Patent ID: 7354207

Claim:
A lens mount structure, comprising: a lens barrel including a base body and flanges along an outer periphery of the base body, the lens barrel having a center of gravity between a front edge of the lens barrel and the flanges, each of the flanges having a reference surface on a side thereof facing the center of gravity of the lens barrel, the reference surface including a slope with respect to a plane perpendicular to a lens optical axis, said slope tilting radially with respect to said lens optical axis; and a cylindrical mount disposed in front of a support unit, the cylindrical mount having portions, each of the portions retaining one of the flanges so that the lens mount structure mounts the lens barrel to the support unit, each of the portions of the cylindrical mount having a retaining surface in contact with said reference surface of a corresponding one of the flanges so that the portions of the cylindrical mount retain the flanges of the lens barrel, and the reference surface aligns the lens optical axis of the lens barrel mounted on the support unit.