Patent ID: 6867812

Claim:
A focus adjustment mechanism for a video or image pickup apparatus comprising: a main frame comprising a front surface; a focus adjusting ring rotatably engaged with an annular lens seat, said lens seat protruding forward from the front surface of said main frame for supporting an image pickup lens; said lens having an optic-axis; an imaging element mount located inside said main frame opposite said focus adjusting ring for supporting an imaging element, said imaging element mount being shiftable along a direction of said optic-axis in response to rotational motion of said focus adjusting ring; a pressing member for pressing said imaging element mount toward said focus adjusting ring; a plurality of protrusions located on an outer cylindrical portion of said imaging element mount; a rail groove located on an outer cylindrical portion of said focus adjusting ring, said rail groove extending along a circumference of said focus adjusting ring; a plurality of engaging protrusions located on the front surface of said main frame around said lens seat and engaged with said rail groove of said focus adjusting ring; cam means located on said focus adjusting ring opposite said imaging element mount and contact said protrusions located on said outer cylindrical portion of said imaging element mount, for increasing a distance between said imaging element mount and said focus adjusting ring against a pressing force of said pressing member when said focus adjusting ring rotates in one direction and for allowing said imaging element mount urged by the pressing force of said pressing member to approach said focus adjusting ring when said focus adjusting ring rotates in an opposite direction; a plurality of notches located on the outer cylindrical portion of said focus adjusting ring at predetermined intervals along the circumference of the outer cylindrical portion and intersecting said rail groove; said engaging protrusions for entering said rail groove via said notches and for engagement with said rail groove; said focus adjusting ring comprising a stopper for abutting the protrusions of said imaging element mount so that rotation of said focus adjusting ring is restricted at a predetermined angular position when said focus adjusting ring rotates in said the opposite direction, and said engaging protrusions are angularly offset from said notches when said focus adjusting ring is held at said predetermined angular position.