The present application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-271322 filed on Dec. 6, 2010; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light adjusting apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with improved high-quality performance of a portable equipment having an image pickup function and a small-size optical apparatus such as a micro video scope, with regard to optical elements such as a lens and an aperture, there has been increasing demand for an application of a focusing lens, a variable aperture, and an optical filter instead of a conventional fixed focusing lens and a fixed aperture stop, and further small-sizing (slimming) of such optical elements has been sought.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2007-017594
However, in the diaphragm apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the optical filter 16 is moved between the two diaphragm blades 12 and 13. Therefore, at the time of driving the optical filter 16, the optical filter 16 makes a contact with the upper and the lower diaphragm blades 12 and 13. Accordingly, an optical thin film formed on the optical filter 16 comes off, and when the optical filter 16 is driven continuously, there is a possibility that an optical performance is degraded with the continuous driving.
The present invention has been made in view of the abovementioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a light adjusting apparatus in which, it is possible prevent damage to an optical thin film which has been formed on components such as an optical filter and a lens.
To solve the abovementioned issues and to achieve the object, a light adjusting apparatus according to the present invention includes a first, substrate in which, an optical aperture is formed, and a second substrate in which, an optical aperture is formed, at least one rotating-shaft member which is rotatably installed on the first substrate and the second substrate, at least one light adjusting unit which is joined to the rotating shaft member, and a drive unit which moves the light adjusting unit, and by moving the light adjusting unit by rotating the rotating-shaft member by the drive unit, the light adjusting unit is pivoted alternately to an opened position at which, the light adjusting unit is corresponding to the optical aperture, and a retracted position at which, the light adjusting unit is retracted from the optical aperture, and incident light which passes through the optical aperture is adjusted in the light adjusting apparatus, and the light adjusting unit includes an optical element, and has an isolating unit which isolates a surface opposite each other the first substrate and the second substrate of the optical element, and the first substrate and the second substrate.
In the light adjusting apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that the isolating unit is a frame member which holds the optical element from around, and has a protruding portion which protrudes in an optical axial direction.
In the light adjusting apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that the frame member has a notch portion, and the optical element is joined to the frame member at the notch portion.
In the light adjusting apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that a width of the notch portion is smaller than a diameter of the optical element, and the optical element is joined by an elastic force of the frame member.
In the light adjusting apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that the isolating unit includes at least two protruding portions which hold locally, and the optical element is held by the protruding portion.
In the light adjusting apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that the rotating-shaft member is formed by a circular cylindrical shaped magnet, and a drive source of the rotating-shaft member is an electromagnetic drive source which includes a yoke and a winding coil, and the circular cylindrical shaped magnet is rotated by the electromagnetic drive source.
A light adjusting apparatus according to the present invention shows an effect that it is possible to prevent damage to an optical thin film which has been formed on components such as an optical filter and a lens.
Exemplary embodiments of a light adjusting apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail by referring to the accompanying diagrams. However, the present invention is not restricted to the embodiments described below.
A light adjusting apparatus 900 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below by referring to diagrams from
An operation of the light adjusting apparatus 900 according to the first embodiment will be described below by using
The light adjusting unit 300 in the first embodiment will be described below by using
As shown in
A light adjusting apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below by using
The light adjusting unit 320 includes the rotating-shaft member 303, the optical filter 302, and the filter frame member 601. A height in an optical direction of the filter frame member 601 becomes more than the height of the optical filter 302, and accordingly, the surface opposite each other the substrate 101 and the substrate 201 in the optical filter 302 is isolated from the substrate 101 and the substrate 201. Moreover, notch portions 601a and 601b are formed in a front end of the filter frame member 601. As shown in
In the second embodiment, the filter frame member 601 holds a part of a circumference of the optical filter 302, and also, the filter frame member 601 is protruded along the optical axial direction 801 more than the optical filter 302. Accordingly, at the time of rotating the light adjusting unit 320 to move, since the filter frame member 601 abuts with the spacer 401, the optical filter 302 does not abut with the spacer 401 directly. Moreover, when the light adjusting unit 320 undergoes rotational motion between the substrate 101 and the substrate 201, since the filter frame member 601 makes a contact with the substrates 101 and 201, the optical filter 302 does not make a contact with the substrates 101 and 201. Accordingly, there is no breaking or chipping of the optical filter 302 due to an impact at the time of abutting. Furthermore, there is no degradation of the optical thin film which is formed on the optical filter 302. In the second embodiment, mainly the elastic force of the filter frame member 601 is used as a method of joining the optical filter 302 and the filter frame member 601. Therefore, as joining is possible only engagement of the optical filter 302 with the notch portions of the filter frame member 601, it is not necessary to use an adhesive etc., and assembling becomes easier.
A light adjusting apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described below by using
In the third embodiment, the light adjusting unit 330 includes the rotating-shaft member 303, the optical filter 302, and the filter frame member 701. Three protruding portions 701a are formed at an equiangular distance on the filter frame member 701. The protruding portions 701a hold the optical filter 302 by holding locally the circumferential edge of the optical filter 302. Moreover, a height in an optical axial direction of the protruding portion 701a becomes more than the height of the optical filter 302, and accordingly, the surface opposite each other the substrate 101 and the substrate 201 in the optical filter 302 is isolated from the substrate 101 and the substrate 201. In the third embodiment, a method of joining the optical filter 302 and the filter frame member 701 is bending the three protruding portions 701a in the optical axial direction after disposing the optical filter 302 on the filter frame member 701. Thereafter, the optical filter 302 is held by the protruding portions 701a. Although three protruding portions are provided in the light adjusting unit 330 of the third embodiment, the number of protruding portions may be two or not less than four, provided that the optical filter 302 can be held. Moreover, in the third embodiment, although the optical filter 302 is fixed by being held by the protruding portions 701a, an adhesive may be used as another method of fixing.
In the third embodiment, the protruding portions 701a hold the circumferential locations of the optical filter 302, and also are protruded in an optical axial direction more than the optical filter 302. Accordingly, at the time of rotating the light adjusting unit 330 to move, since the protruding portions 701a abut with the spacer 401, the optical filter 302 does not abut with the spacer 401 directly. Moreover, when the light adjusting unit 330 undergoes rotational motion between the substrates 101 and the substrate 201, since the protruding portions 701a make contact with the substrates 101 and 201, the optical filter 302 does not make a contact with the substrates 101 and 201. Accordingly, there is no breaking or chipping of the optical filter 302 due to an impact at the time of striking. Furthermore, there is no degradation of the optical thin film which is formed on the optical filter 302. In the third embodiment, as a method of joining the optical filter 302 and the filter frame member 701, the optical filter 302 is fixed by holding by the protruding portions 701a. Therefore, it is not necessary to use an adhesive etc., and assembling becomes easier.
As it has been described above, the light adjusting apparatus according to the present invention is useful as a light adjusting apparatus in which, damage to the optical thin film which is formed on a component such as an optical filter and a lens is prevented, and the light adjusting unit is driven stably.
101 substrate
102 optical aperture
103 rotating-shaft hole
201 substrate
202 optical aperture
203 rotating-shaft hole
300 light adjusting unit
301 filter frame member
302 optical filter
303 rotating-shaft member
304 protective portion
320 light adjusting unit
330 light adjusting unit
401 spacer
401
a curved surface portion
401
b flat surface portion
500 electromagnetic drive source
501 winding coil portion
502 yoke member
502
a front-end portion
502
b front-end portion
601 filter frame member
601
a notch portion
601
b notch portion
701 filter frame member
701
a protruding portion
801 optical axial direction
900 light adjusting unit
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2010271322 | Dec 2010 | JP | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2011/078090 | Dec 2011 | US |
Child | 13904074 | US |