Patent ID: 8308378

Claim:
A barrier apparatus comprising: a support section having an opening portion through which an optical path of a photographing optical system passes; a pair of support shaft sections provided around the opening portion in the support section and in opposed positions with a center of the opening portion between the support shaft sections; a pair of shielding members having a proximal end portion supported rotatably around an axis along an optical axis of the optical path by the support shaft section, and a distal end movable into and out of the opening portion by the rotation; a pair of engaging sections provided on the pair of shielding members, respectively, each extending from the proximal end portion of the shielding member to a side closer to the center of the opening portion than the support shaft section, and spaced a predetermined distance apart from the distal end of the other shielding member in an optical axis direction of the optical path, the pair of engaging sections being provided such that a moving locus of the engaging section of one of the pair of shielding members when viewed in the optical axis direction overlaps a moving locus of the distal end of the other shielding member; and a driving section that engages the pair of engaging sections, is rotatable around the axis along the optical axis passing through the center of the opening portion with respect to the support section, and rotates the pair of shielding members by the rotation.