Patent ID: 7876508

Claim:
A lens drive unit comprising: a plurality of lens groups; at least one lens holding frame that holds at least one of the plurality of lens groups; a rotary cylinder that is connected with the lens holding frame by a first cam mechanism and configured to allow the lens holding frame to move in an optical axis direction; a fixed cylinder configured to hold the plurality of lens groups, the lens holding frame, and the rotary cylinder; a first linearly-moving guide cylinder that is rotatable relative to the rotary cylinder, and is movable integrally with the rotary cylinder in the optical axis direction; and a second linearly-moving guide cylinder that is arranged between the lens holding frame and the first linearly-moving guide cylinder and is connected to the rotary cylinder by a second cam mechanism provided between the rotary cylinder and the second linearly-moving guide cylinder, wherein the first linearly-moving guide is disposed inside the second linearly-moving guide cylinder in a radial direction of the second linearly-moving guide cylinder, wherein the lens holding frame is disposed outside the second linearly-moving guide cylinder in the radial direction of the second linearly-moving guide cylinder, wherein the second linearly-moving guide cylinder is moved in the optical axis direction by the second cam mechanism when the rotary cylinder is rotated, and wherein the lens holding frame is guided in the optical axis direction by the second linearly-moving guide cylinder and is moved in the optical axis direction by the first cam mechanism, when the rotary cylinder is rotated.