Lens barrel

Abstract

There is disclosed a lens barrel including a fixed frame, a rotary frame rotatable with respect to the fixed frame to advance or retract in an optical axis direction, and a rectilinear guide frame rotatable relative to the rotary frame to displace integrally with the rotary frame in the optical axis direction. In this structure, a front end portion of the rectilinear guide frame on a subject side in the optical axis direction is exposed from the rotary frame.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the apparatus and methods of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lens barrel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a shutter/second group unit in the lens barrel shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the shutter/second group unit shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a third group/fourth group/imaging unit in the lens barrel of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lens barrel of FIG. 1 in a retracted state;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lens barrel of FIG. 1 in a wide-angle state;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lens barrel of FIG. 1 in a telephoto state; and

FIG. 8 is an expansion plan view of the outer peripheries of a rotary frame and a rectilinear guide frame in the lens barrel of FIG. 1.

Claims

1. A lens barrel comprising: a fixed frame;a rotary frame for rotating with respect to the fixed frame to advance or retract with respect to the fixed frame in an optical axis direction;a rectilinear guide frame arranged inside the rotary frame to be rotatable relative to the rotary frame and displace integrally with the rotary frame in the optical axis direction;a circumferential groove provided around an outer circumference of the rectilinear guide frame; andan engaging protrusion provided around an inner circumference of the rotary frame to engage with the circumferential groove,wherein a front end portion of the rectilinear guide frame on a subject side in the optical axis direction is exposed from the rotary frame.

2. The lens barrel according to claim 1 wherein the rectilinear guide frame has a rectilinear guide through-groove extending in the optical axis direction, and an insertion slot for inserting the engaging protrusion into the circumferential groove, andthe rectilinear guide through-groove and the insertion slot are arranged in different positions in a circumferential direction of the rectilinear guide frame.

3. The lens barrel according to claim 1 wherein the front end portion of the rectilinear guide frame in the optical axis direction and a front end portion of the rotary frame in the optical axis direction are located in substantially the same position in the optical axis direction.

4. The lens barrel according to claim 1 wherein an inner circumferential face of the front end portion of the rotary frame is formed into a circumferential linear protrusion protruding inward of the rotary frame and extending in a circumferential direction.

5. The lens barrel according to claim 4 wherein the circumferential linear protrusion is arranged to cover the insertion slot.

6. The lens barrel according to claim 5 wherein the circumferential linear protrusion is formed around the whole circumference.

7. The lens barrel according to claim 1 further comprising: a cam groove provided in an inner periphery of the rotary frame; anda lens holding frame having an engaging portion to engage with the rectilinear guide through-groove and a cam follower to engage with the cam groove,wherein the lens holding frame advances or retracts along the cam groove in the optical axis direction according to the rotation of the rotary frame.

8. The lens barrel according to claim 7 further comprising: a shutter supported capable of advancing or retracting with respect to the lens holding frame in the optical axis direction, the shutter arranged closer to a subject side than the lens holding frame in the optical axis direction; anda shutter biasing spring for biasing the shutter in a direction to move away from the lens holding frame,wherein when the lens barrel is in a housed state, the shutter is displaced against a biasing force of the shutter biasing spring to a position to come close to the lens holding frame.

9. The lens barrel according to claim 8 further comprising a rectilinear frame arranged closer to the subject side than the shutter to advance or retract in the optical axis direction according to the rotation of the rotary frame, wherein when the lens barrel is in the housed state, the shutter is pressed by the rectilinear frame and displaced to the position to come close to the lens holding frame.

10. The lens barrel according to claim 8 further comprising: an aperture supported capable of advancing or retracting with respect to the shutter in the optical axis direction, the aperture arranged closer to the subject side than the shutter in the optical axis direction; andan aperture biasing spring for biasing the aperture in a direction to move away from the shutter,wherein when the lens barrel is in the housed state, the aperture is displaced against a biasing force of the aperture biasing spring to a position to come close to the shutter.

11. The lens barrel according to claim 10 further comprising a rectilinear frame arranged closer to the subject side than the aperture to advance or retract in the optical axis direction according to the rotation of the rotary frame, wherein when the lens barrel is in the housed state, the aperture is pressed by the rectilinear frame and displaced to the position to come close to the shutter.

12. A lens barrel comprising: a first frame;a second frame rotating with respect to the first frame to advance or retract with respect to the first frame in an optical axis direction;a third frame arranged inside the second frame to be rotatable relative to the second frame and displace integrally with the second frame in the optical axis direction;a circumferential groove provided around an outer circumference of the third frame; andan engaging protrusion provided around an inner circumference of the second frame to engage with the circumferential groove,wherein a front end portion of the third frame on a subject side in the optical axis direction is exposed from the second frame.

13. The lens barrel according to claim 12 wherein the third frame has first and second rectilinear guide through-grooves extending in the optical axis direction, and an insertion slot for inserting the engaging protrusion into the circumferential groove, andthe first and second rectilinear guide grooves and the insertion slot are arranged in different positions in a circumferential direction of the third frame.

14. The lens barrel according to claim 12 wherein an inner circumferential face of a front end portion of the second frame is formed into a circumferential linear protrusion protruding inward of the second frame and extending in a circumferential direction, the circumferential linear protrusion arranged to cover the insertion slot.

15. The lens barrel according to claim 12 further comprising: first and second cam grooves provided in an inner periphery of the second frame;a first lens holding frame having an engaging portion to engage with the first rectilinear guide through-groove and a cam follower to engage with the first cam groove, the first lens holding frame advancing or retracting along the first cam groove in the optical axis direction according to the rotation of the second frame; anda second lens holding frame having an engaging portion to engage with the second rectilinear guide through-groove and a cam follower to engage with the second cam groove, the second lens holding frame advancing or retracting along the second cam groove in the optical axis direction according to the rotation of the second frame.

16. The lens barrel according to claim 15 further comprising: a shutter supported capable of advancing or retracting with respect to the second lens holding frame in the optical axis direction, the shutter arranged between the second lens holding frame and the first lens holding frame in the optical axis direction; anda shutter biasing spring for biasing the shutter in a direction to move away from the second lens holding frame and toward the first lens holding frame,wherein when the lens barrel is in a housed state, the shutter is displaced against a biasing force of the shutter biasing spring to a position to come close to the second lens holding frame.

17. The lens barrel according to claim 16 wherein when the lens barrel is in the housed state, the shutter is pressed by the first lens holding frame and displaced to the position to come close to the second lens holding frame.

18. The lens barrel according to claim 16 further comprising: an aperture supported capable of advancing or retracting with respect to the shutter in the optical axis direction, the aperture arranged between the shutter and the first frame in the optical axis direction; andan aperture biasing spring for biasing the aperture in a direction to move away from the shutter and toward the first lens holding frame,wherein when the lens barrel is in the housed state, the aperture is displaced against a spring force of the aperture biasing spring to a position to come close to the shutter.

19. The lens barrel according to claim 18 wherein when the lens barrel is in the housed state, the aperture is pressed by the first lens holding frame and displaced to the position to come close to the shutter.

20. A lens barrel comprising: a cylindrical first frame arranged coaxially with a lens optical axis;a cylindrical second frame arranged coaxially with the first frame, the second frame having a groove formed to engage with the first frame rotatably relative to each other along a circumference of the second frame; andan engaging protrusion provided on the first frame to fit in the groove,wherein a first non-wall portion in which a side wall does not exist for allowing the protrusion to pass through is provided on one side wall of the groove, a second non-wall portion is provided on the other side wall of the groove, since the position of the first non-wall portion and the position of the second non-wall portion differing from each other on the circumference, light entering from one non-wall portion does not directly reach the other non-wall portion.