Special receptacle or package – For an optical device or element
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-06
2003-04-08
Foster, Jim (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For an optical device or element
C206S454000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06543614
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a lens housing container for housing a lens having a flange portion formed along the edge of the main body of the lens.
In recent years, accompanied by the optical disk device becoming of high precision and compact, the thickness and the outer size of a lens for use in an optical pickup has become remarkably small.
Accordingly, it has been proposed to set a lens in a form housed in such a lens housing container as shown in FIG.
6
and
FIG. 7
to a lens fitting device.
In these drawings, a plurality of cylindrical-shaped lens housing portions
1013
are formed in the long carrier tape
1010
by using a thermal forming method for example.
On the other hand, the lens
1001
is composed of the lens main body
1003
and the flange portion
1005
formed along the edge of the lens main body
1003
, and the lens surfaces
1007
and
1007
′ project out of the ring-shaped surfaces
1009
and
1009
′ of the flange portion
1005
.
In the lens housing portion
1013
of the carrier tape
1010
, the lens
1001
is housed in such a manner that it comes to the opening side the lens surface
1007
which projects out of the ring-shaped surface
1009
of the flange portion
1005
of the lens
1001
, and the supporting portion
1015
for supporting the ring-shaped surface
1009
′ of the flange portion
1005
of the lens
1001
at the reverse side to the opening is formed in order not to make the other lens surface
1007
′ come into contact with the carrier tape.
Further, the housing portion is designed in such a manner that the depth from the supporting portion
1015
of the lens housing portion
1013
of the carrier tape
1010
up to the opening is approximately equal to the thickness of the flange portion
1005
of the lens
1001
.
Accordingly, when the lens
1001
is housed in the lens housing portion
1013
, the lens surface
1007
become projected out of the carrier tape
1010
.
Further, by putting the cover tape
1021
so as to cover the opening of the lens housing portion
1013
, the flange portion
1007
of the lens
1001
is made to press the supporting portion
1015
; thus, in the lens housing portion
1013
, it is prohibited that the lens
1001
moves in the optical axis direction, and it is prevented that the lens surface
1007
is flawed by the cover tape
1021
.
The carrier tape
1010
having the cove tape
1021
stuck on it is wound onto the reel
1008
, and is set in the lens fitting device.
However, in the lens housing container shown in FIG.
6
and
FIG. 7
, when the carrier tape having the cover tape
1021
stuck on it is wound round, as shown in
FIG. 8
, the bottom surface of the lens housing portion
1013
of the carrier tape
1010
, which is wound around the outer side of the cover tape
1021
with which the lens surface
1007
is in contact, comes into sliding contact with the cover tape
1021
, and by the movement of the cover tape
1021
in the direction of winding, it sometimes occurs that the lens surface
1007
of the lens
1001
is flawed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problem, and it is an object of the invention to provide a lens housing container which does not make the lens surface flawed when the carrier tape is wound round.
This invention to solve the above-mentioned problem is represented by any one of structures (1) to (8) described below.
Structure (1): A lens housing container for housing a plurality of lenses, comprising a long carrier tape having a supporting portion for supporting one ring-shaped surface of the flange portion of said lens, and a plurality of lens housing portions; and a long cover tape to be stuck on said carrier tape so as to cover said lens housed in said lens housing portion, wherein said supporting portion supports said one ring-shaped surface of said flange portion of said lens, so as not to come into contact with said one lens surface of said lens, said lens housing portion houses said lens so that a part of the other lens surface of said lens is projected from or is flush with the upper surface of said carrier tape, said cover tape restrains said lens housed in said lens housing portion from moving in the optical axis direction, said carrier tape has projections, and in order to make a clearance, in the state that said carrier tape having said cover tape stuck on it is wound round, between the portion of the cover tape facing said other lens surface of said lens housed in said lens housing portion and the portion of said carrier tape which is wound outside it, said projections of said carrier tape which is wound outside come into contact with the portion of the carrier tape or the cover tape which is wound inside.
Structure (2): The lens housing container as set forth in structure (1), wherein the aforesaid cover tape is in contact with the other surface of the lens housed in the lens housing portion.
Structure (3): The lens housing container as set forth in structure (1), wherein the projections are formed in the outer side area of a tangent which is tangent to the circular edge of the other lens surface of the lens to be housed and is parallel to the direction of winding of the carrier tape.
Structure (4): The lens housing container as set forth in structure (1), wherein the height of the projections is equal to or larger than the sum of the projection amount of the housing portion from the carrier tape and the projection amount of the other lens surface of the lens from the other ring-shaped surface of the flange portion.
Structure (5): The lens housing container as set forth in structure (1), wherein the projections are provided on the back surface of the lens housing portions.
Structure (6): The lens housing container as set forth in structure (1), wherein any two projections which are adjacent to each other in the winding direction among the projections have different cross-sectional shapes in the direction perpendicular to the height direction of the projections respectively.
Structure (7): The lens housing container as set forth in structure (1), wherein any two projections which are adjacent to each other in the winding direction among the projections are located at different positions with respect to said lens housing portions.
Structure (8): The lens housing container as set forth in structure (1), wherein the lens is a plastic lens.
Another preferable structures (9) to (14) of the present invention are as follows.
Structure (9) is a lens housing container comprising a long carrier tape having a plurality of lens housing portions having a supporting portion for supporting one ring-shaped surface of the flange portion of a lens formed so as not to make one surface of the lens come into contact with the bottom of the housing portion, in such a manner as to make a part of the other lens surface of said lens housed project out of or become flush with the upper surface of said carrier tape, and a long cover tape to be stuck on said carrier tape so as to cover the lens housed in the housing portion, and restraining said lens from moving in the optical axis direction by said cover tape, wherein, in order to make a clearance, in the state that said carrier tape having said cover tape stuck on it is wound round, between the portion of the cover tape facing the other lens surface of the lens housed in said lens housing portion and the portion of the carrier tape which is wound outside it, projections coming into contact with the portion of the carrier tape or the cover tape which is wound inside are formed on said carrier tape.
In order to make a clearance, in the state that said carrier tape having said cover tape stuck on it is wound round, between the portion of the cover tape facing the other lens surface of the lens housed in said lens housing portion and the portion of the carrier tape which is wound outside it, by forming projections coming into contact with the portion of the carrier tape or the cover tape which is wound inside on said carrier tape, the lens surface is not flawed when sai
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Foster Jim
Konica Corporation
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