Hoya Corporation

Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Pentax Corporation

Ken Endo

Hiroshi Nomura

Shinya Suzuka

Kosei Kosako

Takamitsu Sasaki

Kazunori Ishizuka

Ichiro Taguchi

Toshiharu Suzuki

Masahiro Inazuka

Hiroaki Imagawa

Takashi Igari

A lens unit includes a positive lens element provided with a convex surface on an incident surface and/or an exit surface; and a lens frame supporting the lens element and being provided with a projection that projects in an inner radial direction from inside the lens frame. The lens frame supports the lens element with the projection fixedly fitted into an outer peripheral portion of the lens element. The projection is provided, on an inner peripheral portion thereof, with a first surface positioned on an incident side in an optical axis direction, a second surface positioned on an exit side in the optical axis direction, and a third surface positioned between the first surface and the second surface. The first, second and third surfaces are tapered surfaces that are respectively inclined relative to the optical axis direction. A method of manufacturing the lens unit is also provided.

Lens unit and manufacturing method of lens unit

A photographing apparatus includes a chassis, in which a recess is formed; the recess including at least one pair of inner wall surfaces which face each other; an imaging unit positioned in the recess; an intermediate frame which is interposed between the recess and the imaging unit, the intermediate frame including a pair of support walls which correspond to the pair of inner wall surfaces of the recess; a first cushioning member which is interposed between one of the pair of support walls of the intermediate frame and an adjacent outer wall surface of the imaging unit; and a second cushioning member which is interposed between the other of the pair of support walls of the intermediate frame and an adjacent inner wall surface of the pair of inner wall surfaces of the recess.

Photographing apparatus

A flexible printed wiring board arrangement of an imaging device, includes an image pickup device fixing member to which an image pickup device is fixed; a holding member which holds the image pickup device fixing member; an inclination angle adjusting mechanism for changing an inclination angle of the image pickup device fixing member relative to the holding member; a flexible printed wiring board which extends from the image pickup device; and a flexible printed wiring board support member which is fixed to the holding member at a position behind the image pickup device fixing member, a part of the flexible printed wiring board being in contact with the flexible printed wiring board support member.

Flexible printed wiring board arrangement of an imaging device

An imaging device includes an axial-direction moving member which moves between an operating position and a retracted position in an optical axis direction, an in-plane moving optical element movable in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis, a controller which moves the in-plane moving optical element in the orthogonal plane to a reference position when the image device changes from the operating state to the retracted state, and a mechanical guide device, provided between the axial-direction moving member and the in-plane moving optical element. In a state where the in-plane moving optical element is deviated from the reference position, the mechanical guide device guides the in-plane moving optical element to the reference position by using a moving force of the axial-direction moving member when the axial-direction moving member moves from the operating position to the retracted position.

Imaging device

An optical element position control mechanism includes an optical element holding member, a lead screw rotatable on a rotational axis parallel to movement direction of the optical element holding member, a linearly moving nut screw-engaged with the lead screw and engaged with the optical element holding member, and a rotation prevention device preventing the linearly moving nut from rotating about the lead screw. Rotations of the lead screw cause the linearly moving nut to move along the lead screw, a position of the optical element holding member being determined by the linearly moving nut. A biasing device is positioned between the linearly moving nut and the optical element holding member and is resiliently deformable in a plane substantially parallel to a plane which includes the rotational axis of the lead screw, and applies a biasing force against the linearly moving nut so as to be prevented from rotating.

Mechanism for controlling position of optical element

An image stabilizer includes an image pickup device; a guide device which guides the image pickup device in a manner to allow the image pickup device to move linearly in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis, the guide device and the image pickup device being arranged at different positions in the plane; and a flexible printed wiring board which extends from the image pickup device. The flexible printed wiring board includes an integrally-movable portion which is connected to the image pickup device to move with the image pickup device, and a freely-deformable portion extending from the integrally-movable portion. The flexible printed wiring board is orientated toward the guide device so that a boundary between the integrally-movable portion and the freely-deformable portion is positioned close to the guide device.

Image stabilizer

An insertion member fixing structure includes an insertion member which is inserted into a support hole formed in a support member; and outer and inner adhesive-pouring recesses formed on an inner peripheral surface of the support hole at one end thereof and on an outer peripheral surface of the insertion member, respectively, in a manner so as to face each other and be communicatively connected to each other in a state where the insertion member is inserted into the support hole. The insertion member is fixed to the support member by pouring an adhesive into the outer and inner adhesive-pouring recesses so that the adhesive spreads into the outer and inner adhesive-pouring recess.

Insertion member fixing structure

An image stabilizer for counteracting image shake of an object image formed on an image pickup device includes an image-pickup-device holding member; a guide device which guides the image-pickup-device holding member so as to be allowed to move linearly in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis; a driving device which moves the image-pickup-device holding member in a guide direction of the guide device to a force receiving portion on the image-pickup-device holding member; and a flexible printed wiring board, extending from the image pickup device, a part of which being fixed to the image-pickup-device holding member at a fixing position thereon. A distance between the fixing position and the force receiving portion is smaller than a distance between the guide device and the force receiving portion in a direction orthogonal to both the optical axis direction and the guide direction.

A flexible printed wiring board arrangement of an imaging device includes an image pickup device movable in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis, a flexible printed wiring board extending from the image pickup device, and a movable support member which is positioned behind the image pickup device in the optical axis direction to support the flexible printed wiring board. The movable support member moves with the image pickup device in directions orthogonal to the optical axis when the image pickup device is moved, and a part of the flexible printed wiring board is disposed along a front surface of the movable support member behind the image pickup device.

An optical apparatus including an electrical component which is movable in a plane, and a flexible printed wiring board in the shape of a strip, the widthwise direction thereof being parallel to the plane, which connects the electrical component to a stationary board, wherein the flexible printed wiring board includes a folded extension portion which firstly extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the plane and is subsequently folded back at a folded portion to extend in a direction opposite thereto; and at least one slit which is provided to pass through the folded portion and to split at least a part of the folded extension portion into at least two split portions thereof in the widthwise direction of the flexible printed wiring board.

Optical apparatus using flexible printed wiring board

An image stabilizer includes a pair of first parallel guide rods mounted to a stationary member extending in a first direction; a first moving stage supported by the first parallel guide rods to be movable in the first direction; a pair of second parallel guide rods mounted to the first moving stage extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; a second moving stage which holds an image-stabilizing optical element and supported by the second parallel guide rods to be movable in the second direction; first and second biasing devices which bias the first and second moving stages in the first and second directions; first and second driving devices which drive the first and second moving stages in the first and second directions. The pair of first and second parallel guide rods lie in a common plane orthogonal to an optical axis.

Optical image stabilizer

An image stabilizer includes a first moving stage supported by a stationary member movable in a first direction in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis; a second moving stage holding an image-stabilizing optical element and supported by the first moving member to be movable in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction; and first and second driving devices which are supported by the stationary member and drive the first and second moving stages in the first and second directions, respectively. The second driving device includes a moving element which is moved in the second direction, and a linkage portion which associatively links the second moving stage and the moving element to each other in a manner to allow the second moving stage and the moving element to move relative to each other in the first direction.

An inclination angle adjusting mechanism includes a mounting plate to which an image pickup device is mounted; a reference member holding the mounting plate; through-holes formed in the mounting plate; screw bearing seats projecting from the reference member; adjustment screws screwed into female screw holes formed in the screw bearing seats, respectively, and head portions of the adjustment screws being in contact with the mounting plate; and a biasing device so as to bring the mounting plate into contact with back surfaces of the adjustment screws. Maximum tightening positions of the adjustment screws are defined by engagement of back surfaces of the head portions with ends of the screw bearing seats, wherein the mounting plate remains not in contact with the reference surface.

Inclination angle adjusting mechanism for image pickup device

An image stabilizer includes a guide device which guides an image-stabilizing optical element in a manner to allow the image-stabilizing optical element to move in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis, the guide device including at least one mechanical movement limit preventing movement of the image-stabilizing optical element in a guide direction; a driving device which moves the image-stabilizing optical element in the plane; and a drive controller which controls the driving device to move the image-stabilizing optical element within an image-stabilizing movement range so as not to reach the mechanical movement limit for correction of image shake during an image stabilizing operation, and which controls the driving device to move the image-stabilizing optical element to a standby position located outside of the image-stabilizing movement range in the guide direction, when the image stabilizer changes from an operating state to a non-operating state.

A retractable photographic lens includes a moving ring; a holding frame which holds a retractable optical element and is movable between a photographing position and a displaced position displaced from the photographing position; and a driving device which moves the holding frame from the photographing position to the displaced position using a rearward moving force of the moving ring when the retractable photographic lens moves from a operating state to a fully-retracted state. The driving device includes first and second driving devices which give the holding frame first and second amounts of retractive movement per unit of movement of the moving ring, respectively. When the retractable photographic lens moves from the operating state to the fully-retracted state, the first driving device firstly moves the holding frame toward the displaced position and subsequently the second driving device moves the holding frame to the displaced position.

Growing community of inventors

Saitama, Japan

Ken Endo