IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO DEFORMABLE MEMBRANE ASSEMBLIES
[0001] The present invention relates to deformable membrane assemblies in which fluid
pressure is used to control the shape of an elastic membrane by applying a fluid directly to one
face of the membrane, and has particular reference to fluid-filled lenses and mirrors in which the
elastic membrane forms a lens or mirror surface, and the pressure of the fluid is controlled to
adjust the degree of curvature of the membrane and thus the power of the lens or mirror. The
invention is equally applicable to other apparatus or equipment, such as acoustic transducers and
the like, in which an elastic surface of statically or dynamically variable shape is required.
[0002] Fluid filled lenses of the kind in which the pressure of fluid is used to control the shape
of an elastic membrane in contact with the fluid are known in the art. Generally these lenses
may be of the "fluid injection" type, in which the amount of fluid is controlled within an
envelope having a substantially fixed volume that is bounded on one side by the membrane, or
the "fluid compression" type in which the volume of an envelope is adjusted that is bounded on
one side by the membrane and contains a fixed amount of fluid. In each case, the pressure of the
fluid within the envelope is adjusted, either by adding or removing fluid to or from the envelope,
or by changing the volume of the envelope, to control the fluid pressure acting on the membrane,
thereby to control the shape of the membrane.
[0003] Whilst various applications of adjustable lenses are possible, for example in cameras
and other optical equipment, one use is in eyewear. An adjustable lens is particularly useful for
correction of presbyopia - a condition in which the eye exhibits a progressively diminished
ability to focus on close objects with age. An adjustable lens is advantageous because the wearer
can obtain correct vision through a range of distances from long-distance to near vision. This is
more ergonomic than bifocal lenses in which near-vision correction is provided in a bottom
region of the lens, thereby only allowing the user to see close objects in focus when looking
downwardly.
[0004] A disadvantage of many prior art fluid-filled lenses is that they need to be circular, or at
least substantially circular, with a rigid boundary, in order to maintain the sphericity of the
membrane; otherwise unwanted optical distortion occurs. However, circular is not necessarily a
preferred shape for certain applications, including eyewear, because it is not always considered
to be aesthetically appealing for those applications. Round lenses may also be unsuitable or
unpractical for certain applications, such as in optical instruments. Nevertheless, the membrane
is normally required to distend spherically or in accordance with one or more desired modes -
typically one or more orders of the Zernike polynomials.
[0005] In a membrane assembly of the type described above, it is frequently desired that the
elastic membrane should be held under tension (pre-tension) to prevent unwanted sagging or
wrinkling of the membrane owing to temperature or gravitational effects, or as a result of inertial
effects within the fluid when the lens is moved. In some instances, the pre-tension that is
required within the membrane to prevent sagging may be of the same order of magnitude as the
additional tension that is applied to the membrane upon actuation. However, in other assemblies,
depending on the thickness and modulus of the membrane materials it may be several orders of
magnitude greater.
[0006] WO 98/ 458 Ai for instance discloses a selectively variable focus Sens having first
and second transparent, flexible membranes, each of which is tensioned across and held by a
peripheral annular frame formed from first, second and third inter-engaging rings. The lens of
WO 98/ 1458 A is circular, so the peripheral annular frame can be made stiff to support the
membranes under tension without bending
[0007] However, in other membrane assemblies of this kind, the membrane is supported by a
flexible ring or other membrane-supporting member that is designed to bend round its extent
when the pressure of the fluid is adjusted in order to control the shape of the membrane. For
instance, US 5371629 A discloses a variable focal length lens having a non-circular membrane
that is mounted on a membrane support having an annular rim that is designed to f ex in a
controlled manner so that, despite the use of a non-circular membrane, the membrane maintains
a substantially spherical shape as it distends, thereby permitting magnification changes withoutintroducing
undesirable amounts of distortion.
[0008] Co-pending international patent application no. PCT/GB2012/051426, the contents of
which are also incorporated herein by reference, also discloses a deformable membrane assembly
comprising an elastic membrane that is held around its edge by a resiliency bendable supporting
ring.
[0009] One of the problems inherent in the design of the lens of US 5371629 A however is that
the tension in the membrane acts directly on the flexible rim of the membrane support. Although
the increased load applied to the rim upon varying the fluid pressure within the lens may not be
sufficiently great on its own to be a significant problem, any pre-tension applied to the
membrane of sufficient magnitude to prevent sagging or wrinkling to an acceptable degree
would be; the flexible nature of the annular rim means that such a level of pre-tension would
tend to deform or significantly destabilise the rim in an undesired and uncontrolled manner,
which would impair the optical quality of the lens
[0001 ] Such unwanted deformation or instability generally manifests itself in two different
ways. A first of these is inward collapsing or in-plane deformation. Co-pending international
application no. PCT/EP2012/075549, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference,
discloses a deformable membrane assembly comprising an elastic membrane that is held around
its edge by a bendable supporting ring. The assembly described therein includes a bending
controller for preventing the supporting ring from collapsing inwardly under tension of the
membrane, especially pro-tension applied to the membrane to prevent sagging and wrinkling etc.
[0001 ] A second form of the unwanted deformation discussed above is out-of-plane
deformation or distortion. In particular although the membrane is intended to flex spherically, it
is also susceptible to flexing under other undesired modes owing to the surface tension in the
membrane. Specifically the membrane is susceptible to flexing according to energetically
favoured conformations to form a toric ("saddle") or other form. Such undesired modes are
governed by the boundary shape of the membrane and may therefore not be pure Zernike modes.
The risk of undesired toric deformation of the membrane is greater when the membrane is flat,
but still exists to an extent even when the membrane is flexed spherically it will be appreciated
that in contrast to the undesired modes, the desired modes of membrane deformation will usually
be substantially pure Zernike modes based on a unit sphere which ca be regarded as sitting just
outside the boundary of the membrane.
[00012] An object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable fluid-filled lens of the kind
described above, in which deformation of the membrane and membrane supporting member is
stabilised against unwanted modes of deformation and other out-of-plane distortions.
[00013] In one aspect of the present invention therefore there is provided a deformable
membrane assembly comprising a fixed support; a fluid-filled envelope, at least one wall of
which is formed by an elastic membrane that is held under tension around its edge by a flexible
membrane supporting member, the membrane supporting member being coupled to the fixed
support at a plurality of discrete control points round the supporting member by respective
engaging members for controlling the position of the membrane edge relative to the fixed
support at the control points, and the member being unconstrained between said control points;
and a selectively operable pressure adjuster for adjusting the pressure of the fluid within the
envelope, thereby to adjust the shape of the membrane; wherein at leas three control points are
provided which are situated round the membrane edge at spaced locations on the member that
are selected to increase the energy of the lowest order out-of-plane bending modes of the
supporting member in response to loading through tension in the membrane that do not have a
node round the whole supporting member.
[00014] Looked at. another way, said at least three control points may be disposed at locations
round the edge of the membrane that are selected to allow the membrane to deform upon
adjusting the pressure of the fluid in accordance with one or more desired modes, but to inhibit
displacement of the membrane edge in accordance with one or more other undesired modes. As
mentioned above the desired modes may be pure or substantially pure Zernike or other modes,
whereas the undesired modes are determined by the actual outline shape of the membrane.
[00015] According to the present invention therefore the control points may be situated so as to
induce one or more desired membrane bending lower order modes, while suppressing one or
more undesired higher order modes. In some embodiments where there are n control points
(where n is an integer of three or more), the control points may be positioned so as to inhibit
undesired modes of order «+1 and to induce desired modes of order n-1.
[00016] Advantageously the control points may be situated to suppress at least the lowest order
undesired mode that would exist in the absence of any control points in response to loading
through tension in the membrane. Higher order undesired modes may be permitted, but they
tend to be less energetically favoured and involve smaller displacements of the membrane edge,
so they present less of a problem to maintaining the fidelity of the membrane shape. The control
points may be positioned so as to allow the membrane to deform in accordance with at least the
lowest order desired bending mode. Control points may suitably be positioned where the lowest
order desired bending mode has a node that intersects with the supporting member. The control
points may be positioned to inhibit spontaneous deformation of the membrane in accordance
with one or more first, second or third (and/or higher) order undesired modes. Suitably the
control points may be positioned to prevent undesired deformation of the membrane in
accordance with at least the first order undesired modes and optionally also at least selected
second or third order undesired modes that have a node on the membrane edge.
[00017] In some embodiments as described in more detail below, the supporting member may
be controllably displaced at one or more control points, and such selective displacement may in
some embodiments permit controlled deformation of the membrane in accordance with one or
more of the same order of bending modes from which the membrane is inhibited from
spontaneously adopting by the control points. In other words the supporting member may be
selectively moveable at one or more control points in accordance with one or more desired
bending modes to a suppressing position in which those one or more corresponding undesired
modes are suppressed, displacement of the member at the one or more control points away from
the suppressing position then permitting bending of the member according to those one or more
desired modes. Such one or more control points may be actuation points as described below.
[00018] For optical and certain other applications, the desired modes of deformation of the
membrane may be described by one or more Zemike polynomials for which the lens areas sits
within the basic unit circle. Suitably in accordance with the present invention, the Arizona
Fringe coefficient form of Zemike polynomials may be employed. Thus the control points may¬
be positioned to allow at least spherical (second order defocus, Z ) deformation and optionally
spherical and selected second, third and/or fourth order Zemike polynomials to introduce one or
more deviations from spherical selected from astigmatism, coma and trefoil.
[0001 ] The membrane may be circular or non-circular. The control points are arranged to
control the position of the edge of the membrane at the control points. The profile of the
membrane edge between the control points ma be defined by the intersection of the sum of the
one or more desired modes and the outline shape of the membrane between those points.
[00020] Suitably the bending stiffness of the supporting member may vary round the supporting
member, such that upon adjusting the pressure of the fluid, the supporting member bends
appropriately to control the profile of the support member between the control points and thus
control the shape of the membrane. In some embodiments, in order to achieve such variation in
bending stiffness round the supporting member, the dimensions of the ring may vary round its
extent. The supporting member may be made from a substantially uniform and homogeneous
material and have a variable second moment of area. The supporting member may have a
substantially uniform depth and a variable width to control the second moment of area round the
ring and thus the bending stiffness of the ring. In some embodiments, the supporting member
may suitably be cut or stamped from a sheet of metal, e.g.. stainless steel, of substantially
uniform thickness to obtain a circular or non-circular ring of variable width in the plane of the
sheet.
[00021] The bending stiffness round the supporting member may conveniently be determined by
finite element analysis (FEA), for instance as disclosed in PCT/GB2012/051426. In particular,
FEA may be used to calculate the required variation in bending stiffness round the supporting
member that is required to control the bending of the supporting member when subjected to an
increasing load as the membrane that is connected to the supporting member is strained owing to
the increased (or decreased) fluid pressure in order to cause or allow the membrane to achieve a
desired form when distended.
[00022] In some embodiments, the supporting member may have a constant or substantially
constant stiffness round its extent
[00023] Suitably the supporting member may be resiliently bendable.
[00024] Subject to the requirements stipulated above, each control point may be angularly
spaced from its adjacent control points by an angle of 30-120° about the centre of the membrane.
The angular spacing may be 40-1 10° or 50-100° or 60-90° or 90-120° or 100-120°. In this
context by the "centre" is meant a point situated generally centrally of the membrane, which may
be the geometric centre ("box centre") or, in the case of optical applications, the optical centre. It
will be appreciated that it would be ineffective to place a control point at a node of the one or
more undesired modes. However the control points should be situated positions on the
membrane edge that are compatible with the one or more desired modes. In other words the
position of the membrane edge relative to the fixed support at each control point, as controlled
by the respective engaging member, should correspond to the one or more desired modes of
deformation of the membrane.
[00025] Advantageously therefore in accordance with the invention control points may be
positioned on the edge of the membrane at discrete locations round its extent to inhibit
spontaneous undesired modes of deformation (e.g. toric modes) of the membrane as a result of
the surface tension in the membrane. It will be appreciated that by judicious placement of the
control points certain desired modes of one order may be permitted, while inhibiting other
undesired modes, including others of the same order.
[00026] The adjuster ay be selectively operable for injecting or removing fluid from the
envelope for controlling the pressure of fluid in the envelope. Thus the volume of the envelope
may remain substantially constant (other than distension of the membrane or other parts of the
envelope causing a slight increase or decrease in the actual volume) and the fluid pressure may
be controlled y selectively injecting or removing fluid from the envelope for example by means
of a selectively operable pump ("injection mode").
[00027] In some embodiments, each of said control points may comprise a hinge point at which
the membrane supporting member is hinged by the respective engaging member to the fixed
support. At the hinge points the supporting member may be held at a fixed location relative to
the support, but a degree of in-plane movement may be permitted. It follows that at each hinge
point the membrane edge should be a point of zero or substantially zero displacement relative to
the fixed support for deformation in accordance with said one or more desired modes. Further,
the hinge points should be disposed at locations on the membrane edge that are points of non
zero displacement relative to the fixed support for deformation in accordance with said one or
more undesired modes, so as to inhibit movement of the membrane edge at those points. In
some embodiments there should be at least three hinge points on the supporting member.
Suitably more than three hinge points may be provided, e.g. 4, 5, 6 or more hinge points.
[00028] In embodiments in which spherical (defocus) deformation of the membrane is permitted
but other modes are undesired, the hinge points may suitably be situated equidistant or
substantially equidistant from the centre of the deformation, e.g. the optical centre for lenses or
miiTors. In such cases, the hinge points may all lie on a circular contour of zero displacement
that is concentric with the centre of deformation.
[00029] n embodiments where additional modes are desired, for instance second order
astigmatism, the hinge points may still be disposed on a contour of zero or substantially zero
displacement relative to the fixed support, but they will not then be equidistant from the centre
n other words in such cases the contour of zero displacement would be non-circular. In either
case, the hinge points may be positioned where the contour of zero or substantially zero
displacement intersects with the membrane edge.
[00030] Alternatively said adjuster may be selectively operable for adjusting the volume of the
envelope thereby to control the pressure of the fluid in the envelope, e.g. an envelope volume
adjusting mechanism. For instance, the envelope may be compressible and mounted to said
fixed support, and said adjuster may be operable for compressing or expanding the envelope
against the fixed support, e.g., in the manner of bellows, thereby to change the volume of the
envelope with a fixed amount of fluid ("expansion mode" or "compression mode").
[0003 ] The fixed support may be arranged to hold the envelope at a first position on the
envelope, and the adjuster may be arranged to apply a compressive or expansive force to the
envelope at a second position on the envelope, the first and second positions being spaced apart
in the direction of compression or expansion and the envelope having a flexible side wall
between the first and second positions to allow the envelope to be compressed or expanded.
[00032] The envelope may be held around its periphery by the fixed support at the first position,
or the fixed support may comprise a rigid body to which the envelope is mounted. For example
the envelope may further comprise another wall opposite the membrane, and said other wail may
be disposed contiguously against the rigid body.
[00033] In yet another embodiment, said other opposite wall of the envelope may be rigid and
may serve as the or part of the fixed support.
[00034] Suitably, the other wall may be optically transparent for at least a range of wavelengths
of interest and may provide a lens surface.
[00035] The fluid-filled compressible or expandable envelope may suitably be resilientiy
compressible or expandable. When compressed (or expanded) the pressure within the envelope
is adjusted as compared with ambient pressure, and upon removing the force that serves to
compress (or expand) the envelope upon actuation of the assembly, the envelope may return
resilientiy to an un-actuated state to balance the pressure across the membrane. In this way, the
fluid-filled envelope may behave like a fluid-filled cushion.
[00036] n some embodiments in which the assembly operates in compression (or expansion)
mode, the supporting member may be held a fixed location relative to the fixed support and the
pressure adjuster may be configured for compressing or expanding the envelope relative to the
fixed support. In such embodiments, each of the control points may comprise a hinge point as
described above.
[00037] n some embodiments however the supporting member may be moveable relative to the
fixed support for compressing or expanding the envelope. Suitably the supporting member may
be spaced from the fixed support and the relative spacing between the two may be adjustable by
the pressure adjuster n some embodiments, the envelope may be mounted to the fixed support
such that movement of the membrane supporting member relative to the support causes the fluid
filled envelope to be compressed or expanded.
[00038] Suitably, at least one of the control points may comprise an actuation point, the adjuster
being connected to the membrane supporting member at the or each actuation point by the
respective engaging member for controlled displacement of the supporting member relative to
the fixed support for adjusting the volume of the envelope. The engaging member should be
controlled at the or each actuation point so as to displace the membrane supporting member
relative to the fixed support in accordance with said one or more desired modes. This is
important to maintain the fidelity of the membrane form.
[00039] As mentioned above, the position of one or more actuation points may be selected to
control displacement of the support member in accordance with one or more desired bending
modes, especially lower order modes. Thus the supporting member may be selectively moveable
at one or more actuation points to a suppressing position in which one or more undesired
bending modes are suppressed, but movement of the member at the actuation point away from
the suppressing position then permitting bending according to one or more desired modes of the
same order. This may be especially useful for selectively inhibiting or allowing bending of the
supporting member in accordance with one more second order modes (e.g. astigmatism).
[00040] In some embodiments, all of the control points may comprise an actuation point.
Alternatively at. least one other of the control points ay comprise a hinge point at which the
membrane supporting member is hinged by the respective engaging member to the fixed support
as described above. Suitably at least one actuation point and at least two hinge points may be
provided. In some embodiments there may be at least one actuation point and three or more
hinge points, for example 3, 4, 5, 6 or more hinge points.
[00041] Suitably, a control point - a hinge point or actuation point may be situated at or
proximate each location round the supporting member where the intersection of the outline shape
of the edge of the membrane with the one or more desired modes of deformation of the
membrane exhibits a turning point (anti-node) in the direction of the force or reaction applied to
the supporting member by the respective engaging member, between two adjacent points where
the profile of the supporting member exhibits an inflection point, or a turning point in the
opposite direction. Usually, but not necessarily, the engaging members may apply a force to the
supporting member at each control point in the same direction.
[00042] n some embodiments, said control points may further comprise at least one additional
hinge point situated at a point on the supporting member where the supporting member remains
substantially stationary as the pressure in the envelope is adjusted There may be more than one
additional hinge point. The additional hinge points are not located at turning points, but may be
conveniently on the contour of zero displacement where it crosses the membrane supporting
member. Typically two, three, four, five or more such additional hinge points may be provided.
[00043] The membrane supporting member holds the membrane around its edge. Suitably the
supporting member may encircle the membrane. In the case of an assembly that operates in
compression mode or expansion mode, the supporting member may hold the fluid-filled
envelope at the second position on the envelope as mentioned above. The supporting member
may comprise a plurality of discrete sections that are spaced circumferentially round the
membrane, but typically the supporting member extends continuously round the membrane in
the form of a closed loop. Suitably, the membrane supporting member may comprise a
supporting ring that holds the edge of the membrane. By "ring" s meant a closed loop having
the same shape as the edge of the membrane; the term "ring" as used herein does not. necessarily
imply that the supporting member is circular. The ring may have an inner side defining an
opening across which the membrane is disposed, and an outer side that is unconstrained except at
the control points.
[00044] In some embodiments, said membrane may be generally elongate, being longer on one
axis than on an orthogonal axis, which axes pass through the centre (boxing centre or optical
centre) of the membrane, and having two opposite long sides that extend across said orthogonal
axis. The control points may comprise at least one actuation point on the supporting member
proximate one end of the one axis, at least one hinge point proximate the other end of the one
axis and at least one intermediate hinge point on one of the long sides of the supporting member
intermediate the one end of the one axis and the centre. In other words the intermediate hinge
point may be disposed at a point whose orthogonal projection onto the one axis is between the
centre and the actuation point. One or more intermediate hinge points may be provided that are
additional hinge points as defined above.
[00045] The membrane may be generally oval or rectangular. In some embodiments, the
membrane may suitably have a common eyewear lens shape, e.g. a shape selected from oval,
semi-oval, rectangular, wayfarer, aviator, navigator, half-eye, cat-eye, semi-cat-eye, octagon,
hexagon, pentagon, semi-square, etc.
[00046] There may be one or more actuation points proximate the one end of the one axis. In
some embodiments, these may be the sole actuation points round the supporting member.
Advantageously, at least two intermediate hinge points may be situated on the supporting
member between said one or more actuation points at the one end of the one axis and the centre
of the membrane, one on one of the long sides of the supporting member and the other on the
other long side. Suitably at least three hinge points may be provided in addition to the said one
or more actuation points.
[00047] The membrane shape may be continuously adjustable, and at each position the
supporting member may be displaced at the or each actuation point by a distance that conforms
to the displacement of the actuation point in accordance with the desired bending modes.
[00048] The body of fluid may be contained within a fluid-tight or volume-conserving envelope,
one wall of which is formed by the elastic membrane. The fluid may be any suitable fluid,
including gases. For instance, the fluid may be water or air. To an extent, the choice of fluid
will be determined by the intended application for the defor nab e membrane assembly. In some
embodiments, a grease or gel may suitably be used. For optical uses, where the membrane
assembly may be a variable focus transmitting lens assembly, transparent oil at the wavelength
of interest, such as silicone oil for the visible spectrum, which can be index-matched to other
components of the assembly has been found to be particularly advantageous. Suitably said fluid
may comprise a silicone oil such, for example, as 1,3,5-trimethyl-l, 1,3,5,5-
pentaphenyltrisiloxane having a molecular weight of 546.88 (which is commercially available
from Dow Corning Corporation of Midland, Michigan, USA under the trade name DC-705) or
l,3,3,5-tetramethyl-l,l,5,5-tetraphenyltrisiloxane having a molecular weight of 484.81 (available
from Do Coming under the trade name DC-704). Those skilled in the art will understand that
this also comprises the functional form of a doublet (or triplet), and proper selection of materials
may improve chromatic aberration correction under certain circumstances, and therefore it may
be desirable to have the index and dispersion (abbe number) be suitably different.
[0004S ] The membrane may be made from any suitable elastic material known to those skilled
in the art. For optical applications, the membrane may be reflective, or have a reflective coating
on its surface opposite to the envelope, or maybe optically transparent, at least for a range of
wavelengths of interest - for instance visible light. Suitably the membrane should have a
substantially uniform biaxial stress/strain relationship, with an elastic modulus of up to
about 100 MPa. Membranes with an elastic modulus in the range 1-10 or 20 MPa have been
found to be satisfactory. For instance, in one embodiment, a membrane with an elastic modulus
of about 5 MPa may be used n some embodiments, the membrane may be made from a
material having a non-uniform stress/strain relationship. Suitable membrane materials include
polyethylene terephthalate (e.g. Mylar®), polyesters, silicone elastomers (e.g.
poly(dimethylsiloxane), thermoplastic polyurethanes, including cross-linked polyurethanes (e.g.
Tuftane®), vinylidene chloride polymers (e.g. Saran®) or glass of suitable thickness n some
embodiments, the membrane may comprise a single layer of material, but in other embodiments,
the membrane may comprise a plurality of laminated layers.
[00050] The membrane may advantageously be pre-tensioned on the membrane supporting
member. In the case of a laminated membrane comprising a plurality of layers, it is desirable
that at least one of the layers should be held under pre-tension when the membrane is flat or
minimally distended. The membrane may be held by the supporting member under tension,
whereby the -tension serves to reduce or minimise sagging of the membrane when the pressure
difference across the membrane is minimal. In some embodiments the membrane may be pretensioned
to a strain of up to about 30%; pre-strains of between 0.5-20%, 1-10% or 1-5%, e.g. 2
or 3%, may be appropriate in some embodiments. Suitably the membrane may be uniformly
radially stretched prior to attachment to the supporting member, but in some embodiments, the
membrane may be stretched non-uniformly, especially where the membrane has a non-uniform
stress/strain relationship.
[0005 Adjusting the pressure of the fluid causes the membrane to distend and become more
curved. Upon actuation the membrane is stretched and the strain in the membrane increases n
some embodiments, for some applications, the actuation strain may be up to about 57%. but
more typically, the incremental actuation strain may be in the range 0.05% to 10%, 5%, 20% or
25%. n some embodiments, for instance where the assembly comprises a lens, the strain in the
membrane may increase upon actuation by up to about 1%. Suitably the actuation strain may be
in the range about 0 1-5%, e.g. about 0.25%.
[00052] The fluid-filled envelope may comprise an inflexible rear wal that is spaced from the
membrane and a flexible side wall between the membrane and the rear wall f desired, the
membrane rear wall and fluid can be optically transparent such that the membrane and rear wall
form an adjustable optical lens. The rear wall may be shaped to provide a lens having some
optical power, e.g., a fixed lens. The membrane assembly may further comprise a transparent
rigid front cover over the membrane, which front cover is optionally shaped to provide a ens
having some optical power, e.g., a fixed lens.
[00053] In addition to the control points, one or more bending control members, or bending
controllers, may control the bending or other deformation of the membrane supporting member
in response to the surface tension in the membrane as disclosed in PCT/EP2012/075549.
[00054] n some embodiments, said one or more bending control members may comprise a
supporting disk of substantially the same shape as the edge of the membrane and may be fixedly
secured to the membrane supporting member so as to allow the transmission of forces
therebetween. As described in PCT/EP20 12/075549, the supporting disk may be configured to
resist "in-plane" deformation of the supporting member, while permitting "out-of-piane" bending
for controlling the shape of the membrane.
[00055] The membrane assembly of the present invention may be used for a variety of different
applications in which it is desired to deform progressively and controUably a membrane to
provide a surface having a desired form. The membrane assembly may be used for both static
and dynamic applications. Thus, in some embodiments, the membrane may be required to
deform statically, bu for other applications such, for example, as in the field of acoustics, the
membrane may be required to adjust its shape dynamically. For example, the assembly may be
used to provide an acoustic surface, e.g., a diaphragm for a loudspeaker or other acoustic
transducer. A particular application of the membrane assembly however lies in the field of
optics, where the membrane may be used to provide a lens or mirror surface, or both.
[00056] For optical applications, especially where the assembly comprises a lens or other device
that is intended to transmit light, it may be desirable in some embodiments that all parts of the
assembly that lie within the field of view should be index-matched in terms of their refractive
index over the spectral range of interest.
[00057] in yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided an article of eyewear
comprising a deformable membrane assembly in accordance with the invention. The article of
eyewear ay comprise a frame with a rim portion and one or two temples, and the deformable
membrane assembly can be mounted to the rim portion
[00058] Following is a description by way of example only with reference to the accompanying
drawings of embodiments of the present invention.
[00059] n the drawings::
[00060] FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above of the front of a pair of eyeglasses comprising a
frame thai is fitted with two fluid-filled lens assemblies in accordance with a first embodiment of
the present invention;
[00061] FIG. 2a is a perspective view from above and to the left of the left-hand side of the
eyeglasses of FIG. 1 showing how one of the lens assemblies of the first embodiment is fitted to
the frame; FIG. 2b is a perspective view from above and to the reverse side of the eyeglasses of
FIG. 1 (i.e. from the wearer's side), also showing how the lens assembly is fitted to the frame.
[00062] FIG 3 is a front elevation of the one lens assembly of FIG. 2 in an un-actuated state;
[0(5063] FIG 4 is a cross-section of the one lens assembly along the line V- V of FIG. 3;
[00064] FIG 5 is a cross-section of the one lens assembly along the line V-V of FIG. 3;
[00065] FIG. 6 is a cross-section of the one lens assembly along the line V -V of FIG. 3;
[00066] FIG. 7 is a perspective view from below and to the left of the front of the one lens
assembly which is shown cutaway along the line VI-VI of FIG. 3;
[00067] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the one lens assembly of the first embodiment, showing
the parts of the assembly;
[00068] FIG. 9 is a front elevation of the flexible membrane and membrane supporting rings of
the one lens assembly in an actuated state, showing how the hinge points are arranged; contour
lines are included to indicate the curvature of the membrane when actuated;
[00069] FIG. 10 shows the membrane and rings of FIG. 9 i the actuated state projected onto a
notional sphere of radius R;
[00070] FIG. 1 is a cross-section of the one lens assembly corresponding to FIG 4 but showing
the assembly in an actuated state; and
[00071] FIG. 12 is a cross-section of the one lens assembly corresponding to FIG. 5 but showing
the assembly in an actuated state.
[00072] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of one half of a two-part retaining ring for holding the
lens assembly, showing the actuation mechanism for the lens; and
[00073] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the membrane and rings when they have undergone
unwanted tone deformation.
[00074] As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of eyeglasses 90 (UK: spectacles) comprises a frame 92
having two rim portions 93 and two temples 94. The rim portions 93 are joined by a bridge 95,
and each rim portion 93 is shaped and dimensioned to carry a respective lens assembly 1, in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. One of the lens assemblies 1 is used
for the left-hand side of the eyeglasses, and the other ' is used for the right-hand side. As
illustrated in FIG. 2b, the rim portion 93 is formed in its rear side with a recess 1 that
accommodates the respective lens assembly 1, 1' . The respective lens assemblies 1, are snapfitted
into their respective recesses 101, 10 .
[00075] As shown in FIG. 2b, in the regions of the upper comer of each lens assembly 1, ' at
the nose side, there is formed a protrusion 98, 98'. ("Upper" refers to uppermost when the
eyeglasses are worn). The frame is formed with corresponding recesses 00, 100' (the recess
00' on the right-hand side of the bridge 95 is ot visible in the figure) into which the
protrusions 98, 98' fit.
[00076] It is also apparent from FIGS. 2a and 2b that the rim portions 93 each extend rearwards
to form a truncated temple 96, 96'. The truncated temples have recesses 02, 102' formed in
their interior faces, which accommodate adjusters 104, 104' of the lens assemblies , G . The
adjusters 104, 104' each comprise a manually-operable adjuster wheel 106, 106' each of which
contains a central aperture 108, 108'. A post 110, 0' protrudes from each of the temples 94 at
the ends intended for joining to the frame 93 and is dimensioned to push-fit into its respective
aperture 108, 108'. Also protruding from each end of the temples 94 are screws 2, 12',
which protrudes from slightly inwards (towards the bridge 95) of the respective posts 0, 1 0'
(referred to hereinafter as "inner screws"). A locator post 3, 113' protrudes from slightly
belo ("below" refers to below when the glasses are worn) the posts 0, 0' . The screws 2,
2' and the locator posts 113, 3' protrude parallel to the posts 10, 1 0' and they also fit into
the adjusters 04, 104' and the truncated temples 96, 96' Specifically each adjuster 104, 04' is
formed with a respective screw thread 212, 2' positioned for alignment with the inner screws
1 2, 12' . Each truncated temple 96, 96' is formed with a correspondingly-aligned screw thread
3 2, 312' . Similarly each adjuster 104. 104' is formed with a respective recess , 2 3'
positioned for alignment with the locator posts 3, 3'. Each truncated temple 96, 96' is
formed with a correspondingly-aligned recess 3 3, 313' .
[00077] Thus, in order to fit the frame 93 to the temples 94, sandwiching the lens assembly I , V
therebetween, the posts , 0' on the temples 94 are aligned with the apertures 08, 08' in
the respective adjuster wheels 106, 106' . Also, the inner screws 12, ' are aligned with the
screw threads 2 12, 2 12' in the adjusters 104, 104' and the screw threads 312, 312' in the
truncated temples 96, 96' . Further the locator pots 1 3, 13' are aligned with the recesses 3,
2 13' in the adjusters 104, 104' and with the recesses 313, 313' in the truncated temples 96, 96' .
Thus the inner screws 12, 12' can be screwed into the screw threads 2, 212' in the adjusters
04, 104' and then on into the screw threads 312, 3 2' in the truncated temples 96, 96'. The
lower screws and then on into the screw threads 312, 312' in the truncated temples 96, 96' . This
results in a push-fit between the posts 1 0, 1 0' and the apertures 08, 08' and also between the
locator posts , 13' with the recesses 2 , 212' in the adjusters 04, 04' and the recesses
3 3 in the truncated temples 96, 96' .
[00078] t will be noted that the adjuster 04 is not shown in FIG. 2a. This is so that an outer
face of a cam plate 2 and its ratchet 22 are visible. The cam plate 1 2 will be described in
more detail below.
[00079] As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2b, the right-hand and left-hand lens assemblies 1, 1'
are mirror images of each another, their construction being otherwise identical. Only the lefthand
lens assembly 1 is described in detail below, but it will be appreciated that the construction
and operation of the right-hand side assembly ' is substantially the same.
[00080] As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 9, in the present embodiment, the left-hand lens assembly 1
has a generally rectangular shape with two opposing long sides 3, 5 and two short sides 7, 9 and
is designed to fit in the recess 0 of the frame 92 as described above. It will be appreciated that
the shape of the lens assembly shown is only one example of a suitable shape, and a deformable
membrane assembly, such as a ens assembly, according to the invention may be given a wide
variety of different shapes. The invention is especially suited for non-round shapes such as the
one shown in FIGS. 3 and 9, but the teachings of the invention are also applicable to round
lenses and other devices that include a deformable membrane to provide a surface having a
predefined form.
[00081] As illustrated in FIG.8, the lens assembly 1 comprises a transparent front cover plate 4,
a transparent rear cover plate 6 and a two-part housing in the form of a retaining ring 6a, 6b,
which serves to hold the parts of the lens assembly 1 together, with the front and rear cover
plates 4, being spaced apart on the front-rear axis - the z axis as shown in FIG. 8. The
retaining ring 6 comprises a front shell 6a and a rear shell 6b.
[00082] The front cover plate 4 may be of glass or a suitable transparent polymeric material n
the lens assembly 1 of the present embodiment, the front cover plate is about 1.5 mm thick, but
this may be varied. In some embodiments, the front cover plate 4 may comprise a lens of fixed
focal power(s), for example a single vision (single power), multi-focal (two or more powers),
progressive (graded power) or even an adjustable element. As shown in FIG. 4, for example, in
the present embodiment, the front cover plate 4 is plano-convex.
[00083] The rear cover plate 6 has a front face 17 and a rear face 14 and may be made of glass
or transparent polymer. In the present embodiment, the rear cover plate is about 1.5 mm
thick, but this may be varied as desired. As with the front cover plate 4, in some embodiments,
the rear cover plate 6 may form a lens of a fixed focal power In the present embodiment, for
example, the rear cover plate 16 is a meniscus lens, as best seen in FIG. 4 .
[00084] As shown in FIG 8, the front shell 6a of the retaining ring 6 is formed with a
rearwardly extending side wall 38 which extends rearwardiy from the outer extent of the front
shel 6a. The width of the front shell 6a at its front is defined by a front rim 40, against which
other parts of the lens assembly 1 can fit, as described in more detail below. On the inner face of
the side wall 38 are formed a plurality of recesses 39, two of which are labelled in FIG. 8. The
location of these recesses around the front shell 6a will be discussed in more detail below. The
front shell 6a also carries the adjuster 04 It can be understood from FIGS. 2b, 3 and 8 that the
adjuster 104 is disposed on the short side 7 of the lens assembly.
[00085] As best seen in FIG. 8, the rear shell 6b of the retaining ring is formed with a
frontwardly extending side wall 37, which extends frontwardly from the outer extent of the rear
shell 6 . The width of the rear shell 6b at its rear is defined by a rear rim 33, against which other
parts of the lens assembly 1 can fit, as described in more detail below. On an inner face 8a of
the side wall 37 are formed a corresponding plurality of supporting fingers or posts 36, located in
corresponding locations to the recesses 39. These supporting fingers protrude forwards from the
side wall 37. The rear shell 6b is also formed with an adjuster cover portion 23, integrally
moulded as part of the rear shell 6b (although this is not essential), which cover portion 23
extends rearwards - it can be appreciated from FIG. 8 that this cover portion 23 is shaped and
dimensioned to fit over a shaft 105 of the adjuster 104.The shaft 105 projects rearwardly rom
the front of the front shell and the adjuster wheel 106 is held on the shaft 05 at its rear end.
[00086] To assemble the lens assembly , the front shell 6a and the rear shell 6b are pushed
together, with other components of the lens assembly 1 (these components do not include the
front cover plate 4 and the rear cover plate 6) in between them. The rear shell 6b is dimensioned
to fit contiguously against the front shell 6a, the supporting fingers 36 fitting snugly into the
recesses 39. It will be appreciated that in view of the fact that the posts 36 protrude forward y
from the side wall 37, when fitted together, the front 6a and rear 6b shells can be fitted together
whilst allowing room for the other components of the lens assembly 1 to be sandwiched
inbetween them. The two may be glued together.
[00087] t can be seen in FIG. 8 that the protrusion 98 described above which fits into the recess
0 when fitting the lens assembly 1 into the frame 93, is formed on the rear shell 6b.
[00088] As noted above, the rear cover plate 6 is shown in FIG. 8 as being outside the rear
shell 6b, and the front cover plate 4 is shown as being outside the front shell 6a. The outer face
of the rearwardly-extending wall 8 of the front shell 6a, is bevelled. The front cover plate 4 is
correspondingly shaped so that it can fit securely between the bevel and the recess 101 of the
frame 93 when the lens assembly 1 is fitted into the frame 93. Nevertheless, the front cover plate
4 is glued to the rearwardly-extending wail 38 to form a seal. Similarly, the rear cover plate 16
is glued to the rear shell 6b. It is also glued to a fluid-filled bag 1 of the lens assembly, as wil
be discussed in more detail below. Once the rear cover plate 6 and the front cover plate 4 are in
place either side of the retaining ring 6a, 6b and the two parts of the retaining ring 6a, 6b are
fitted together in the manner described above, the lens assembly 1 constitutes a sealed unit
defining an interior void.
[00089] As best seen in FIG. 2b, the retaining ring 6a, 6b is shaped and dimensioned to be
received snugly within the frame 93, so that when the lens assembly 1 is held as described above
with reference to FIG. 2b, it is held stably without movement. The retaining ring 6 thus forms a
stable fixed support for the movable parts of the lens assembly . as described below.
[00090] Within the void, the lens assembly 1 accommodates a dish-shaped part 2 having a
flexible side wall 18 with a forward sealing flange 20, a rear wall and. In the present
embodiment, the dish-shaped part 12 is made of transparent DuPont® boPET (biaxially-oriented
polyethylene terephthalate) and is about 6 m thick, but other suitable materials for the dishshaped
part may be used and the thickness adjusted accordingly. The rear wall of the dishshaped
part is bonded contiguously to the front face 1 of the rear cover plate 6. For this
purpose, a transparent pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) such, for example, as 3M® 821 1
adhesive may be employed. In the present embodiment, a layer of PSA of about 25 m thickness
is used, but this may be varied as required.
[00091] 'The side wall 8 of the dish-shaped part 12 is accommodated floatingly within the
retaining ring 6a, 6b adjacent the inner face a of the rear shell 6b. This floating arrangement
allows the dish-shaped part to be compressed in the region of the one short side 7 when actuated,
and allows other moveable parts of the lens assembly to operate unimpeded by the retaining
ring 6a, 6b, as described in more detail below.
[00092] The forward sealing flange 20 of the dish-shaped part 12 is bonded to the rear surface of
transparent diaphragm comprising a disk 24 that serves as a bending control member, as
described in more detail below. The disk 24 may have a thickness of about 0.1- .0 mm,
preferably 0.3-0.7 mm, e.g. about 0.5 mm, and may be made of polycarbonate, nylon or glass in
the case of a ens assembly, or a variety of plastic, metallic or ceramic components or composites
in the case of an acoustic or non-transmitting membrane assembly. In the present embodiment,
as best shown in FIG. 8, the dis 24 comprises a flat plate of polycarbonate having a thickness of
about 0.5 mm, but suitable alternative materials that provide the required properties described
below may be used instead. In the lens assembly of the present embodiment, the disk 24 is
transparent, but this may not be essential in other embodiments, for example, non-optical
embodiments. As best seen in FIG. 8, the transparent disk 24 comprises a large central aperture
232, such that it is of generally annular shape. The effect of the large central aperture 232 is to
decouple the bending of the transparent disk 24 in the X and Y directions to maintain
substantially uniform out of plane bending stiffness of the transparent disk 24 on the z-axis
during actuation of the assembly 1, as described below.
[00093] The purpose of the transparent disk 24 is explained below. Various alternative designs
of the disk 24 are described in more detail in co-pending international application no.
PCT/EP201 2/075549. As explained in that application, the precise number, size and
arrangement of apertures in the transparent disk 24 may be varied as desired for example a
plurality of smaller apertures spaced across the disk 24 may be provided. In the present
embodiment, the dish- haped part 2 is sealingly adhered to the rear surface of the disk 24 using
Loctite® 3555 adhesive, but suitable alternatives will be known to those skilled in the art.
[00094] The front surface of the transparent disk 24 is sealed to a membrane sub-assembly
comprising a transparent, non-porous, elastic membrane 8 that is sandwiched between a pair of
resiliently bendable membrane supporting rings comprising a front ring 2 and a rear ring 10.
Said supporting rings 2, 0 may be made from any material that has a sufficiently high modulus
to be made thin relative to the overall dimensions of the membrane assembly (e.g. about 0 05 to
about 0.5 mm thickness), is joinable to the adjacent components, exhibits or is so conditioned as
to exhibit low creep (to continue to perform over multiple uses) and is elastiealiy deformable.
Thus the supporting rings 2, 10 may be made from metal, e.g. stainless steel or titanium; other
possibilities are glass and sapphire. By "joinable" is meant joinable by adhesive, crimping, laser
welding or ultrasonic welding, or any other means that would be apparent and available to those
skilled in the art. The front ring 2 may have a thickness in the range 0.2-0.75 mm, suitably
0.3 or 0.4 mm to 0.5 mm. The rear ring 0 may have a thickness in the range 0.01-0.25 mm,
suitably 0.025-0.1 mm, e.g. about 0.05 mm.
[00095] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the rings 2, 0 are of substantially the same overall
geometry as each other and are dimensioned for being received within the interior void of the
retaining ring such that the front ring 2 sits adjacent the front shell 6a of the retaining ring.
However, there is a space between the front ring 2 and the front shell 6a so that the rings 2, 0
can change shape or move during use of the ens. The front and rear rings 2, 10 together form a
supporting member for the elastic membrane. In the present embodiment, the rings 2, 10 are cut
from a sheet of stainless steel and the rear ring 0 is about 0.3 mm thick, while the front ring 10
is about 0.05mm thick. Other materials may be used and the thickness adjusted accordingly to
provide the desired stiffness.
[00096] n the present embodiment, the membrane 8 is made of cross-linked polyurethane and is
about 0.5 mm thick, but alternative materials with a suitable modulus of elasticity may be used
as desired. For instance, the membrane 8 may alternatively be made of polyesters, e.g.
polyethylene terephthalate (e.g. Mylar*'), silicone elastomers (e.g. poly(dimethylsiloxane)), other
thermoplastic polyurethanes, vinylidene chloride polymers (e.g. Saran®) or glass of suitable
thickness.
[00097] The membrane 8 is pre-tensioned to a strain of up to about 20% and bonded to the rings
2, 10 such that it is stably supported around its edge as shown in FIGS. 4-7, 9 and . In the
present embodiment, the membrane 8 is adhered to the front and rear rings 2, 0 using Loctite
3555 adhesive. The membrane 8 should form a fluid-tight seal with at least the rear ring 0.
[00098] The shape of the front ring 2 is shown in more detail in FIG. 9. The front ring 2
comprises a number of tabs 120 around its extent, which protrude outwards from the general
shape of the front ring 2 i.e. away from its central enclosed area but in plane with the centra!
enclosed area of the ring 2. Apart from the thickness, the rear ring ί 0 (not visible in FIG. 9) is
shaped and dimensioned similarly to the front ring 2, except it does not have any tabs.
[00099] The width of the front and rear rings 2, 0 in the x-y plane varies round the periphery of
the assembly , such that together they have a bending stiffness which varies in a predetermined
manner round their extent. This is to provide for bending of the supporting rings 2, 10 when the
assembly 1 is actuated to control deformation of the flexible membrane 8 and hence the power of
the lens, as described in more detail below. The rear ring 0 also serves to space the membrane
8 from the disk 24.
[000100] it is desirable that the front and rear supporting rings 2, 0 should act together to
balance the torsional forces applied to the rings 2, 0, optionally in combination with the
transparent disk 24, when the membrane 8 is tensioned as described in co-pending international
application no. PCT/GB2012/051426.
[0001 0 1] The tabs 1 0 on the front disk 2 are substantially square in shape but this shape is
not essential.
[000102] Referring again to FIG. 9, the front ring 2 has eight tabs 120. Three of the tabs,
labelled 120a-c, are spaced along the short side 7 of the lens assembly 1, where the adjuster 4
is situated. These three tabs 120a-c are used as actuation points for actuating the lens to adjust it
and they are mechanically connected to the adjuster 104. Details of the adjustment mechanism
are described below with respect to FIG. 3. The other five tabs 20d-h are spaced around the
other short side 9 and the two long sides 3 and 5 of the lens assembly . As can be seen from the
circle drawn as a dotted line in FIG. 9, these five protrusions all sit substantially on an imaginary
circle having the optical centre OC of the lens as its centre. For ergonomic reasons, the OC is
leftwards of the geometric centre in the figure, i.e. closer to the bridge 95 than to the temple 94.
The OC corresponds to the poin t of maximum distension of the deformed shape of the elastic
membrane 8 when the lens is in use. Two of the tabs, 120d and 120h, lie intermediate the OC
and the one short side 7 of the assembly 1. One of these, the tab 120h, is disposed on the upper
long side 3 of the supporting member; the other of these, the tab 120d, is disposed o the lower
long side 5. A third tab 20g lies on the upper long side 3 towards the upper left corner in the
Figure. A fourth tab 1 0e lies on the lower long side, towards the lower left comer in the figure.
The fifth tab 120f lies on the other short side 9, a little below a line (shown dotted) passing
through the OC and the central actuation tab 120b.
[000103] Referring back to FIG. 8, the tabs 120 are dimensioned to fit into the recesses 39
in the front shell 6a of the retaining ring. The tabs 0 sit on the supporting fingers 3 of the
rear shell 6b As the rear shell 6b and the front shell 6a are assembled together, the supporting
fingers 36 butt up to the tabs 0 and both the tabs 20 and the supporting fingers 36 fit within
the recesses 39 of the front shell 6a of the retaining ring 6. The supporting fingers 36 and the
recesses 39 are dimensioned such that if the fron and rear shells, 6a, 6b were fitted together
without the lens assembly 1 accommodated therebetween, there would be a small gap between
the ends of the supporting fingers and the front shel 6a. Thus this gap leaves space for the tabs
120. Thus the tabs 120 can be clamped between the front and rear shells 6a, 6b of the retaining
ring to hold the moveable parts of the lens assembly 1 fixedly i the retaining ring 6a, 6b. Some
hinging movement and in plane sliding movement can occur at the tabs 120.
[00 4] The five tabs 120d-h that are not situated on the one short side 7 (and hence
which do not serve as actuation points) thus serve to hinge the membrane sub-assembly to the
retaining ring 6 juxtaposed the other short side 9 All of these five points can be considered to be
hinge points at which the rings 2, 10 and the membrane are held relative to a fixed support
provided by the retaining ring 6. Displacement of the membrane sub-assembly on the z-axis at
the actuation points 120a-e to increase the fluid pressure causes the portion of the membrane
sub-assembly juxtaposed the one short side 7 of the assembl 1 to move towards or away from
the rear wa 9 of the dish-shaped part which is held stably by the retaining ring 6, while the
sub-assembly is also held immobile relative to the rear wall at the remaining hinge points
120d-h, which serve as hinge points. Portions of the rings 2, 0 between the control points 120ah
otherwise "float" freely in the void between the rear cover 6 and the front cover 4.
[000 5] Any suitable actuation device known to those skilled in the art may be employed
for selectively displacing the membrane sub-assembly at the actuation points 120a-c relative to
the retaining ring 6 between an un-acruated position as shown in FIGS. 4-7 in which the front
and rear rings 2, 10 and membrane 8 are substantially planar in the x-y plane and a fully actuated
position as shown in FIGS. 1 & 12. The actuation device may be manually or automatically
operable and should comprise a suitable ring-engaging mechanism for connecting the actuation
device to the membrane sub-assembly for driving the membrane sub-assembly in the front-rear
direction at the actuation points. The actuation device may provide for continuous displacement
of the membrane sub-assembly or may be adapted to provide movement of the membrane sub
assembly only to a plurality of predetermined mutually spaced positions. The actuation device
may conveniently be housed in the bridge 95 of the eyeglasses 90, or in one or both of the
temples 94. A separate actuation device for each lens assembly 1, may be provided in each
respective temple 94, and the devices may optionally be linked to provide simultaneous actuation
of the two assemblies 1, . In this embodiment, separate actuators are provided in each temple
94, as previously explained with reference to FIG. 2 It will be appreciated that the force applied
by the actuation device acts on the membrane sub-assembly and reacts against the retaining
ring 6 through the hinge points 0, which retaining ring 6 is mounted fixedly within the
frame 92 of the eyeglasses 90, so as selectively to move the membrane support and assembly
relative to the retaining ring 6. The actuation device in general terms may be mechanically,
electrically or magnetically operated and/or may involve use of a phase change material, e.g. a
shape memory alloy (SMA), wax or an electro-active polymer.
[000106] In the present embodiment, each actuation device is a manually operable device
which makes use of a am plate 22, as mentioned above with reference to FIG. 2a. The
adjuster 04 can best be understood with reference to FIGS. 2a, 3 and 13. As previously
mentioned, the actuator 04 comprises an adjuster wheel 06, which in this embodiment is
manually rotatable an which, once the lens assembly 1 is fitted into a pair of eyeglasses 1, is
disposed on a temple 94 When so fi tted the actuator 04 protrudes rearwards from the lens
assembly. As previously described, the adjuster wheel 106 is connected via a shaft 105 and sits
at the rear end of the shaft 105. The opposite, front end of the shaft, remote from the adjuster
wheel 06 and proximate the front of the front retaining ring 6a carries a first gear 6 . The first
gear 116 is arranged to mesh with a second, larger gear 1 8 disposed above the first gear 16,
i.e. in a direction towards the upper long side 3 of the lens assembly 1. This second gear 8 is
carried rotatably on the front retaining ring 6a and is arranged to mesh with the ratchet 124
disposed at the upper end of the cam plate 1 2. The cam plate 122 is generally elongate and
arcuate in shape, and extends along at least part of the one side of the front shell 6a which
corresponds to the short side 7 of the lens assembly, such that it can cause movement of the submembrane
assembly a all three of the actuation points 120a-e. Thus the length of the shaft 105
is chosen in dependence on how far along the temple towards the wearer's ear the adjuster
wheel 06 is situated.
[000 07] The cam plate 122 is shaped and configured to engage with a cam follower 126.
The cam follower 126 is generally elongate and extends along the short side 7 of the lens
assembly, it. is fixedly attached to the three tabs 2Ga- used for actuation. The cam plate 122
comprises cam profiles in the form of three slots, 122a-c, which are located on the opposite
surface of the cam plate to the gear 18 (i.e. on an inner surface which faces the Sens
assembly 1). The am follower 126 comprises three nodules 126a-c, which are located and
configured to protrude into the slots 122a-c respectively, such that when the lens is at one
extremity of its adjustment, the nodules 6a-c sit at the upper end of their respective slots 122ac.
The cam plate is dimensioned roughly to have a length similar to that of the short side 7 of the
lens assembly, such that it is long enough to comprise a slot to accommodate all three nodules
6a-c and to allow for translational movement of the cam plate 1 2 during operation of the lens
assembly 1. As visible in FIG. 13, it is held in the front shell 6a. The cam plate 122 and the cam
follower 126 are convex-curved so as to match generally the shape of the short side 7 of the lens
assembly and each other. The slots 2a-c are elongate and run generally across the width of the
cam plate 122 The angle on the face of the cam plate 122 along which each slot runs that which
will cause a desired magnitude of displacement of the rings 2, 0 and the membrane 8 during
operation of the lens assembly . The relative displacements of the rings 2, 0 at each of the
three actuation points 120a~e is explained more fully with reference to FIG. ί 0 below.
[000108] The front 6a and rear 6b shells of the retaining ring 6 are dimensioned such that
when assembled, the cover plate 4 is spaced forwardly of the front membrane supporting ring 2,
as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 2, so that the membrane 8 may distend forwardly when actuated
as described below without impinging on the front cover plate 4.
[000 09] The dish-shaped part 2, the membrane 8, the rear supporting ring 0 and the
diaphragm 24 define a sealed interior cavity 22, which is filled with a transparent fluid. In the
present embodiment, the cavity 22 is filled with transparent oil . In the present embodiment,
Dow Coming® DC 705 silicone oil (1, 3, 5-trimethyl-L 1, 3, 5, 5-pentaphenyltrisiloxane having
a molecular weight of 546.88) is used, but a variety of other suitable colourless oils are available,
especially in the family of high refractive index siloxane oils, for which there are a number of
manufacturers. The oil 1 should be chosen so as not be harmful to a wearer's eye in the event of
a leakage. For non-optical applications, this is less of a concern.
[0001 0] The cavity 22 should not normally be over- filled, so that in the un-actuated
position, the membrane 8 remains flat as described above, defining a datum plane D as shown in
FIG. ί 0 for the membrane. The pre-tension in the membrane 8 serves to stretch the membrane to
reduce the risk of undesired wrinkles or sagging owing to temperature changes, gravity or
inertial effects in the oil 1 when the assembly 1 is moved. As mentioned above, the transparent
diaphragm 24 has a central aperture 232, which permits the fluid to flow between the front and
rear of the transparent diaphragm 24 during filling and during operation as described below
[0001 1 ] Although the membrane 8 is planar in the un-actuated position n accordance with
the present embodiment, in other embodiments the membrane may be convex (or concave) when
un-actuated and may adopt a planar configuration when actuated. In such case the plane of the
membrane when actuated may be used conveniently to define a datum reference plane D for
measuring displacement of the rings 2, 0 or other supporting member(s) on the z-axis. In yet
another alternative, the assembly may be configured such that in practice it is never planar, and
yet it may still have a theoretical planar configuration that is an extrapolation of its permitted
movement - either in the direction of actuation or de-actuation. Those skilled in the art will
understand th at even such a theoretical planar state may be used to define a datum plane for the
membrane, even where in the actual un-actuated state the membrane already has a degree of
curvature.
[0001 2] The oil 1 serves to support the dish-shaped part 2 from within, and in particular
reinforces the flexible side wall 18 to prevent it from collapsing under its own weight or inertial
effects within the assembly. The fluid filled cavity 22 thus forms a cushion like, resiliently
compressible envelope.
[0001 3] in the present embodiment, the transparent oil and the materials used to make
the rear cover plate 6, the dish-shaped part , the pressure-sensitive adhesive for bonding the
rear wall of the dish-shaped part 2 to the fr on surface 17 of the rear cover plate 16, the
transparent diaphragm 24 and the membrane 8 are all chosen to have an index of refraction as
close as possible to one another. With the interior cavity 22 filled with transparent oil , the
membrane 8 and the rear face 4 of the rear cover plate 6 form the opposite optical surfaces of
an adjustable lens. As described above, in the present embodiment the rear cover plate 16 is a
meniscus lens.
[0001 4] n the un-actuated state, the membrane is planar, so the lens has an optical power
afforded by the rear cover plate 16, with zero addition from the membrane 8. It will be
understood that for non-optical applications, the fluid, along with the other parts of the assembly
do not need to be transparent and may be opaque or semi-transparent as desired.
[000 1 ] It will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the particular
materials and dimensions used for the present embodiment, which are given only by way of
example. Different types of materials may suitably used for the dish-shaped part 2 that are
optically clear, have low overall stiffness compared with the supporting rings 2 10 and are
joinable to the diaphragm 24. Different adhesives may be chosen that are able to join the parts of
the assembly durably, are creep resistant, are of practical viscosity and remain inert i the
presence of the fluid 11. Particular adhesives may be chosen in dependence on materials
selected for the various parts
[0001 6] On operating the actuation device by manual rotation of the adjuster wheel 06,
the shaft 05 rotates, thereby rotating the first gear . By virtue of its meshing with the second
gear 8, the second gear 118 also rotates and in so doing, drives the ratchet 4 to thereby
apply a force which causes the am plate 22 to move in translation upwards along the short
side 7 of the lens assembly 1. Since the nodules 126a-c of the cam follower 26 cooperate with
the slots 122a-c, this movement causes the cam follower 126 to translate rearwards such that the
nodules 126a-c and run in their respective cam plate recesses 122a-c. Since the tabs 120a-c are
fixedly attached to their respective nodules 126a-c, this causes the membrane sub-assembly at
the one short side 7 of the assembly 1 to move rearwards from its un-actuated position relative to
the retaining ring 6, thereby compressing the cavity 22 and increasing the fluid pressure within
the cavity 22. The side wall 18 of the dish-shaped part 12 is flexible to allow this movement.
The increased fluid pressure has the effect of causing the elastic membrane 8 to inflate and
protrude forwardly in a convex form as shown in FIGS. and 12, thereby increasing the
curvature of the membrane and the optical thickness of the lens between the membrane 8 and the
rear face 14 of the rear cover plate 1 and adding positive optical power to the fixed meniscus
ens of the rear cover plate 1 .
[0001 7 As and when it is desired to return the lens assembly 1 to its state prior to the
above-described operation, the adjuster wheel 06 may be rotated in the opposite direction, thus
causing the cam plate 122 to translate in the opposite direction, thereby to return the one short
side 7 of the lens assembly 1 forwards to its initial position. Consequently, the fluid pressure is
decreased and the elastic membrane 8 returns to its initial shape.
[000 8] t will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the actuation device could be set
up to move the sub-assembly forwards from the tin-actuated position, which would decrease the
fluid pressure in the cavity 22, causing the membrane 8 to distend inwardly in a concave form
such that, in combination with the rear face 4 of the rear cover plate 16, the composite lens
would be bi-concave n the present embodiment, the maximum curvature in the rearwards
direction would be limited by the clearance between the membrane 8 and the transparent
diaphragm 24. The greater the curvature of the membrane 8, the greater the additional optical
power (positive or negative) afforded by the membrane 8. In such an embodiment, the flexible
side wall 8 of the dish-shaped part 12 would be compressed in the un-actuated position and
would expand when actuated.
[0001 ] For use as a lens assembly, the membrane 8 is required to deform spherically
upon actuation, or according to another predefined form as described below. Other predefined
forms may be desired for different optica! or non-optical applications of a deformable membrane
assembly in accordance with the present invention. Since the membrane 8 is non-round, the
membrane supporting rings 2, 10 must bend so as to deflect on the z-axis normal to the planar
datum during actuation of the assembly in order to control the shape of the membrane 8 when
distended to the predefined form. In particular, the membrane supporting rings 2, 0 must bend
to match the profile of the edge of the membrane 8 when the membrane 8 has the predefined
form. If the membrane supporting rings 2, 0 were insufficiently flexible, or did not bend
correctly, then upon actuation of the assembly 1, the edge of the membrane 8 would not match
the predefined form of the membrane 8, and the overall shape of the membrane 8 would be
distorted as a result. In accordance with the invention, the membrane 8 may be required to
deform in accordance with one or more bending modes, and the profile of the edge of the
membrane 8 therefore is defined by the intersection of the desired one or more bending modes
with the outline edge shape of the membrane 8.
[000120] FiG. 10 illustrates the profi le of the edge of the membrane 8 of the present
embodiment that is required when the lens assembly 1 is actuated to give the membrane 8 a
substantially undistorted spherical form. A contour of the spherical form and its optical
centre OC at the vertex are shown in FIGS 9 and 0 in chain-dashed lines. The upper half of
FIG 10 is a view in the x-y plane, i.e. on the front of the lens assembly 1. In the lower half of
FiG. 10 the membrane 8 and the supporting rings 2, 10 are shown in solid lines projected onto a
notional sphere which is shown in short dashed lines. The lower half of FIG 0 represents the
view from underneath the lens assembly 1, i.e. in direction U-U. Thus the long side 5 and part of
the short sides 9 and 7 are visible. Specifically, the actuated shape of the rings 2, 10 between the
tab 120f and the tab 120b are shown and labelled 2, 10. The profile of the membrane 8 between
the tabs 120f and 120b is also visible. This line follows the contour of a sphere of radius and
passes through the OC at the point of maximum distension. By way of comparison, the
membrane in its planar un-actuated state is also shown in the lower half of the figure in chaindotted
lines. The plane of the membrane in its un-actuated state represents the datum plane D for
describing the actuation of the assembly 1 of the present embodiment. If the membrane 8 were
circular, and spherical deformation of the membrane 8 were required on actuation, then the
supporting rings 2, 0 could be rigid, since the edge of the membrane 8 would remain circular
and planar in all positions between the un-actuated position and the fully actuated position.
However, for spherical deformation of the membrane 8 of the lens assembly 1 of the present
embodiment, the supporting rings 2, must bend on actuation, as shown in FIG. 10, to avoid
distortion of the membrane shape. The bending that is required is particularly pronounced along
the long sides 3. 5.
[000 In order to achieve the desired bending of the supporting rings 2, 0, the rings
must be flexible to allow them to adopt to the desired profile, and their combined bending
stiffness varies round their extent, so that under the influence of the increased surface tension in
the membrane 8 upon actuation of the membrane assembly 1, the rings 2, 0 respond nonuniformly
round their extent, causing or allowing them to bend in the predetermined maimer n
the present embodiment, the variation in bending stiffness is achieved by varying the width of
the rings 2, 0 round their extent as described above with reference to FIG. 9.
[000 2] The actual variation in width of the supporting rings 2, 0 that is required to
obtain the desired variation in bending stiffness round the rings, as described above, is calculated
by finite element analysis (FEA) as described in PCT/GB20 2/05 1426. For quasi-static or low
frequency optical and other applications, static FEA may be employed adequately. However, in
other embodiments, where the surface is intended for acoustic applications for instance, dynamic
FEA may be appropriate. As those skilled in the art will be aware, FEA - whether static or
dynamic involves numerous iterations performed using a computer with the input of selected
parameters to calculate the membrane shape that would result in practice with an increasing
force F applied at the three actuation points 120a-c as shown in F G. 10. The element shape may
be selected to suit the calculation being performed. For the design of the rings 2, 10 of the
present embodiment, a tetrahedral element shape has been found to be suitable. The selected
parameters to be input include the geometry of the supporting rings 2, 10, the geometry of the
membrane S, the modulus of the membrane 8, the modulus of the rings 2, , including how the
modulus of the rings varies round the rings (which may be defined empirically or by means of a
suitable formula), the modulus of the disk 24, the amount of pre-tension in any of the parts, the
temperature and other environmental factors. The FEA programme defines how the pressure
applied to the membrane 8 increases as load is applied to the rings at the actuation point.
[000123] In order to design precisely the rings 2, 10 for optical use, the output of the FEA
analysis is approximated to the desired shape of the membrane as defined by one or more
Zernike modes based on a unit circle that lies just outside the actual boundary of the
membrane. In the present embodiment, the spherical second order Zernike mode Z is used, but
higher spherical order functions can also be used if desired, by creating a shape that is the sum of
a number of Zernike modes. In some embodiments, the membrane may be required to deform in
accordance with a plurality of different desired bending mode orders, for example the sum of
two or more orders of Zernike modes. For example, to create an optical lens capable of
correcting certain optical aberrations in an eye, the membrane may be required to deform in
accordance with a function comprising the sum of the spherical second order Zernike mode Z
(defocus) in combination with one or more selected other Zernike modes of the same or higher
order, e.g., ΐ (astigmatism) and/or Z (trefoil).
[000124] The FEA output is correlated with the selected Zernike function across the
membrane 8 to see how well the FEA output approximates to the desired shaped as defined by
the selected function. Depending how well the FEA output and selected function correlate with
one another, the relevant parameters of the lens can be adjusted to achieve a better fit on the next
iteration. By seeing how wel the simulated deformation of the membrane 8, as calculated by
FEA, approximates to the desired surface shape as described by the selected Zemike polynomial
function, the person skilled in the art can see how well the chosen supporting ring 2, 10
parameters perform. It is possible to determine which regions of the supporting rings 2, 10 need
to be tuned (or which other parameters should be adjusted) to improve the correlation of the FEA
output and the selected function that approximates to the predefined form.
[000125] The above-described iterative process is carried out over a number of different
lens powers, so that a lens whose power varies continuously with deformation of the supporting
rings 2, 0 (and the force applied at the actuation points 20a-c) can be designed. The
supporting rings 2, 10 are designed to bend variably by deflection on the z-axis round their
extent and with respect to the adjustment in lens power required. The variation in width of the
supporting rings 2, 0 in the x-y plane, perpendicular to the z-axis of the assembly , round their
extent can also be adjusted for different lens shapes, taking into account the locations of the
hinge points 120d-h and actuation points 120a-c relative to the desired optical centre OC.
[000126] Once the shape of the membrane 8 has been calculated by FEA as described
above, the optical properties of the membrane 8 as an optical lens surface may be determined by
suitable optical ray tracing software (e.g. Zemax™ optical software available from Radiant
Zemax, LLC of Redmond, Washington) using the calculated membrane shape.
[000 ί 27] Since the profile of the membrane supporting rings 2, 10 when actuated must
conform to the profile of the edge of the membrane 8 in the predefined form, the hinge points
120d-h where the supporting rings 2, 10 are held stationary are selected to correspond to points
where the rings 2, 0 are not displaced relative to the planar datum D upon actuation of the
assembly . n order to avoid distortion of the spherical membrane shape on actuation, the hinge
pointsl20d-h should ideally be positioned on a single circular contour relative to the optical
centre OC as shown in FIG. 10, but in practice the positions of the hinge points 0d-h may
depart slightly from the same contour without undue distortion of the final membrane form. In
other embodiments where the membrane is required to deform in accordance with one or more
non-spherical modes, the hinge points should still be situated at the points round the supporting
rings 2, 10 that are not displaced when the membrane is deformed, but in such case the zerodisplacement
contour maybe no -circular.
[000128] In the present embodiment there are five hinge points 120d-h, but in other
embodiments there may be more or fewer hinge points, provided they are ail placed on or close
to the same contour relative to the optical centre Furthermore, that contour must be a contour on
which the profile of the rings 2, is required to remain stationary in order to achieve the
required profiles of the membrane 8 during deformation of the membrane 8. Thus furthermore,
since the membrane 8 is held at its edge by the supporting rings 2, 10, these points are also points
where the membrane 8 remains stationary during defor ation
[000129] Similarly, the actuation points 0a-c where the rings 2, 10 are displaced actively
on the z-axis by the actuation device to cause compression of the cavity 22 are chosen so that the
actual displacement of the rings 2, 10 at the actuation points 120a-c at each position between the
un-actuated and fully actuated positions is equal or substantially equal to the displacement of the
rings 2, 0 at the actuation points that is needed fo the edge of the membrane 8 to have the same
profile as the edge of the membrane 8 in the predefined form. From FIG. 0 it ca be seen that
the displacement of the actuation points 1 0b and 20c is significantly below the datum plane D.
On the other hand, the projection of the hinge point 120e onto the lower half of FIG. shows
that the hinge point 20e is located where the profile of the rings 2, 10 remains stationary on the
datum plane D In the present embodiment, three actuation points are provided, but in some
embodiments there may be more or fewer actuation points, depending upon the complexity of
the membrane edge profile that is needed to achieve the desired predefined form.
[000130] Design rules for the position of the control points - i.e., the actuation points and
hinge points - where force is applied to the rings 2, 0 - are disclosed in co-pending
PCT/GB20 12/05 1426. In general, however, there should be at least three control points to define
the plane of the membrane 8, and further there should be a control point at or proximate each
point on the rings 2, 10 where the profile of the rings 2, 10 that is needed to produce the
predefined form upon deformation of the membrane 8 exhibits a turning point in the direction of
the force F applied at the control point between two adjacent points where the profile of the ring
exhibits an inflection point or a turning point in the opposite direction.
[000 3 ] In the present embodiment, the one short side 7 of the rings 2, 10 substantially
follows a circular contour of the membrane 8, and so does no need to bend much along its
length. Nevertheless, because the lens is not round, although the difference is minimal, the outer
two actuation points 120a and 20c still need to be displaced slightly further than the central
point 20b to maintain the correct profile of the supporting rings, and so the short side 7 exhibits
a degree of bending during operation of the lens assembly 1. This can be understood by
considering once again the profile of the ring as projected onto a notional sphere representing the
desired spherical mode of deformation of the membrane 8 of the present embodiment. In this
way it can be imagined that in order to follow the profile of the sphere, the outer points 20a and
120c would be further down the z-axis than the central point 0b. These different
displacements required are achieved by the slightly different angles of the recesses 122a-c in the
cam plate 22, as mentioned above and visible i F G. 3. For the same translational movement
of the cam plate 122, the consequent degree of movement between the recesses 122a-e and their
respective tabs 120a-c on the front ring 2 depends on the angle of the recess. With reference to
FIG. 13, the smaller the angle of the recess 122 relative to the width of the am plate 122, (i.e.
the closer the recess is to running across the width of the cam plate 122) the greater the
proportion of total force imparted by the y-direction translation of the cam plate will be directed
in the z-direction. Consequently the movement in the z-direction of the rings 2, 0 towards or
away from the front shell 6a of the retaining ring will be greater at those points of shallower
angle. In this case, the recesses 122a and 122c are disposed at a shallower angle than the
recess 122b, and hence the rings 2, 10 are moved relative to the front shell 6a of the retaining
ring more at the tabs 120a and 122c than at the tab 120b. Thus a single actuator is used to
provide a differential degree of movement along the short side 7. Consequently, the lens
assembly 1 is conveniently actuated at the three points 120a-c so as to afford a good control of
the profile of the supporting member along that side.
[00 32] The control points 0a-h - namely actuation points 120a-e and hinge
points 120d-f - are also positioned so as to stabilise the membrane supporting rings 2, 0 against
spontaneous deformation according to undesired modes as described below. Thus, while the
hinge points 120d-h are placed on a contour of zero (or substantially zero) displacement of the
rings 2, 0, at least three of them are also desirably placed at points selected to inhibit
deformation of the membrane 8 under such undesired modes —that is points along the edge of
the membrane 8 that would like to be displaced in accordance with the undesired modes, but are
restrained from doing so by the hinge points 120d-h. It will be appreciated that the actuation
points 0a-c likewise inhibit uncontrolled displacement of the edge of the membrane 8, but can
be selectively displaced controilably in accordance with the desired modes of deformation of the
membrane 8 as described above.
[000133] As described above, the membrane supporting rings 2, 10 must bend on the z-axis
upon actuation of the lens assembly . The supporting rings 2, 0 are sufficiently flexible to
allow such bending i response to the incremental surface tension in the membrane 8 when the
assembly is actuated, but as well as desired bending in a predetermined manner to control the
shape of he membrane 8 upon actuation, the flexible supporting rings 2, 10 are also vulnerable
to uncontrolled bending, which should be avoided in order to maintain the fidelity of the
membrane shape. In particular, while the supporting rings are configured to bend relative to the
planar datum D on actuation, they are also liable to undergo spontaneous uncontrolled
deformation. This may take the form of in-plane collapse or out-of-plane bending. Such out of
plane bending may comprise one or more undesired, but energetically favoured modes of
deformation for instance toric (saddle-like) deformation of the membrane 8. This is because the
membrane 8 is pre-iensioned as described previously, although this unwanted bending may also
occur after the lens has been actuated. Thus in general, it is caused by surface tension in the
membrane. This unwanted bending occurs because the tension in the membrane 8 is a form of
energy contained in the membrane sub-assembly and the membrane sub-assembly naturally
wants to put itself into a lower energy state. By undergoing deformation in accordance with
energetically favoured modes, especially lower order modes, the tension in the membrane is
reduced and hence energy is lost. This unwanted bending is controlled in accordance with the
present invention. t will be appreciated that while the desired bending modes may be pure
Zemike modes based on a unit circle as described above, the undesired bending modes to be
inhibited by the control points in accordance with the invention are controlled by the actual
shape of the membrane.
[000134] As described above, the membrane 8 of the present embodiment is pre-tensioned
across the supporting rings 2, 10 in the u - ctuat d state to a strain of up to about 5% to reduce
or eliminate sagging or wrinkling of the membrane. In some embodiments an even greater pre
tension may be used if needed, for instance up to 0% or even 5% or 20%. This pre-tension
acts to provide a degree of strain on the supporting rings 2, 0 and, without support, the rings
would be susceptible to uncontrolled deformation. Further, upon actuation of the assembly , the
pressure of fluid 1 within the cavity 22 changes, causing th e membrane 8 to distend. The
surface tension in the membrane 8 thus increases, and additional stress is applied to the
supporting rings 2, 10, increasing the risk of unwanted distortion in the desired shape of the
supporting rings 2, 10.
[0001 35] In the lens assembly described herein, the transparent disk 24 serves to support
the membrane sub-assembly against folding inwards under in-plane bending. Upon actuation of
the assembly , the support disk 24 is sufficiently flexible to bend with the membrane supporting
rings 2, 0 on the z-axis relative to the datum plane D, but serves to reinforce the rings 2, 0
against unwanted in-plane bending on the x- or y-axes. The disk 24 serves to stiffen the
supporting rings 2, 10 in the x-y plane, hut does not significantly increase the out-of-plane
stiffness of the rings on the z-axis, thereby allowing the rings to deflect on the z-axis relative to
the datum plane to adopt the desired profile that is needed to produce the predefined form of the
membrane 8 upon actuation. By stiffening the supporting rings 2, 0 in the x-y plane, the rings 2
10 are reinforced against bending or other deformation in the x-y plane under the influence of the
surface tension in the membrane 8 which acts on the rings when un-actuated and actuated.
[000136] n the present embodiment the support disk 24 is made from polycarbonate, but in
other embodiments the diaphragm may suitably be made from a fibre material having suitable
stiffness in the x-y plane, but little stiffness in the z-direction owing to the orientation of the
fibres.
[000137] The disk 24 of the present embodiment has a substantially uniform in-plane
stiffness, but in some embodiments a diaphragm may be used which is stiffer in the N-S
direction than in the E-W direction, and this directional stiffness may be used to compensate
further for the differential strain in the membrane 8 when actuated.
[0001 38] n order to achieve satisfactory deformation of the membrane 8, it is desirable to
maintain substantially uniform surface tension within the membrane 8. For optical applications,
such as the lens assembly 1 of the present embodiment, this is a factor in ensuring good optical
quality of the lens in the case of an assembly in which the membrane is longer in one
dimension in the x-y plane than it is in the other dimension, as for example in the case of the
generally rectangular lens assembly of the present embodiment, the supporting rings 2, are
usually required to bend more along the longer axis man they are along the shorter axis in order
to produce the desired membrane form upon actuation h the present embodiment, the
supporting rings 2, 0 are deflected on the z-axis more along the E-W axis upon actuation, as
shown in FIG. 9, than they are along the N-S axis. This differential bending of the supporting
rings 2, 0 may introduce a small degree of anisotropy to the surface tension within the
membrane 8, since the membrane 8 is strained more in the E-W direction than it is in the N-S
direction. However, the support disk 24 bends in the z-direction predominantly along one axis -
the E-W direction - and this tends to increase the out-of-plane stiffness of the supporting rings 2,
10 along the other N-S axis. The bending of the supporting rings 2, 10 along the E-W direction
has the effect of bringing the short sides 7, 9 of the supporting rings 2, 0 closer together, while
stiffening the supporting rings 2, 10 against similar bending inwards in the N-S direction, which
has the effect of attenuating the strain on the membrane 8 in the E-W direction whilst
maintaining the strain on the membrane 8 in the N-S direction, thereby tending to rebalance the
surface tensions in the membrane 8 in the E-W and N-S direction. This is a small effect however,
especially since the pretension strain is significantly greater than the incremental actuation strain,
and in some embodiments it may be more desirable to maintain uniform out of plane stiffness of
the support disk in the E-W and N-S directions.
[000139] The fluid-filled dish-shaped part 12, with its flexible side wall 18, and membrane
sub-assembly 2, 8, 10 form a resilient cushion-like envelope. Upon compressing the cavity 22,
the pressure of the fluid within the cavity 22 is progressively increased relative to ambient
pressure, causing the elastic membrane 8 to distend. Similarly, in other embodiments the
cavity 22 may be expanded causing the fluid pressure to decrease relative to ambient pressure.
Upon releasing the force applied by the actuating device at the actuation points 120a-c the
assembly automatically resiliently reverts to its un-actuated state. The transparent disk 24 assists
in maintaining control of the sub-assembly during this actuation and de-actuation.
[000 40] Whilst the support disk 24 is employed for reducing the likelihood or preventing
the supporting rings 2, 0 and the elastic membrane 8 from folding in on themselves (in-plane
bending), the present invention additionally addresses the problem of unwanted out-of-plane
bending in accordance with undesired bending modes in response to loading through tension in
the membrane. This can occur notwithstanding the additional in-plane stiffness afforded by the
support disk 24. This problem may be particularly apparent when the membrane is planar, for
instance in an un-actuated state, where any deviation from flatness releases some of the surface
tension and is therefore favoured. However, as previously explained, buckling may also occur
when the assembly is actuated, for instance in embodiments where the membrane has a planar
form when actuated, although the effect tends to diminish as the membrane is progressively
distended
[000141] FIG. 14 shows a membrane sub-assembly which has undergone undesired toric
bending in accordance with energetically favourable lower order undesired bending modes to
form a saddle shape. The front and rear rings 2, 10, the membrane 8 and the diaphragm 24 are
shown. The sub-assembly can be considered to begin generally planar as defined in the x-y
plane and to have a centre point C at which central x and y-axes cross, the x~axis being along the
longer length of the sub-assembly and the y~axis being along the shorter length. In a region
around the x-axis distal from the centre point the membrane 8 has bent or curved out-of-plane
downwards in the z-direction and in a region around the y-axis distal from the centre point it has
bent or curved upwards out-of-plane in the z-direction. Thus these two regions of bending have
occurred in opposite directions to form a saddle shape. It will be appreciated that once this
happens, the lens cannot function correctly, because the sub-assembly no longer has the correct
datum plane shape.
[000142] Embodiments of the present invention mitigate the risk of a sub-assembly
suffering from the spontaneous undesired deformation shown in FIG. by virtue of the control
points 120a-h.
[000143] A minimum of three control points 120 is required to define the plane of the
supporting rings 2, 0, as described in more detail in co-pending PCT/GB2012/051426. n a
compression actuated membrane assembly, such for example as the present embodiment, at least
one of these three minimum control points 120 must be an actuation point 120a-c; one or two
may be hinge points 120e-g. t has now been found that the problem of unwanted out-of-plane
bending can be addressed by carefully positioning the control points 120, where the position of
the membrane 8 relative to the retaining ring 6 is controlled, round the centre of the membrane to
suppress undesired lower order bending modes, while inducing desired bending modes. This is
especially useful when the lens assembly is loaded under pre-tension and the membrane is planar
or nearly planar, but it is generally important to suppress undesired bending modes of the
membrane 8 to ensure fidelity of the membrane form regardless of its state of actuation.
[000144] In some embodiments, the minimum three control points 120, when correctly
situated, may be sufficient to suppress at least the lowest order undesired bending modes that do
not have a node round the entire membrane boundary, but in other embodiments it may be
necessary to use additional control points 20d, 20h to provide the requisite degree of
stabilisation, particularly if the control points 120 that are required to actuate the assembly and
control the profile of the supporting rings 2, 0 at the turning points as described above are not
appropriately positioned to suppress the undesired bending modes.
[000145] n order to suppress lower order undesired bending modes, the control points 120
should suitably be located so as to increase the energy of the first out-of-plane undesired bending
modes of the rings 2, 0 in response to loading through tension in the membrane 8 which do not
have a node around the edge of the whole membrane 8. In other words, the control points 0
should be situated at points where the edge of the membrane wishes to move in accordance with
the undesired bending modes in response to loading through tension in the membrane 8, so that
the position of the membrane edge is controlled at those points.
[000 46] On a more practical level, subject to the above, the angular spacing of the control
points around the optical centre OC should be around 30-120°. It should be noted that although
the OC is used as a reference point in the presently described embodiment, the centre point used
eou!d be an alternative point such as the geometric centre (boxing centre) or another point in the
region of the two.
[000147] n the present embodiment, five hinge points 120d-h are used to afford control
over the rings 2, and membrane 8 by suppressing undesired bending modes. It can be seen
from the circle shown in chain-dotted lines in FIG. 9 that the hinge points 120d-h are a l
substantially equidistant from the optical centre OC. n this embodiment the hinge points 0d-h
are chosen as points of zero or minimal displacement of the edge of the membrane 8 as required
for spherical deformation in accordance with the desired second order Zernike mode when
the assembly 1 is actuated by selectively displacing the rings 2 , 0 at the actuation points 20a-c
on the z-axis, while suppressing first order and other undesired second (approximately
astigmatism) modes to prevent saddling of the kind represented in FIG. 14. n other words, upon
moving the rings 2,1 0 relative to the retaining ring 6 so as to compress the body of fluid
within the cavity 22, thereby to adjust the form of the membrane 8 as described above, the rings
2, 10 should not be displaced, or should be minimally displaced, at the hinge points 120d-h.
(They can, however, slide, rotate or bend whilst remaining in position, thus allowing the rings 2,
1 to adopt the correct profile during use of the lens assembly 1). Thus the hinge points 0d-h
are suitable points to be held in fixed relation to the retaining ring 6.
[000148] n other embodiments, where the membrane 8 is desired to bend in accordance
with higher order bending modes such, for example, as the second order astigmatism modes f
or third order trefoil modes Z , the hinge points are still positioned at points of zero
displacement for the desired modes, but the zero displacement contour round the centre of the
membrane is non-circular.
[000 49] Two of the hinge points 20d, 120h of the present embodiment are disposed
intermediate the optical centre and the actuation points 120a-c. That is to say their orthogonal
projection onto the axis E-W shown in FIG. 9 is disposed between the centre OC and the
actuation points 20a~c. This affords a practical spacing between the control points.
[000150] t will be appreciated that additional hinge points 120 could be provided if desired.
For example, there are further points on the same zero-displacement contour at the bottom left
corner of the lens assembly as shown in FIG. 9 (i .e. the comer between short side 9 and long
side 5).
[000151] Those skilled in the art will recognise that actuation points may also serve to
suppress undesired bending modes provided they are positioned so as to increase the energy of
the undesired bending modes. Alternatively the actuation points - unlike the hinge points - ay
be positioned such in some states of actuation (or when un-actuated) th ey act to suppress certain
undesired bending modes, but in other states of actuation (or whe actuated) permit at least one
desired bending mode of the same order. Thus, by way of example, one or more actuation points
may be situated round the supporting rings 2, 0 so as to suppress second and/or higher order
undesired bending modes when the assembly is un-actuated, e.g. when then membrane is planar,
but are displaced upon actuation of the assembly in accordance with at least one of the
astigmatism } or higher order desired bending modes to induce such modes
[0001 52] The membrane assemblies hereinbefore described may be used for optical
applications, such as ens assemblies, and non-optical applications. The terms "front", "rear" etc
are used to describe the parts of the assemblies 1, for clarity and consistency between
embodiments of the invention. These terms are appropriate for lens assemblies, where they
describe the parts in the context of eyeglasses of the kind shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 For
applications (optical and non-optical) other than lens assemblies for eyewear, the parts described
as being "front" or "rear" need not necessarily be disposed at or towards the front or rear of the
relevant assembly. For instance, in some applications, the membrane may be disposed facing
upwardly, so that the "front membrane-supporting ring" is actually disposed above the "rear
membrane-supporting ring", and similar terms should be construed accordingly indeed, as will
be apparent from the present specification, the membrane assemblies of the invention may be
used for a wide variety of different applications, where the terms "front" and "rear" may not
describe the actual position of the respective parts in use, but nevertheless these terms are useful
to describe the relative spatial relationships of the parts within the assemblies of the different
embodiments.
[000153] The present invention thus provides a membrane assembly 1 comprising a fluidfilled
envelope that is bounded on a least one side by an elastic membrane 8 that is held under
tension by one or more bendable, peripheral membrane- supporting rings 2, 10. The fluid
pressure within the envelope may be increased, e.g., by compressing the envelope, or decreased,
e.g.. by expanding the envelope, to change the pressure difference across the membrane, thereby
causing the membrane to distend convexly or concavely respectively. In accordance with the
invention, the position of the rings 2, 0 is controlled at control points 120 that are selected to
prevent the membrane 8 from spontaneously bending in accordance with undesired bending
modes in response to loading through tension in the membrane. The control points comprise at
least three actuation or hinge points that are positioned to increase the energy of at least the
lowest order undesired bending modes that do not have a node round the whole of the rings 2, 0.
A control point should also be placed at each turning point in the desired profile of the rings 2,
10 in the direction of the force applied to the rings against the force applied to the membrane 8 as
a result of the pressure within the cavity 22 in order to control the profile of the rings 2, 10 as
desired. The placement of the control points 0 for this purpose is therefore dependent on the
boundary shape of the membrane 8 and its desired actuated form. f required therefore
additional hinge points 120d-h may be employed at points of zero displacement of the rings
during actuation in accordance with the desired bending modes that serve to increase the energy
of the undesired modes in order to inhibit the undesired bending modes
[000 4] Some variations of some of the parameters and components of the described
embodiments have already been mentioned. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many
further variations of the particular embodiments described are possible. For example, in the
embodiments shown, the width of the support rings 2, varies around their extent to facilitate
the correct bending of the rings 2, 0 and hence the edge of the membrane 8 in order to achieve
the desired form of the membrane 8 This is not essential for the purpose of stabilizing the
membrane sub-assembly from unwanted deformation.
[000155] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the front and rear supporting rings 2, 10
have different thicknesses, but in other embodiments they may have the same thicknesses, and
again the thickness is not a crucial parameter in stabilising the rings 2, 0 against undesired
bending modes. In some embodiments, the bending stiffness of the disk 24 may be sufficient to
balance the torsional forces, in which case the rear ring 0 may be made thinner than the front
ring 2 or even omitted. In the latter situation, the transparent disk 24 may incorporate on its front
surface a peripheral step or the like to space the disk 24 from the membrane 8 in other words,
the rear ring 0 and the transparent disk 24 could effectively be integrated as one component.
[000 156] Other variations are possible whilst achieving the necessary stabilising of the
membrane sub-assembly. The described embodiment uses five hinge points 120d-h, but an
alternative would be to use only four hinge points. One example of four suitable points would be
at points 120d, 120e, 120g and 120h. An alternative would be points 120d, 120f, 120g and 120h
A further alternative would be points 0e, 0f, 120g and 120h. n the case of four hinge points,
one or two may be located intermediate the optical centre OC and the one or more actuation
points 120a~c on the one short side 7 as described above.
[000157] Another possible variation from the above-described embodiments is in the
number of actuation points. n the example described above, three actuation points 120a-c are
used. More or fewer than three actuation points could be used. There could be provided a
separate am surface bearing part for each actuation point rather than a single cam plate
extending thro ugh all the actuation points. The design of the gear and cam arrangement could be
varied from that shown whilst still achieving the desired result. The actuation mechanism,
optionally with an adjustment wheel similar to the wheel 106, could be placed in the bridge 95
instead of in the temples 94. Other means than manual adjustment could be employed.
[000 8] Other features of the described lens assembly could be changed within the scope
of the invention. For example, the annular shape of the transparent disk 24 could be different.
The retaining ring 6 could be shaped such that the front and rear plates , 4 are held within the
confines of the front and rear shells 6a, 6b. In the present embodiment, the retaining ring 6 holds
the front ring 2 but some other fixed support could be employed, for example multiple fixed
supports at discrete locations could be used. Both rings 2, 0 could have features enabling them
to be clamped. The retaining ring 6 and the support rings 2, 10 could be variously shaped and
configured with mutually cooperating features for holding them fixedly with respect to each
other.
[0001 59] As mentioned above, the embodiments of the invention have been described
herein with particular reference to lens assemblies, more particularly lens assemblies for use in
eyewear. However, the lens assemblies of the present invention are equally well applicable to
other lens applications, such as goggles, helmets and scientific and optical instruments of various
sorts. n a lens assembly, the optical parts are transparent as described below, but the invention
also comprehends other kinds of defomaable membrane assemblies which are constructed and
operate in a similar manner to provide a controllably adjustable surface. Within the optical field,
for instance, the invention may be used to provide a controllably adjustable mirror surface, and
membrane assemblies of the invention may also find applications in non-optical fields, such as
acoustics, where a surface with a selectively and controllably adjustable dynamic shape may be
required
[000 60] The lens assemblies of the invention are especially suitable for the correction of
presbyopia. n use, the lens assembly ; G can be adjusted by actuating the assembly for
bringing into focus objects at a range of distances from long distance to close distance.
CLAIMS
. A deformable membrane assembly comprising a fixed support; a fluid-filled envelope,
at least one wall of which is formed by an elastic membrane that is held under tension around its
edge by a flexible membrane supporting member, the membrane supporting member being
coupled to the fixed support at a plurality of discrete control points round the supporting member
by respective engaging members for controlling the position of the membrane edge relative to
the fixed support at the control points, and the member being unconstrained between said control
points; and a selectively operable pressure adjuster for adjusting the pressure of the fluid within
the envelope, thereby to adj ust the shape of the membrane; wherein at least three control points
are provided which are situated round the membrane edge at spaced locations on the member
that are selected to increase the energy of the lowest order out-of-plane bending modes of the
supporting member in response to loading through tension in the membrane that do not have
node round the whole supporting member.
2. A deformable membrane assembly comprising a fixed support; a fluid-filled envelope,
at least one wall of which is formed by an elastic membrane that is held under tension around its
edge by a flexible membrane supporting member, the membrane supporting member being
coupled to the fixed support at a plurality of discrete control points round the supporting member
by respective engaging members for controlling the position of the membrane edge relative to
the fixed support at the control points, and the member being unconstrained between said control
points; and a selectively operable pressure adjuster for adjusting the pressure of the fluid within
the envelope, thereby to adjust the shape of the membrane; wherein at least three control points
are provided which are disposed at locations round the edge of the membrane selected to allow
the membrane to deform upon adj usting the pressure of the fluid in accordance with one or more
desired modes, but to inhibit displacement of the membrane edge in accordance with one or
more other undesired modes.
3. A deformable membrane assembly comprising a fixed support; a fluid-filled envelope,
at least one wall of which is formed by an elastic membrane that is held under tension around its
edge by a flexible membrane supporting member, the membrane supporting member being
coupled to the fixed support at a plurality of discrete control points round the supporting member
by respective engaging members for controlling the position of the membrane edge relative to
the fixed support at the control points, and the member being unconstrained between said control
points; and a selectively operable pressure adjuster for adjusting the pressure of the fluid within
the envelope, thereby to adjust the shape of the membrane; wherein a least three control points
are provided which are situated at locations round the edge of the membrane selected to so as to
induce one or more desired membrane bending lower order modes, while suppressing o e or
more undesired higher order modes.
4 A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in claim , c im 2 or claim 3, wherein
the control points are situated to suppress at least the lowest order undesired mode.
5. A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the
control points are positioned so as to allow the membrane to deform in accordance with at least
the second order desired bending mode and optionally one or more selected other modes.
6. A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the
desired modes of deformation of the membrane may be described by one or more Zernike
polynomials, preferably the Arizona Fringe coefficient form of Zemike polynomials.
7 . A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the
control points are positioned to allow at least spherical (second order defocus, Z°) deformation
and optionally spherical and selected second, third and/or fourth order Zemike polynomials to
introduce one or more deviations from spherical selected from astigmatism, coma and trefoil.
8. A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the
membrane is non-circular.
9. A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the
bending stiffness of the supporting member varies round the supporting member
10. A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each
control point may be angularly spaced from its adjacent control points by an angle of 30-120°
about the centre of the membrane.
11. A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the
adjuster is selectively operable for injecting or removing fluid from the envelope for controlling
the pressure of fluid in the envelope.
2. A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in claim , wherein each of said control
points comprises a hinge point at which the membrane supporting member is hinged by the
respective engaging member to the fixed support.
13. A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in any of claims 1-10, wherein said
adjuster is selectively operable for adjusting the volume of the envelope thereby to control the
pressure of the fluid in the envelope.
14. A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least one of the
control points comprises an actuation point, the adjuster being connected to the membrane
supporting member at the or each actuation point by the respective engaging member for
controlled displacement of the supporting member relative to the fixed support for adjusting the
volume of the envelope.
5. A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the position of one
or more actuation points is selected to control displacement of the support member in accordance
with one or more desired bending modes, especially lower order modes.
1 . A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein at least
one other of the control points may comprise a hinge point at which the membrane supporting
member is hinged by the respective engaging member to the fixed support.
17. A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a control
point is situated at or proximate each location round the supporting member where the
intersection of the outline shape of the edge of the membrane with the one or more desired
modes of deformation of the membrane exhibits a turning point (anti-node) in the direction of the
force or reaction applied to the supporting member by the respective engaging member, between
two adjacent points where the profile of the supporting member exhibits an inflection point, or a
turning point in the opposite direction.
18. A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein said control points
further comprise at least one additional hinge point situated at a point on the supporting member
where the supporting member remains substantially stationary as the pressure in the envelope is
adjusted.
9. A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said
membrane is generally elongate, being longer on one axis than on an orthogonal axis, which axes
pass through the centre (boxing centre or optical centre) of the membrane, and having two
opposite long sides that extend across said orthogonal axis, and wherein the control points
comprise at least one actuation point on the supporting member proximate one end of the one
axis, at least one hinge point proximate the other end of the one axis and at least one intermediate
hinge point on one of the long sides of the supporting member intermediate the one end of the
one axis and the centre.
20. A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in claim , wherein one or more
actuation points are provided proximate the one end of the one axis, and at least two intermediate
hinge points are situated on the supporting member between said one or more actuation points at
the one end of the one axis and the centre of the membrane, one on one of the long sides of the
supporting member and the other on the other long side.
2 . A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the
membrane is pre-tensioned on the membrane supporting member.
22. A deformable membrane assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one or
more bending controllers are provided to control the bending or other deformation of the
membrane supporting member in response to the surface tension in the membrane.
23. An article of eyewear comprising a deformable membrane assembly as claimed in any
preceding claim.