Weather-sealing structure of a lens barrel
View Patent ↗A weather-sealing structure of a lens barrel includes an inner annular member and an outer annular member which are concentrically arranged to be movable relative to each other, and a water-repellent ring made of synthetic leather which is impregnated with a water repellent, one of two sides of the water-repellent ring being fixed to one of an inner peripheral surface of the outer annular member and an outer peripheral surface of the inner annular member. The other of the two sides of the water-repellent ring includes a hair-implanted surface including a large number of hairs which is in contact with the other of the inner peripheral surface of the outer annular member and the outer peripheral surface of the inner annular member to be slidable thereon.
1. A weather-sealing structure of a lens barrel, comprising at least an inner annular member and an outer annular member which are concentrically arranged to be movable relative to each other, and a water-repellent ring;
wherein said water-repellent ring comprises synthetic leather which is impregnated with a water repellent, one of two sides of said water-repellent ring being fixed to one of an inner peripheral surface of said outer annular member and an outer peripheral surface of said inner annular member, and
wherein the other of said two sides of said water-repellent ring includes a hair-implanted surface including a large number of hairs which is in contact with the other of said inner peripheral surface of said outer annular member and said outer peripheral surface of said inner annular member to be slidable thereon.
2. The weather-sealing structure of a lens barrel according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said inner annular member and said outer annular member moves along an optical axis while rotating about said optical axis.
3. The weather-sealing structure of a lens barrel according to claim 1 , wherein said water-repellent ring is opaque.
4. The weather-sealing structure of a lens barrel according to claim 1 , wherein said water-repellent ring comprises a rolled strip having a length substantially identical to one of an inner circumference of said outer annular member and an outer circumference of said inner annular member to which said water-repellent ring is fixed.
5. The weather-sealing structure of a lens barrel according to claim 4 , wherein positions in an optical axis direction of front and rear ends of each end of said rolled strip of said water-repellent ring are different in a circumferential direction of said water-repellent ring.
6. The weather-sealing structure of a lens barrel according to claim 5 , wherein each of said ends of said rolled strip comprises:
a first edge which extends toward a rear edge of said strip from a front edge of said strip;
a second edge which extends toward said front edge of said strip from said rear edge of said strip at a position different from a position of said first edge in said circumferential direction of said water-repellent ring; and
a connecting portion which extends in a direction different from either of two directions in which said first edge and said second edge extend, respectively, and connects said first edge and said second edge to each other.
7. The weather-sealing structure of a lens barrel according to claim 6 , wherein said connecting portion extends straight in said circumferential direction of said water-repellent ring.
8. The weather-sealing structure of a lens barrel according to claim 6 , wherein said connecting portion extends obliquely with respect to said circumferential direction of said water-repellent ring.
9. The weather-sealing structure of a lens barrel according to claim 6 , wherein said connecting portion is curved with respect to said circumferential direction of said water-repellent ring.
10. The weather-sealing structure of a lens barrel according to claim 1 , wherein said synthetic leather that is impregnated with said water repellent is shaped into a rolled strip to form said water-repellent ring.
11. The weather-sealing structure of a lens barrel according to claim 1 , wherein said lens barrel comprises a plurality of movable lens groups which are moved relative to each other along an optical axis to perform a zooming operation.
12. The weather-sealing structure of a lens barrel according to claim 1 , wherein an annular recessed portion, in which said water-repellent ring is received to be fixed thereto, comprises one of said inner peripheral surface of said outer annular member and said outer peripheral surface of said inner annular member, to which said water-repellent ring is fixed.
13. The weather-sealing structure of a lens barrel according to claim 1 wherein a water trap is provided between the end surfaces of said water repellent ring.
14. A weather-sealing structure of a telescoping type of lens barrel, comprising at least two radially-adjacent concentric barrels, at least one of which moves relative to the other, and a water-repellent ring,
wherein said water-repellent ring comprises synthetic leather which is impregnated with a water repellent and installed between radially-adjacent peripheral surfaces of said radially-adjacent concentric barrels, fine hairs being densely implanted into one of inner and outer peripheral surfaces of said water-repellent ring, and
wherein the other of said inner and outer peripheral surfaces of said water-repellent ring is fixed to one of said radially-adjacent peripheral surfaces of said radially-adjacent concentric barrels so that said one of said inner and outer peripheral surfaces of said water-repellent ring, into which said fine hairs are implanted, is in sliding contact with the other of said radially-adjacent peripheral surfaces of said radially-adjacent concentric barrels.
15. The weather-sealing structure of a telescoping type of lens barrel according to claim 14 , wherein said water-repellent ring comprises a rolled strip having a length substantially identical to said radially-adjacent peripheral surfaces of said radially-adjacent concentric barrels.
16. The weather-sealing structure of a telescoping type of lens barrel according to claim 15 , wherein positions in an optical axis direction of front and rear ends of each end of said rolled strip of said water-repellent ring are different in a circumferential direction of said water-repellent ring.
17. The weather-sealing structure of a telescoping type of lens barrel according to claim 16 , wherein each of said ends of said rolled strip comprises:
a first edge which extends toward a rear edge of said strip from a front edge of said strip;
a second edge which extends toward said front edge of said strip from said rear edge of said strip at a position different from a position of said first edge in said circumferential direction of said water-repellent ring; and
a connecting portion which extends in a direction different from either of two directions in which said first edge and said second edge extend, respectively, and connects said first edge and said second edge to each other.
18. The weather-sealing structure of a telescoping type of lens barrel according to claim 14 wherein said water-repellent ring is opaque.
19. The weather-sealing structure of a telescoping type of lens barrel according to claim 14 wherein a water trap is provided between the end surfaces of said water repellent ring.