Source: http://patents.com/us-9046744.html
Timestamp: 2018-09-23 17:51:08
Document Index: 116339055

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 2012', 'Application No. 2012', 'art 403', 'art 403', 'art 403', 'art 403', 'art 403', 'art 420', 'art 350', 'art 350']

US Patent # 9,046,744. Lens barrel - Patents.com
United States Patent 9,046,744
Konishi , et al. June 2, 2015
A lens barrel includes a support frame and a retracting lens frame. The support frame includes a main body portion, a first linking portion and a second linking portion. The first region is configured to dispose the second lens in the imaging enabled state. The second region is formed continuously with the first region. The first linking portion links the second region on one side of the main body portion in the optical axis direction. The second linking portion links the second region on the other side of the main body portion in the optical axis direction. The retracting lens frame is disposed between the first linking portion and the second linking portion in a housed state.
Konishi; Akio (Hyogo, JP), Uno; Tetsuya (Osaka, JP), Shinano; Fumio (Osaka, JP)
Family ID: 1000001129941
14/447,791
US 20140340777 A1 Nov 20, 2014
PCT/JP2013/000586 Feb 1, 2013
Feb 2, 2012 [JP] 2012-021397
Current CPC Class: G03B 17/565 (20130101); G02B 7/102 (20130101); G02B 7/022 (20130101); G02B 27/646 (20130101); G03B 3/10 (20130101); G03B 5/00 (20130101); G03B 17/04 (20130101); G02B 7/12 (20130101); G03B 13/34 (20130101); G02B 7/08 (20130101); G02B 7/026 (20130101); G03B 2205/0007 (20130101); G03B 2205/0069 (20130101); G03B 2205/0092 (20130101)
Current International Class: G02B 7/02 (20060101); G03B 17/04 (20060101); G03B 17/00 (20060101); G02B 15/14 (20060101); G02B 13/14 (20060101)
Field of Search: ;359/813,822,823,826,827,554,557,604-704 ;396/55,72-75,83-85,344,348-350,459
7753598 July 2010 Ishizuka et al.
63-138320 Jun 1986 JP
International Search Report for corresponding International Application No. PCT/JP2013/000586 mailed May 7, 2013. cited by applicant .
International Search Report for related International Application No. PCT/JP2013/000589 mailed May 7, 2013. cited by applicant .
Notice of Allowance issued on Jan. 21, 2015 for U.S. Appl. No. 14/447,843. cited by applicant .
Office Action issued on Feb. 20, 2015 for U.S. Appl. No. 14/447,907. cited by applicant.
This is a continuation application of International Application PCT/JP2013/000586, with an international filing date of Feb. 1, 2013 which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-021397 filed on Feb. 2, 2012. The entire disclosures of International Application PCT/JP2013/000586 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-021397 are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
1. A lens barrel, comprising: a first lens including a first optical axis; a support frame; a second lens including a second optical axis; and a retracting lens frame configured to support the second lens and move with respect to the support frame such that a position of the second optical axis changes from a position on the first optical axis to a position outside the first optical axis during a transition period between an imaging enabled state and a housed state, wherein the support frame includes: a main body portion including a first region and a second region, the first region configured to dispose the second lens on the first optical axis in the imaging enabled state, the second region configured to dispose the second lens in the housed state and formed continuously with the first region; a first linking portion provided to the main body portion on one side of the second region in the first optical axis direction; and a second linking portion provided to the main body portion on another side of the second region in the first optical axis direction, and at least part of the retracting lens frame is disposed between the first linking portion and the second linking portion in the housed state.
2. The lens barrel according to claim 1, further comprising: a first frame body disposed on one side of the support frame in the first optical axis, wherein a first housing portion is formed on the first frame body, the first housing portion configured to house the first linking portion.
3. The lens barrel according to claim 2, wherein the first frame body is configured to support the support frame movably in a plane that is perpendicular to the first optical axis.
4. The lens barrel according to claim 2, further comprising: a second frame body disposed on another side of the support frame in the first optical axis, and configured to move in the first optical axis direction with respect to the support frame, wherein a second housing portion is formed on the second frame body, the second housing portion configured to house the second linking portion.
5. The lens barrel according to claim 4, further comprising: a sheet member disposed on the one side of the second frame body in the first optical axis direction, wherein: the second housing portion is configured to pass through in the first optical axis direction, and the sheet member is configured to cover the second housing portion on another side in the first optical axis direction.
6. The lens barrel according to claim 1, further comprising: a first frame body disposed on one side of the support frame in the first optical axis direction, wherein: the first linking portion is provided on the first frame body side, the second linking portion is provided on the side away from the first frame body, and the maximum width of the first linking portion in a direction perpendicular to the first optical axis is less than the maximum width of the second linking portion in the direction perpendicular to the first optical axis.
7. The lens barrel according to claim 1, further comprising: a first frame body disposed on one side of the support frame in the first optical axis direction, Wherein: the first linking portion is provided on the first frame body side, the second linking portion is provided on the side away from the first frame body, and the maximum thickness of the first linking portion in the first optical axis direction is less than the maximum thickness of the second linking portion in the first optical axis direction.
8. The lens barrel according to claim 1, wherein at least a part on a portion where either the first linking portion or the second linking portion opposes a curved face of the second lens, is formed so as to correspond to the curved face of the second lens.
A lens barrel in which a second stage that supports a third lens group is able to retract with respect to a first stage has been disclosed in the past (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2011-215389).
With prior art, the second stage that supports the third lens group is supported retractably with respect to the first stage. An opening is provided to the first stage, and in the imaging state, the third lens group of the second stage is disposed in this opening. Also, since the third lens group of the second stage moves from the imaging state to the retracted state, the movement path of the third lens group is ensured by the first stage. More precisely, the movement path of the third lens group is ensured by the outer peripheral part of the first stage. An offset light blocking wall is formed on the first stage so as to link the outer peripheral part of the first stage corresponding to the movement path of the third lens group. However, if the outer peripheral part of the first stage corresponding to the movement path of the third lens group is merely linked in an offset state by the offset light blocking wall, there is the risk that the strength of the first stage, that is, the strength of the lens barrel, is not adequate.
The technology disclosed herein was conceived in light of the above problem, and it is an object of the present technology to increase the strength of a lens barrel.
The lens barrel disclosed herein comprises a first lens having a first optical axis, a second lens including a second optical axis, and a retracting lens frame. The retracting lens frame is configured to support the second lens. The retracting lens frame is configured to move with respect to the support frame such that the second optical axis changes from a position on the first optical axis to a position outside the first optical axis during a transition period between an imaging enabled state and a housed state.
The support frame includes a main body portion, a first linking portion, and a second linking portion. The main body portion includes a first region and a second region. The first region is configured to dispose the second lens on the first optical axis in the imaging enabled state. The second region is configured to dispose the second lens in the housed state. The second region is formed continuously with the first region. The first linking portion is provided to the main body portion on one side of the second region in the first optical axis direction. The second linking portion is provided to the main body portion on the other side of the second region in the first optical axis direction. At least part of the retracting lens frame is disposed between the first linking portion and the second linking portion in the housed state.
The technology disclosed herein provides a lens barrel with increased strength.
FIG. 8 is an oblique view of a second rotary frame;
FIG. 9B is an oblique view of a third rectilinear frame;
FIG. 13B is a diagram of the shutter frame as seen from the subject side;
FIG. 14A is an oblique view of the shutter frame, an OIS frame, and the refracting lens frame;
FIG. 14B is a cross section of the shutter frame, the OIS frame, the refracting lens frame, and the second lens group frame;
FIG. 16A is a cross section of the state when a rotary spring biases the refracting lens frame to the OIS frame;
FIG. 16B is a detail cross section of the contact state between a refraction shaft and a contact face;
FIG. 17A is an oblique view of the relation between the second lens group frame and the refracting lens frame (imaging enabled state);
FIG. 17B is an oblique view of the relation between the second lens group frame and the refracting lens frame (refracted state);
FIG. 18B is a cross section of the relation between the shutter frame and the refracting lens frame (imaging enabled state);
FIG. 18C is a diagram of the relation between the shutter frame and the refracting lens frame (refracted state);
FIG. 24 is a detail cross section of the state when the refracting lens frame has been engaged with the anti-rotation portion of the OIS frame.
The third rectilinear frame main body 131 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and has an inner peripheral face 1305 and an outer peripheral face 130T.
The guide groove a7 guides a driven portion 411 (see FIG. 14A; discussed below) as a cam follower. The guide groove a7 and the driven portion 411 constitute a cam mechanism for moving a retracting lens frame 401. This cam mechanism changes the orientation of the refracting lens frame 401 when the third rectilinear frame 130 moves relative to the refracting lens frame 401 in the optical axis direction.
As shown in FIG. 9A, the guide groove a7 has a portion that is inclined to the optical axis direction (inclined part a71) and a portion is that parallel to the optical axis direction (parallel part a72). When the driven portion 411 is guided by this inclined part a71, the refracting lens frame 401 rotates around a refraction shaft 501b. The refracting lens frame 401 transitions between an image blur correction enabled position and a refracted position by rotating around the refraction shaft 501b. In the refracted position, the driven portion 411 is guided by the parallel part a72 of the guide groove a7, thereby the refracting lens frame 401 stops rotating around the refraction shaft 501b at the refracted position.
The refracting lens frame 401 is biased by a rotary spring 403 from the retracted position toward the image blur correction enabled position. More precisely, this biasing direction is a direction around the retraction shaft 501b, a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and a direction in which the refracting lens frame 401 enters its imaging enabled state. Specifically, this biasing direction is a direction in which the optical axis direction of the third lens group L3 is aligned with the optical axis direction of the other lenses.
Therefore, when the guide groove a7 and the driven portion 411 cause the retracting lens frame 401 to rotate against the biasing force of the rotary spring 403, the driven portion 411 comes into contact with one side (one side face) of the guide groove a7. The guide groove a7 is formed in the form of a groove. Specifically, the guide groove a7 is made up of three faces. These three faces constitute a side face a73 on the front side in the optical axis direction, a side face a74 on the rear side in the optical axis direction, and a bottom face a75 that is parallel to the optical axis direction and connects the first two faces. The contact face of the guide groove a7 that comes into contact with the driven portion 411 is the side face a73 on the front side in the optical axis direction. Therefore, the refracting lens frame 401 can be rotated as long as the side face a73 on the front side in the optical axis direction is provided. In this case, the contact face at the position immediately after the completion of retraction is a contact face a76. After this, a positioning portion 412 of the refracting lens frame 401 that has been guided by a guide portion 322a is supported in a state of being in contact with a support portion 322b, and the retraction operation is complete.
However, because the guide groove a7 is formed in a grooved shape, that is, constitutes three faces, the position of the driven portion 411 is reliably maintained by the guide groove a7 even if the camera is dropped, subjected to an impact, etc., so the orientation of the refracting lens frame 401 can be kept stable. For the same reason, the parallel part a72 is also in a grooved shape, that is, constitutes three faces. Furthermore, even if the rotational load of the retracting lens frame 401 is increased over the rotational force of the rotary spring 403 due to the influence of wear through continuous use or of the adhesion of foreign matter in the guide groove a7, the refracting lens frame 401 can still be forcibly rotated.
The side face a73 on the front side in the optical axis direction and the side face a74 on the rear side in the optical axis direction of the guide groove a7 are formed in a tapered shape (that is, a sloped face shape) with respect to the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction, so that there is no undercutting in the sliding direction of the mold during injection molding. The contact face of the driven portion 411 that engages with the guide groove a7 is also formed in a shape corresponding to the side face a73 on the front side in the optical axis direction and the side face a74 on the rear side in the optical axis direction. Specifically, the contact face of the driven portion 411 that engages with the guide groove a7 is formed in a tapered shape (that is, a sloped face shape) with respect to the direction perpendicular to the refraction shaft 501b, so that the side face a73 on the front side in the optical axis direction and the side face a74 on the rear side in the optical axis direction are substantially parallel to each other. The angle of the sloped face on the side face a73 on the front side in the optical axis direction is smaller than one on the side face a74 on the rear side in the optical axis direction. The angle of the sloped face is an angle to the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction The smaller is the angle of the sloped face to the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction, the less torque loss is caused by the rotational load of the refracting lens frame 401 generated at the sloped face, and the less it becomes for the driven portion 411 to come loose from the guide groove a7. On the other hand, the larger is the angle of the sloped face to the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction, the easier it becomes to avoid mold undercut during injection molding. Also, the larger is the angle of the sloped face to the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction, the larger is the angle of the sloped face of the driven portion 411 opposite the sloped face with respect to the direction perpendicular to the refraction shaft 501b. The larger is the angle of the contact face of the driven portion 411 to the direction perpendicular to the refraction shaft 501b, the stronger the base of the driven portion 411 can be made. Consequently, damage through continued use, the input of dropping force, impact force, or the like, and so forth can be prevented.
In this disclosure, the angle of the sloped face of the side face a73 on the front side in the optical axis direction with respect to the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction is small, and the angle of the sloped face of the side face a74 on the rear side in the optical axis direction with respect to the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction is large. Also, the sloped face of the driven portion 411 corresponding to these sloped faces is formed so as to be substantially parallel to the faces of the guide groove a7. This reduces torque loss through rotational load of the refracting lens frame 401, and makes it less likely that the driven portion 411 comes loose from the guide groove a7. It also prevents damage through continued use, the input of dropping force, impact force, or the like, and so forth.
Also, because the driven portion 411 and the guide groove a7 are formed in the third rectilinear frame 130, this improves the rotational precision of the refracting lens frame 401. For example, if the guide groove a7 is provided to the stationary portion of the imaging element holder or the like, there is the risk that more parts are in between the driven portion 411 and the guide groove a7. The more of these parts there are, the worse is the relative positional accuracy between the driven portion 411 and the guide groove a7, and the less accurate is the relative rotation of the refracting lens frame 401 with respect to the refraction shaft 501b. In contrast, if the guide groove a7 is provided to the third rectilinear frame 130, there are relatively few parts in between the driven portion 411 and the guide groove a7, so the relative positional accuracy of the refracting lens frame 401 is increased.
Also, as discussed above, if the guide groove a7 is provided to the stationary portion of the imaging element holder or the like, there are more parts in between the driven portion 411 and the guide groove a7, so this adversely affects the relative rotational accuracy of the retracting lens frame 401 with respect to the retraction shaft 501b. Furthermore, if the retracting lens frame 401 is mounted to the OIS frame 400 so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the optical axis, there is a further loss of relative rotational accuracy between the driven portion 411 and the guide groove a7. To put this another way, if a refraction mechanism is constituted and the OIS frame 400 is mounted to the shutter frame 335 so as to operate in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis (that is, if an image blur correction mechanism is constituted), there is a further loss of relative rotational accuracy between the driven portion 411 and the guide groove a7. However, if the guide groove a7 is provided to the third rectilinear frame 130, there are relatively few parts in between the driven portion 411 and the guide groove a7, so there is better relative rotational accuracy of the refracting lens frame 401 with respect to the refraction shaft 501b.
Furthermore, because the guide groove a7 that engages with the driven portion 411 is formed in the third rectilinear frame 130, positioning can be performed more accurately within the plane perpendicular to the optical axis during refraction. If the guide groove a7 is provided to the third rectilinear frame 130, a mechanism for positioning the OIS frame 400 with respect to the third rectilinear frame 130 within the plane perpendicular to the optical axis is formed between it and the third rectilinear frame 130. Accordingly, there is better positioning accuracy of the refracting lens frame 401 and the OIS frame 400.
The reason why there is a need for a mechanism for positioning the OIS frame 400 with respect to the third rectilinear frame 130 will now be discussed. If the image blur correction mechanism causes the OIS frame 400 to move within the plane perpendicular to the optical axis, the rotational accuracy of the refracting lens frame 401 with respect to the OIS frame 400 decreases. Accordingly, during the refraction operation, the OIS frame 400 has to be stopped with respect to the third rectilinear frame 130. The reason why the rotational accuracy of the refracting lens frame 401 deteriorates when the OIS frame 400 moves is that the positional relation between the retraction shaft 501b installed on the OIS frame 400 and the guide groove a7 installed on the third rectilinear frame 130 ends up moving.
This is not the only option, and the position where the OIS frame 400 is positioned can also be set in the direction toward the guide groove a7, offset from the optical axis. In this case, since the refraction shaft 501b and the guide groove a7 move closer together, the speed increasing ratio at which the retracting lens frame 401 rotates can be set higher. Specifically, the ratio of the rotational angle of the lens center of the refracting lens frame 401 to the rotational angle of the driven portion 411, using the refraction shaft 501b as a reference, can be increased. This ensures the rotational angle necessary for refraction of the refracting lens frame 401 even though the guide groove a7 is relatively short.
This is not the only option, and the position where the OIS frame 400 is positioned can be set to the direction away from the guide groove a7, offset from the optical axis. In this case, since the refraction shaft 501b and the guide groove a7 move away from each other, the speed increasing ratio at which the retracting lens frame 401 rotates can be set lower. Specifically, the ratio of the rotational angle of the lens center of the refracting lens frame 401 to the rotational angle of the driven portion 411, using the refraction shaft 501b as a reference, can be decreased. This reduces the load exerted on the driven portion 411 during retraction, and prevents wear of the contact face.
This is not the only option, and the position where the OIS frame 400 is positioned can be set to the direction in which the refracting lens frame 401 refracts, offset from the optical axis. In this case, the refraction amount, that is, the rotational angle of the retracting lens frame 401 around the refraction shaft 501b, can be reduced by an amount corresponding to the offset. This ensures the rotational angle necessary for refraction of the refracting lens frame 401 even through the guide groove a7 is relatively short. In this case, since the pressure angle of the guide groove a7 can be reduced, the load exerted on the driven portion 411 during retraction can be reduced, and wear of the contact face can be prevented.
The mechanism for positioning the OIS frame 400 (positioning mechanism) is constituted by engagement of the shunting grooves a9 (a91, a92, and a93) of the third rectilinear frame 130 with the shunting protrusions 404 of the OIS frame 400, and by engagement of the guide groove a7 with the driven portion 411. About the timing of this engagement, when there is a change from the image blur correction enabled position to the retracted position, first the engagement of the guide groove a7 and the driven portion 411 begins. After this, the engagement of the guide groove a7 and the driven portion 411 begins. This prevent the OIS frame 400 from end up moving in the direction of escaping, when the refracting lens frame 401 starts to rotate in the refraction direction and a force is exerted on the driven portion 411 from the guide groove a7.
The housing receptacle 322 is used to position the retracting lens frame 401 by restricting movement of the retracting lens frame 401, and coming into contact with the positioning portion 412 of the retracting lens frame 401, during the transition period between the imaging enabled state and the housed state. As shown in FIG. 12A, the housing receptacle 322 is formed integrally with the second lens group frame main body 321. More precisely, the housing receptacle 322 is formed integrally with the second lens group frame main body 321 on the outer peripheral part of the second lens support 321L (the portion supporting the second lens group L2). The housing receptacle 322 has the guide portion 322a that guides the refracting lens frame 401 to the retracted position by coming into contact with the positioning portion 412 of the refracting lens frame 401, and the support portion 322b that supports the refracting lens frame 401 at the refracted position (see FIG. 17A).
The cam mechanism constituted by the guide groove a7 and the driven portion 411 changes the orientation of the refracting lens frame 401, when the third rectilinear frame 130 moves relatively in the optical axis direction with respect to the refracting lens frame 401. After this, the refracting lens frame 401 is guided to the retracted position by contacting the positioning portion 412 of the refracting lens frame 401 with the guide portion 322a (sloped face).
The support portion 322b is a portion extending in the optical axis direction, and supports the refracting lens frame 401. As discussed above, the positioning portion 412 of the refracting lens frame 401 guided by the guide portion 322a is supported in a state of being in contact with the support portion 322b.
As shown in FIGS. 12A to 12C, the housing portion 323 is a portion for housing at least part of the OIS frame 400 and the refracting lens frame 401 in the refracted state. The housing portion 323 has a first housing portion 323a and a second housing portion 323b.
The second housing portion 323b is used to house the refraction shaft 501b, part of the refracting lens frame 401, part of the OIS frame 400, part of the shutter frame 335, an OIS rotary shaft 334, and a thrust spring 402. The second housing portion 323b is a hole provided on the front face side of the second lens group frame main body 321. The second housing portion 323b is formed in a shape corresponding to the parts to be housed.
As shown in FIGS. 14A and 15A, a space ST is formed in the OIS frame 400 in order to house the third lens support 420 that supports the third lens group L3 supported by the refracting lens frame 401 in the imaging enabled state. When the refracting lens frame 401 has been refracted, the second lens support 321L of the second lens group frame 320 is housed in this space ST.
The OIS frame 400 also has a main body portion 405, a first linking portion 407, and the second linking portion 408. The main body portion 405 has a hole 405a (an example of a first region) and a refraction portion 405b (an example of a second region).
The hole 405a forms the above-mentioned space ST. The hole 405a is formed in the center of the main body portion 405. The third lens support 420 that supports the third lens group L3 in the imaging enabled state is disposed in the hole 405a. The hole 405a also houses the second lens support 321L of the second lens group frame 320 when refracted.
Part of the lower inner peripheral part of the hole 405a is formed in a straight line. Specifically, the hole 405a is formed in an oval shape or a D shape. The reason for this is that the upper and lower portions of the outer peripheral part of the second lens support 321L housed in the hole 405a when retracted are formed in a shape that is cut in the flat. Specifically, this is because part of the lower part of the second lens support 321L is formed in a straight line. In other words, the second lens support 321L is formed in an oval shape or a D shape when viewed in the optical axis direction. The hole 405a is formed so as to correspond to this shape of the second lens support 321L.
The refraction portion 405b is formed continuously with the hole 405a. The retraction portion 405b is formed on the outer peripheral part of the main body portion 405.
The first linking portion 407 serves to increase the strength of the main body portion 405. The first linking portion 407 is formed integrally with the main body portion 405. The first linking portion 407 is formed integrally with the main body portion 405 on one side of the refraction portion 405b in the optical axis direction.
More specifically, the first linking portion 407 spans the refraction portion 405b on the shutter frame 335 side of the main body portion 405, and is formed integrally with the main body portion 405. Also, the first linking portion 407 is disposed on the outside of the opening of the shutter frame 335 when viewed in the optical axis direction. Also, the first linking portion 407 is disposed on the outside of the second lens support 321L of the second lens group frame 320, that is, on the outside in the radial direction, when viewed in the optical axis direction. Therefore, since the first linking portion 407 and the second lens support 321L do not overlap in the optical axis direction when refracted, the second lens group frame 320 can be moved closer to the shutter frame 335 when refracted, and this results in a smaller lens barrel 20.
When the shunting protrusions 404 are then introduced into the second grooves a92, the second grooves a92 press the shunting protrusions 404 in the direction of the optical axis center from the inner peripheral face 1305 of the third rectilinear frame 130. Consequently, movement of the OIS frame 400 is restricted in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis with respect to the third rectilinear frame 130 or the shutter frame 335. This positions the OIS frame 400. The positioning of the OIS frame 400 in this embodiment is carried out before the retracting lens frame 401 begins to retract, but what is important is that the positioning be completed by the time the retraction operation is complete.
The second linking portion 408 is formed integrally with the main body portion 405 on the other side of the refraction portion 405b in the optical axis direction, that is, the opposite side from that of the first linking portion 407 in the optical axis direction.
More specifically, the second linking portion 408 is formed integrally with the main body portion 405 and spans the refraction portion 405b on the subject side of the main body portion 405. Also, the second linking portion 408 is disposed on the outside of the second lens group L2 when viewed in the optical axis direction.
In the end, the shape of the first linking portion 407 and the shape of the inner peripheral part of the second linking portion 408 should correspond to the external shape with the largest outside diameter out of all the frames disposed in the hole 405a (the second lens support 321L and the third lens support 420), either in the imaging enabled state or the refracted state. Specifically, the shape of the first linking portion 407 and the shape of the inner peripheral part of the second linking portion 408 should correspond to a shape that conforms to the external shape the member at the farthest distance from the optical axis. This allows the lens barrel 20 to be made smaller while ensuring good strength of the OIS frame 400 and maintaining good moldability.
Also, at least part of the portion where the second linking portion 408 is opposite the third lens group L3 is formed so as to correspond to a curved face that encompasses the region through which the third lens group L3 passes during the transition from imaging to refraction (including during imaging and during retraction), and follow this curved face (see FIG. 14B). In other words, the region of the second linking portion 408 that is not opposite the curved face of the third lens group L3 during the transition is formed thicker. On the other hand, the region of the second linking portion 408 that is opposite the curved face of the third lens group L3 during the transition is formed thinner.
When the refracting lens frame 401 is in its refracted state (housed state), the third lens support 420 that supports the third lens group L3 is disposed on the refraction portion 405b between the first linking portion 407 and the second linking portion 408.
As shown in FIG. 15B, a recess 512 is formed in the anti-rotation portion 511. A second contact face 603B of the retracting lens frame 401 (discussed below) comes into contact with one of two side walls 512a of the recess 512. More specifically, the side walls 512a are formed at positions a specific distance away from the surface of the main body portion 405. These side walls 512a are sloped so that they move closer to the opposite side wall (the surface of the main body portion 405) as they move toward the bottom of the recess 512. This sloping pushes the second contact face 603B of the retracting lens frame 401 toward the OIS frame 400, and presses the second contact face 603B of the refracting lens frame 401 against the contact face 512c of the OIS frame 400.
As shown in FIG. 14A, the refracting lens frame 401 is supported by the OIS frame 400 so as to be movable around the refraction shaft 501b, which is substantially parallel to the optical axis. The retracting lens frame 401 supports the third lens group L3 used to image blur correction with the third lens support 420. The third lens group L3 is made up of one or more lenses.
The term "refraction shaft" as used below will sometimes be used in the sense of "the axis of the refraction shaft."
As shown in FIG. 14A, the refracting lens frame 401 has a main body portion 401a, a bearing 410, the driven portion 411, the positioning portion 412 (see FIGS. 17A and 19), the third lens support 420, and an engagement portion 413. The bearing 410 is formed integrally with the main body portion 401a.
As shown in FIGS. 14A and 15A, the bearing 410 is rotatably mounted to the support shaft 501b (refraction shaft) provided to the OIS frame 400. As shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, a hole into which the refraction shaft 501b is inserted is formed in the bearing 410. At least two contact faces 601a that come into contact with the retraction shaft 501b are formed in the hole of the bearing 410. In other words, the two contact faces 601a are formed in the inner peripheral face of the bearing 410.
As shown in FIG. 16B, the two contact faces 601a (hereinafter referred to as V-faces) come into contact with the outer peripheral face of the refraction shaft 501b. More specifically, the refracting lens frame 401 is biased by the biasing force F0 of the rotary spring 403 (see FIG. 16A), and the component force F1 of this biasing force F0 causes the V-faces 601a of the bearing 410 to come into contact with the outer peripheral face of the refraction shaft 501b.
As discussed below, in this embodiment, the other end 403b of the rotary spring 403 is bent. When the other end 403b of the rotary spring 403 is thus formed, the component force F1, that is, the force at which the contact faces 601a of the bearing 410 are brought into contact with the outer peripheral face of the refraction shaft 501b, can be increased over when the other end 403b of the rotary spring 403 is formed in a straight line.
This allows the refraction shaft 501b to be reliably positioned with respect to the bearing 410 of the retracting lens frame 401. More precisely, accuracy with respect to eccentricity of the refraction shaft 501b can be increased. The component forces of the biasing force F0 in FIG. 16A are F1 and F2.
The driven portion 411 is a portion that is driven against the biasing force of the rotary spring 403 (discussed below) during the transition period between the imaging enabled state and the housed state. As shown in FIGS. 14A and 19, the driven portion 411 is formed integrally and protrudes outward from the main body portion 401a. The driven portion 411 engages with the guide groove a7 formed in the inner peripheral face of the third rectilinear frame 130. More precisely, the driven portion 411 engages with the guide groove a7 of the third rectilinear frame 130 via an opening SK1 (discussed below) in the shutter frame 335. The driven portion 411 moves relatively in the optical axis direction with respect to the refracting lens frame 401, and is thereby guided in the guide groove a7 of the third rectilinear frame 130. This changes the orientation of the retracting lens frame 401 between the imaging enabled state and the refracted state.
The positioning portion 412 is formed on a portion (the third lens support 420) of the refracting lens frame 401 that supports the third lens group L3. The positioning portion 412 is positioned by the housing receptacle 322 of the second lens group frame 320 during the transition period between the imaging enabled state and the housed state.
The positioning portion 412 is formed so that the distance between the positioning portion 412 and the refraction shaft 501b becomes greater than the distance between the driven portion 411 and the refraction shaft 501b. More precisely, as shown in FIG. 14A, the positioning portion 412 is formed so that the distance LK1 between the axis of the refraction shaft 501b and the position where the positioning portion 412 comes into contact with the housing receptacle 322 becomes greater than the distance LK2 between the axis of the refraction shaft 501b and the proximal end of the driven portion 411.
As shown in FIGS. 14A, 17A, and 17B, the third lens support 420 is a portion that supports the third lens group L3. The third lens support 420 is in the form of a cylinder. The third lens group L3 is mounted on the inside of the third lens support 420.
As shown in FIG. 17B, the third lens support 420 has a cut-out 420a, which is a portion with no wall on the outside of the third lens group L3. The cut-out 420a is provided to the outer peripheral part of the third lens support 420. More specifically, the cut-out 420a is a portion that is partially cut away from the outer peripheral part of the third lens support 420. More precisely, in the cut-out 420a, the side of the outer peripheral part of the third lens support 420 that is away from the optical axis in the imaging enabled state, when the refracting lens frame 401 is in the refracted state, is cut away. The cut-out 420a is disposed opposite a light blocking portion 357 (see FIG. 14A) of the shutter frame 335 (discussed below) during the transition period between the imaging enabled state and the housed state.
As shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B, the first engagement portion 413a is formed near the refraction shaft 501b. As shown in FIG. 18B, the first engagement portion 413a is disposed between the first restrictor 337a and the OIS frame 400. The second engagement portion 413b is formed on the third lens support 420 that supports the third lens group L3. The second engagement portion 413b is disposed opposite the second linking portion 408 formed on the OIS frame 400, during the transition period between the imaging enabled state and the housed state.
As shown in FIG. 19, the refracting lens frame 401 further has the plurality of contact portions 603 (603A and 603B). The contact portions 603 are formed integrally with the main body portion 401a of the refracting lens frame 401. The contact portions 603 are made up of three first contact portions 603A (603A1, 603A2, and 603A3) and a second contact portion 603B.
The three first contact portions 603A and the second contact portion 603B are formed integrally with the main body portion 401a at a different position from the bearing 410. In other words, the three first contact portions 603A and the second contact portion 603B are formed on the main body portion 401a at a different position from the retraction shaft 501b supported by the bearing 410. Also, the three first contact portions 603A and the second contact portion 603B are formed on the main body portion 401a at a different position from the refraction shaft 501b so as to be capable of contact with the OIS frame 400.
More precisely, the two contact portions 603A1 and 603A2 out of the three first contact portions 603A are formed on the main body portion 401a near the refraction shaft 501b. The two contact portions 603A1 and 603A2 are formed on the main body portion 401a so that the refraction shaft 501b is located between the two contact portions 603A1 and 603A2. The other first contact portion 603A3 besides these two contact portions 603A1 and 603A2, and the second contact portion 603B are formed on the main body portion 401a at a position that is away from the refraction shaft 501b.
The three first contact portions 603A (603A1, 603A2, and 603A3) shown in FIG. 19 are able to come into contact with the OIS frame 400. Specifically, when the three first contact portions 603A come into contact with the OIS frame 400, movement of the refracting lens frame 401 in the optical axis direction is restricted.
More precisely, when the three first contact portions 603A come into contact with the rail portions 503 of the OIS frame 400 (see FIG. 15A), movement of the refracting lens frame 401 in the optical axis direction is restricted. More specifically, when the lens barrel 20 is in its imaging enabled state, the three first contact portions 603A1, 603A2, and 603A3 come into contact with the rail portions 503a, 503b, and 503c of the OIS frame 400. The first contact portion 603A1 comes into contact with the rail portion 503a, the first contact portion 603A2 comes into contact with the rail portion 503b, and the first contact portion 603A3 comes into contact with the rail portion 503c.
As shown in FIG. 16A, the other end 403b of the rotary spring 403 has a first bent part 403b1 formed on the distal end side, and a second bent part 403b2 formed in the middle. The first bent part 403b1 and the second bent part 403b2 are bent so as to follow the outer shape of the third lens support 420 of the refracting lens frame 401. In this case, the first bent part 403b1 is mounted in the groove 605 formed in the retracting lens frame 401.
Thus forming the other end 403b of the rotary spring 403 increases the force (component force F1) at which the contact faces 601a of the bearing 410 come into contact with the outer peripheral face of the refraction shaft 501b, as discussed above. This allows the retraction shaft 501b to the reliably positioned with respect to the bearing 410 of the refracting lens frame 401.
Because the rotary spring 403 biases the refracting lens frame 401 as discussed above, the second contact portion 603B of the refracting lens frame 401 comes into contact with the anti-rotation portion 511 of the OIS frame 400 (see FIGS. 13A and 15B). The OIS frame 400 is positioned when the bearing 410 is mounted to the refraction shaft 501b of the OIS frame 400, and the second contact portion 603B comes into contact with the anti-rotation portion 511 of the OIS frame 400.
As shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, the position of the refracting lens frame 401 can be changed from a correction enabled position in which the third lens group L3 executes image blur correction (first orientation), to a retracted position in which the third lens group L3 has been refracted from the optical axis (second orientation). The refracting lens frame 401 supports the third lens group L3, which is made up of at least one lens.
As shown in FIG. 17A, when the refracting lens frame 401 is in the correction enabled position, the center of the second lens group L2 and the center of the third lens group L3 are located on the optical axis AX.
When the refracting lens frame 401 begins to retract, the refracting lens frame 401 and the second lens support 321L of the second lens frame 320 move closer together while the refracting lens frame 401 rotates. This causes the positioning portion 412 of the retracting lens frame 401 to come into contact with the guide portion 322a of the second lens frame 320. The positioning portion 412 then moves over the guide portion 322a and reaches the support portion 322b, and is supported by the support portion 322b. Thus, the retracting lens frame 401 is supported by the second lens frame 320.
FIG. 17B shows this state. That is, as shown in FIG. 17B, when the refracting lens frame 401 moves to the refracted position, the refracting lens frame 401 comes into contact with the support portion 322b of the second lens group frame 320, and is housed in the space of the second lens group frame 320, that is, in the space between the second lens support 321L and the outer peripheral face 320T (see FIG. 12A). More specifically, the refracting lens frame 401 is supported and housed in a state of being in contact with the support portion 322b of the second lens frame 320 within the space on the outside in the radial direction of the second lens group L2.
As shown in FIGS. 18A to 18C, the restrictor is a portion that can restrict movement of the refracting lens frame 401 in the optical axis direction. The restrictor has a first restrictor 337a formed near the refraction shaft 501b, and a second linking portion 408 that acts as a second restrictor and is formed at a position that is away from the refraction shaft 501b.
The first restrictor 337a is formed integrally with the shutter frame main body 336 on the front side (the subject side) of the first engagement portion 413a. More specifically, the first restrictor 337a spans the space SK1 (see FIG. 18B) that houses the members near the refraction shaft 501b, on the front side (the subject side) of the first engagement portion 413a. The first restrictor 337a restricts movement of the refracting lens frame 401 in the optical axis direction near the refraction shaft 501b, in the imaging enabled state and the retracted state.
The second linking portion 408 is formed integrally with the OIS frame 400. More specifically, when the retracting lens frame 401 is in the refracted state, the second linking portion 408 spans the space SK2 on the front side (the subject side) of the space SK2 (see FIG. 14A) that houses the third lens group L3. The second linking portion 408 restricts movement of the refracting lens frame 401 in the optical axis direction near the third lens group L3 in the refracted state.
During normal operation, that is, when no strong force is acting on the refracting lens frame 401, such as during an imaging operation, or when the power is switched on or off, the retracting lens frame 401 is clamped to the OIS frame 400 by the thrust spring 402, and its position is restricted in the optical axis direction. Therefore, the first restrictor 337a and the second linking portion 408 do not individually come into contact with the first engagement portion 413a and the second engagement portion 413b. However, if a strong force (such as when the camera is dropped) is exerted in the optical axis direction, the retracting lens frame 401 moves in the optical axis direction with respect to the OIS frame 400 against the force of the thrust spring 402.
FIGS. 20 to 22 are cross sections of the lens barrel 20. Noted that FIGS. 20 to 22 are schematics that combine a plurality of cross sections passing through the optical axis AX. The lens barrel 20 is shown in its refracted state in FIG. 20, in its wide angle state in FIG. 21, and in its telephoto state in FIG. 22. In this embodiment, the "imaging enabled state" of the digital camera 1 means a state from the wide angle state to the telephoto state of the lens barrel 20.
The third lens group frame 330 is mounted to the shutter frame 335, and when the shutter frame 335 moves rectilinearly in the optical axis direction with respect to the third rectilinear frame 130, the retracting lens frame 401 of the third lens group frame 330 is rotated by a refraction mechanism (the guide groove a7 of the third rectilinear frame 130 and the driven portion 411 of the refracting lens frame 401). Consequently, in a transition from the refracted state to the imaging enabled state, the retracting lens frame 401 moves from its retracted position to a correction enabled position. Also, in a transition from the imaging enabled state to the refracted state, the refracting lens frame 401 moves from the correction enabled position to the refracted position. When the refracting lens frame 401 is disposed in the correction enabled position, the third lens group L3 is movable within a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. That is, image blur correction is possible in this state.
Next, the refracting lens frame 401 is inserted from the front of the OIS frame 400, and the refracting lens frame 401 is rotatably attached to the OIS frame 400.
Next, the shutter frame 335 is inserted from the rear of the third rectilinear frame 130. The second rotary frame 220 is then rotated in the peripheral direction to set the refracted state.
Finally, the first rotary frame 210 is rotated with respect to the stationary frame 100 to set the refracted state.
The operation and orientation of the refraction lens frame will now be described in detail.
When the lens barrel 20 transitions from the imaging enabled state to the refracted state, the refracting lens frame 401 is moved by a refraction mechanism (the guide groove a7 of the third rectilinear frame 130 and the driven portion 411 of the retracting lens frame 401) from the correction enabled position to the retracted position. Specifically, the retraction mechanism changes the orientation of the refracting lens frame 401 from an imaging enabled state to a refracted state. When the lens barrel 20 transitions from the refracted state to the imaging enabled state, the above operation is performed in reverse to change the orientation of the refracting lens frame 401 between the imaging enabled state and the retracted state.
The refraction mechanism will now be described in detail. The cam mechanism, which operates based on engagement of the cam followers B5 and the cam grooves b5 of the second rotary frame 220, causes the shutter frame 335 to move rectilinearly in the optical axis direction according to the rotation of the second rotary frame 220. The refracting lens frame 401 integrally engages with the shutter frame 335 as discussed below, and the above-mentioned cam mechanism causes it to move relatively in the optical axis direction with respect to the third rectilinear frame 130 from the imaging enabled state to the retracted state. In the process of transitioning from the imaging enabled state to the refracted state, the driven portion 411 engages with the driven portion 411 and moves along the path of the guide groove a7. The guide groove a7 is a cam groove formed in the inner face of the third rectilinear frame 130. The driven portion 411 is a cam follower. As shown in FIG. 9A, a portion (the sloped part a71) that is sloped with respect to the optical axis and a portion (the parallel part a72) that is parallel to the optical axis are formed on the guide groove a7. When the driven portion 411 moves along this sloped part a71, the retracting lens frame 401 rotates around the refraction shaft 501b. The retracting lens frame 401 transitions between an image blur correction position and a refracted position by rotating around the refraction shaft 501b.
The refracting lens frame 401 integrally engages with the OIS frame 400 in the optical axis direction, and the OIS frame 400 integrally engages with the shutter frame 335 in the optical axis direction. Accordingly, the movement of the retracting lens frame 401 with respect to the third rectilinear frame 130 in the optical axis direction is the same as the movement of the shutter frame 335 with respect to the third rectilinear frame 130 in the optical axis direction. The rectilinear protrusions A6 of the shutter frame 335 are engaged with the rectilinear grooves a6 of the third rectilinear frame 130. Also, the cam followers B5 of the shutter frame 335 are engaged with the cam grooves b5 of the second rotary frame 220. Therefore, the shutter frame 335 is movable rectilinearly in the optical axis direction according to the rotation of the second rotary frame 220.
The OIS frame 400 supported by the shutter frame 335 is positioned in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis by the third rectilinear frame 130 before the retracting lens frame 401 begins to retract. For example, if a transition from the imaging enabled state to the housed state (that is, the refracted state) is performed, when the shutter frame 335 moves rectilinearly in the optical axis direction, the shunting protrusions 404 of the OIS frame 400 supported by the shutter frame 335 are mated with the shunting grooves a9 of the third rectilinear frame 130 from the flange 132 side of the third rectilinear frame 130. When the shutter frame 335 then moves rectilinearly further in the optical axis direction, the shunting protrusions 404 are pressed by the shunting grooves a9, and the OIS frame 400 is restricted with respect to the shutter frame 335. Thus, the positioning of the OIS frame 400 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis is executed before the refracting lens frame 401 begins its retraction operation.
When the refracting lens frame 401 supported by the shutter frame 335 moves from the image blur correction enabled position (that is the imaging enabled position) to the refracted position, the retracting lens frame 401 is rotated by a refraction mechanism constituting the driven portion 411 of the retracting lens frame 401 and the guide groove a7 of the third rectilinear frame main body 131, on the inside of the third rectilinear frame main body 131. During this time, the refracting lens frame 401 and the second lens support 321L of the second lens frame 320 move closer together in the optical axis direction. In a state of having been placed on the shutter frame 335, the retracting lens frame 401 is moved in the optical axis direction by the cam mechanism operated by engagement of the cam followers B5 and the cam grooves b5 of the second rotary frame 220, and the second lens frame 320 is moved in the optical axis direction by the cam mechanism operated by engagement of the cam followers B4 and the cam grooves b4 of the second rotary frame 220. The retracting lens frame 401 and the second lens frame 320 move closer together based on the difference in the paths of the cam grooves b5 and the cam grooves b4. The positioning portion 412 of the retracting lens frame 401 is then guided by the guide portion 322a of the second lens frame 320 and comes into contact with the support portion 322b (see FIG. 17A). Consequently, in a state that the retracting lens frame has come into contact with the support portion 322b of the second lens frame 320, the retracting lens frame 401 is housed in the space of the second lens frame 320, that is, in the space between the second lens support 321L and the outer peripheral face 320T. More specifically, the retracting lens frame 401 is supported and housed in a state of being in contact with the support portion 322b of the second lens frame 320 within the space on the outside in the radial direction of the second lens group L2.
Also, in this state, the cut-out 420a formed in the third lens support 420 of the refracting lens frame 401 is disposed opposite the light blocking portion 357 of the shutter frame 335. Also, the opening 356 in the shutter frame 335 houses the part 420b of the third lens support 420.
Meanwhile, when the lens barrel is in the imaging enabled state, the bearing 410 of the refracting lens frame 401 is mated with the refraction shaft 501b of the OIS frame 400, and the contact portion 414 of the refracting lens frame 401 comes into contact with the anti-rotation portion 511 of the OIS frame 400, thereby the retracting lens frame 401 is positioned with respect to the OIS frame 400 (see FIG. 13A).
Also, in this state, one end of the thrust spring 402 is mounted to the OIS frame 400, and the other end of the thrust spring 402 is mounted to the refracting lens frame 401. Consequently, the refracting lens frame 401 and the OIS frame 400 are clamped and positioned by the thrust spring 402 in the optical axis direction.
Also, in this state, image blur correction on the OIS frame 400 can be accomplished by using the third lens group L3 of the refracting lens frame 401.
Also, in this state, the first engagement portion 413a (first engagement portion) near the drive axis of the retracting lens frame 401 is disposed between the first restrictor 337a and the OIS frame 400. Consequently, as discussed above, movement of the refracting lens frame 401 in the optical axis direction can be restricted in the event that a powerful force (such as when the camera is dropped) is exerted in the optical axis direction.
(1) This lens barrel 20 comprises the second lens group L2, the OIS frame 400, and the refracting lens frame 401. The refracting lens frame 401 is configured to support the third lens group L3, and during the transition period between the imaging enabled state and the housed state, a position of the optical axis of the third lens group L3 is configured to change from a position on the optical axis of the second lens group L2 to a position that is outside the optical axis of the second lens group L2. The OIS frame 400 includes the main body portion 405, the first linking portion 407, and the second linking portion 408. The main body portion 405 includes the hole 405a and the refraction portion 405b. The hole 405a is configured to dispose the third lens group L3 on the optical axis in the imaging enabled state. The refraction portion 405b is formed contiguous with the hole 405a. The refraction portion 405b is configured to disposed the third lens group L3 in the housed state. The first linking portion 407 is provided to the main body portion 405 on one side of the retraction portion 405b in the optical axis direction. The second linking portion 408 is provided to the main body portion 405 on the other side of the refraction portion 405b in the optical axis direction. The retracting lens frame 401 is disposed between the first linking portion 407 and the second linking portion 408 in the housed state.
With this lens barrel 20, even though the hole 405a and the refraction portion 405b are provided to the OIS frame 400, since the first linking portion 407 and the second linking portion 408 span the refraction portion 405b, so the strength of the OIS frame 400 can be increased. Specifically, the strength of the lens barrel 20 can be increased. This also reduces deterioration of accuracy during injection molding.
Also, with this lens barrel 20, the third lens group L3 is moved by the retracting lens frame 401 from the hole 405a to the refraction portion 405b, and is disposed between the first linking portion 407 and the second linking portion 408. Thus, the third lens group L3 is always maintained in a state of being disposed in the hole 405a and the refraction portion 405b, so the lens barrel 20 can be made smaller in the optical axis direction.
Also, with this lens barrel 20, the first linking portion 407 and the second linking portion 408 span the hole 405a in the optical axis direction. More specifically, the first linking portion 407 and the second linking portion 408 are formed so as to be opposite each other ahead of and behind the hole 405a in the optical axis direction, without increasing the outside diameter of the OIS frame 400. Consequently, the lens barrel 20 can be smaller in the radial direction even though the first linking portion 407 and the second linking portion 408 are provided to the OIS frame 400 in order to increase the strength of the OIS frame 400.
(2) This lens barrel 20 further comprises the shutter frame 335, which is disposed on one side of the OIS frame 400 in the optical axis direction. The thinner part 350 is formed on the shutter frame 335 for housing the first linking portion 407.
With this lens barrel 20, in the housed state, the first linking portion 407 of the OIS frame 400 is housed in the thinner part 350 of the shutter frame 335. More specifically, the portion of the shutter frame 335 that is opposite the first linking portion 407 at the face of the 335 on the front side in the optical axis direction is partially made thinner. The first linking portion 407 is inserted into this thinner part. Specifically, at least part of the shutter frame 335 and at least part of the first linking portion 407 overlap in the optical axis direction. This allows the lens barrel 20 to be smaller in the optical axis direction.
(3) With this lens barrel 20, the shutter frame 335 supports the OIS frame 400 movably in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.
With this lens barrel 20, the OIS frame is supported by the shutter frame 335. Specifically, image blur correction is performed by vibrating the OIS frame 400 in a state in which it is supported by the shutter frame 335. In this case, if the rigidity of the OIS frame 400 is low, there is the risk that deformation or the like occur in the OIS frame 400, which can end up lowering the accuracy of image blur correction. With this lens barrel 20, however, since the strength of the OIS frame 400 is increased by the first linking portion 407 and the second linking portion 408 (at two places), the OIS frame 400 can operate stably and good accuracy can be ensured in image blur correction.
(4) This lens barrel 20 further comprises the second lens frame 320. The second lens frame 320 is disposed on the other side of the OIS frame 400 in the optical axis direction, and is configured to move in the optical axis direction with respect to the OIS frame 400. The first housing portion 323a is formed in the second lens frame 320. The second lens frame 320 is configured to house the second linking portion 408.
With this lens barrel 20, in the housed state, the second linking portion 408 of the OIS frame 400 is housed in the housing portion 323 of the second lens frame 320. Specifically, at least part of the second lens frame 320 and at least part of the second linking portion 408 overlap in the optical axis direction. This allows the lens barrel 20 to be even smaller in the optical axis direction.
(5) This lens barrel 20 further comprises the sheet member 324, which is disposed on the other side of the second lens frame 320 in the optical axis direction. The first housing portion 323a passes through in the optical axis direction. The sheet member 324 is configured to cover the first housing portion 323a on the other side in the optical axis direction.
With this lens barrel 20, the sheet member 324 covers the first housing portion 323a, which passes through in the optical axis direction, on the other side in the optical axis direction. Consequently, even though a hole (namely, the first housing portion 323a) is formed in the front face of the second lens frame 320, light from this first housing portion 323a can be blocked, and a good outer appearance can be ensured.
(6) This lens barrel 20 further comprises the shutter frame 335, which is disposed on one side of the OIS frame 400 in the optical axis direction. The first linking portion 407 is provided on the shutter frame 335 side. The second linking portion 408 is provided on the side away from the shutter frame 335 (the second lens group L2 side). The maximum width of the first linking portion 407 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis is less than the maximum width of the second linking portion 408 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. Consequently, the OIS frame 400 can be moved with respect to the shutter frame 335 without the first linking portion 407 interfering with the shutter frame 335.
(7) This lens barrel 20 further comprises the shutter frame 335, which is disposed on one side of the OIS frame 400 in the optical axis direction. The first linking portion 407 is provided on the shutter frame 335 side. The second linking portion 408 is provided on the side away from the shutter frame 335 (the second lens group L2 side). The maximum width of the first linking portion 407 in the optical axis direction is less than the maximum thickness of the second linking portion 408 in the optical axis direction. Consequently, the OIS frame 400 can be moved with respect to the shutter frame 335 without the first linking portion 407 interfering with the shutter frame 335.
(8) With this lens barrel 20, at least part on a portion where the second linking portion 408 is opposite the curved face of the third lens group L3, is formed so as to correspond to a curved face that encompasses the region through which the third lens group L3 passes during transition from imaging to refraction (including during imaging and refraction). This allows the lens barrel 20 to be made smaller.
(E) In the above embodiment, the third lens group frame 330 was retracted toward the second lens group frame 320 in the retracted state, but this is not the only option. The third lens group frame 330 may be disposed to the rear of the second lens group frame 320 in the refracted state.
(F) In the above embodiment, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 23A, the other end 403b of the rotary spring 403 is formed so as to extend away from the axis KJ of the coil part at a position of 90 degrees with reference to the axis KJ of the coil portion of the rotary spring 403 (the axis of the coil part, the axis of the refraction shaft 501b). Instead, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 23A, the other end 403b' of the rotary spring 403 may be formed so as to extend away from the axis KJ of the coil part at a position of 90 degrees with reference to the axis KJ of the coil part.
In this case, just as in the above embodiment, if the rotary spring 403 is mounted to the OIS frame 400 and the refracting lens frame 401, the force FP at which the refracting lens frame 401 is pressed against the OIS frame 400 can be generated, as shown in FIG. 23B. This allows the three first contact portions 603A (603A1, 603A2, and 603A3) of the refracting lens frame 401 to be reliably brought into contact by the OIS frame 400.
With this configuration, when the first frame body rotates, the second frame body (such as the shutter frame 335 and/or the OIS frame 400) and the refracting lens frame moved in the direction of the guide grove of the third frame body, such as the optical axis direction. Also, at this point the retracting lens frame 401 moves in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, with respect to the second frame body.
(H) In the above embodiment, an example was given in which the anti-rotation portion 511 of the OIS frame 400 was formed in a concave shape, and the upper face of the second contact portion 603B of the retracting lens frame 401 came into contact with the recess 512. Instead, as shown in FIG. 24, the second contact portion 603B of the retracting lens frame 401 may come into contact with two side faces 512a' of a recess 512' of an anti-rotation portion 511'. In this case, the two side faces 512a' of the recess 512' are formed so as to move closer together toward the bottom 512b' of the recess 512'. Consequently, the two side faces 512a' of the recess 512' are inclined and opposite each other. More specifically, the two side faces 512a' of the recess 512' are formed so as to move closer together toward the bottom 512b' of the recess 512'. Consequently, the retracting lens frame 401 can be more reliably positioned with respect to the OIS frame 400.
(I) In the above embodiment, an example was given in which the OIS frame 400 was supported on the shutter frame 335 by the one OIS rotary shaft 334 and the three OIS shafts 339. Instead, a spherical body, such as a ball, may be sandwiched between the OIS frame 400 and the shutter frame 335, and the OIS frame 400 may be biased to the shutter frame 335 side by elastic force (such as spring force), so as to be supported on the shutter frame 335. Here again, the movement of the OIS frame 400 with respect to the shutter frame 335 is the same as in the above embodiment, and the movement of the retracting lens frame 401 with respect to the OIS frame 400 is also the same as in the above embodiment. Therefore, the same effect as above can be obtained.
(J) In the above embodiment, an example was given in which the retracting lens frame 401 moved around a refraction shaft that was substantially parallel to the optical axis, with respect to the OIS frame 400 during the transition period between the imaging enabled state and the housed state. Instead, the movement may be around an axis that is different from the optical axis, such as around an axis that is perpendicular to the optical axis, or an axis that is inclined by a specific angle to the optical axis. Here again, the positional relation between the OIS frame 400 and the shutter frame 335 can be the same as in the above embodiment. Therefore, the same effect as above can be obtained.
(K) In the above embodiment, an example was given in which the refracting lens frame 401 moved around a refraction shaft that was substantially parallel to the optical axis, with respect to the OIS frame 400 during the transition period between the imaging enabled state and the housed state. Instead, the retracting lens frame 401 may be moved by a known link mechanism, such as parallel movement, rather than rotating. Here again, the positional relation between the OIS frame 400 and the shutter frame 335 can be the same as in the above embodiment. Therefore, the same effect as above can be obtained.
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