Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Masao Aoyagi

Shigeru Kamata

Hiroshi Furukawa

Ryuji Suzuki

Keiichi Yasuda

Takashi Isobe

Masami Shimizu

Mutsuhide Matsuda

Shigeru Hashimoto

Katsumi Tanaka

Akiyasu Sumi

Taizo Mitani

Hiroyuki Kimura

Tadanori Okada

Tatsuo Chigira

Tatsuya Sato

Shigeo Nakashima

Kazufumi Kobayashi

Toshikazu Fukui

A lens barrel of simplified structure including a focusing member supported rotatably about the optical axis and having a gear portion, a lens support member moved in the axial direction in response to the rotation of the focusing member about the optical axis, a driving source provided in a part of the lens support member, and a gear mechanism provided in a part of the lens support member and meshing with the gear portion of the focusing member.

Lens barrel

An optical accessory includes a bayonet mount attachable to a camera body side mount and accessory side connection terminals which contact the camera body side connecting terminals when the accessory side bayonet mount is attached to the camera body side bayonet mount. The accessory side connecting terminals have their end portions arranged to project in the direction of the optical axis behind the accessory side bayonet mount. In one preferred embodiment, the optical accessory further includes a member having a projection projecting in the direction of the optical axis behind the accessory side connecting terminals. The projection is positioned on the inner circumference side of the accessory side connecting terminals and is arranged near to the accessory side connection terminals. In another preferred embodiment, the end portions of the connecting terminals have plural height differences, and a contact seat also is provided for holding the accessory side connecting terminals. The contact seat has its rear side surface in the direction of the optical axis located at substantially the same height as the accessory side connecting terminals. The contact seat is fixed by a fastener in a radial direction relative to an inner circumference surface of the accessory side bayonet mount.

Connector for a camera

A lens barrel includes a stationary tube secured to the inner side of a stationary lens barrel member with a given space kept between them, and a motor disposed within the space. A helicoidal surface is arranged along the inner circumference of the stationary tube to be in screwed engagement with the helicoidal surface of a lens-carrying frame arranged to carry lenses which are shiftable in the direction of their optic axis, and a connecting member extends to the inner circumference of the stationary tube to cause the rotation of a rotary tube which has a toothed part engaging the output gear of the motor to be transmitted to the lens-carrying frame.

A built-in motorized lens mounting includes a fixed tube, a zoom actuating ring axially movably supported relative to the fixed tube, a focusing lens holder movably supported at least in the axial direction relative to the zoom actuating ring, an electric motor fixedly secured to the zoom actuating ring, and a driving power transmitting system using the rotation of the motor as a drive source to move the lens holder axially relative to the zoom actuating ring.

Lens mounting

A connector structure for a camera having bayonet mounts on the side of a camera body and on the side of an accessory, the camera body and the accessory being interconnected by rotating the mounts round relative to each other and being disconnected by reversely rotating the mounts. A group of contact pins is arranged at a camera body side connector to be slidingly brought into contact with a group of contact pins arranged at an accessory side connector by the rotational mounting action. The group of contact pins at the accessory side connector being in paired contact with the pins of the group of contact pins at the camera body side connector to permit communication between the camera body and the accessory upon completion of the mounting action. A first conductive member is arranged to be electrically connected in parallel with a first contact pin among the group of contact pins arranged at one of the connectors. The first contact pin coming into sliding contact with only one of the group of contact pins arranged at another of the connectors while the two mounts are rotated relative to each other. A second conductive member is arranged at the other of the connectors to abut on the first conductive member upon completion of the mounting action to be electrically connected in parallel to a second contact pin which is arranged at the other of the connectors and abuts the first contact pin upon completion of the mounting action.

Lens for camera

A lens barrel includes a hollow rotary ring rotatable about the optic axis which is disposed within the hollow of a hollow fixed cylinder with a bearing interposed therebetween, a moving cylinder movable in response to rotation of the rotary ring which is disposed within the hollow of the rotary ring, a vibration wave motor which is disposed between the diametrical directions of the fixed cylinder and the rotary ring, and a rotor which is substantially secured to the rotary ring.

Lens barrel with vibration wave motor

An arrangement for adjusting the position of a lens held in a barrel in a lens mounting for performing optical function such as focusing or zooming by moving an optical member or members along an optical axis as in the interchangeable objective. The barrel is divided into two parts each containing a lens, and the relative positions of the first and second barrels are infinitely adjusted by a cam.

Lens barrel with internal motor focusing

In the disclosed mechanical mounting for a zoom lens, a body tube and a single actuator barrel are provided with an intermediate sleeve therebetween, and a variator lens cell and a rotary ring are arranged inside the body tube, whereby a driving torque for the variator lens cell is transmitted from the intermediate sleeve to the rotary ring.

Mechanical mounting for a zoom lens

In an actuating device for a lens assembly, the lens system of the assembly is mounted in a lens holding member which must be axially moved for focusing the lens assembly. In order to effect axial movement of the holding member, an operating member is fitted on the outer diameter of a cylindrical lens barrel of the assembly to be rotatable about the optical axis of the assembly, with the operating member having an inner peripheral surface wherein there is formed a cam recess for controlling the degree of axial movement of the lens holding member. A cam follower member mounted on the lens holding member is fitted in the cam recess of the operating member and rotative motion of the operating member is converted into axial motion of the lens holding member.

Actuating device for photographic lens assembly

An interchangeable lens assembly for a camera is formed in two parts with the first part being removably attachable to the camera body and the second part being removably attachable to the first part. A diaphragm mechanism is arranged in the second part of the assembly and diaphragm control arms extend through the first part of the assembly into operative connection with the camera. Various operative modifications of the lens assembly are possible and because of the bipartite structure of the lens assembly, greater versatility with regard to interchangeability of operative components is facilitated.

Interchangeable lens assembly for a camera

An interchangeable lens unit is formed with an adapter shell rotatable relative to a unit housing and maintained stationary along with signal members of a diaphragm therein during coupling and decoupling of the lens unit effected by rotating a bayonet fixedly carried on the unit housing relative to a camera body. In rotating the unit in a loosening direction, an index mechanism operates to permit disengagement of a female bayonet of the unit away from a male bayonet of the camera body only when the unit housing is accurately oriented relative to the adapter shell. In a later coupling operation, it is therefore insured that the signal members can be brought into operative connection with respective operational members of a diaphragm control mechanism which is disposed in the camera body despite the presence of a significant clearance between the male and female bayonets.

Index mechanism for coupling control of operational lens units

An interchangeable lens assembly including an adapter member which is held in a predetermined position relative to a camera when the lens assembly is mounted on the camera and a lens barrel structured to be rotatable relative to the adapter member during mounting of the lens assembly on the camera, the lens barrel having affixed thereto coupling means for coupling the lens assembly with the camera. The invention is directed particularly to the support structure of the lens barrel for rotatably supporting by means of the adapter member the signal transmission mechanism for transmitting exposure control signals between the lens assembly and the camera and an operation member for operating the diaphragm device of the lens assembly in accordance with operational parameters developed from the camera side of the lens assembly.

An interchangeable lens assembly for a camera is formed with a bayonet coupling affixed to the lens barrel with both being rotatable relative to an adapter shell. Upon attachment of the lens assembly to a camera housing, a detent pin is retracted from a fitted hole found in a radial flange of the adapter shell and the lens barrel is thereby rendered rotatable together with the bayonet coupling with reference to both the adapter shell and the camera housing while the adapter shell is held stationary relative to the camera housing during mounting and dismounting of the lens assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Masao Aoyagi