Patent ID: 6256458
Filing Date: 2001-07-03
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A lens housing for positioning lens frames in a stowed position and an image-capturing position and allowing variation of a focal length comprising:image-capturing lenses supported by the lens frames and allowing variation in the focal length thereof,an immobilized frame having a female helicoid thread for moving all of the lens frames and a rotatable drive gear provided parallel to an optical axis of the image-capturing lenses;a helicoid member, having a gear section engaged with the drive gear and a male helicoid thread engageable with the female helicoid thread and rotatably drivable by rotation of the drive gear for moving all of the lens frames to the stowed position and the image-capturing position; anda drive member supported by the immobilized frame so as to be rotatable around the optical axis, wherein, upon completion of forward movement of all of the lens frames, the drive member engages with the lens frames so as to be rotatably driven, whereby the image-capturing lenses are moved in a direction corresponding to the optical axis and the focal length of the image-capturing lenses is varied.