Electroactive optical device
AssigneeOptotune AG
InventorMark Blum
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electroactive optical device, in particular an electroactive lens, comprising an optical element (1) as well as an electroactive element (2) is described. The optical element (1) is an elastic solid, such as a gel or a polymer. The electroactive element (2) comprises a plurality of compliant electrodes (3a-3e) stacked on top of each other with an electroactive material (5) between them. The electroactive element (2) is surrounded by a rigid wall (4a, 4b), which provides two common contacts for the electrodes (3a-3e). In the absence of an applied electric voltage, the optical element (1) is in a mechanically relaxed State, which reduces undesired ageing effects. Upon application of a voltage to the electrodes (3a-3e) the optical element (2) is deformed.
Claims20
An electroactive optical device comprising
- an elastic optical element;
- an electroactive element arranged laterally adjacent to said optical element and comprising at least one electrode pair of two electrodes with an elastic electroactive material arranged between said electrode pair;
- a solid substrate;
- and
- a buffer layer arranged between said solid substrate and said electroactive element and said optical element, the buffer layer having a Young's modulus smaller than or equal to a Young's modulus of said optical element,
- wherein upon application of a voltage over said at least one electrode pair an axial distance between said electrodes changes, thereby varying a volume of a first region in said optical element adjacent to said electrode pair, thereby radially displacing material in said optical element between said first region and a second region of said optical element, wherein one of said regions elastically expands and the other elastically contracts in an axial direction, thereby bringing said optical element into a deformed state, while, in the absence of a voltage over said at least one electrode pair, said optical element is in an elastically relaxed state.
The electroactive optical device of claim l wherein said electroactive element surrounds said optical element.
An electroactive optical device comprising
- an elastic optical element;
- an electroactive element arranged laterally adjacent to said optical element and comprising at least one electrode pair of two electrodes with an elastic electroactive material arranged between said electrode pair;
- a solid substrate;
- a buffer layer arranged between said solid substrate and said electroactive element and said optical element, the buffer layer having a Young's modulus smaller than or equal to a Young's modulus of said optical element;
- and
- a lid layer attached to said optical element, the lid layer having a Young's modulus larger than the Young's modulus of said optical element,
- wherein upon application of a voltage over said at least one electrode pair an axial distance between said electrodes changes, thereby varying a volume of a first region in said optical element adjacent to said electrode pair, thereby radially displacing material in said optical element between said first region and a second region of said optical element, wherein one of said regions elastically expands and the other elastically contracts in an axial direction, thereby bringing said optical element into a deformed state, while, in the absence of a voltage over said at least one electrode pair, said optical element is in an elastically relaxed state, and
- wherein said electroactive element comprises a plurality of electrode pairs stacked on top of each other with a plurality of gaps between said electrode pairs and wherein said gaps are filled by said electroactive material.
An electroactive optical device comprising
- an elastic optical element;
- an electroactive element arranged laterally adjacent to said optical element and comprising at least one electrode pair of two electrodes with an elastic electroactive material arranged between said electrode pair;
- and
- a lid layer attached to said optical element, said lid layer having a Young's modulus larger than a Young's modulus of said optical element,
- wherein upon application of a voltage over said at least one electrode pair an axial distance between said electrodes changes, thereby varying a volume of a first region in said optical element adjacent to said electrode pair, thereby radially displacing material in said optical element between said first region and a second region of said optical element, wherein one of said regions elastically expands and the other elastically contracts in an axial direction, thereby bringing said optical element into a deformed state, while, in the absence of a voltage over said at least one electrode pair, said optical element is in an elastically relaxed state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.