Lens barrel and imaging device

Abstract

The present invention provides a lens barrel and imaging device that enable miniaturization of the operating ring equipped with a click mechanism. [Solution] The lens barrel of the present invention comprises a fixed cylinder, an operating ring rotatably supported by the fixed cylinder, a click generating means, and a click detection means. The click generating means comprises a click groove provided on the operating ring, a contact portion that contacts the click groove, and a biasing means that biases the contact portion relative to the click groove. The click detection means comprises a swing portion that converts the click motion, in which the contact portion moves along the irregularities of the click groove as the operating ring rotates, into a swing motion, and a swing detection portion that detects the swing motion of the swing portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lens barrel provided with a click mechanism and an imaging device.

Background Art

[0002] It is widely known that by rotating an operation ring provided on a lens barrel, changes such as shooting parameters can be made. And when the shooting parameters to be changed are discrete, a click mechanism may be provided to give a click feeling to the rotation operation and notify the photographer that the parameters have increased or decreased.

[0003] Such a click mechanism is generally composed of click grooves regularly arranged on the circumference and balls, pins, etc. that abut against the grooves, and a click feeling is generated by constituting a stable phase in which the operation ring does not rotate and an unstable phase in which the operation ring is pulled toward the stable phase. When rotating the operation ring, it is desirable that the generation of the click feeling and the switching of the shooting parameters are synchronized. Also, it is desirable that the timing of parameter switching is set to the unstable phase of the click.

[0004] As a method of synchronizing the generation of the click feeling and the switching of the parameters, for example, a method of providing a detection pattern synchronized with the click groove on the operation ring is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, the above-mentioned conventional technology had the following problems. Specifically, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to arrange a detection pattern in addition to the click groove on the inner diameter side of the operating ring. Since these must be arranged continuously around the entire circumference of the inner diameter of the operating ring, it is difficult to arrange them in overlap with other elements in the optical axis direction, which can become a major constraint on design, such as miniaturization of the lens.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a lens barrel and imaging device that enable miniaturization of the operating ring equipped with a click mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the lens barrel of the present invention comprises a fixed cylinder, an operating ring rotatably supported by the fixed cylinder, a click generating means, and a click detection means. The click generating means comprises a click groove provided in the operating ring, a contact portion that contacts the click groove, and a biasing means that biases the contact portion relative to the click groove. The click detection means comprises a swing portion that converts the click motion, in which the contact portion moves along the irregularities of the click groove as the operating ring rotates, into a swing motion, and a swing detection portion that detects the swing motion of the swing portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the lens barrel described in the present invention, the movement of the component that generates the click sensation is converted into a swing motion, and the swing motion is detected by a detection means, thereby generating a detection signal synchronized with the occurrence of the click. As a result, it is not necessary to provide a pattern for click detection around the entire circumference of the control ring, and it becomes possible to miniaturize the lens barrel.

[0010] Furthermore, since the detection means for detecting swing motion can be integrated into the click mechanism and unitized, it becomes possible to place it in spaces that tend to be dead spaces, such as between the fixed cylinder and the movable member, making it possible to provide a lens barrel that is smaller and easier to assemble. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a lens barrel, which is one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a partial cross-sectional view of the lens barrel to illustrate the click mechanism. [Figure 3] This shows a perspective view of the click mechanism and grooved ring, as well as an exploded view of the main components. [Figure 4] This is a top view illustrating click detection using the swing of an arm member. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0013] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lens barrel according to one embodiment of the present invention. The lens barrel 100 shown in this figure mainly comprises an imaging optical system 110, a zoom ring 120, a focus ring 130, a mount section 140, an external component 150, a rear barrel 160, and a control ring 170.

[0014] The imaging optical system 110 consists of multiple lens groups (not shown), including a zoom lens group and a focus lens group. In this diagram, only the single lens positioned closest to the object is shown. When the photographer rotates the zoom ring 120, the zoom lens group moves along the optical axis, zooming in on the subject. Similarly, when the photographer rotates the focus ring 130, the focus lens group moves along the optical axis, focusing on the subject.

[0015] A mount portion 140 for connecting to a camera body (not shown) is provided at the rear of the lens barrel 100. The lens barrel 100 and the camera body are connected by a bayonet connection between this mount portion 140 and a mount portion on the camera body. The lens barrel 100 is equipped with a lens CPU (not shown), and exchanges various information with the CPU on the camera body via electronic contacts (not shown) provided on the mount portion 140.

[0016] The control ring 170 is a ring-shaped component supported so as to be rotatable around the optical axis. The control ring 170 is assigned predetermined shooting parameters, and the photographer can increase or decrease these parameters by rotating the control ring 170. Examples of shooting parameters include optical parameters such as shutter speed, ISO sensitivity, exposure value, aperture value, and white balance.

[0017] When the photographer's rotation of the control ring 170 is detected, a detection signal is input to the camera body's CPU via the lens CPU, and the CPU then processes the shooting parameters by increasing or decreasing them. These changes to the assignment of shooting parameters can be made from the camera body.

[0018] The control ring 170 is equipped with a click mechanism, which will be described later. This click mechanism generates a click sensation each time the control ring 170 rotates by a predetermined angle. The occurrence of the click sensation is synchronized with the increase or decrease of the shooting parameters. This allows the photographer to easily change the shooting parameters.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the click mechanism 200 in the perspective view shown in FIG. 1. The click mechanism 200 is fixed to an exterior member 150 located on the outer diameter side thereof. Also, a grooved ring 171 is provided on the inner diameter side of the control ring 170, and they are integrally supported so as to be rotatable with each other. The click mechanism 200 is provided adjacent to this grooved ring 171. When the click mechanism 200 acts on the grooved ring 171, a click feeling occurs at every predetermined rotation angle when the photographer operates the control ring 170.

[0020] Next, the structure of the click mechanism 200 will be described. FIG. 3a is a perspective view of the click mechanism 200 and the grooved ring 171, and FIG. 3b is a developed perspective view of the main components of the click mechanism 200.

[0021] The click mechanism 200 mainly includes a base member 210, an arm member 220, a biasing member 230, and a contact member 240. Further, the base member 210 is provided with a detection means 211, a shaft hole portion 212, a biasing member holding portion 213, and a contact member holding portion 214.

[0022] The arm member 220 is generally rod-shaped, a shaft portion 221 is provided at one end, and a light shielding portion 222 is provided at the other end. The arm member 220 is arranged adjacent to the base member 210 along the circumferential direction of the grooved ring 171.

[0023] The shaft portion 221 of the arm member 220 is loosely inserted into the shaft hole portion 212 of the base member 210, whereby the arm member 220 is supported so as to be swingable with respect to the base member 210 about the shaft portion 221. The detection means 211 of the base member 210 is provided so as to be close to the other light shielding portion 222. Since the ON / OFF of the detection means 211 is switched in conjunction with the swing of the arm member 220, click detection of the click mechanism 200 is thereby performed. The click detection will be described in detail later.

[0024] The biasing member 230 is held in the biasing member holding portion 213 of the base member 210. In this embodiment, a coil spring is used as the biasing member 230. The biasing member 230 is in contact with the approximate center of the arm member 220, and the biasing force biases the arm member 220 toward the grooved ring 171.

[0025] A contact member 240 is positioned on the side of the arm member 220 opposite to the side that contacts the biasing member 230. In this embodiment, a cylindrical member is used as the contact member 240. It is desirable to form it from a material with high hardness, taking into consideration contact with other members.

[0026] A biasing force from the biasing member 230 acts on the contact member 240 via the arm member 220, causing the contact member 240 to press against the adjacent grooved ring 171. The contact member 240 is also held in place by the contact member holding part 214 to prevent it from falling off due to the biasing force or other factors. In this embodiment, the biasing member 230 is positioned perpendicular to the rotational direction of the grooved ring 171.

[0027] Next, the generation and detection of the click sensation in the click mechanism 200 will be explained. Figure 4 is a top view illustrating click detection using the swing of the arm member 220, with Figure 4a showing the non-detection state and Figure 4b showing the detection state.

[0028] As described above, the grooved ring 171 is a ring-shaped member supported so as to be rotatable about the optical axis, and multiple valleys 172 and peaks 173 are uniformly and alternately provided around its entire circumference on the side facing the contact member 240. The contact member 240, biased by the biasing member 230, slides along the side of the grooved ring 171 in response to the rotation of the grooved ring 171, and always comes into contact with either the valleys 172 or the peaks 173.

[0029] When the grooved ring 171 is rotated, the contact member 240 rises along the inclined surface from the valley 172 and reaches the top of the adjacent peak 173. This position may be referred to as the top position from now on. Figure 4b shown above corresponds to the top position.

[0030] Furthermore, when the grooved ring 171 is rotated, the contact member 240, having passed the peak of the peak 173, receives the biasing force of the biasing member 230 and immediately contacts the bottom of the adjacent valley 172. The impact at this time is perceived by the photographer as a click. In the future, this position may be referred to as the bottom position. Figure 4a shown above corresponds to the bottom position.

[0031] Click detection associated with the rotation of the grooved ring 171 is performed by the detection means 211 and the light-shielding part 222 described above. As described above, Figure 4a shows the non-detection state, and Figure 4b shows the detection state. That is, the state in which the contact member 240 is at the bottom position corresponds to the non-detection state, and the state in which the contact member 240 is at the top position corresponds to the detection state.

[0032] When the grooved ring 171 is continuously rotated, the contact member 240 also moves in conjunction with it, continuously reciprocating between the valley portion 172 and the peak portion 173. At this time, the arm member 220, which is biased against the contact member 240, also moves in a reciprocating motion together with the contact member 240. However, since one end of the arm member 220 is pivotally supported by the base member 210, the actual movement becomes a swing motion around the shaft portion 221. In other words, the reciprocating motion of the contact member 240 between the top position and the bottom position caused by the rotation of the grooved ring 171 is converted into a swing motion of the arm member 220.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, the light-shielding portion 222 at the tip of the arm member 220 is formed to curve approximately 90 degrees from the arm body. Since one end of the arm member 220 is pivotally supported, the 90-degree curved light-shielding portion 222 protrudes in the swing direction of the arm member 220. In this embodiment, the light-shielding portion 222 is formed to protrude in the direction in which the contact member 240 swings from the bottom position to the top position.

[0034] The detection means 211 provided on the base member 210 is installed in such a position that it enters a detection state when the contact member 240 is in the top position. In this embodiment, a photo interrupter (PI) is used as the detection means 211. Therefore, when the light from the PI is appropriately blocked by the light shielding portion 222 that has moved to the top position, the detection means 211 is set to enter a detection state in synchronization with this.

[0035] In other words, as the contact member 240 moves from the bottom position to the top position, the arm member 220 swings, and the light-shielding portion 222 at the tip approaches the detection means 211. When the light-shielding portion 222 shields the detection means 211, which is PI, the state changes from non-detection to detection.

[0036] On the other hand, when the contact member 240 is in a position other than the top position, the light-shielding portion 222 moves away from the detection means 211 and ceases to shield it, resulting in a non-detection state. In other words, as the contact member 240 moves from the top position to the bottom position, the arm member 220 swings, and the light-shielding portion 222 at its tip moves away from the detection means 211. When the light-shielding portion 222 no longer shields the detection means 211 (PI), the state changes from detected to non-detected.

[0037] With the above configuration, the ON / OFF switching of the detection means 211 is performed in synchronization with the generation of a click sensation by the click mechanism 200.

[0038] Furthermore, regarding the top position corresponding to the detection state, it is generally considered easier to design if a certain margin of error is allowed, rather than referring to a single point at the peak of the mountain section 173.

[0039] Since the shooting parameters are increased or decreased by the rotation of the control ring 170, the lens barrel 100 is equipped with a direction detection means (not shown) for detecting the direction of rotation of the control ring 170. For example, a photo reflector can be used as the direction detection means. By providing the light-emitting and light-receiving parts of the photo reflector on the fixed member side and providing the reflector that reflects light on the control ring 170, the direction of rotation is detected. Unlike click detection, it is not necessary to synchronize the detection of the direction of rotation with the occurrence of a click sensation.

[0040] When the photographer operates the control ring 170, the click mechanism 200 outputs a detection signal synchronized with the click, and the direction detection means described above outputs a rotation direction signal indicating the rotation direction of the control ring 170. These signals are sent to a lens CPU (not shown), and further sent to the camera body CPU via the electronic contacts of the mount section 140. The camera CPU processes these detection signals to increase or decrease the shooting parameters.

[0041] As described above, the lens barrel described in the present invention converts the movement of the member that generates the click sensation into a swing motion, and by detecting the swing motion with a detection means, a detection signal synchronized with the occurrence of the click can be generated. This eliminates the need to provide a pattern for click detection around the entire circumference of the control ring, making it possible to miniaturize the lens barrel.

[0042] Furthermore, since the detection means for detecting swing motion can be integrated into the click mechanism and unitized, it becomes possible to place it in spaces that tend to be dead spaces, such as between the fixed cylinder and the movable member, making it possible to provide a lens barrel that is smaller and easier to assemble.

[0043] In the embodiment described above, the arm member, biasing member, and contact member were each made of separate members, but they may be formed as a single unit. For example, the arm member may be made of a leaf spring to give the arm member itself elastic force, and this elastic force may be used to bias the contact portion into the click groove.

[0044] Furthermore, while the above-described embodiment used a PI (photointerrupter) as a detection means for detecting the swing of the arm member, it is not limited to this, and it is sufficient to detect elements that change in conjunction with the unevenness of the control ring. For example, a piezoelectric element can be placed on the contact surface of the biasing member holder that contacts the biasing member, and the change in repulsive force caused by the change in the amount of compression of the biasing member according to the top / bottom position where the contacting member contacts the control ring can be detected using this piezoelectric element. Then, the system can be configured to determine that rotation has been detected when a pressure exceeding a predetermined threshold is detected. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 100 Lens barrel 110 Imaging Optics 120 Zoom Ring 130 Focus Ring 140 Mounting section 150 Exterior components 160 Rear tube 170 Control Ring 171 Grooved ring 172 Tanibe 173 Yamabe 200 click mechanism 210 Base member 211 Detection means 212 Shaft hole 213 Biasing member holding part 214 Contact member holding part 220 Arm Member 221 Shaft 222 Light-shielding part 230 biasing member 240 Contact Member

Claims

1. Fixed cylinder and An operating ring is rotatably supported on the aforementioned fixed cylinder, Click generation method and Click detection means and In a lens barrel having, The click generating means comprises a click groove provided in the operating ring, a contact portion that contacts the click groove, and a biasing means that biases the contact portion relative to the click groove. The click detection means includes a swing unit that converts the click motion, in which the contact portion moves along the irregularities of the click groove as the operating ring rotates, into a swing motion, and a swing detection unit that detects the swing motion of the swing unit. A lens barrel characterized by the following features.

2. The swing section comprises an arm member and a swing shaft that pivotally secures the arm member to the fixed cylinder so as to be swingable. The arm member is provided between the biasing means and the contact portion. The arm member swings in conjunction with the reciprocating motion of the contact portion in the biasing direction. The lens barrel according to feature 1.

3. The arm member further has a detection portion that is bent at a predetermined angle relative to the arm member, The swing detection unit is a photo reflector or photo interrupter, and detects light blocking or reflection by the detected unit. The lens barrel according to feature 2.

4. The shaft hole into which the swing shaft is loosely inserted and the swing detection unit are provided on the same base member. The lens barrel according to feature 2 or 3.

5. A rotation direction detection means for detecting the rotation direction of the aforementioned operating ring, A means for controlling the shooting parameters, Having the lens barrel described in claim 1, The aforementioned shooting parameter control means increases or decreases the optical parameters in accordance with the output of the click detection means and the rotation direction detection means. An imaging device characterized by the following features.

Images