Patent ID: 8970971
Filing Date: 2015-03-03
Classification: G02B,H04N

Abstract:
1. A lens barrel device comprising: a plurality of lens groups including at least one retractable lens group; a plurality of lens retaining frames configured to retain the plurality of lens groups, respectively; a movable lens barrel configured to retain the plurality of lens retaining frames therein, a fixed cylinder portion configured to retain the movable lens barrel therein, a zoom motor for driving the movable lens barrel relative to the fixed cylinder portion, and a drive member provided in the fixed cylinder portion, wherein the plurality of lens retaining frames, the movable lens barrel and the fixed cylinder portion are configured to move the plurality of lens groups between a collapsed state where the plurality of lens groups are stored with at least one portion of the plurality of lens groups collapsed and a photographing state where at least one portion of the plurality of lens groups is moved toward an object, wherein the plurality of lens retaining frames include a retractable lens retaining frame configured to movably retain the at least one retractable lens group so as to position the plurality of lens groups in photographing positions on a single photographic optical axis in the photographing state and to retract the at least one retractable lens group to a retracted position outside an inside diameter position of the fixed cylinder portion in the collapsed state, and wherein the zoom motor transmits a driving force to the movable lens barrel, which drives the movable lens barrel relative to the fixed cylinder portion, and wherein the movable lens barrel transmits the driving force to the drive member, and wherein the drive member transmits the driving force to the retractable lens retaining frame and thereby drives the retractable lens retaining frame to move the at least one retractable lens group between the photographing position and the retracted position, and wherein the lens barrel device further comprises a cylindrical liner located radially within the movable lens barrel, the cylindrical liner being configured to axially slidably receive a portion of the drive member, to prevent the drive member from moving in a circumferential direction with respect to an optical axis of the lens barrel device, and to permit the drive member to slidably move relative to the cylindrical liner in an axial direction that is parallel to the optical axis of the lens barrel device, and wherein the plurality of lens retaining frames, the movable lens barrel, the fixed cylinder portion, the driver member, and the cylindrical liner are configured to move the plurality of lens groups between the collapsed state where the plurality of lens groups are stored with at least one portion of the plurality of lens groups collapsed and the photographing state where at least one portion of the plurality of lens groups is moved toward an object.