Olympus Imaging Corporation

Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Yasunari Shimazaki

Shigeo Hayashi

Moriya Katagiri

Yasuo Yamazaki

Naoki Matsumoto

Satoru Yasutomi

Hidenobu Mochinushi

Nobuyuki Tanaka

Takahiro Kaneta

Kosaku Nishio

The inventive lens barrel comprises: a first group frameretaining the first group lenswith a positive refractivity and being movable on the optical axis; a second group frameretaining the second group lenswith a negative refractivity and being movable on the optical axis; a third group frameretaining an aperture diaphragmand the third group lens, and being movable on the optical axis and pivotable perpendicular to the optical axis in such a manner that the third group framecan move the aperture diaphragmand the third group lensto the position on the optical axis O in a imaging standby state, in which the lens barrelis extended, and move them to the position out of the optical axis O in the retracted state, in which the lens barrelis shortened; and, a fourth group frameretaining the fourth group framewith a positive refractivity, and being movable on the optical axis, and being arranged such that it can retract the aperture diaphragmand the third group lensto a space between the object side end of the second group image side lens of the second group lens, which has a relatively smaller outer shape, and the image side end of the fourth group lens, in view from the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, under the retracted state.

Lens barrel and electronic imaging device using the same

A camera having a barrier according to the present invention includes a barrier unit in a space between a front main body and a front metal cover serving as an exterior member. Rotation of a barrier driving motor is transmitted to a rotary shaft member passing through the front main body, thereby allowing opening/closing actions of the lens barrier between a protection position for a photographing lens and a lens-barrier retracted position. The front main body is sealed waterproof by an O-ring provided to the outer circumferential surface of the rotary shaft member. With the lens barrel of the camera, rotation of a rotary moving frame is effectively transmitted to a cam frame through a cam follower fit to a linear-action groove, using a circumferential groove and the linear-action groove of a bayonet mechanism.

Camera having barrier

A lens barrel permits easier switching of an extending operation between a setup operating region, which begins at a collapsed position where the lens frame of the lens barrel is retracted, and a zooming region, and accordingly provides a simpler mechanism. In the setup operation, a setting gear is driven to extend a setting frame, a float key, and a moving frame so as to extend a first group zoom frame retained on a cam frame and a second lens holding frame from a collapsed position to a photographing standby position. In the zooming operation, a zoom gear is driven to rotationally drive the moving frame so as to adjust the first group zoom frame and the second lens holding frame.

Lens barrel

Growing community of inventors

Hino, Japan

Yasunari Shimazaki