Slim liquid lens
AssigneeSamsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
InventorByung Do Oh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A depth of a hole for housing a liquid is minimized to obtain a slim liquid lens. In the liquid lens, a chamber has a hole formed therein. Insulating and electrolytic non-miscible fluids are housed in the hole, with the insulating fluid located at a bottom side, to form a spherical interface. The insulating and electrolytic fluids have different refractivities. The hole has a height greater than or equal to a bigger one of a height of an initial interface before electrowetting occurs and a height of a final interface when electrowetting has occurred to a maximum amount. The liquid lens has a hole perforated to a minimal depth considering a shape of the liquid interface which is governed by a contact angle and an inclination angle of the hole, thereby achieving slimness and compactness and enhancing operability of the lens.
Claims6
A liquid lens comprising:
- a chamber having a hole formed therein;
- and
- insulating and electrolytic non-miscible fluids housed in the hole, with the insulating fluid located at a bottom side, to form a spherical interface, the insulating and electrolytic fluids having different refractivities,
- wherein the hole has a height greater than or equal to a bigger one of a height of an initial interface before electrowetting occurs and a height of a final interface when electrowetting has occurred to a maximum amount,
- wherein the initial interface has a height according to following Equations 1 and 2,
- y
- =
- X
-
-
- tan
-
-
- (
- θ
- ′
- /
- 2
- )
- ,
- Equation
-
-
- 1
- X
- =
- R
-
- [
- tan
-
-
- α
- tan
-
-
- α
- -
- tan
-
- (
- θ
- ′
- /
- 2
- )
- ]
- ,
- Equation
-
-
- 2
- wherein y is a value of the height, X is a radius of an uppermost end of the hole, R is a radius of a lowermost end of the hole, θ′ is a contact angle at the initial interface −π/2, and α is an inclination angle of an inner wall of the hole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.