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:
Aug. 22, 2000
Filed:
Mar. 31, 1999
Michael Kenin, Rochester, NY (US);
James A Schmieder, Wayland, NY (US);
Mark D Bedzyk, Rochester, NY (US);
Dean A Johnson, Churchville, NY (US);
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US);
Abstract
Briefly summarized, according to one aspect of the present invention, a zoom assembly having a plurality of different zoom positions and focus adjustment for different object distances in each of the zoom positions includes: (i) a zoom lens having a plurality of lens groups defining an optical axis and (ii) a cam barrel centered about the optical axis. The cam barrel has an inner peripheral surface with at least one cam groove for moving one of the lens groups relative to another one of the lens groups. The cam groove includes: (i) a set of primary zoom sections, each corresponding to one of the zoom positions and having a slope with respect to the optical axis, and (ii) a set of intermediate sections corresponding to transitions from one of the plurality of zoom positions to another one of the plurality of zoom positions. Each of the intermediate sections is has a slope with respect to the optical axis. A subset of the set of the primary zoom sections has slopes of one, common sign and the set of primary zoom sections also includes at least one primary zoom section having a slope of opposite sign from the sign of the slopes of the subset of the set of primary zoom sections. The set of intermediate sections includes a subset of intermediate sections each of which is being located between two of the primary zoom sections that form the subset of the primary zoom sections. This subset of intermediate sections has slopes of an opposite sign to the slopes of one, common sign.