Pentax Corporation

Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Hoya Corporation

Hitoshi Tanaka

Takamitsu Sasaki

Kunihiko Shimizu

Hiroshi Nomura

Kosei Kosako

Makio Oishi

An image pickup device mounting structure includes an image pickup device, a reinforcing plate, and a flexible circuit board having at least one electrical component mounted thereon, wherein the reinforcing plate; the image pickup device and a part of the flexible circuit board are superimposed on each other, the reinforcing plate includes at least one cutout portion; and the electrical component is positioned on the part of the flexible circuit board and within the cutout portion.

Image pickup device mounting structure for saving space in an optical device

An imaging device module includes a housing; and a lens system, an image pickup device, a shutter unit, an external circuit board and a flexible printed wiring board which are provided with the housing. The shutter unit is movable in an optical axis direction. The external circuit board is provided outside of the housing. The flexible printed wiring board, one and the other ends of which are electrically connected to the shutter unit and the external circuit board, respectively, is curved so as to intersect a plane including the optical axis at a position one of in front of and behind the shutter unit, so that the one and the other ends of the flexible printed wiring board are positioned on opposite sides of the plane.

Imaging device module

A light shielding structure of a lens barrel including an inner ring and an outer ring, wherein the inner ring includes a through cutout portion, the light shielding structure including an inner flange wall provided with the inner ring; a first annular groove formed on an inner surface of the inner flange wall; a second annular groove formed on an inner peripheral surface of the outer ring; and a light shield ring, wherein the light shield ring includes a cylindrical portion centered about the optical axis, and an outer flange portion which extends radially outwards from a rear end of the cylindrical portion so that the cylindrical portion and the outer flange portion and inserted into the first and second annular grooves, respectively.

Light shielding structure of a lens barrel

A lens tilt adjusting mechanism includes a lens frame to which at least one lens element is fixed, a lens frame holder which holds the lens frame, axially-opposed radial surfaces formed on the lens frame and the lens frame holder, respectively, a biasing device for biasing the lens frame and the lens frame holder in directions to make the axially-opposed radial surfaces contact each other, and a protrusion formed on one of the axially-opposed radial surfaces and a recess formed on the other of the axially-opposed radial surfaces. The axially-opposed radial surfaces are in intimate contact with each other when the protrusion and the recess are engaged with each other, and the lens frame tilts relative to the lens frame holder when the protrusion is disengaged from the recess so that the protrusion is in contact with the other of the axially-opposed radial surfaces.

Lens tilt adjusting mechanism

A zoom lens barrel includes a linear guide ring; a moving frame having a male helicoid; a rotatable ring coupled to the linear guide ring; a female helicoid formed on the rotatable ring, and engaged with the male helicoid; a switching ring coupled to the rotatable ring; a switching member; and a switching-member moving groove including a first inclined section, a switching section, a second inclined section and an assembling section. The lead angle of the first inclined section is the same but has an opposite inclination to that of the female helicoid. The follower projection is inserted in the first inclined section. The switching section extends parallel to the optical axis. The second inclined section extends parallel to the first inclined section. The assembling section extends rearwards from a front end of the second inclined section to be parallel to the optical axis.

Switching/moving structure of a zoom lens

A step-zoom lens includes two movable lens groups; a lens group support unit; and a cam ring having a cam groove. The cam groove includes a finite number of focal-length steps, so as to perform a focusing operation between infinite and closest photographing positions at each focal-length step. The cam groove includes a wide-angle mode section, a telephoto mode section, and a mode switching section. The closest photographing positions in two adjacent focal-length steps and the infinite photographing positions in two adjacent focal-length steps are adjacent to each other, respectively. One focal-length step of the infinite photographing position at a longest focal length in the wide-angle mode section is provided at one end of the mode switching section, and another focal-length step of the infinite photographing position at a shortest focal length in the telephoto mode section is provided at the other end.

Step-zoom lens

A cam mechanism for a lens barrel includes an annular member which is linearly guided along an optical axis, and having a cam follower on an outer peripheral surface; a cam ring having a cam groove on an inner peripheral surface including a photographing section and an accommodation section, the cam follower being engaged in the cam groove; and a biasing device for biasing the annular member forward to normally press the cam follower against a front cam surface in the cam groove. A rear end portion of the cam groove is open at a rear end surface of the cam ring to serve as the accommodation section, and the cam follower is disengageable from the front cam surface in the cam groove against a biasing force of the biasing device when the cam follower is engaged in the accommodation section.

Cam mechanism for lens barrel

A lens distance-varying mechanism for varying a distance between first and second lens groups includes a first lens frame; a second lens frame rotatable relative to the first lens frame; a relative-moving mechanism for moving the first and second lens frames to change a relative position therebetween on an optical axis when the second lens frame is positioned at each of forward and reverse rotation extremities thereof relative to the first lens frame; a differential linking ring which rotates together with the second lens frame; a differential ring which is rotated relative to the differential linking ring by a first angle of rotation greater than a second angle of rotation of the second lens frame relative to the first lens frame; and a biasing member, positioned between the differential ring and the differential linking ring, for absorbing a difference between the first and second angles of rotation.

Lens distance-varying mechanism, and step-zoom lens incorporating the same

A sector blade driving device includes a plurality of sector blades which define an adjustable photographic aperture, and a cylindrical member which surrounds the periphery of the sector blades to prevent harmful light from entering the photographic aperture from outside of the sector blade driving device. At least part of the cylindrical member which the sector blades press against when the plurality of sector blades are fully opened is made of a resilient material.

Sector blade driving device of a camera

A waterproof lens barrel which includes at least one water-tight movable barrel which is movable along an optical axis, the water-tight movable barrel includes: an outer barrel that is in sliding contact with an annular sealing member; an inner barrel that is positioned inside said outer barrel; at least one through-hole formed on the outer barrel; and at least one stopper pin that is supported by the inner barrel, the stopper pin being snugly fitted in the through-hole so that no force in the radial direction is inflicted on the outer barrel by the stopper pin, and the relative movement of the inner and outer barrels in the direction of the optical axis is determined by the stopper pin and the through-hole.

Waterproof lens barrel

In a waterproof lens barrel in which a water-tight movable barrel which moves in the optical a is direction includes inner and outer cylinders, and a space between the inner and outer cylinders is sealed by an annular seal member, the annular seal member is held by a seal member holding ring separate from the inner cylinder or the outer cylinder. The seal member holding ring is inserted in the outer cylinder, wherein the annular seal member is brought into elastic contact with the inner surface of the outer cylinder. The inner cylinder is fitted in and secured to the outer cylinder, wherein the seal member holding ring is located in front of the inner cylinder.

Growing community of inventors

Saitama, Japan

Hitoshi Tanaka