Patent ID: 7309176

Claim:
A lens barrel including a base and a collapsible barrel provided so as to collapse into and expand out of the base, the barrel including a lens constituting an image-capturing optical system for introducing an image of an object, a lens frame for holding the lens, and an operational unit provided in the lens frame for performing an operation relating to image capture based on a control signal supplied thereto, the lens barrel comprising: a flexible substrate provided within the lens barrel for supplying the control signal from an electric circuit provided outside the barrel to the operational unit; wherein the flexible substrate comprises: a first interconnect section to which the control signal is supplied; and a second interconnect section provided separately from the first interconnect section and having an end connected onto the lens frame and another end electrically connected to a ground potential, wherein: the barrel comprises a first barrel adapted to collapse into and expand out of the base, and a second barrel adapted to collapse into and expand out of the first barrel; wherein the lens frame is movably disposed within the first barrel in a direction of an optical axis; a metallic coil spring is provided extending in a rear-front direction between an end of the second barrel and the lens frame within the first barrel and the second barrel, and forwardly pushing the lens frame; and a rear end of the coil spring is electrically connected to the second interconnect section.