Lens barrel with lock mechanism

• US 7,092,171 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2005
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tamron Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Tamron Company Limited
• Inventors: Kawaguchi, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman, Scott J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HASAN, MOHAMMED A
• Application Number:
  US11/137,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20060072214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 359/694, 359/695, 359700-704, 359/819, 359/821, 359/822, 359/825, 359/826
• US Class Current: 359/704
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/00 Mountings, adjusting means, or light-tight connections, for optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/10 by relative axial movement of several lenses, e.g. of varifocal objective lens

Abstract

A lens barrel with a lock arranged to avoid loosening the lock and defocusing the lens barrel when vibrated during focusing and zooming. The lens barrel includes a fixed cylinder, an adjustment ring, lock screws and a lock ring, lock screws and a lock ring. The adjustment ring is slidably attached to the fixed cylinder so as to rectify locations of optical components along the optical axis. The lock screws in screw holes extend at one end of the fixed cylinder in parallel with the optical axis, and each lock screw has a part that serves as a turning force transmitting segment and moves along the optical axis at the end of the fixed cylinder. The lock ring is slidably attached to the end of the fixed cylinder and has an inner surface that is mated with the force transmitting segment to let the lock screws rotate to secure the adjustment ring to the fixed barrel.

Claims

1. A lens barrel with a lock mechanism, comprising

a fixed cylinder,

an adjustment ring slidably attached to the fixed cylinder for rectifying locations of optical components in directions along the optical axis,

a plurality of lock screws fitted in a plurality of screw holes extending at one end of the fixed cylinder in parallel with the optical axis, the lock screws each having its part serving as a turning force transmitting segment and moving in directions along the optical axis at the end of the fixed cylinder, and

a lock operating ring slidably attached to the end of the fixed cylinder and having an inner engagement surface, the inner engagement surface being operatively mated with the turning force transmitting segment of the lock screw to let the lock screw rotate,

the lock operating ring being pivoted to turn the lock screw, and the lock screw securing the adjustment ring to the fixed barrel to lock it up.

2. A lens barrel with a lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein thee lock operating ring has a recession closer to the other end or a second end of the fixed cylinder so as not to be in contact with the turning force transmitting segment of each of the lock screws, and after a rotary movement of the lock operating ring permits the lock screws to fasten the adjustment ring down, a movement of the adjustment ring toward the first end of the fixed cylinder disconnects the lock screws from the lock operating ring.

3. A lens barrel with a lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the turning force transmitting segment of each of the lock screws and the inner engagement surface of the lock operating ring are wheel gears that has a rotation axis in parallel with the optical axis.

4. A lens barrel with a lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the turning force transmitting segment of each of the lock screws and the inner engagement surface of the lock operating ring are frictional rings that has a rotation axis in parallel with the optical axis.

5. A monitoring apparatus that has a lens barrel with a lock mechanism built therein, and the lens barrel being as defined in claim 1.