Image capture device

• US 9,565,345 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2013
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mukai, Takanori
• Primary Examiner(s): MOE, AUNG SOE
• Application Number:
  US14/424,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20150326759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/023 permitting adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/12 with means for supporting objectives, supplementary lenses, filters, masks, or turrets
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/561 Support related camera accessories
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors

Abstract

Provided is an image capture device including a lens unit that includes a lens, a supporting member that supports the lens unit and rotates in a predetermined rotating direction with the lens unit, a rotation regulating member that regulates rotation of the supporting member by coming into contact with the supporting member while the supporting member is rotating, and a move permitting part that permits the rotation regulating member being in contact with the supporting member to move a predetermined amount in the rotating direction in a manner that the supporting member is rotatable 360 degrees or more in the rotating direction.

Claims

1. An image capture device comprising:

a lens unit that includes a lens;

a supporting member that supports the lens unit and rotates in a predetermined rotating direction with the lens unit;

a rotation regulating member that regulates rotation of the supporting member by coming into contact with the supporting member while the supporting member is rotating; and

a move permitting part that permits an entirety of the rotation regulating member to move a predetermined amount in the rotating direction and along a path followed by the rotation regulating member in a manner that the supporting member is rotatable 360 degrees or more in the rotating direction,

wherein a rotation axis of the rotation regulation member and a rotation axis of the supporting member are same, and

wherein a rotation direction of the rotation regulation member is same as a rotation direction of the supporting member while the rotation regulation member is moving and is in contact with the supporting member.

2. The image capture device according to claim 1, further comprising

a base on which the supporting member is mounted rotatably,

wherein the move permitting part is a concave part formed in the base in the rotating direction.

3. The image capture device according to claim 2, wherein the rotation regulating member is rotatably attached to the concave part.

4. The image capture device according to claim 1,

wherein the supporting member includes

a circular base part, and

a bent part that is bent from the base part, an

wherein the rotation regulating member regulates the rotation of the supporting member by coming into contact with the bent part.

5. The image capture device according to claim 1,

wherein the supporting member is rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise in the rotating direction,

wherein the rotation regulating member regulates the rotation of the supporting member by coming into contact with the supporting member while the supporting member is rotating clockwise or counterclockwise, and

wherein the move permitting part permits the rotation regulating member being in contact with the supporting member to move the predetermined amount clockwise or counterclockwise.

6. The image capture device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined rotating direction is a pan direction parallel to a horizontal direction.

7. The image capture device according to claim 1,

wherein the supporting member includes

a circular base part, and

a supporting part that is bent from the base part and supports the lens unit,

the image capture device further comprising:

a plate-shaped elastic member including a plurality of protrusions that press the base part.