Patent ID: 7506422

Claim:
A method for processing a lens barrel having a tubular wall that defines a hole, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a processing device including a processing shaft that extends in a first direction, and a first cutting tool mounted on the processing shaft and rotatable about a processing axis perpendicular to the first direction, the first cutting tool having a length extending along the processing axis, the processing shaft having a diametric width extending along the processing axis, the sum of the length of the first cutting tool and the width of the processing shaft being smaller than an inner diameter of the hole of the lens barrel; (b) moving the lens barrel and the processing shaft relative to each other in at least one of a second direction parallel to the processing axis and a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions so that an image of the first cutting tool projected on a plane that intersects the tubular wall and that extends in the second and third directions is orthogonal to the tubular wall; (c) moving the processing shaft relative to the lens barrel in the first direction so that the first cutting tool is close to the tubular wall; (d) moving the processing shaft relative to the lens barrel in at least one of the second and third directions so that the first cutting tool is in touch with the tubular wall; (e) moving the processing shaft and the lens barrel relative to each other in at least one of the first direction and a rotating direction about the first direction so that the lens barrel is formed with a continuous groove on the tubular wall; and (f) moving the processing shaft and the lens barrel relative to each other so that the first cutting tool is moved away from the lens barrel.