Patent ID: 7400461

Claim:
A lens holder for holding a lens system that includes a plurality of lenses, comprising two subunits of an identical shape that assemble at least part of the lens holder and are divided at a divide on a plane including an optical axis of the plurality of lenses, each subunit of the plurality of subunits includes a part of a substantially cylindrical outer shell and front side and rear side portions that extend outward from an inner surface of the outer shell continuously and circumferentially along the inner surface of each subunit toward the optical axis to support and engage a lens from in front and behind respectively, wherein one of the front side and rear side portions of each subunit is harder to deform than the other of the front side and rear side portions of each subunit when the lens is attached between the portions to set a position of the lens based on a surface of the portion that is harder to deform; wherein the two subunits are configured to be separated at the divide to insert the lens between the portions of one of the two subunits from a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, the two subunits configured to be joined together at the divide to form at least part of the lens holder and around the lens being circumferentially supported about its entire periphery by the front side and rear side portions of each subunit.