Patent ID: 8021061

Claim:
A lens barrier device for protecting an imaging lens from damage, comprising: a pair of lens barrier members each having a first shaft hole formed therein, a blade part formed on one side of the first shaft hole and a toggle-lever engagement boss formed on the other side of the first shaft hole; a lens-barrier support frame arranged adjacent to the pair of lens barrier members, the lens-barrier support frame having a first light through-hole defined therein and also supporting the pair of lens barrier members rotatably about the first shaft holes so that the first light through-hole is opened and closed up by the pair of lens barrier members; a ring arranged adjacent to the lens-barrier support frame, the ring having an outer circumferential part, a second light through-hole defined therein and a pair of recesses formed on the outer circumferential part so as to interpose the second light through-hole therebetween, the ring allowing the toggle-lever engagement bosses of the lens barrier members to be freely fitted into the recesses; a pair of toggle levers each having a second shaft hole formed therein and a triangular cam part formed on one side of the second shaft hole to allow the toggle-lever engagement bosses freely-fitted into the recesses to slide on the triangular cam part; a base frame arranged adjacent to the ring to have an outer circumferential part and a third light through-hole defined therein, the base frame supporting the ring so as to be forward-reverse rotatable between a first predetermined rotational position where the lens barrier members close up the first light through-hole and a second predetermined rotational position where the lens barrier members open the first light through-hole and also rotatably supporting the pair of toggle levers on the outer circumferential part's surface opposed to the ring so that the third light through-hole is interposed between the pair of toggle levers; and a pair of springs mounted on the outer circumferential part of the base frame and engaged with the pair of toggle levers respectively to urge them against the third light through-hole, wherein the lens-barrier support frame, the ring and the base frame are arranged so that the first light through-hole, the second light through-hole and the third light through-hole are aligned with each other, and the sliding movement of the toggle-lever engagement bosses on the triangular cam part while being pressed by respective ends of the recesses, which movement is caused by forward-reverse rotating the ring between the first predetermined rotational position and the second predetermined rotational position, allows the pair of lens barrier members to remain either closed or opened by the pair of toggle levers and the pair of springs.