IP Library Granted Patent US 10,663,702
Granted Patent B2
US 10,663,702 · App. 15/352,715 · Granted May 26, 2020

Zoom lens system and imaging apparatus

Inventors: Kazuhiro Oe (Suwa, JP); Jeffrey Alan Gohman (Hillsboro, OR)
Assignees: NITTOH INC.; THEIA TECHNOLOGIES LLC
G02B15/142G02B13/0095G02B15/177
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,663,702
App. No.
15/352,715
Granted
May 26, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A zoom lens system includes: a primary image forming lens group that forms light from an object side into an intermediate image and a relay lens group that forms light from the intermediate image into a final image. The primary image forming lens group includes, in order from the object side, a first fixed lens group G 1 with negative refractive power, a stop St, and a second fixed lens group G 2 with positive refractive power, and the relay lens group includes, in order from the object side, a third fixed lens group G 3 with negative refractive power, a first moving lens group G 4 with positive refractive power, and a second moving lens group G 5 with positive refractive power.

Claims (37)

1. A zoom lens system that forms light from an object side into a final image via an intermediate image formed inside the zoom lens system, comprising in order from the object side:

a plurality of fixed lens groups that includes a positive fixed power lens group disposed at a fixed position on the object side of the intermediate image and closer to the intermediate image than any other lens on the object side, and a negative fixed power lens group disposed at a fixed position on a final image side of the intermediate image and closer to the intermediate image than any other lens on the final image side; and

a plurality of moving lens groups disposed on the final image side of the intermediate image and further from the intermediate image than any fixed lens group on the final image side of the intermediate image.

2. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the positive fixed power lens group includes a positive lens that is disposed closest to the intermediate image and has a highest refractive index among all lenses in the zoom lens system.

3. The zoom lens system according to claim 2 ,

wherein the negative fixed power lens group includes a negative lens that is disposed closest to the intermediate image.

4. The zoom lens system according to claim 3 ,

wherein the positive lens is a positive meniscus lens that is convex on the object side and the negative lens is a biconcave negative lens.

5. The zoom lens system according to claim 3 ,

wherein a distance on an optical axis between the intermediate image and a lens surface that is closest to the intermediate image, of the negative lens is shorter than a distance on the optical axis between the intermediate image and a lens surface that is closest to the intermediate image, of the positive lens.

6. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the positive fixed power lens group includes a positive meniscus lens that is convex on the object side and disposed closest to the intermediate image.

7. The zoom lens system according to claim 6 ,

wherein the negative fixed power lens group includes a negative lens that has concave surface on the object side and is disposed closest to the intermediate image.

8. The zoom lens system according to claim 7 ,

wherein a distance on an optical axis between the intermediate image and a lens surface that is closest to the intermediate image, of the negative lens is shorter than a distance on the optical axis between the intermediate image and a lens surface that is closest to the intermediate image, of the positive lens.

9. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of fixed lens groups further includes a first fixed power lens group with negative refractive power disposed on the object side of the intermediate image, the first fixed power lens group disposed further from the intermediate image than the positive fixed lens group.

10. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of moving lens groups includes a first moving lens group with positive refractive power and a second moving lens group with positive refractive power.

11. The zoom lens system according to claim 10 ,

wherein the first moving lens group moves from the final image side toward the object side when zooming from the wide-angle end toward the telephoto end; and

the second moving lens group moves from the final image side toward the object side when zooming from the wide-angle end toward the telephoto end.

12. An imaging apparatus comprising:

the zoom lens system according to claim 1 ; and

an imaging device disposed at a position where the final image of the zoom lens system is formed.

13. A zoom lens system that forms light from an object side into a final image at a final image side via an intermediate image formed inside the zoom lens system, comprising:

a plurality of lenses arranged between the object side and the final image side, the plurality of lenses consisting of a plurality of object side lenses and a plurality of final image side lenses;

wherein the plurality of object side lenses consist of:

a plurality of fixed power lens groups with fixed lens surfaces disposed at fixed positions between the object side and the intermediate image, the plurality of fixed power lens groups including a positive fixed power lens group with fixed lens surfaces, the positive fixed power lens group disposed at a fixed position on the object side of the intermediate image and closer to the intermediate image than any other lens on the object side;

wherein the plurality of final image side lenses include:

a negative fixed power lens group with fixed lens surfaces, the negative fixed power lens group disposed at a fixed position on the final image side of the intermediate image and closer to the intermediate image than any other lens on the final image side; and

a plurality of moving lens groups disposed on the final image side of the intermediate image and further from the intermediate image than any fixed lens group on the final image side of the intermediate image.

14. An imaging apparatus comprising:

the zoom lens system according to claim 13 ; and

an imaging device disposed at a position where the final image of the zoom lens system is formed.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 28, 2020
From: NITTOH KOGAKU K.K.
To: NITTOH INC.
Reel/Frame 051961/0798 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 16, 2016
From: OE, KAZUHIRO
To: NITTOH KOGAKU K.K.
Reel/Frame 040340/0163 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 16, 2016
From: GOHMAN, JEFFREY ALAN
To: THEIA TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Reel/Frame 040340/0249 →
Continuity (2)
Division 14051154 · Oct 10, 2013
Related Publication 20170199361A1 · Jul 13, 2017