18
An optical element comprising:
- a container having first and second end walls facing against each other in a direction that light passes through and end walls connecting the first and second end walls so as to form a holding chamber therein;
- a polar or conductive first liquid within the holding chamber;
- a second liquid within the holding chamber and not mixing with the first liquid;
- a first electrode provided at the first end wall;
- a second electrode having a center electrode member and a pair of electrode members each provided at a position corresponding to the first electrode in said direction;
- and
- voltage application means for applying voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode for applying an electric field to the first liquid;
- wherein the voltage application means applies voltage between the first electrode and the pair of electrode members when the first liquid is positioned corresponding to the center electrode member in said direction so that the first liquid is divided and the divided first liquids move at positions corresponding to each of the pair of electrode members, and applies voltage between the first electrode and the center electrode member when each of the divided first liquids are positioned at a position corresponding to each of the pair of electrode members in said direction so that the divided first liquid move to the position corresponding to the center electrode member thereby the divided first liquid is connected as one.
5 more elements
An optical element comprising:
- a container having first and second end walls facing against each other in a direction that light passes through and end walls connecting the first and second end walls so as to form a holding chamber therein;
- a polar or conductive first liquid within the holding chamber;
- a second liquid within the holding chamber and not mixing with the first liquid;
- a first electrode provided at the first end wall;
- a second electrode having a center electrode member and a pair of electrode members each provided at a position corresponding to the first electrode in said direction;
- and
- a voltage source to apply voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode to apply an electric field to the first liquid;
- wherein the voltage source applies voltage between the first electrode and the pair of electrode members when the first liquid is positioned corresponding to the center electrode member in said direction so that the first liquid is divided and the divided first liquids move at positions corresponding to each of the pair of electrode members, and applies voltage between the first electrode and the center electrode member when each of the divided first liquids are positioned at a position corresponding to each of the pair of electrode members in said direction so that the divided first liquid move to the position corresponding to the center electrode member thereby the divided first liquid is connected as one.
5 more elements
An optical element comprising:
- a container having a first and second end walls facing against each other in a direction that light passes through and side walls connecting the first and second end walls so as to form a holding chamber therein;
- a polar or conductive first liquid contained in the holding chamber;
- a second liquid contained in the holding chamber and not mixing with the first liquid;
- a first electrode provided at the first end wall;
- a second electrode having a center electrode member and multiple surrounding electrode members extending in a direction orthogonal to said direction that light passes through;
- and
- voltage application means for applying a voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode for applying an electric field to the first liquid;
- wherein the voltage application means puts the optical element in a first light transmission state by applying a voltage to the first electrode and at least two of the multiple surrounding electrode members when the first liquid is positioned corresponding to the center electrode member so that the first liquid is divided and the divided first liquids move in said orthogonal direction towards positions corresponding to at least two of the multiple surrounding electrode members, and puts the optical element in a second light transmission state by applying a voltage to the first electrode and the center electrode member when each of the divided first liquids are positioned at a position corresponding to at least two of the multiple surrounding electrode members so that the divided first liquids move towards the position corresponding to the center electrode member thereby the divided first liquids are connected as one.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.