US 12,066,644 B2
Optical prism with interlock
Norimichi Shigemitsu, Yokohama (JP); Jun Yoshida, Yokohama (JP); Shunsuke Otake, Yokohama (JP); and Keiichi Yamazaki, Yokohama (JP)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/931,097.
Application 17/931,097 is a continuation of application No. 16/549,820, filed on Aug. 23, 2019, granted, now 11,442,205.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/723,399, filed on Aug. 27, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0003924 A1, Jan. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. G02B 5/04 (2006.01); G02B 7/02 (2021.01); H04N 23/55 (2023.01)
CPC G02B 5/04 (2013.01) [G02B 7/022 (2013.01); H04N 23/55 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical prism, comprising:
an object side;
a reflective surface that redirects light received through the object side from a first portion of an optical axis to a second portion of the optical axis;
an image side having a convex optical surface through which the second portion of the optical axis passes; and
an interlock structure at the image side of the prism, wherein the interlock structure includes a flange portion having at least one surface configured to interlock with a complementary surface of a refractive lens element, wherein the interlock structure includes a curved surface, or a straight surface oriented in a direction parallel to the second portion of the optical axis, and wherein the flange portion extends outward from the image side of the prism in the direction parallel to the second portion of the optical axis to create an air gap between the convex optical surface and an object side surface of the refractive lens element.