Camera with turret lens and solid state image sensor

• US 5,444,485 A
• Filed: 02/11/1993
• Issued: 08/22/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujishiro, Takeshi, Uchioke, Keizo, Takatori, Naoki, Asami, Katuo
• Primary Examiner(s): GARBER, WENDY RAE
• Application Number:
  US08/016,200
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 358/909, 358/225, 358/227, 359/699, 354/195.1, 354/195.11, 354/195.12, 354/286
• US Class Current: 348/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils

Abstract

A camera in which a T lens and a wide lens are respectively mounted on their respective lens holders which can be freely rotated and the T and W lenses are rotated to thereby switch over the T and w lenses to each other. The T and W lenses are supported such that they are freely rotatable. A CCD reference plate, on which a CCD can be mounted, is inserted over a lens support shaft and the mutual positional accuracy between the lenses and CCD can be enhanced through the lens support shaft. Also, the switching of the T and W lenses is executed in link with the movement of a plate cam, which is movable in a direction perpendicular to the lens support shaft for the T and W lenses, and a cam portion provided in the plate cam is used to move the T and W lenses in the axial direction of the lens support shaft to thereby adjust the focusing of the lenses. Further, an iris plate having a small diaphragm diameter is inserted into the optical axis of the T lens only in a macro photography to thereby increase the depth of field so as to allow the focusing in the macro photography.

Claims

1. A camera in which lens holders respectively having a tele lens and a wide lens mounted thereto are disposed rotatably on a lens support shaft provided in a base member and the lens holders can be rotated between a tele lens using position and a wide lens using position, characterized in that a reference plate, on which a solid state image sensor is mounted, is inserted over said lens support shaft and is mounted to said base member, so that the light receiving surface of said solid state image sensor perpendicularly intersects said lens support shaft and can be positioned at the image forming positions of said tele and wide lenses, wherein respective optical axes of said tele and wide lenses are parallel to said lens support shaft, and wherein said tele and wide lenses can be positioned separately and independently from said solid state image sensor.

2. A camera as set forth in claim 1, wherein said reference plate is moved in parallel to the axial direction of said lens support shaft by a nut threadedly engageable with an external threaded portion formed in said lens support shaft to thereby be able to position said light receiving surface of said solid state image sensor at the image forming positions of said tele and wide lenses.

3. A camera comprising:

a base member including a lens support shaft;

a pair of lens holders respectively having a tele lens and a wide lens, said tele lens and wide lens being disposed on said lens support shaft and rotatable between a tele lens using position and a wide lens using position, respective optical axes of said tele and wide lenses being parallel to said lens support shaft;

a reference plate including an image pickup element comprising a solid state image sensor (CCD), said reference plate being inserted over said lens support shaft and mounted to said base member, so that a light receiving surface of said solid state image sensor perpendicularly intersects said lens support shaft;

a first positioning means for positioning said reference plate at image forming positions of said tele lens and said wide lens; and

a second positioning means for positioning said tele and wide lenses along said lens support shaft separately and independently from said reference plate.

4. A camera comprising:

a base member including a lens support shaft;

a pair of lens holders respectively having a tele lens and a wide lens, said tele lens and wide lens being disposed on said lens support shaft and rotatable between a tele lens using position and a wide lens using position, respective optical axes of said tele and wide lenses being parallel to said lens support shaft;

a reference plate including an image pickup element comprising a solid state image sensor (CCD), said reference plate being inserted over said lens support shaft and mounted to said base member, so that a light receiving surface of said solid state image sensor perpendicularly intersects said lens support shaft;

a first positioning means for positioning said reference plate at image forming positions of said tele lens and said wide lens; and

a second positioning means for positioning said tele and wide lenses along said lens support shaft separately and independently from said reference plate.

wherein said first positioning means comprises a nut threadably engaged with an external threaded portion formed in said lens support shaft, such that said reference plate can be moved in parallel to an axial direction of said lens support shaft by rotating said nut, thereby allowing said solid state image sensor to be positioned at said image forming positions of said tele lens and said wide lens.

5. A camera as set forth in claim 4, wherein said second positioning means comprises a plate cam which is movable in a direction perpendicular to said lens support shaft, said lens holders being movable in the axial direction of said lens support shaft by a cam portion of said plate cam.