Camera incorporating a lens barrel

• US 20050225646A1
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Photo Imaging Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Photo Imaging Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Shintani, Dai
• Application Number:
  US11/100,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20050225646A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/208.990
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/12 to compensate for change of camera lens or size of picture
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/17 with reflectors arranged in beam forming the photographic image, e.g. for reducing dimensions of camera
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 5/00 Adjustment of optical system relative to image or object surface other than for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position

Abstract

A lens barrel constituting a taking lens system is incorporated in the camera body, and the lens barrel is swingably supported by a first rotation shaft and a second rotation shaft. A shake applied to the camera body is detected by a shake detector, and a correction movement amount for moving the lens barrel by a predetermined amount for shake prevention is calculated based on the detection signal. The lens barrel is driven for shake prevention by an actuator in accordance with the obtained correction movement amount.

Claims

1. A camera incorporating a lens barrel comprising:

a lens barrel having a taking lens system and incorporated in a camera body;

a supporter for supporting the lens barrel so as to be swingable;

a shake detector for detecting a shake applied to the camera;

a calculator for calculating a correction movement amount for moving the lens barrel based on a detection signal from the shake detector; and

an actuator for moving the lens barrel in accordance with the correction movement amount obtained by the calculator.

2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the lens barrel is a bent-type lens barrel, and is vertically placed inside the camera body.

3. The camera according to claim 1, wherein a support point of the supporter is set in the vicinity of the center, in the direction of the length, of the lens barrel.

4. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the supporter supports the lens barrel so as to be swingable in a yaw direction and in a pitch direction.

5. The camera according to claim 4, wherein the actuator comprises a yaw-direction motor which moves the lens barrel in the yaw direction and a pitch-direction motor which moves the lens barrel in the pitch direction.

6. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is a stepping motor.

7. The camera according to claim 1, wherein a support point of the supporter comprises a pivot bearing.

8. The camera according to claim 7, wherein the actuator comprises a yaw-direction motor and a pitch-direction motor, and wherein the yaw-direction motor is disposed in a rotation direction of a yaw-direction axis of the support point, and the pitch-direction motor is disposed in a rotation direction of a pitch-direction axis of the support point.

9. The camera according to claim 8, wherein a distance between the position of the yaw-direction motor and the support point and a distance between the position of the pitch-direction motor and the support point are substantially the same.

10. The camera according to claim 7, wherein the lens barrel comprises a restricting shaft extending from the support point substantially in a radial direction, and the restricting shaft is engaged with an elongate hole provided on the supporter for guiding the movement of the lens barrel.

11. The camera according to claim 1, wherein a support point of the supporter comprises a bearing that supports the lens barrel so as to be rotatable in a two axial directions in which the lens barrel is to be moved.

12. The camera according to claim 1, further comprises a solid-state image sensor fixed to the lens barrel.

13. The camera according to claim 1, further comprises an optical finder fixed on the lens barrel.

14. The camera according to claim 13, wherein the optical finder moves in response to the movement of the lens barrel by the actuator.

15. The camera according to claim 13, wherein the taking lens system and the optical finder have a zooming mechanism, respectively, and a magnification of the optical finder changes in response to a zooming of the taking lens system.

16. The camera according to claim 13, wherein the optical finder comprises an objective lens disposed in the vicinity of an objective lens of the taking lens system.

17. A camera incorporating a lens barrel comprising:

a lens barrel having a taking lens system and incorporated in a camera body;

a support plate fixed to the camera body and having a support point that supports the lens barrel so as to be swingable at least in two axial directions;

a shake detector for detecting a shake applied to a camera;

a calculator for calculating a correction movement amount for moving the lens barrel based on a detection signal from the shake detector;

a first actuator for moving the lens barrel in a first axis direction in accordance with the correction movement amount obtained by the calculator; and

a second actuator for moving the lens barrel in a second axis direction in accordance with the correction movement amount obtained by the calculator,

wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are each attached to the support plate,

wherein the first actuator and the second actuator both have a point of action of a movement to the lens barrel, and

wherein the first actuator and the second actuator both move the lens barrel in the first axis direction and in the second axis direction, respectively, with the support point at the support plate as an axis.

18. The camera according to claim 17, wherein the first actuator is a yaw-direction motor which moves the lens barrel in the yaw direction and the second actuator is a yaw-direction motor that moves the lens barrel in the pitch direction.

19. The camera according to claim 18, further comprises a movement piece which is movable in the direction of the rotation axis in accordance with the rotation of the motor, on each of rotation axes of the yaw-direction motor and the pitch-direction motor, and wherein the point of action of the movement is a part where the movement piece and an engagement part provided on the lens barrel interfere with each other.

20. The camera according to claim 19, further comprises a ball bearing constituting a pivot bearing is interposed between the support plate and the lens barrel, and wherein the lens barrel rotates in a rotation direction of a yaw-direction axis by the yaw-direction motor and rotates in a rotation direction of a pitch-direction axis by the pitch-direction motor, with the ball bearing as the axis.

21. The camera according to claim 19, wherein the support plate comprises a first support plate fixed directly to the camera body and a second support plate fixed to the first support plate through a first bearing, and wherein the second support plate and the lens barrel are coupled together through a second bearing in a direction orthogonal to a shaft support direction by the first bearing.

22. The camera according to claim 21, wherein one of the yaw-direction motor and the pitch-direction motor is fixed to each of the first support plate and the second support plate, and wherein the lens barrel rotates in the rotation direction of the yaw-direction axis by the yaw-direction motor and rotates in the rotation direction of the pitch-direction axis by the pitch-direction motor, with the first bearing and the second bearing as an axis.

23. The camera according to claim 17, further comprises:

an optical finder which is fixed on the lens barrel and moves in response to the movement of the lens barrel;

a first zooming mechanism for changing a magnification of the optical finder;

a second zooming mechanism for changing a magnification of the taking lens system; and

a driving source for driving the first zooming mechanism and the second zooming mechanism.