IP Library Granted Patent US 6,937,816
Granted Patent B2
US 6,937,816 · App. 10/829,302 · Granted Aug 30, 2005

Shooting apparatus and lens barrel

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,937,816
App. No.
10/829,302
Granted
Aug 30, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a shooting apparatus which is thinner than a conventional shooting apparatus. A lens barrel is brought into an accommodated state from a shooting state by retracting at least one of lens groups constituting the shooting lens from an optical axis, and by bringing at least a portion of one of the other lens groups remaining on the optical axis or an image pickup element into a non-using state in which an opening is left opening at a predetermined opening diameter.

Claims (61)

1. A shooting apparatus which images a subject light on an image pickup element to produce an image signal, comprising:

a lens barrel which incorporates, therein, a shooting lens comprising a plurality of lens groups, a length of the lens barrel can be changed between an accommodated state having a relatively short barrel length and a shooting state having a relatively long barrel length, wherein

the lens barrel comprises:

a lens retracting mechanism which allows at least one of the lens groups to retract from a shooting optical axis when the lens barrel is brought into the accommodated state, and which allows the retracted lens group to advance to the shooting optical axis when the lens barrel is brought into the shooting state; and

a light amount control member which is in a using state in which an amount of shooting light passing through the shooting lens is controlled when the lens barrel is in the shooting state, and which is in non-using state in which an opening is left opening at a predetermined opening diameter when the lens barrel is in the accommodated state, and which receives at least one of the lens groups in the opening when the lens barrel is in the accommodated state.

2. The shooting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the shooting lens comprises three lens groups, i.e., a front lens group, a rear lens group and a focus lens arranged in this order from forward in the optical axis direction, a focal length can be changed, and a focus is adjusted by moving the focus lens.

3. The shooting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the light amount control member is fixed to a rear lens group guide frame which defines a position of the rear lens group in the optical axis direction,

the lens retracting mechanism retracts the focus lens from the shooting optical axis when the lens barrel is brought into the accommodated state, and

the light amount control member receives the front lens group in the opening when the lens barrel is in the accommodated state.

4. The shooting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the light amount control member is fixed to a rear lens group guide frame which defines a position of the rear lens group in the optical axis direction,

the lens retracting mechanism includes a rear lens group holding frame which holds the rear lens group and is rotatably supported by the rear lens group guide frame, the rear lens group holding frame is turned to retract the rear lens group from the shooting optical axis when the lens barrel is brought into the accommodated state, and

the focus lens is received in the opening of the light amount control member when the lens barrel is in the accommodated state.

5. The shooting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the light amount control member is biased by a spring in a direction away from a rear lens group guide frame which defines a position of the rear lens group in the optical axis direction, and is supported by the rear lens group guide frame,

the lens retracting mechanism retracts the focus lens from the shooting optical axis when the lens barrel is brought into the accommodated state, and

the light amount control member is pushed toward the rear lens group guide frame and the rear lens group is received in the opening of the light amount control member when the lens barrel is brought into the accommodated state.

6. A shooting apparatus which images a subject light on an image pickup element to produce an image signal, comprising:

a lens barrel which incorporates, therein, a shooting lens comprising a plurality of lens groups, a length of the lens barrel can be changed between an accommodated state having a relatively short barrel length and a shooting state having a relatively long barrel length, wherein

the lens barrel comprises:

a lens retracting mechanism which allows at least one of the lens groups to retract from a shooting optical axis when the lens barrel is brought into the accommodated state, and which allows the retracted lens group to advance to the shooting optical axis when the lens barrel is brought into the shooting state; and

a light amount control member which is in a using state in which an amount of shooting light passing through the shooting lens is controlled when the lens barrel is in the shooting state, and which is in non-using state in which an opening is left opening at a predetermined opening diameter when the lens barrel is in the accommodated state, and which receives the image pickup element in the opening when the lens barrel is in the accommodated state.

7. The shooting apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the shooting lens comprises three lens groups, i.e., a front lens group, a rear lens group and a focus lens arranged in this order from forward in the optical axis direction, a focal length can be changed, and a focus is adjusted by moving the focus lens,

the light amount control member is fixed to a rear lens group guide frame which defines a position of the rear lens group in the optical axis direction, and

the lens retracting mechanism retracts the focus lens from the shooting optical axis when the lens barrel is brought into the accommodated state.

8. The shooting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light amount control member is a lens shutter.

9. The shooting apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the light amount control member is a lens shutter.

10. The shooting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light amount control member is an aperture member.

11. The shooting apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the light amount control member is an aperture member.

12. The shooting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an interfering member which interferes with the light amount control member to maintain the light amount control member in the non-using state when the lens barrel is in the accommodated state.

13. The shooting apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising an interfering member which interferes with the light amount control member to maintain the light amount control member in the non-using state when the lens barrel is in the accommodated state.

14. A lens barrel incorporating, therein, a shooting lens comprising a plurality of lens groups, in which a length of the lens barrel can be changed between an accommodated state having a relatively short barrel length and a shooting state having a relatively long barrel length, the lens barrel comprising:

a lens retracting mechanism which allows at least one of the lens groups to retract from a shooting optical axis when the lens barrel is brought into the accommodated state, and which allows the retracted lens group to advance to the shooting optical axis when the lens barrel is brought into the shooting state; and

a light amount control member which is in a using state in which an amount of shooting light passing through the shooting lens is controlled when the lens barrel is in the shooting state, and which is in non-using state in which an opening is left opening at a predetermined opening diameter when the lens barrel is in the accommodated state, and which receives at least one of the lens groups in the opening when the lens barrel is in the accommodated state.

15. The lens barrel according to claim 14 , wherein the shooting lens comprises three lens groups, i.e., a front lens group, a rear lens group and a focus lens arranged in this order from forward in the optical axis direction, a focal length can be changed, and a focus is adjusted by moving the focus lens.

16. The lens barrel according to claim 15 , wherein

the light amount control member is fixed to a rear lens group guide frame which defines a position of the rear lens group in the optical axis direction,

the lens retracting mechanism retracts the focus lens from the shooting optical axis when the lens barrel is brought into the accommodated state, and

the light amount control member receives the front lens group in the opening when the lens barrel is in the accommodated state.

17. The lens barrel according to claim 15 , wherein

the light amount control member is fixed to a rear lens group guide frame which defines a position of the rear lens group in the optical axis direction,

the lens retracting mechanism includes a rear lens group holding frame which holds the rear lens group and is rotatably supported by the rear lens group guide frame, the rear lens group holding frame is turned to retract the rear lens group from the shooting optical axis when the lens barrel is brought into the accommodated state, and

the focus lens is received in the opening of the light amount control member when the lens barrel is in the accommodated state.

18. The lens barrel according to claim 14 , wherein

the light amount control member is biased by a spring in a direction away from a rear lens group guide frame which defines a position of the rear lens group in the optical axis direction, and is supported by the rear lens group guide frame,

the lens retracting mechanism retracts the focus lens from the shooting optical axis when the lens barrel is brought into the accommodated state,

the light amount control member is pushed toward the rear lens group guide frame and the rear lens group is received in the opening of the light amount control member when the lens barrel is brought into the accommodated state.

19. A lens barrel incorporating, therein, a shooting lens comprising a plurality of lens groups, in which a length of the lens barrel can be changed between an accommodated state having a relatively short barrel length and a shooting state having a relatively long barrel length, the lens barrel comprising:

an image pickup element which produces an image signal when the shooting lens images a subject light;

a lens retracting mechanism which allows at least one of the lens groups to retract from a shooting optical axis when the lens barrel is brought into the accommodated state, and which allows the retracted lens group to advance to the shooting optical axis when the lens barrel is brought into the shooting state; and

a light amount control member which is in a using state in which an amount of shooting light passing through the shooting lens is controlled when the lens barrel is in the shooting state, and which is in non-using state in which an opening is left opening at a predetermined opening diameter when the lens barrel is in the accommodated state, and which receives the image pickup element in the opening when the lens barrel is in the accommodated state.

20. The lens barrel according to claim 19 , wherein the shooting lens comprises three lens groups, i.e., a front lens group, a rear lens group and a focus lens arranged in this order from forward in the optical axis direction, a focal length can be changed, and a focus is adjusted by moving the focus lens,

the light amount control member is fixed to a rear lens group guide frame which defines a position of the rear lens group in the optical axis direction, and

the lens retracting mechanism retracts the focus lens from the shooting optical axis when the lens barrel is brought into the accommodated state.

21. The lens barrel according to claim 14 , wherein the light amount control member is a lens shutter.

22. The lens barrel according to claim 19 , wherein the light amount control member is a lens shutter.

23. The lens barrel according to claim 14 , wherein the light amount control member is an aperture member.

24. The lens barrel according to claim 19 , wherein the light amount control member is an aperture member.

25. The lens barrel according to claim 14 , further comprising an interfering member which interferes with the light amount control member to maintain the light amount control member in the non-using state when the lens barrel is in the accommodated state.

26. The lens barrel according to claim 19 , further comprising an interfering member which interferes with the light amount control member to maintain the light amount control member in the non-using state when the lens barrel is in the accommodated state.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 15, 2007
From: FUJIFILM HOLDINGS CORPORATION (FORMERLY FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.)
To: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018904/0001 →
NAME CHANGE OF CO-ASSIGNEE Recorded Mar 24, 2005
From: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD (CO-ASSIGNEE); FUJI PHOTO OPTICAL CO., LTD (CO-ASSIGNEE)
To: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD. (CO-ASSIGNEE); FUJINON CORPORATION (CO-ASSIGNEE)
Reel/Frame 016391/0565 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT ASSIGNEE'S ADDRESS, PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL/FRAME 015258/0050. Recorded Nov 19, 2004
From: ENDO, HIROSHI; ITO, YOSHIHIRO; SENBA, TAKEHIKO; OMIYA, AKIO; TANAKA, YASUHIKO
To: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.; FUJI PHOTO OPTICAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 015995/0393 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 22, 2004
From: ENDO, HIROSHI; ITO, YOSHIHIRO; SENBA, TAKEHIKO; OMIYA, AKIO; TANAKA, YASUHIKO
To: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.; FUJI PHOTO OPTICAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 015258/0050 →