The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 05, 1996
Filed:
Jun. 07, 1995
Hitoshi Imanari, Kawasaki, JP;
Hideo Kanno, Chiba, JP;
Tsuneo Watanabe, Yokohama, JP;
Shinichi Ushio, Yokohama, JP;
Yuichi Katagishi, Yokohama, JP;
Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A lens bodytube has an auto-focusing mode in which a photographing lens is automatically driven to an in-focus position by a drive force of a motor and a manual focusing mode in which the photographing lens is driven to the in-focus position by manually rotating a distance ring. A movable member is driven to a first position in the auto-focusing mode and to a second position in the manual focusing mode. When the movable member is at the first position, it is coupled to the motor to transmit a drive force of the motor to a rotary ring which drives the photographing lens along an optical axis. When the movable member is in the second position, it is coupled to the distance ring to transmit a manual drive force from the distance ring to the rotary ring. When the auto-focusing mode is set and the movable member is at the first position, the movable member is switched from the first position to the second position in response to manual rotation of the distance ring in order to enable manual focusing notwithstanding that the auto-focusing mode has been set.