IP Library Granted Patent US 9,152,013
Granted Patent B2
US 9,152,013 · App. 14/624,734 · Granted Oct 6, 2015

Light-quantity control apparatus and optical apparatus

Inventor: Takahito Yoshizawa (Kawaguchi, JP)
Assignee: Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
G03B9/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,152,013
App. No.
14/624,734
Granted
Oct 6, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A light-quantity control apparatus includes multiple light-quantity control blades each configured to overlap with at least another one of the light-quantity control blades so as to form a light-passing aperture and each configured to rotate to change a size of the light-passing aperture. Each of the multiple light-quantity control blades includes a thick portion and a thin portion. The thick portion forms an outer end portion on an opposite side to the light-passing aperture in a rotation direction of the light-quantity control blade. The thin portion is formed in an aperture side blade area that overlaps with the at least another one of the multiple light-quantity control blades so as to form part of a circular overlap of the multiple light-quantity control blades and that includes an inner edge forming an edge of the light-passing aperture.

Claims (24)

1. A light-quantity control apparatus comprising:

multiple light-quantity control blades each configured to overlap with at least another one of the light-quantity control blades so as to form a light-passing aperture and each configured to rotate to change a size of the light-passing aperture,

wherein each of the multiple light-quantity control blades includes a thick portion and a thin portion,

wherein the thick portion forms an outer end portion on an opposite side to the light-passing aperture in a rotation direction of the light-quantity control blade,

wherein the thin portion is formed in an aperture side blade area that overlaps with the at least another one of the multiple light-quantity control blades so as to form part of a circular overlap of the multiple light-quantity control blades and that includes an inner edge forming an edge of the light-passing aperture,

wherein the thin portion has a thickness decreasing in the rotation direction from the thick portion toward the inner edge,

wherein the thin portion is formed in part of each of the multiple light-quantity control blades, and

wherein only the thinnest portion of the thin portion of each of the multiple light-quantity control blades forms the edge of the light-passing aperture when the light-passing aperture has the minimum stop aperture diameter.

2. A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an angle formed by both surfaces of the thin portion in its thickness direction or an angle formed by tangent lines of the both surface is 30 degrees or less.

3. A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a width of the thin portion in the rotation direction is 3 times or more and 30 times or less of a maximum thickness of the thin portion.

4. A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a width of the thin portion in the rotation direction is wider than a diameter of the light-passing aperture corresponding to a minimum stop aperture.

5. A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a chamfer portion is formed at a marginal edge of each of the multiple light-quantity control blades, and

wherein the thin portion is formed independently of the chamfer portion.

6. A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple light-quantity control blades contains, in the aperture side blade area, carbon black having a hollow-shell-shaped structure.

7. A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the thin portion has a shape to reduce a load or a reaction force each generated by the overlap of the multiple light-quantity control blades.

8. A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the thin portion is formed such that the thickness of the thin portion decreases up to the edge portion.

9. A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein, of the marginal edge of each of the light-quantity control blades, an end portion located more inside than an edge of the light-passing aperture whose size is maximum is provided with the thin portion or the chamfer portion.

10. A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the thin portion is formed such that the thickness of the thin portion continuously decreases toward the inner edge.

11. An optical apparatus comprising:

a body of the apparatus; and

a light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 1 .

12. A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in a process where a size of the light-passing aperture changes from the maximum stop aperture to the minimum stop aperture, a warp of a tip of each of the multiple light-quantity control blades is guided by the thin parts of the multiple light-quantity control blades adjacent to one another, with the thin parts of the multiple light-quantity control blades adjacent to one another being contacted with one another.

13. An optical apparatus comprising:

a light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 12 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 18, 2015
From: YOSHIZAWA, TAKAHITO
To: CANON DENSHI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 034979/0009 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2012-185747 · Aug 24, 2012 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2013004977 · Aug 23, 2013
Related Publication 20150160533A1 · Jun 11, 2015