Plastic optical components and an optical unit using the same
View Patent ↗The present invention provides a plastic optical component. The plastic optical component has superior characteristics including lightweightness, low cost and suitability for mass production. The plastic optical component exhibits superior moisture barrier quality while experiencing no uneven refractive index profile in their interior even if they are subjected to the effect of water in the environment. An organic-inorganic hybrid layer obtained by a sol-gel process is formed as a moisture-proof coating at least on the surfaces of the plastic optical component's body which are in contact with the outside air.
1. A plastic optical component, wherein an organic-inorganic hybrid layer obtained by a sol-gel process is formed as a moisture-proof coating at least on the surfaces of its body which are in contact with the outside air, wherein the moisture-proof coating further contains an inorganic coating and wherein the inorganic coating is based on at least one of inorganic materials selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride including Si 3 N 4 ; a silicon oxynitride and silicon oxides represented by the formula SiO x (0<x≦2), the thickness of the organic-inorganic hybrid layer is in the range of 0.1-5 μm, the thickness of the inorganic coating is in the range of 10-1000 nm.
2. A plastic optical component, wherein an organic-inorganic hybrid layer obtained by a sol-gel process is formed as a moisture-proof coating on all surfaces of its body, wherein the moisture-proof coating further contains an inorganic coating and wherein the inorganic coating is based on at least one of inorganic materials selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride including Si 3 N 4 ; a silicon oxynitride and silicon oxides represented by the formula SiO x (0<x≦2) the thickness of the organic-inorganic hybrid layer is in the range of 0.1-5 μm, the thickness of the inorganic coating is in the range of 10-1000 nm.
3. A plastic optical component, wherein an organic-inorganic hybrid layer obtained by a sol-gel process is formed as a moisture-proof coating at least on the surfaces of its body which are in contact with the outside air, wherein the moisture-proof coating further contains an organic coating wherein the organic coating is based on at least one of organic materials selected from poly(vinylidene chloride) and vinylidene chloride/vinyl chloride copolymer, the thickness of the organic-inorganic hybrid layer is in the range of 0.1-5 μm, the thickness of the organic coating is in the range of 100-10000 nm.
4. A plastic optical component, wherein an organic-inorganic hybrid layer obtained by a sol-gel process is formed as a moisture-proof coating on all surfaces of its body, wherein the moisture-proof coating further contains an organic coating and the organic coating is based on at least one of organic materials selected from poly(vinylidene chloride) and vinylidene chloride/vinyl chloride copolymer, the thickness of the organic-inorganic hybrid layer is in the range of 0. 1-5 μm, the thickness of the organic coating is in the range of 100-10000 nm.
5. A plastic optical component, wherein an organic-inorganic hybrid layer obtained by a sol-gel process is formed as a moisture-proof coating at least on the surfaces of its body which are in contact with the outside air, wherein the moisture-proof coating further contains an organic coating and wherein the organic coating is a vinyl polymer layer comprising a vinyl polymer having gas barrier quality, the thickness of the organic-inorganic hybrid layer is in the range of 0.1-5 μm, the thickness of the vinyl polymer layer is in the range of 100-10000 nm.
6. A plastic optical component, wherein an organic-inorganic hybrid layer obtained by a sol-gel process is formed as a moisture-proof coating on all surfaces of its body, wherein the moisture-proof coating further conatins an organic coating and the organic coating is a vinyl polymer layer comprising a vinyl polymer having gas barrier quality, the thickness of the organic-inorganic hybrid layer is in the range of 0.1-5 μm, the thickness of the vinyl polymer layer is in the range of 100-10000 nm.
7. A plastic optical component wherein an organic-inorganic hybrid layer obtained by a sol-gel process is formed as a moisture-proof coating at least on the surfaces of its body which are in contact with the outside air, wherein the moisture-proof coating further contains a vinyl polymer layer comprising a vinyl polymer having gas barrier quality and an inorganic layer compound, the relative proportion of the inorganic layer compound and the vinyl polymer in the vinyl polymer layer is in the range from 1/100 to 100/20, the thickness of the organic-inorganic hybrid layer is in the range of 0.1-5 μm, the thickness of the vinyl polymer layer is in the range of 100-10000 nm.
8. A plastic optical component wherein an organic-inorganic hybrid layer obtained by a sol-gel process is formed as a moisture-proof coating on all surfaces of its body, wherein the moisture-proof coating further contains a vinyl polymer layer comprising a vinyl polymer having gas barrier quality and an inorganic layer compound, the relative proportion of the inorganic layer compound and the vinyl polymer in the vinyl polymer layer is in the range from 1/100 to 100/20, the thickness of the organic-inorganic hybrid layer is in the range of 0.1-5 μm, the thickness of the vinyl polymer layer is in the range of 100-10000 nm.
9. The plastic optical component according to claim 1 , in which the sol-gel process comprises a water transfer process, wherein a Sherwood number describing the water transfer process is not greater than 10.
10. The plastic optical component according to claim 2 , in which the sol-gel process comprises a water transfer process, wherein a Sherwood number describing the water transfer process is not greater than 10.
11. An optical unit comprising at least two lenses having different Abbe numbers, at least one of which is the plastic optical component according to claim 1 .
12. An optical unit comprising at least two lenses having different Abbe numbers, at least one of which is the plastic optical component according to claim 1 , the optical unit has an auto-focus mechanism.
13. An optical unit comprising at least two lenses having different Abbe numbers, at least one of which is the plastic optical component according to claim 2 .
14. An optical unit comprising at least two lenses having different Abbe numbers, at least one of which is the plastic optical component according to claim 2 , the optical unit has an auto-focus mechanism.
15. The plastic optical component according to claim 7 , in which the sol-gel process comprises a water transfer process, wherein a Sherwood number describing the water transfer process is not greater than 10.
16. The plastic optical component according to claim 8 , in which the sol-gel process comprises a water transfer process, wherein a Sherwood number describing the water transfer process is not greater than 10.
17. An optical unit comprising at least two lenses having different Abbe numbers, at least one of which is the plastic optical component according to claim 7 .
18. An optical unit comprising at least two lenses having different Abbe numbers, at least one of which is the plastic optical component according to claim 7 , the optical unit has an auto-focus mechanism.
19. An optical unit comprising at least two lenses having different Abbe numbers, at least one of which is the plastic optical component according to claim 8 .
20. An optical unit comprising at least two lenses having different Abbe numbers, at least one of which is the plastic optical component according to claim 8 , the optical unit has an auto-focus mechanism.
21. The plastic optical component according to claim 3 , in which the sol-gel process comprises a water transfer process, wherein a Sherwood number describing the water transfer process is not greater than 10.
22. The plastic optical component according to claim 4 , in which the sol-gel process comprises a water transfer process, wherein a Sherwood number describing the water transfer process is not greater than 10.
23. The plastic optical component according to claim 5 , in which the sol-gel process comprises a water transfer process, wherein a Sherwood number describing the water transfer process is not greater than 10.
24. The plastic optical component according to claim 6 , in which the sol-gel process comprises a water transfer process, wherein a Sherwood number describing the water transfer process is not greater than 10.
25. An optical unit comprising at least two lenses having different Abbe numbers, at least one of which is the plastic optical component according to claim 3 .
26. An optical unit comprising at least two lenses having different Abbe numbers, at least one of which is the plastic optical component according to claim 3 , the optical unit has an auto-focus mechanism.
27. An optical unit comprising at least two lenses having different Abbe numbers, at least one of which is the plastic optical component according to claim 4 .
28. An optical unit comprising at least two lenses having different Abbe numbers, at least one of which is the plastic optical component according to claim 4 , the optical unit has an auto-focus mechanism.
29. An optical unit comprising at least two lenses having different Abbe numbers, at least one of which is the plastic optical component according to claim 5 .
30. An optical unit comprising at least two lenses having different Abbe numbers, at least one of which is the plastic optical component according to claim 5 , the optical unit has an auto-focus mechanism.
31. An optical unit comprising at least two lenses having different Abbe numbers, at least one of which is the plastic optical component according to claim 6 .
32. An optical unit comprising at least two lenses having different Abbe numbers, at least one of which is the plastic optical component according to claim 6 , the optical unit has an auto-focus mechanism.