Lens barrel and imaging device
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A lens barrel comprising:
- a first support frame having a cam groove, the cam groove having a first guide face and a second guide face; and
a second support frame having an annular main body with a cam follower extending outwardly from the main body in a radial direction and slidably disposed in the cam groove, the cam follower havinga first cam portion,a second cam portion, anda connecting portion configured to connect the first cam portion and the second cam portion; and
wherein the first cam portion, the second cam portion, and the connecting portion are integrally formed as a one-piece, unitary member;
the cam groove includesa first region and a second region,the first cam portion contacting the first guide face and the second guide face in the first region,the second cam portion contacting the first guide face and the second guide face in the first region,the first cam portion contacting the second guide face, but not the first guide face, in the second region, andthe second cam portion contacting the first guide face, but not the second guide face, in the second region;
the second support frame is configured to advance and retract relative to the first support frame by sliding the cam follower in the cam groove once the second support frame is rotated relative to the first support frame; and
a first concave portion is formed between the connecting portion and the first guide face, and a second concave portion is formed between the connecting portion and the second guide face, if both the first cam portion and second cam portion contact both the first guide face and the second guide face.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A lens barrel includes a first support frame and a second support frame. The first support frame has a cam groove. The second support frame has an annular main body with a cam follower that extends outwardly in a radial direction. The cam follower is slidably disposed in the cam groove and has a first cam portion, a second cam portion and a connecting portion. The second cam portion is aligned with the first cam portion along the circumferential direction of the main body. The connecting portion connects the first cam portion and the second cam portion to create a space between the connecting portion and the cam groove.
24 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A lens barrel comprising:
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a first support frame having a cam groove, the cam groove having a first guide face and a second guide face; and a second support frame having an annular main body with a cam follower extending outwardly from the main body in a radial direction and slidably disposed in the cam groove, the cam follower having a first cam portion, a second cam portion, and a connecting portion configured to connect the first cam portion and the second cam portion; and wherein the first cam portion, the second cam portion, and the connecting portion are integrally formed as a one-piece, unitary member; the cam groove includes a first region and a second region, the first cam portion contacting the first guide face and the second guide face in the first region, the second cam portion contacting the first guide face and the second guide face in the first region, the first cam portion contacting the second guide face, but not the first guide face, in the second region, and the second cam portion contacting the first guide face, but not the second guide face, in the second region; the second support frame is configured to advance and retract relative to the first support frame by sliding the cam follower in the cam groove once the second support frame is rotated relative to the first support frame; and a first concave portion is formed between the connecting portion and the first guide face, and a second concave portion is formed between the connecting portion and the second guide face, if both the first cam portion and second cam portion contact both the first guide face and the second guide face. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A lens barrel comprising:
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a first support frame having a cam guide groove including a first guide face and a second guide face; and a second support frame having an annular main body with a cam member that extends outwardly from the main body in a radial direction, the cam member being slidably disposed in the cam guide groove and includes; a first cam portion, a second cam portion, a stepped portion disposed along the radial direction perpendicular to the main body or inclined at an angle relative to the main body, and a sliding portion configured to slidably contact the cam guide groove, the sliding portion being disposed outwardly from the stepped portion in the radial direction to create a gap between the stepped portion and the cam guide groove, and a connecting portion configured to connect the stepped portion and the sliding portion; wherein the main body is integrally formed with the cam member as a one-piece, unitary member; the cam groove includes a first region and a second region, the first cam portion contacting the first guide face and the second guide face in the first region, the second cam portion contacting the first guide face and the second guide face in the first region, the first cam portion contacting the second guide face, but not the first guide face, in the second region, and the second cam portion contacting the first guide face, but not the second guide face, in the second region; and a first concave portion is formed between the connecting portion and the first guide face, and a second concave portion is formed between the connecting portion and the second guide face, if both the first cam portion and second cam portion contact both the first guide face and the second guide face. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A lens barrel comprising:
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a first support frame having a cam groove; and a second support frame having an annular main body with a cam follower extending outwardly from the main body in a radial direction and slidably disposed in the cam groove, the cam follower having a first cam portion having a first contact portion and a first root portion, the first contact portion being in contact with the cam groove, the first root portion being disposed between the first contact portion and the main body, the first root portion having a first base portion with an inclined surface and a first intermediate portion, the first base portion extending outwardly from the main body in the radial direction, the first intermediate portion connecting the first base portion and the first contact portion along the radial direction, a second cam portion in alignment with the first cam portion along the circumferential direction of the main body, the second cam portion having a second contact portion and a second root portion, the second contact portion being in contact with the cam groove, and the second root portion being disposed between the second contact portion and the main body, the second cam portion being positioned to create a second gap between the second root portion and the cam groove, and a connecting portion disposed between and formed continuously with the first cam portion and the second cam portion to create a space between the connecting portion and the cam groove, the first cam portion being positioned to create a first gap between the first root portion and the cam groove, and the first inclined surface being positioned at an angle relative to the radial direction so that the first gap is formed between the cam groove and the first base portion.
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21. A lens barrel comprising:
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a first support frame having a cam groove; and a second support frame having an annular main body with a cam follower extending outwardly from the main body in a radial direction and slidably disposed in the cam groove, the cam follower having a first cam portion having a first contact portion and a first root portion, the first contact portion being in contact with the cam groove, the first root portion being disposed between the first contact portion and the main body, the first root portion having a first base portion and a first intermediate portion, the first base portion extending outwardly from the main body in the radial direction, the first intermediate portion connecting the first base portion and the first contact portion along the radial direction, a second cam portion in alignment with the first cam portion along the circumferential direction of the main body, the second cam portion having a second contact portion and a second root portion, the second contact portion being in contact with the cam groove, and the second root portion being disposed between the second contact portion and the main body, the second cam portion being positioned to create a second gap between the second root portion and the cam groove, and a connecting portion disposed between and formed continuously with the first cam portion and the second cam portion to create a space between the connecting portion and the cam groove, the first cam portion being positioned to create a first gap between the first root portion and the cam groove, and an external dimension of the first base portion gradually increases closer to the main body.
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22. A lens barrel comprising:
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a first support frame having a cam groove; and a second support frame having an annular main body with a cam follower extending outwardly from the main body in a radial direction and slidably disposed in the cam groove, the cam follower having a first cam portion having a first contact portion and a first root portion, the first contact portion being in contact with the cam groove, the first root portion being disposed between the first contact portion and the main body, the first root portion having a first base portion and a first intermediate portion, the first base portion extending outwardly from the main body in the radial direction, the first intermediate portion connecting the first base portion and the first contact portion along the radial direction, a second cam portion in alignment with the first cam portion along the circumferential direction of the main body, the second cam portion having a second contact portion and a second root portion, the second contact portion being in contact with the cam groove, and the second root portion being disposed between the second contact portion and the main body, the second cam portion being positioned to create a second gap between the second root portion and the cam groove, and a connecting portion disposed between and formed continuously with the first cam portion and the second cam portion to create a space between the connecting portion and the cam groove, the first cam portion being positioned to create a first gap between the first root portion and the cam groove, and an external dimension of the first intermediate portion being substantially constant in the radial direction.
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23. A lens barrel comprising:
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a first support frame having a cam groove; and a second support frame having an annular main body with a cam follower extending outwardly from the main body in a radial direction and slidably disposed in the cam groove, the cam follower having a first cam portion having a first contact portion and a first root portion, the first contact portion being in contact with the cam groove, the first root portion being disposed between the first contact portion and the main body, the first cam portion being positioned to create a first gap between the first root portion and the cam groove a second cam portion in alignment with the first cam portion along the circumferential direction of the main body, the second cam portion having a second contact portion and a second root portion, the second contact portion being in contact with the cam groove, the second root portion being disposed between the second contact portion and the main body, the second root portion having a second base portion with a second inclined surface and a second intermediate portion, the second base portion extending outwardly from the main body in the radial direction, and the second intermediate portion connecting the second base portion and the second contact portion along the radial direction, the second cam portion being positioned to create a second gap between the second root portion and the cam groove, and a connecting portion disposed between and formed continuously with the first cam portion and the second cam portion to create a space between the connecting portion and the cam groove, the second inclined surface being positioned at an angle relative to the radial direction so that the second gap is formed between the cam groove and the second base portion.
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24. A lens barrel comprising:
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a first support frame having a cam groove; and a second support frame having an annular main body with a cam follower extending outwardly from the main body in a radial direction and slidably disposed in the cam groove, the cam follower having a first cam portion having a first contact portion and a first root portion, the first contact portion being in contact with the cam groove, the first root portion being disposed between the first contact portion and the main body, the first cam portion being positioned to create a first gap between the first root portion and the cam groove a second cam portion in alignment with the first cam portion along the circumferential direction of the main body, the second cam portion having a second contact portion and a second root portion, the second contact portion being in contact with the cam groove, the second root portion being disposed between the second contact portion and the main body, the second root portion having a second base portion and a second intermediate portion, the second base portion extending outwardly from the main body in the radial direction, and the second intermediate portion connecting the second base portion and the second contact portion along the radial direction, the second cam portion being positioned to create a second gap between the second root portion and the cam groove, and a connecting portion disposed between and formed continuously with the first cam portion and the second cam portion to create a space between the connecting portion and the cam groove, an external dimension of the second base portion gradually increases closer to the main body.
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25. A lens barrel comprising:
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a first support frame having a cam groove; and a second support frame having an annular main body with a cam follower extending outwardly from the main body in a radial direction and slidably disposed in the cam groove, the cam follower having a first cam portion having a first contact portion and a first root portion, the first contact portion being in contact with the cam groove, the first root portion being disposed between the first contact portion and the main body, the first cam portion being positioned to create a first gap between the first root portion and the cam groove a second cam portion in alignment with the first cam portion along the circumferential direction of the main body, the second cam portion having a second contact portion and a second root portion, the second contact portion being in contact with the cam groove, the second root portion being disposed between the second contact portion and the main body, the second root portion having a second base portion and a second intermediate portion, the second base portion extending outwardly from the main body in the radial direction, and the second intermediate portion connecting the second base portion and the second contact portion along the radial direction, the second cam portion being positioned to create a second gap between the second root portion and the cam groove, and a connecting portion disposed between and formed continuously with the first cam portion and the second cam portion to create a space between the connecting portion and the cam groove, an external dimension of the second intermediate portion being substantially constant in the radial direction.
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Specification
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Current AssigneePanasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
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Original AssigneePanasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
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InventorsShinano, Fumio, Uno, Tetsuya, Hirabayashi, Koichiro, Konishi, Akio
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Primary Examiner(s)Pham, Thomas K
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Assistant Examiner(s)Patel, Vipin
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Application NumberUS12/836,586Publication NumberTime in Patent Office1,328 DaysField of Search359694-706, 359/811, 359/817, 359/822, 359823-826US Class Current359/700CPC Class CodesG02B 7/10 by relative axial movement ...G02B 7/102 controlled by a microcomput...
