Patent ID: 7710668
Filing Date: 2010-05-04
Classification: G02B,G03B

Abstract:
1. A lens barrel in which energizing and deenergizing the lens barrel to allow switching between a drive mode in which an image can be captured and a non-drive mode in which no image can be captured, the lens barrel comprising: a plurality of lenses disposed in an outer enclosure; an imaging device that converts image light introduced through the plurality of lenses into an image signal; a movable unit including a movable lens and a lens holder that holds the movable lens; a lead screw rotated by a drive motor; a nut member made of a metal material threadably engaging the lead screw and selectively in contact with the lens holder, the nut member being moved by the rotation of the lead screw in the optical axis direction moving the movable unit in the optical axis direction while being in contact with the lens holder; a guide shaft that guides the movable unit in the optical axis direction, both axial ends of the guide shaft held by the outer enclosure; and an urging spring that presses part of the lens holder against the nut member when the movable unit moves in the optical axis direction, wherein the outer enclosure has a restricting portion that comes into contact with the lens holder and restricts the movement of the movable unit when the movable unit moves to the end of movement in the optical axis direction, and when the non-drive mode is activated after the movable unit has moved to the end of movement and the lens holder has come into contact with the restricting portion, the nut member continues to move in order to disengage from contact with the lens holder so that the nut member is disposed between the lens holder and the restricting portion in a manner that the nut member is spaced apart from both the lens holder and the restricting portion.