WO2007091761A1

WO2007091761A1 - Appareil et procede d'assemblage d'une face avant avec une lentille de liquide

Info

Publication number: WO2007091761A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/005018
Authority: WO
Inventors: Myung Jin Jin; Jung Wook Kim; Joon Young Kim
Original assignee: Top Engineering Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2006-02-06
Filing date: 2006-11-27
Publication date: 2007-08-16
Also published as: KR20070080109A; KR100765863B1

Abstract

L'invention concerne un appareil et un procédé d'assemblage d'une face avant avec une lentille de liquide dont le corps, incliné selon un angle donné, présente une partie de remplissage de liquide et un panneau arrière ménagé sous le corps. L'appareil comprend: une unité de buse à vide pour adsorber la face avant; une unité de réglage de la buse à vide pour réguler la force d'adsorption de la buse à vide; un moteur à axe vertical pour déplacer la buse à vide verticalement; une unité de commande pour contrôler le fonctionnement du moteur à axe vertical; et une unité à joint sphérique située entre la buse à vide et la face avant et maintenant une inclinaison de la face avant identique à celle du corps de la lentille de liquide, une fois la face avant amenée complètement au contact de la surface supérieure du corps de la lentille de liquide.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING FRONT

LENS

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for assembling a front panel with a liquid lens, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for effectively assembling a front panel with a liquid panel, when the body of the liquid lens is slightly inclined.

Background Art

Generally, the focal distance of a liquid lens is adjusted by controlling the curvature radius of the interface between an aqueous solution and oil contained in a sealed cylindrical metal case. The liquid lens is characterized in that it has low power consumption, because the focus thereof can be adjusted, or the optical zoom function thereof can be actuated, without requiring a separate part for changing the focal length, as in the prior art.

This liquid lens will now be described with reference to FIGS. Ia and Ib. FIGS. Ia and Ib show the states before and after a front panel is assembled with a liquid lens according to an embodiment of the prior art.

Referring to FIG. Ia, in a liquid lens 300, a conductive liquid 340 and a non-conductive are not irascible with each other, are sealed with front and rear panels 310 and 320. The front and rear panels 310 and 320 can be made of transparent glass. In the front of the body 370 of the liquid lens 300, a liquid filling portion 380 for receiving the liquids is formed, which has a trapezoid cross-sectional shape.

The liquid filling portion 380 is filled with the conductive liquid 340 and the non-conductive liquid 350, which have different optical properties. Outside the liquid filling portion 380, a sealing portion for sealing the liquid lens with the front panel 310 is provided. Also, outside the liquid filling portion, a buffer portion 360 for receiving overflowing liquid is provided. When voltage is applied between the conductive liquid

340 and the non-conductive liquid 350, the interface between the two liquids will change to have a specific curvature so as to perform a zoom function and a focus adjustment function.

"A" in FIGS. Ia and Ib denotes a tray for fixing the lens body.

FIG. 2 schematically shows an apparatus for assembling the front panel with the liquid lens according to the prior art.

Referring to FIG. 2, the apparatus for assembling the front panel 310 with the liquid lens 300 comprises the liquid lens 300, the front panel 310, which is located above the liquid lens 300 and is to be assembled with the liquid panel, a vacuum nozzle 11 for moving the front pj downward, a Z-axis motor 12 for moving the vacuum nozzle 11 upward and downward, and a control unit 13 for controlling the operation of the Z-axis motor 12. In FIG. 2, the body 370 of the liquid lens 300 is filled with liquids, and the front panel 310 is located above the body 370. Also, the front panel 310 is adsorbed and supported by the vacuum nozzle 11 under vacuum conditions and is moved downward toward the liquid lens 300. At this time, the Z-axis motor 12 serves to move the supported front panel 310 upward and downward.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram explaining a method for assembling a front panel with a liquid lens according to the prior art. As shown in FIG. 3, in the state in which different liquids (conductive liquid 340 and non-conductive liquid 350) are filled in the liquid filling portion 380 of the body 370, the front panel 310 is assembled with the body 370 using the apparatus shown in FIG. 2. For this purpose, a UV curing adhesive is first applied on the upper surface of the body. Then, the front panel 310 is moved downward and adhered to the body 370. Then, the UV curing agent is cured by UV light, cured by heat, and then cooled in air at room temperature. In this way, the complete assembly between the front panel 310 and body 370 of the liquid lens is achieved.

The liquid lens 300 having the above-described structure corresponds to the case in which the liquid lens body 370 is correctly placed on the tray A the liquid lens body 370 and the front panel are parallel to each other.

However, as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b, if the liquid lens body 370 is mounted on the tray A at a slightly tilted angle, that is, if the front panel 310 and the liquid lens body 370 located beneath the front panel 310 are not parallel to each other, the following problem will occur.

Specifically, after the front panel 310 is assembled with the liquid lens body 370, the liquid filled in the liquid filling portion will overflow, because the body 370 is inclined.

This phenomenon does not greatly affect the cycle life of the liquid lens at high temperatures. However, if the liquid contracts at low temperatures, so that it leans to one side, or the amount of liquid overflowed into the groove (buffer portion) is small, air bubbles will be introduced into the liquid in the liquid filling portion.

Disclosure of the Invention

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for assembling a front panel with a liquid lens, which can effectively assemble the front panel with the liquid lens, even when the front panel and the liquid lens body located below the front panel are no other.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an apparatus for assembling a front panel with a liquid lens, the body of which includes a liquid filling portion, has a rear panel provided below thereof and is inclined at a given angle, the apparatus comprising: a vacuum nozzle unit for adsorbing the front panel; a vacuum nozzle control unit for controlling the adsorption force of the vacuum nozzle; a Z-axis motor for moving the vacuum nozzle upward and downward; a control unit for controlling the operation of the Z-axis motor; and a ball joint unit, which is located between the vacuum nozzle and the front panel and maintained the inclination of the front panel with the same the inclination of the body of the liquid lens, once the front panel is brought into complete contact with the upper surface of the body of the liquid lens.

As used herein, the sentence "the body of the liquid lens is inclined at a given angle" means that the liquid lens body and the front panel located above the body are not parallel to each other.

Preferably, the inventive apparatus further comprises a means for preventing the front panel from being further moved downward, once the front panel comes into complete contact with the upper surface of the body using the ball joint unit.

This means for preventing the front panel from being further moved downward may be, for example, a motor overload- sensing unit for sensing the overload of th

The front panel is preferably made of a transparent plastic or glass material.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for assembling a front panel with a liquid lens, the body of which includes a liquid filling portion, has a rear panel provided below thereof and is inclined at a given angle, the method comprising the steps of: moving the front panel downward and bringing the front panel into complete contact with the upper surface of the body using a predetermined means; moving the front panel upward while maintaining the inclination of the front panel; filling liquids in the liquid filling portion and applying a sealing agent on the upper surface of the body; and moving the front panel downward so as to assemble the front panel with the body.

Preferably, the inventive method further comprises the steps of: curing the sealing agent; thermally curing the cured sealing agent; and cooling the thermally cured sealing agent in air at room temperature. Preferably, the contact between the upper surface of the inclined body and the front panel is performed by means of a ball joint unit, which is located between a vacuum nozzle and the front panel and serves to maintain the inclination of the front panel.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. Ia and Ib show the states before and after a front panel is assembled with a liquid lens according to the prior art;

FIG. 2 schematically shows an apparatus for assembling a front panel with a liquid lens according to the prior art;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram explaining a method for assembling a front panel with a liquid lens according to the prior art;

FIGS. 4a and 4b show the states before and after a front panel is assembled with a liquid lens inclined at a given angle, according to another embodiment of the prior art;

FIG. 5 schematically shows an apparatus for assembling a front panel with a liquid lens according to the present invention;

FIGS. 6a to βf show sequential steps of assembling a front panel with a liquid lens inclined at a given angle, according to the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a block diagram explaining a method for assembling a front panel with a liquid lens according to the present invention;

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Hereinafter, a preferred embodimei invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings .

FIG. 5 schematically shows an apparatus for assembling a front panel with a liquid lens according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the inventive apparatus for assembling the front panel with the liquid lens comprises: a vacuum nozzle unit 22 for adsorbing the front panel 310; a vacuum nozzle control unit 23 for controlling the adsorption force of the vacuum nozzle 22; a Z-axis motor 24 for moving the vacuum nozzle 22 upward and downward; a control unit 25 for controlling the operation of the Z-axis motor 24; and a ball joint unit 21, which is located between the vacuum nozzle 22 and the front panel 310 and maintained the inclination of the front panel 310 with the same the inclination of the body 370 of the liquid lens 300, once the front panel 310 is brought into complete contact with the upper surface of the body 370 of the liquid lens 300. Preferably, the inventive apparatus further comprises a means for preventing the front panel 310 from being further moved downward, once the front panel 310 comes into complete contact with the upper surface of the body 370 through the ball joint unit 21. The control to prevent the front panel 310 from being further moved downward can be achieved using a motor overload-sensing unit and the control unit 25. In other words, the motor overloac functions to sense the load state of the Z-axis motor 24. However, after the front panel 310 is brought into complete contact with the upper surface of the body 370 of the liquid lens as described above, more load is applied to the Z-axis motor 24. This overload is sensed by the motor overload- sensing unit 26, and the sensed signal is transmitted to the control unit 25, which then transmits a signal to stop the operation of the Z-axis motor 24. Although the vacuum nozzle control unit 23 for controlling the adsorption force of the vacuum nozzle 22, and the control unit 25 for controlling the operation of the Z- axis motor 22, may be separately included in the inventive apparatus, the vacuum nozzle control unit 23 may also be included in the control unit 25.

Moreover, in the present invention, the motor overload- sensing unit may be used to prevent the motor from being further moved downward, but other means may also be used for this prevention. For example, a load cell can be provided at a given position (e.g., the vacuum nozzle unit). When a given level of load is detected in the load cell, the detected signal is transmitted to the control unit 25, which then transmits a signal to stop the operation of the Z-axis motor 24. Preferably, the inventive apparatus further comprises a means for maintaining the inclined state of the front panel 310, when the front panel is moved upward in contact with the body 370 of the liquid lens.

FIGS. 6a to βf show sequential steps of assembling the front panel with the liquid lens inclined at a given angle, according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a block diagram explaining a method for assembling the front panel with the liquid lens according to the present invention.

The method for assembling the front panel with the liquid lens according to the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS . 5 to 7. In the present invention, the body 370 of the liquid lens is assumed to be inclined at a given angle, and thus the liquid lens body 370 and the front panel 310 are not parallel to each other.

(5201) (see βa) .

In this case, in the present invention, the front panel 310 is moved downward using the Z-axis motor 22 as it is.

(5202) (see 6b) .

Then, the front panel 310 is first brought into contact with one side of the body 370, because the body 370 of the liquid lens is slightly inclined. Thereafter, the front panel 310 is brought into complete contact with the upper surface of the body 370 of the liquid lens by means of the ball joint unit 21 among the elements of the inventive apparatus. (S203) (see FIG. 6c). Thus, the front panel 310 is also slightly inclined, like the body 370 of the liquid lens.

Following this, in the present invention, the front panel 310 is moved upward using the Z-axis motor 24, while it is maintained at the inclined state. (S20-

The detailed description of a means and method for maintaining the inclined state of the front panel will be omitted, because this means and method can be readily conceived by a person skilled in the art.

After the front panel 310 is moved upward using the Z- axis motor 24 while maintaining the inclined state thereof, the conductive liquid 340 and the non-conductive liquid 350 are filled in the liquid filling portion 380. The conductive liquid 340 and the non-conductive liquid 350 are not miscible with each other and have different optical properties and substantially the same density.

Also, in the present invention, a sealing agent (e.g., a UV curing adhesive) is applied on the upper surface of the liquid lens body. (S205) (see FIG. 6e) .

Then, in the present invention, the front panel 310 is moved downward and assembled with the body 370. (S206) (see FIG. 6f) .

Then, the sealing agent is cured (S207) , thermally cured (S208) and cooled in air at room temperature (S209) .

Thus, the front panel 310 and the body 370 are adhered to each other, so that the conductive liquid 340 is confined in the liquid filling portion 380. As a result of assembling the body 370 and the front panel 310 with each other as described above, a liquid lens is completed.

According to the present invention as described above, it is possible to prevent problems such as liquid flowing down and air bubble generation, which c method in which the body and the front panel is assembled with each other after the liquids are previously filled in the liquid filling portion. Thus, the rate of defective liquid lenses can be minimized.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims .

Industrial Applicability

As described above, according to the present invention, the liquid body lens and the front panel are adjusted such that they are parallel to each other, before they are assembled with each other. Thus, the liquid in the liquid lens can overflow evenly into the groove, after the body and the front lens are assembled with each other.

Also, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent air bubbles from being introduced into the liquid in the liquid filling portion, even when the liquid contracts at low temperatures.

Thus, according to the present invention, the rate of defective liquid lenses can be minimized.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assembling a front panel with a liquid lens, the body of which includes a liquid filling portion, has a rear panel provided below thereof and is inclined at a given angle, the apparatus comprising: a vacuum nozzle unit for adsorbing the front panel; a vacuum nozzle control unit for controlling the adsorption force of the vacuum nozzle; a Z-axis motor for moving the vacuum nozzle upward and downward; a control unit for controlling the operation of the Z- axis motor; and a ball joint unit, which is located between the vacuum nozzle and the front panel and maintained the inclination of the front panel with the same the inclination of the body of the liquid lens, once the front panel is brought into complete contact with the upper surface of the body of the liquid lens.

2. The apparatus of Claim 1, which further comprises a means for preventing the front panel from being further moved downward, once the front panel is brought into complete contact with the upper surface of the body by means of the ball joint unit.

3. The apparatus of Claim 2, wherein the means for preventing the front panel from bein< downward is a motor overload-sensing unit for sensing the overload state of the motor.

4. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the front panel is made of a transparent plastic or glass material .

5. A method for assembling a front panel with a liquid lens, the body of which includes a liquid filling portion, has a rear panel provided below thereof and is inclined at a given angle, the method comprising the steps of: moving the front panel downward and bringing the front panel into complete contact with the upper surface of the body using a predetermined angle; moving the front panel upward while maintaining the inclination of the front panel; filling liquids in the liquid filling portion and applying a sealing agent on the upper surface of the body; and moving the front panel downward so as to assemble the front panel with the body.

6. The method of Claim 5, which further comprises the steps of: curing the sealing agent; thermally curing the cured sealing agent; and cooling the thermally cured sealing agent in air at room temperature.

7. The method of Claim 5, wherein the contact between the front panel and the upper surface of the inclined body is performed by means of a ball joint unit, which is located between a vacuum nozzle and a front panel and serves to maintain the inclination of the front panel .

8. The method of Claim 5, which further comprises a means for preventing the front panel from being further moved downward, once the front panel is brought into complete contact with the upper surface of the body by means of the ball joint unit.

9. The method of Claim 8, wherein the means for preventing the front panel from being further moved downward is a motor overload-sensing unit for sensing the overload state of the motor.