Patent ID: 7978424
Filing Date: 2011-07-12
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A lens barrel comprising: a front holding member and a rear holding member which hold a front optical element and a rear optical element, respectively, said rear holding member being provided behind said front holding member in an optical axis direction; an advancing/retracting member which is moved rearward in said optical axis direction when said lens barrel moves from a ready-to-photograph state to a lens barrel accommodated state, in which no pictures can be taken; a first guide portion which guides said front holding member in said optical axis direction relative to said advancing/retracting member; a first biasing member which biases said front holding member rearwards in said optical axis direction; a second guide portion which guides said rear holding member in said optical axis direction independently of said advancing/retracting member; a second biasing member which biases said rear holding member toward front in said optical axis direction; and first contact portions provided between said front holding member and said rear holding member, respectively, a rearward movement of said front holding member due to a rearward movement of said advancing/retracting member causing said first contact portions to come into contact with each other to transmit a rearward moving force of said front holding member to said rear holding member against a biasing force of said second biasing member when said lens barrel moves from said ready-to-photograph state to said lens barrel accommodated state, wherein said first guide portion, said second guide portion, a first force-applied portion provided between said first biasing member and said front holding member at which said first biasing member and said front holding member are in contact, a second force-applied portion provided between said second biasing member and said rear holding member at which said second biasing member and said rear holding member are in contact with each other, and said first contact portions are all positioned within one of four angular ranges about said optical axis which are defined by dividing 360° into four equiangular ranges as viewed from the front or back of said lens barrel along said optical axis.