IP Library Granted Patent US 9,110,231
Granted Patent B2
US 9,110,231 · App. 14/107,595 · Granted Aug 18, 2015

Inner focus lens system, interchangeable lens apparatus and camera system

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,110,231
App. No.
14/107,595
Granted
Aug 18, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

An inner focus lens system, in order from an object side, comprising: a first lens unit including a most-object-side negative first lens element; a positive second lens unit; and a negative third lens unit, wherein an aperture diaphragm is included, the first lens unit, the third lens unit, and the aperture diaphragm are fixed relative to an image surface in focusing, the second lens unit moves relative to the image surface in the focusing, and the conditions: BF/Y<1.7 and TH/f>1.6 (BF: a distance from an apex of an image-side surface of a most-image-side lens element to the image surface, Y: a maximum image height, TH: a distance from an apex of an object-side surface of a most-object-side lens element to the apex of the image-side surface of the most-image-side lens element, f: a focal length of the lens system) are satisfied.

Claims (70)

1. An inner focus lens system having a plurality of lens units each being composed of at least one lens element,

the inner focus lens system, in order from an object side to an image side, comprising:

a first lens unit including a first lens element that is located closest to the object side, and has negative optical power;

a second lens unit having positive optical power; and

a third lens unit having negative optical power, wherein

an aperture diaphragm is provided,

the first lens unit, the third lens unit, and the aperture diaphragm are fixed with respect to an image surface in focusing from an infinity in-focus condition to a close-object in-focus condition,

the second lens unit moves with respect to the image surface in the focusing, and

the following conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied:

BF/Y< 1.7  (1)

TH/f> 1.6  (2)

where

BF is a distance from an apex of an image side surface of a lens element located closest to the image side in the lens system, to the image surface,

Y is a maximum image height,

TH is a distance from an apex of an object side surface of a lens element located closest to the object side in the lens system, to the apex of the image side surface of the lens element located closest to the image side in the lens system, and

f is a focal length of the lens system in an infinity in-focus condition.

2. The inner focus lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the first lens unit includes a second lens element on the image side relative to the first lens element, and

the following condition (3) is satisfied:

0<|( r 2a +r 1b )/( r 2a −r 1b )|<1  (3)

where

r 1b is a radius of curvature of an image side surface of the first lens element, and

r 2a is a radius of curvature of an object side surface of the second lens element.

3. The inner focus lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the following condition (4) is satisfied:

−2.5 <f 2 /f 3 <−0.25  (4)

where

f 2 is a focal length of the second lens unit, and

f 3 is a focal length of the third lens unit.

4. The inner focus lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the following condition (5) is satisfied:

0.23 <D max /Y< 1.3  (5)

where

D max is a maximum value among air spaces between the lens elements constituting the lens system in an infinity in-focus condition, and

Y is the maximum image height.

5. The inner focus lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the following condition (6) is satisfied:

nd p >1.79  (6)

where

nd p is a refractive index to the d-line of a lens element located closest to the object side in the lens system, among lens elements having positive optical power.

6. The inner focus lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the following condition (7) is satisfied:

( r 1b +r 1a )/( r 1b −r 1a )<−1  (7)

where

r 1a is a radius of curvature of an object side surface of the first lens element, and

r 1b is a radius of curvature of an image side surface of the first lens element.

7. The inner focus lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the following condition (8) is satisfied:

| f 1 /f|< 3.0  (8)

where

f 1 is a focal length of the first lens unit, and

f is the focal length of the lens system in an infinity in-focus condition.

8. The inner focus lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the first lens unit includes a second lens element on the image side relative to the first lens element, and

the following condition (9) is satisfied:

vd 12 >60  (9)

where

vd 12 is a larger value between an Abbe number to the d-line of the first lens element and an Abbe number to the d-line of the second lens element.

9. The inner focus lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the following condition (10) is satisfied:

0.4 <Ts/L< 0.8  (10)

where

Ts is an axial distance from the aperture diaphragm to the image surface, and

L is an overall length of lens system (an axial distance from an object side surface of the first lens element to the image surface).

10. The inner focus lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the aperture diaphragm is located on the object side relative to the second lens unit.

11. The inner focus lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

a lens element located closest to the object side in the second lens unit is a lens element that has a convex surface facing the image side, and has negative optical power.

12. The inner focus lens system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

a lens element located closest to the image side in the third lens unit has negative optical power.

13. An interchangeable lens apparatus comprising:

an inner focus lens system as claimed in claim 1 ; and

a lens mount section which is connectable to a camera body including an image sensor for receiving an optical image formed by the inner focus lens system and converting the optical image into an electric image signal.

14. A camera system comprising:

an interchangeable lens apparatus including an inner focus lens system as claimed in claim 1 ; and

a camera body which is detachably connected to the interchangeable lens apparatus via a camera mount section, and includes an image sensor for receiving an optical image formed by the inner focus lens system and converting the optical image into an electric image signal.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ERRONEOUSLY FILED APPLICATION NUMBERS 13/384239, 13/498734, 14/116681 AND 14/301144 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 034194 FRAME 0143. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Dec 24, 2020
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 056788/0362 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2014
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 034194/0143 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 4, 2014
From: KUZUHARA, SATOSHI; MATSUMURA, YOSHIO
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 032341/0023 →