RETRACTABLE PHOTOGRAPHIC LENS

Abstract

A retractable photographic lens including a photographing optical system includes a plurality of optical elements including at least two radially-retractable optical elements; wherein the plurality of optical elements are aligned with an optical axis in an operating state of the retractable photographic lens. When the retractable photographic lens moves from the operating state to a fully retracted state, the two radially-retractable optical elements of the plurality of optical elements are radially retracted to respective radially retracted positions thereof away from the optical axis in different radial directions and moved rearward in the optical axis direction to be positioned adjacent to each other in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a retractable zoom lens of a digital camera according to the present invention, wherein an upper half portion and a lower half portion of the zoom lens from a photographing optical axis thereof show ready-to-photograph states of the zoom lens set at the wide-angle extremity and the telephoto extremity, respectively;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the zoom lens shown in FIG. 1 in the fully retracted state thereof;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the optical elements and associated elements thereof shown in FIG. 1, showing the relative positions of the optical elements in two ready-to-photograph states of the zoom lens;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the optical elements and associated elements thereof shown in FIG. 2, showing the relative positions of the optical elements in the fully retracted state of the zoom lens;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the second lens group, the third lens group, the second lens group support ring and the third lens group support ring showing the relative positions thereof in a state immediately before the second lens group and the third lens group are rotated to be retracted to the radially retracted positions thereof in between a ready-to-photograph state and the fully retracted state of the zoom lens;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the second lens group and the third lens group, showing the relative positions thereof, in a state where the second lens group and the third lens group are being rotated so as to be retracted to the respective radially retracted positions thereof in between a ready-to-photograph state and the fully retracted state of the zoom lens;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the second lens group and the third lens group showing the relative positions thereof, in a state where the second lens group and the third lens group are further moved rearward in the optical axis direction from the positions shown in FIG. 6 and have been retracted to respective radially retracted positions thereof (zoom lens not yet fully retracted);

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the second lens group, the third lens group, the second lens group support ring and the third lens group support ring showing the relative positions thereof in the fully retracted state of the zoom lens;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the second lens group frame, the second lens group support ring, the third lens group frame and the third lens group support ring in a state where the second lens group frame and the third lens group frame are held in the respective photographing positions thereof;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to that of FIG. 9, showing the second lens group frame, the second lens group support ring, the third lens group frame and the third lens group support ring in a state where the second lens group frame and the third lens group frame are held in the respective radially retracted positions thereof;

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the second lens group frame, the second lens group support ring, the third lens group frame and the third lens group support ring in a state where the second lens group frame and the third lens group frame are held in the respective photographing positions thereof, viewed from an angle different from the angle shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the second lens group frame, the second lens group support ring, the third lens group frame and the third lens group support ring in a state where the second lens group frame and the third lens group frame are held in the respective photographing positions thereof, viewed from an angle different from the angle shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the second lens group frame and the third lens group support ring, showing the shape of the retracting cam formed on the third lens group support ring;

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the third lens group frame and the second lens group support ring, showing the shape of the retracting cam formed on the second lens group support ring;

FIG. 15 is a front elevational view of the second lens group frame, the third lens group frame and other elements, showing the relative positions of the second lens group frame and the third lens group frame in a ready-to-photograph state of the zoom lens;

FIG. 16 is a view similar to that of FIG. 15, showing the relative positions of the second lens group frame and the third lens group frame in the fully retracted state of the zoom lens;

FIG. 17 is a front elevational view of the third lens group support ring and the second lens group frame, showing the relative positions thereof in a ready-to-photograph state of the zoom lens, viewed from the front in an optical axis direction;

FIG. 18 is a view similar to that of FIG. 17, showing the relative positions of the third lens group support ring and the second lens group frame in the fully retracted state of the zoom lens, viewed from the front in the optical axis direction;

FIG. 19 is a front elevational view of the second lens group support ring and the third lens group frame in a ready-to-photograph state of the zoom lens, showing the relative positions of the second lens group support ring and the third lens group frame, viewed from the rear in the optical axis direction;

FIG. 20 is a view similar to that of FIG. 19, showing the relative positions of the second lens group support ring and the third lens group frame in the fully retracted state of the zoom lens, viewed from the rear in the optical axis direction;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the second lens group frame and the third lens group frame in which two position-control cam projections are integrally formed, respectively, of another embodiment of the retracting device of the zoom lens; and

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the second lens group frame and the third lens group frame which are shown in FIG. 21 and illustrates a state where the second lens group frame and the third lens group frame have been rotated to the respective radially retracted positions thereof by control of the position-control cam projections.

Claims

1. A retractable photographic lens including a photographing optical system comprising: a plurality of optical elements including at least two radially-retractable optical elements;wherein said plurality of optical elements are aligned with an optical axis in an operating state of said retractable photographic lens, andwherein, when said retractable photographic lens moves from said operating state to a fully retracted state, said two radially-retractable optical elements of said plurality of optical elements are radially retracted to respective radially retracted positions thereof away from said optical axis in different radial directions and moved rearward in said optical axis direction to be positioned adjacent to each other in a plane orthogonal to said optical axis.

2. The retractable photographic lens according to claim 1, further comprising: a first optical-axis-direction moving ring and a second optical-axis-direction moving ring which move rearward in said optical axis direction at least when said retractable photographic lens moves from said operating state to said fully retracted state;a first radially-retractable-optical-element holding member which is supported by said first optical-axis-direction moving ring to be movable along a plane orthogonal to said optical axis and holds one of said two radially-retractable optical elements;a second radially-retractable-optical-element holding member which is supported by said second optical-axis-direction moving ring to be movable along a plane orthogonal to said optical axis and holds the other of said two radially-retractable optical elements;a photographing position holding device which holds said first radially-retractable-optical-element holding member and said second radially-retractable-optical-element holding member so that said two radially-retractable optical elements are aligned with said optical axis in said operating state of said retractable photographic lens; anda retracting device which moves said two radially-retractable optical elements toward said radially retracted positions thereof in accordance with movements of said first optical-axis-direction moving ring and said second optical-axis-direction moving ring when said retractable photographic lens moves from said operating state to said fully retracted state.

3. The retractable photographic lens according to claim 2, wherein said first optical-axis-direction moving ring and said second optical-axis-direction moving ring approach each other so as to reduce a distance therebetween in said optical axis direction when said retractable photographic lens moves from said operating state to said fully retracted state, wherein said retracting device comprises: a first cam mechanism which includes first two contacting portions formed on said second optical-axis-direction moving ring and said first radially-retractable-optical-element holding member, respectively, and gives said first radially-retractable-optical-ekement holding member a component force in a direction to move said one of said two radially-retractable optical elements toward associated one of said radially retracted positions upon said first two contacting portions coming in contact with each other when said first optical-axis-direction moving ring and said second optical-axis-direction moving ring approach each other; anda second cam mechanism which includes second two contacting portions formed on said first optical-axis-direction moving ring and said second radially-retractable-optical-element holding member, respectively, and gives said second radially-retractable-optical-element holding member a component force in a direction to move said other of said two radially-retractable optical elements toward associated the other of said radially retracted positions upon said second two contacting portions coming in contact with each other when said first optical-axis-direction moving ring and said second optical-axis-direction moving ring approach each other.

4. The retractable photographic lens according to claim 2, wherein said first optical-axis-direction moving ring and said second optical-axis-direction moving ring approach each other so as to reduce a distance therebetween in said optical axis direction when said retractable photographic lens moves from said operating state to said fully retracted state, wherein said retracting device comprises: a cam mechanism which includes two contacting portions formed on said first radially-retractable-optical-element holding member and said second radially-retractable-optical-element holding member, respectively, and gives each of said first radially-retractable-optical-element holding member and said second radially-retractable-optical-element holding member a component force in a direction to move said two radially-retractable optical elements toward said respective radially retracted positions thereof upon said two contacting portions coming in contact with each other when said first optical-axis-direction moving ring and said second optical-axis-direction moving ring approach each other.

5. The retractable photographic lens according to claim 1, wherein said two radially-retractable optical elements having substantially in the same thickness in said optical axis direction, and wherein, in said fully retracted state of said retractable photographic lens, positions of front ends of said two radially-retractable optical elements in said optical axis direction are substantially coincident with each other and positions of rear ends of said two radially-retractable optical elements in said optical axis direction are substantially coincident with each other.

6. The retractable photographic lens according to claim 1, wherein each of said two radially-retractable optical elements comprises a radially-retractable lens group, and wherein said plurality of optical elements further comprises a large-diameter lens group which remains aligned with said optical axis even in said fully retracted state of said retractable photographic lens, an outer diameter of said large-diameter lens group being substantially identical to the sum of outer diameters of said two radially-retractable lens groups.

7. The retractable photographic lens according to claim 1, wherein said two radially-retractable optical elements are provided adjacent to each other and are positioned between a frontmost lens group and a rearmost lens group of said plurality of optical elements.

8. The retractable photographic lens according to claim 1, wherein said two radially-retractable optical elements are rotated in opposite rotation directions about two pivots, respectively, which extend substantially parallel to said optical axis, when said retractable photographic lens moves from said operating state to said fully retracted state.

9. The retractable photographic lens according to claim 1, wherein said two radially-retractable optical elements are positioned on radially opposite sides with respect to said optical axis, when said retractable photographic lens is in said fully retracted state.

10. The retractable photographic lens according to claim 2, wherein said photographing position holding device comprises: a first photographing position holding device including a first stop projection formed on said first radially-retractable-optical-element holding member and a first spring which continuously biases said first radially-retractable-optical-element holding member in a direction to make said first stop projection contact with a portion of said first optical-axis-direction moving ring; anda second photographing position holding device including a second stop projection formed on said second radially-retractable-optical-element holding member and a second spring which continuously biases said second radially-retractable-optical-element holding member in a direction to make said second stop projection contact with a portion of said second optical-axis-direction moving ring.

11. The retractable photographic lens according to claim 6, wherein said large-diameter lens group comprises a frontmost lens group.

12. The retractable photographic lens according to claim 6, further comprising a shutter unit including an adjustable diaphragm, wherein said two radially-retractable optical elements are positioned immediately in front of said adjustable diaphragm in said fully retracted state of said retractable photographic lens.

13. The retractable photographic lens according to claim 2, wherein each of said first optical-axis-direction moving ring and said second optical-axis-direction moving ring is guided linearly along said optical axis without rotating.

14. The retractable photographic lens according to claim 1, wherein said retractable photographic lens is a zoom lens, said two radially-retractable optical elements being moved in said optical axis direction when a zooming operation is carried out.

15. A retractable photographic lens including a photographing optical system comprising: a plurality of optical elements aligned with an optical axis in an operating state of said retractable photographic lens,wherein, when said retractable photographic lens moves from said operating state to a fully retracted state, at least two radially-retractable optical elements of said plurality of optical elements are moved away from each other in directions orthogonal to said optical axis so that one of said two radially-retractable optical elements occupies a part of an area which is occupied by the other of said two radially-retractable optical elements if said other of said two radially-retractable optical elements were to be in said operating state of said retractable photographic lens as viewed from front of said retractable photographic lens, and moved rearward in said optical axis direction to be positioned adjacent to each other in a plane orthogonal to said optical axis.