Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Olympus Corporation

Olympus Imaging Corporation

Kazuyuki Iwasa

Kazuteru Kawamura

Tamotsu Koiwai

Hiroshi Terada

Tatsuo Takanashi

Yasuo Yamazaki

Mitsuhiro Sato

Yuichi Torikoshi

Naohiro Tsuchida

Hitoshi Shirai

Yutaka Maeda

Takeshi Ito

Shinya Takahashi

Yuji Imai

Kazuo Yamamoto

Toshifumi Nakano

Tatsuji Higuchi

Shinichi Kodama

Hiroaki Miyazaki

Masayu Higuchi

Hiroshi Akitake

Hitoshi Yoshida

Mitsuru Toyama

Hirotsugu Nakazawa

Hiroyuki Satake

Yoshitaka Naitou

Yu Satoh

A plurality of imaging optical systems includes at least two imaging optical systems having different focal lengths. Each imaging optical system includes in order from an object side, a front lens unit having a positive refractive power, a diaphragm member, a focusing lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a rear lens unit. The front lens unit includes one of a positive lens and a negative lens as a common lens, and each of at least two imaging optical systems from among the plurality of imaging optical systems includes at least one common lens. At the time of focusing, only the focusing lens unit moves on an optical axis. Each imaging optical system satisfies the following conditional expression (1), and the plurality of imaging optical systems satisfy the following conditional expression (2).0.06&#x3c;||&#x3c;0.4&#x2003;&#x2003;(1)1.02&#x3c;&#x3c;2.50&#x2003;&#x2003;(2)

Plurality of imaging optical systems and image pickup apparatus using the same

A plurality of imaging optical systems includes at least two imaging optical systems, and each imaging optical system includes an identical diaphragm member. Each imaging optical system includes in order from an object side, a front lens unit having a positive refractive power, a focusing lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a rear lens unit having a positive refractive power. The diaphragm member is disposed near the focusing lens unit. At the time of focusing, only the focusing lens unit moves on an optical axis. Each imaging optical system satisfies the following conditional expression (1), and the plurality of imaging optical systems satisfies the following conditional expressions (2) and (3).0.5&#x3c;&#x3c;1.9&#x2003;&#x2003;(1)1&#x2266;&#x2266;1.15&#x2003;&#x2003;(2)1.02&#x3c;&#x3c;2.50&#x2003;&#x2003;(3)

The present invention provides a lens barrel that holds a lens system including a plurality of lens groups in which an object-side fixed lens group and image-side fixed lens group that are fixed to both ends of a cylindrical fixed barrel are arranged, and a first focusing lens group and a second focusing lens group that are moving lens groups are arranged inside the fixed barrel.

Lens barrel

A plurality of imaging optical systems includes at least two imaging optical systems having different focal lengths. Each imaging optical system includes in order from an object side, a front lens unit having a positive refractive power, a diaphragm member, a focusing lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a rear lens unit. The front lens unit includes one of a positive lens and a negative lens as a common lens, and each of at least two imaging optical systems from among the plurality of imaging optical systems includes at least one common lens. At the time of focusing, only the focusing lens unit moves on an optical axis. Each imaging optical system satisfies the following conditional expression (1), and the plurality of imaging optical systems satisfy the following conditional expression (2).0.06&#x3c;||&#x3c;0.4&#x2003;&#x2003;(1)1.02&#x3c;&#x3c;2.50&#x2003;&#x2003;(2).

A lens barrel includes a rotational drive source, a lead screw that is provided parallel with an optical axis, and rotates by rotation of the drive source, a lens frame that moves in an optical axis direction, a distance ring that rotates around the optical axis by receiving a manual operation, a guide spur gear that rotates by receiving the rotation of the distance ring, and a nut that is screwed onto the lead screw, wherein when the distance ring is rotated, the nut rotates on the lead screw by being linked with the rotation of the guide spur gear, and moves on the lead screw to press the lens frame in the optical axis direction. When the lead screw rotates by the rotation of the rotational drive source, the nut moves on the lead screw to press the lens frame in the optical axis direction.

The present invention includes: a taking lens including a lens group; a distance ring that is operated to rotate around the taking lens; an LD roller capable of rotating in conjunction with the rotational operation of the distance ring; a transducer that is in contact with the LD roller and capable of moving around the taking lens relative to the LD roller; and a rotatable frame member that is capable of moving around the taking lens within a predetermined angle range and supports the transducer, upon the distance ring being rotated manually, the rotatable frame member being rotated via the LD roller and the transducer, and upon the transducer being driven by a drive signal, the transducer moving relative to the LD roller, thereby the rotatable frame member being rotated around the taking lens to move a focusing lens in the taking lens to move in an optical axis direction.

In the present invention, in a battery adapter to be engaged with a camera body, a tripod screw provided at an upper surface portion is engaged with a tripod screw of the camera body, and a positioning pin is fitted in a positioning hole provided in the camera body. Furthermore, a contact piece support including electrode contact portions is inserted into a battery chamber of the camera body in order to effect electrical connection with battery contact pieces provided in the battery chamber. A waterproofing seal for waterproofing the gap between the contact piece support and the battery chamber is provided around a lower portion of the contact piece support.

Attachment structure of adapter

In a camera according to the present invention, an edge portion of a lens barrel unit is projected and arranged from a front cover. The lens barrel unit is covered with a front cover cylindrical member connected to the front cover, and a front exposed portion of the front cover cylindrical member is covered with an exterior cylindrical member as a detachable (before-attaching) metal cylindrical member. The exterior cylindrical member is positioned and is fixed by an stop claw on the front-cover side. A C-shaped stop portion cover having flexibility is made flexible and is attached around the stop claw portion, and is fixed by a screw. The restriction on design is reduced on the appearance for covering the lens barrel unit of the camera, and a camera exterior portion can be made of metal.

Camera and photographing lens barrel

A lens shutter system has an inner drive ring which is rotated by a drive motor and an outer drive ring which is rotated by the drive motor. A plurality of shutter blades of the lens shutter system are driven through drive pins of the inner drive ring and drive pins of the outer drive ring so as to be opened and closed or are rotatably supported by the respective pins of the rings. Upon shutter opening, only the inner drive ring is driven clockwise to open the shutter blades. Upon shutter closing, only the outer drive ring is similarly driven clockwise to close the shutter blades. As mentioned above, upon switching between shutter opening mode and shutter closing mode, the direction of rotation of the inner and outer drive rings is not changed. Thus, the shutter operation can be performed at high speed.

Lens shutter system

A stop device of the present invention mainly comprises a cam frame M (frame member), a flare stop (stop member) and a key ring for guiding the linear movement of the flare stop. When a lens barrel is collapsed, the cam frame M is driven linearly, whereas then the lens barrel is zoomed, it is rotated as well as advanced and retracted. The flare stop is accommodated in the vicinity of the frame M in a collapsed state, and the arm sections of the flare stop are reliably secured by the key ring and the cam frame M in a photographing state. Consequently, according to the stop device, the stop device can obtain a good flare stop state by securing a proper distance between itself and the cam frame M. Further, the space occupied by the stop device can be reduced and the lens barrel to which the stop device is assembled can be reduced in size.

Stop device

A photographing lens of a camera comprises a non-circular lens and a light blocking mask. The non-circular lens receives an optical image from an object and forms an image on a photographing medium. The light blocking mask is fixed in front of the non-circular lens, and blocks noise light generated in relation to the non-circular lens.

Photographing lens of a camera having a mask for blocking off noise light which generates in relation to a non-circular lens

In an image-capturing state, a group-3 frame (a first frame member) supported by a group-2 frame (a second frame member) along a guide axis is urged by a pushing spring of an independent movable follower (a cam-follower member), is engaged with an engaging tab (an engagement), and is shifted to a determined position. In this state, the movable follower is driven along a cam groove of an F-cam frame (a driving means and/or a rotating frame), whereby the group-3 frame is driven forward and backward to individual extension positions. When the lens housing is shifted to a collapsed state, the pushing spring is pushed by a camera body, and the engagement of the cam follower is disengaged, whereby the group-3 frame is moved close to the group-2 frame. This lens housing ensures the frame members to move smoothly and, since the space occupied by the frame members is reduced, promotes miniaturization of the lens housing.

Lens housing

A lens housing has an immobilized frame supporting a drive ring, in which a rotating frame supported therein and a moving frame having a helicoid ring are supported so as to be rotationally extendable and/or retractable. When the helicoid ring is rotationally driven, the rotating frame and the moving frame can be integrally extended from a collapsed-barrel position to an image-capturing position. When the rotating frame in the image-capturing position is rotationally driven by the drive ring, the individual frames can be extended to zoom positions. The lens housing allows compactness and miniaturization to be implemented.

A lens barrel has a photographing lens, first and second cam frames, drive systems, respectively driving the first and second cam frames, and a group frame intervening between the drive systems. The advancing and retreating of the second cam are determined by the group frame driven by the first cam frame. When the first cam is moved in the direction of an optical axis of the lens while rotating, the group frame moves rectilinearly along the optical axis with a cam follower engaging with a cam groove. The second cam rotates together with the first cam in the same direction and is largely moved in a slanting direction by the cam follower engaging with the cam groove of the group frame. Thus, the advancing and retreating of a plurality of advanceable and retreatable frame members are increased. Consequently, the local length of the lens barrel is increased.

Growing community of inventors

Hachioji, Japan

Kazuyuki Iwasa