Lens hood, camera and method for manufacturing the lens hood

Abstract

To provide a lens hood that is hard to come off even when the lens hood is mounted to an end part on an incidence side of a lens to be attached to a camera in any of forward and reverse directions.SOLUTION: A lens hood, which is mounted to a first female screw structure 11 to be attached to an end part 10a on an incidence side of a lens 10, comprises: a lens hood main body 2; a first male screw structure 4 that is screwed to a first female screw structure 11, and causes the lens hood main body 2 to be mounted to the end part 10a on the incidence side of the lens 10 in the forward direction; a second male screw structure 5 that is screwed to the first female screw structure 11, and causes the lens hood main body 2 to be mounted to the end part 10a on the incidence side of the lens 10 in the reverse direction; and a protrusion part 3 that protrudes on a hollow part 2c side from a base part 2a of the lens hood main body 2. In an end part 3a on a hollow part 2c side of the protrusion part 3, the lens hood 1A includes the first male screw structure 4 and the second male screw structure 5 put together back to back.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lens hood that is attached to the light incident side of a lens installed in an image pickup device such as a single-lens reflex camera. [Background technology]

[0002] First, the conventional technology will be described with reference to FIG. Fig. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view showing how to attach a filter to a camera lens. The right side of Fig. 14 shows the state before the filter is attached, and the left side shows the state after the filter is attached. Furthermore, the dashed line indicated by the symbol S in Fig. 14 indicates the central axis of lens 32. As shown in FIG. 14, a camera 30 may have a ring-shaped female screw structure 33 at the incident end 32a of a lens 32 attached to a camera body 31 for attaching accessories such as a filter 34 as needed. The female screw structure 33 is formed by forming a female screw 33a on the inner surface of a short cylinder made of metal or resin, for example (see the right side of the paper in FIG. 14). Furthermore, an accessory that can be attached to the above-mentioned female thread structure 33, for example a filter 34, includes a filter body 35 having a function of cutting out light of a desired wavelength, a frame portion 36 provided on the periphery thereof, a ring-shaped male thread structure 371 fixed to one surface side of the filter body 35 in the frame portion 36, and a ring-shaped female thread structure 372 fixed to the other surface side of the filter body 35 in the frame portion 36. The male thread structure 371 in the filter 34 is formed by forming a male thread 371a on the outer surface of a short cylinder made of, for example, metal or resin. The female screw structure 372 in the filter 34 is formed by forming a female screw 372a on the inner surface of a short cylinder made of metal or resin, for example. When attaching, for example, a filter 34 to the end 32a side of the lens 32 of a commercially available camera 30, the male thread structure 371 of the filter 34 can be screwed into the inside of the female thread structure 33 attached to the lens 32, as shown on the left side of the page in Figure 14. As described above, the filter 34 also has a ring-shaped female screw structure 372 on the frame 36. Therefore, a desired number of other filters 34 having the same configuration as the filter 34 can be stacked on the end 32a side of the lens 32 of the commercially available camera 30 shown in Fig. 14, or accessories other than filters can be stacked on top of each other (not shown). Furthermore, for example, Patent Document 1 is known as a prior application in the technical field related to the present invention.

[0003] Patent document 1, titled “Filter Adapter and Imaging Device,” discloses an invention relating to a filter adapter and an imaging device, and in particular to a filter adapter that is detachably attached to the lens barrel of an imaging device and enables the simultaneous attachment of a lens filter and a lens hood. The filter adapter disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a filter adapter that can be freely attached and detached to the tip of the lens barrel, and to which a lens hood that blocks light from outside the imaging angle of view of the lens barrel can be attached and detached. This filter adapter is characterized in that it has a first bayonet portion provided on the inner surface to enable the filter adapter to be attached and detached to the lens barrel by bayonet engagement in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction of the lens barrel, and a second bayonet portion provided on the outer surface to enable the lens hood to be attached and detached by bayonet engagement in the optical axis direction. According to the filter adapter disclosed in Patent Document 1 having the above configuration, a lens hood can be attached to the tip side of the lens barrel so as to block part of the light entering the lens (= in the forward direction), and the lens hood can also be attached so that the tip side (petal-shaped portion) of the lens hood faces toward the camera body (= in the reverse direction). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-122043 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] According to the invention disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the lens hood can be attached to the tip side of the lens barrel in either the forward or reverse direction, but a bayonet engagement is used as the attachment and detachment mechanism. For this reason, when the lens hood receives an external impact, the lens hood is likely to come off from the tip side of the lens barrel, posing a problem of poor stability when the lens hood is attached.

[0006] The present invention has been made in response to such conventional problems, and its object is to provide a lens hood that is difficult to come off regardless of whether the lens hood is attached in either the forward or reverse direction to the end of the incident side of a lens attached to a camera, and a camera equipped with the same, and a method for manufacturing the lens hood. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The lens hood, which is a first invention for solving the above problems, is a lens hood that is attached to a ring-shaped first female thread structure that is attached to the incident side end of a camera lens, and is characterized in that it comprises a lens hood body having a side wall portion that extends to surround the lens, a ring-shaped first male thread structure that is screwed into the first female thread structure and attaches the lens hood body so as to block a portion of the light entering the lens (in the forward direction), a ring-shaped second male thread structure that is screwed into the first female thread structure and attaches the lens hood body so as to cover the side of the lens (in the reverse direction), and a flange-shaped protruding portion that protrudes from the base of the lens hood body into the hollow side, and the hollow side end of the protruding portion is characterized in that it has the first male thread structure and the second male thread structure back-to-back. In the first invention having the above configuration, when the lens hood body is attached in the forward direction to the end of the incident side of the lens attached to the camera, the side wall portion acts as a visor on the incident side of the lens, blocking a portion of the light entering the lens. When the lens hood body is attached in the reverse direction to the end of the incident side of the lens, i.e., when the lens hood body is attached so as to cover the outer surface of the lens, the side wall portion protects the outer surface of the lens. Alternatively, when the lens hood body is attached in the reverse direction to the end of the incident side of the lens, the lens hood body can be stored when not in use on the outer surface of the lens. In the first invention, the first male thread structure functions to screw the lens hood body in the forward direction into the first female thread structure attached to the end of the lens on the incident side, and the second male thread structure functions to screw the lens hood body in the reverse direction into the first female thread structure attached to the end of the lens on the incident side. Additionally, in the first aspect of the invention, the protruding portion acts as a support member for the first and second male thread structures described above. The ring-shaped female thread structure (first female thread structure) in the first invention is a structure in which a female thread is formed on the inner surface of a short cylinder. Moreover, the ring-shaped male thread structure in the first invention (the first male thread structure and the second male thread structure) has a female thread formed on the outer surface of a short cylinder.

[0008] The lens hood of the second invention is the first invention described above, characterized in that it has a ring-shaped second female thread structure arranged on the hollow side of the lens hood body and surrounding the second male thread structure. The second female thread structure in the second invention having the above configuration makes it possible to screw an accessory such as a filter onto the incident side of the lens while keeping the lens hood screwed in the forward direction onto the end of the incident side of the lens attached to the camera. That is, in the second invention, the second female thread structure acts as a part (female side) of the connecting structure for mounting an accessory such as a filter.

[0009] The lens hood according to a third aspect of the present invention is the lens hood according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, characterized in that the protruding portion is formed with a through hole for admitting light. The through hole in the third invention configured as described above has the effect of guiding light from the base side of the lens hood main body to the hollow side of the lens hood main body. In this case, the amount of light incident on the lens is relatively increased compared to when light is incident only from the opening side of the lens hood body.

[0010] The camera of the fourth invention is characterized by comprising a lens hood of any one of the first to third inventions described above, a camera body, and a lens that is attached to the camera body and has a ring-shaped first female thread structure at its incident end for screwing the lens hood. The fourth invention having the above configuration specifies a camera equipped with a lens hood which is any one of the first to third inventions as an object invention. Therefore, the function of the fourth invention is the same as the function of each of the above-mentioned first to third inventions.

[0011] A fifth invention relates to a manufacturing method for a lens hood, which is a manufacturing method for a lens hood to be attached to a ring-shaped first female screw structure provided at the end of a camera lens on the incident side, and includes a first step of manufacturing a first part comprising a lens hood body having a side wall portion extending to surround the lens and blocking a portion of light entering the lens, and a portion of a flange-shaped protruding portion protruding from a base of the lens hood body into the hollow side; The method is characterized by comprising a second step of producing a second part comprising: a ring-shaped first male screw structure, which is screwed into the screw structure to attach the lens hood body so as to block a portion of the light entering the lens; and a ring-shaped second male screw structure, which is similarly provided at the remaining part of the protruding portion, at the end of the hollow side of the lens hood body, back-to-back with the first male screw structure, and which is screwed into the first female screw structure to attach the lens hood body so as to cover the side surface of the lens; and a third step of joining and integrating the first part and the second part. The first step in the fifth invention having the above configuration is to fabricate the lens hood body (=first part) that has a part of the protruding portion. The second step is to fabricate the remaining part of the protruding portion (=second part) that has a first male screw structure and a second male screw structure that are connected back to back. Note that in the fifth invention, the first and second steps do not have to be performed in this order, and may be performed in reverse or in parallel. Then, in the third step, a portion of the protrusion portion of the first part and the remaining portion of the protrusion portion of the second part are joined together to form an integrated unit, thereby producing the lens hood that is each of the first to third inventions described above. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the first and fourth aspects of the invention as described above, it is possible to provide a lens hood that can be screwed and attached (in the forward direction) to the incident end of a lens mounted on a camera so as to block a portion of the light incident on the lens, and that can also be screwed and attached (in the reverse direction) to cover the outer surface of the lens. In this case, compared to when the lens hood is attached to the end of the lens on the incident side by bayonet engagement (eg, Patent Document 1), the lens hood of the first invention can be made less likely to come off from the end of the lens. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the lens hood from unintentionally coming off the end of the lens when using the lens hood according to the first aspect of the invention.

[0013] According to the second and fourth aspects of the invention, with the lens hood screwed in the forward direction onto the end of the incident side of the lens, an accessory such as a filter can be further screwed onto the incident side of the lens. This allows both companies to screw accessories such as lens hoods and filters onto the incident side of the lens, making it possible to more reliably prevent accessories such as lens hoods and filters from coming off unintentionally when the camera is in use.

[0014] According to the third and fourth aspects of the invention, it is possible to provide a lens hood that can introduce a greater amount of light into the hollow side of the lens hood, compared to a case in which no light-collecting through hole is formed in the protruding portion. As a result, the expressiveness of images captured by a camera equipped with a lens hood can be expanded.

[0015] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to easily manufacture a lens hood body having a first male screw structure and a second male screw structure back-to-back at the end of the protruding portion. As a result, the effects of the first to fourth aspects of the invention can be exerted. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1]1 is a cross-sectional view of the lens hood according to the embodiment, taken along the central axis. [Diagram 2] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the lens hood according to the present embodiment is attached to a camera lens in the forward direction. [Diagram 3] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing how the lens hood according to the embodiment is attached to the camera lens in the reverse direction. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is an image of a prototype of a lens hood according to this embodiment attached in the forward direction to the end of a lens, viewed from the front side. [Diagram 5] 1 is an image showing a prototype of the lens hood according to this embodiment attached in the reverse direction to the end of a lens, viewed from the front. [Figure 6] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a first example of use when the lens hood and a filter according to the present embodiment are used together. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a second usage example in which the lens hood according to the present embodiment is used in combination with a filter. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a third example of use when the lens hood according to the present embodiment is used in combination with a filter. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a fourth example of use when the lens hood according to the present embodiment is used in combination with a filter. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the lens hood according to the embodiment attached in the normal direction and a filter attached to the lens hood. [Figure 11A] 2 is a cross-sectional view of a first part and a second part that constitute the lens hood according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11B] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the first part and the second part are bonded together to be integrated. [Figure 12] 13 is a cross-sectional view of a lens hood according to a modified example taken along a central axis. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a cross-sectional view of a lens hood according to another modified example in the direction parallel to the central axis. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing how a filter is attached to a camera lens. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] A lens hood, a camera, and a method for manufacturing a lens hood according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0018] [1-1: Basic configuration of the present invention] First, a basic configuration of a lens hood according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as this embodiment) will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the lens hood according to this embodiment taken along the central axis. Fig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing how the lens hood according to this embodiment is attached to a camera lens in the normal direction. Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing how the lens hood according to this embodiment is attached to a camera lens in the reverse direction. In Figs. 2 and 3, the right side of the page shows the state before the lens hood according to this embodiment is attached, and the left side of the page shows the state after the lens hood according to this embodiment is attached. The dashed dotted line indicated by the symbol S in Figs. 1 to 3 indicates the central axis of the lens hood body 2 (this also applies to the other drawings shown below). The lens hood 1A of this embodiment is a lens hood that is attached (screwed) to a ring-shaped first female thread structure 11 that is attached to the incident end 10a of a lens 10 that is attached to a camera body 9, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The ring-shaped first female thread structure 11 attached to the end 10a of the lens 10 is, for example, a short cylinder made of metal or resin, having a female thread 11a formed on the inner surface thereof, and is fixed in advance to the incident side end 10a of the lens 10. In other words, the ring-shaped first female thread structure 11 forms one side (female side) of a connecting structure for attaching (connecting) accessories such as a filter of the same form as the filter 34 as shown in Figure 14 above or a lens cover (not shown) to the incident end 10a of the lens 10.

[0019] More specifically, the lens hood 1A of this embodiment comprises a lens hood body 2 having a side wall portion 26 that extends to surround, for example, the lens 10, a ring-shaped first male thread structure 4 (see Figures 1 and 2) for attaching the lens hood body 2 in the forward direction to a first female thread structure 11 provided on the end portion 10a of the lens 10, and a ring-shaped second male thread structure 5 (see Figures 1 and 3) for attaching the lens hood body 2 in the reverse direction to the first female thread structure 11. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the lens hood 1A of this embodiment has a brim-shaped protruding portion 3 that protrudes from the base 2a of the lens hood main body 2 towards the hollow portion 2c, and the end portion 3a of this protruding portion 3 on the hollow portion 2c side has the above-mentioned first male thread structure 4 and second male thread structure 5 back-to-back. In other words, in a tubular structure in which a first male thread structure 4 (short cylindrical body) and a second male thread structure 5 (short cylindrical body) are connected in series in the direction of their central axis S, a protruding portion 3 is provided in a flange-like shape on the outer surface at a midpoint in the direction of the central axis S. The first male thread structure 4 is formed by forming a male thread 4a on the outer surface of a short cylinder made of, for example, metal or resin. Similarly, the second male thread structure 5 also has a male thread 5a formed on the outer surface of a short cylinder made of, for example, metal or resin.

[0020] In addition, although Figures 1 to 3 show an example in which the side wall portion 26 constituting the lens hood main body 2 is cylindrical in shape, the shape of this side wall portion 26 does not necessarily have to be cylindrical, and it may be, for example, a petal-shaped, so-called flower-shaped type, or an irregular type such as a conical or angular cylindrical shape.

[0021] In the lens hood 1A of this embodiment as described above, the first male thread structure 4 is screwed into the inside of the first female thread structure 11 provided on the end 10a of the lens 10, as shown in FIG. 2, so that the lens hood body 2 can be attached in the forward direction to the end 10a side of the lens 10. In other words, the lens hood body 2 can be attached to the end portion 10a of the lens 10 so that the side wall portion 26 blocks part of the light entering the lens 10. Note that Fig. 4 is an image of a prototype of the lens hood according to this embodiment, attached in the normal direction to the end of the lens, viewed obliquely from the front. The prototype lens hood 7 shown in Fig. 4 has the same shape as the lens hood 1A shown in Figs. 1 to 3. Note that "NIKKOR" in the image in Fig. 4 is a registered trademark.

[0022] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the lens hood 1A of this embodiment has a second male thread structure 5 screwed into the inside of the first female thread structure 11 provided on the end 10a of the lens 10, so that the lens hood body 2 can be attached in the reverse direction to the end 10a side of the lens 10. In other words, the lens hood body 2 can be attached to the end portion 10 a of the lens 10 so that the peripheral side surface of the lens 10 is covered by the side wall portion 26 . Note that Fig. 5 is an image of a prototype lens hood according to this embodiment attached in the reverse direction to the end of a lens, viewed from the front. The prototype lens hood 7 shown in Fig. 5 also has the same shape as the lens hood 1A shown in Figs. 1 to 3. Note that "NIKKOR" in the image in Fig. 5 is also a registered trademark.

[0023] Furthermore, the lens hood 1A according to this embodiment can be used in combination with a conventionally known lens filter (hereinafter simply referred to as a "filter"). Hereinafter, a usage mode in which the lens hood 1A according to this embodiment is used in combination with a conventionally known filter will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 9 are partial cross-sectional views showing first to fourth examples of use of the lens hood 1A according to the present embodiment and a conventionally known filter in combination. In addition, in Fig. 6 to Fig. 9, the right side of the drawing shows the state before the lens hood 1A according to the present embodiment and a conventionally known filter are attached to the end 10a of the lens 10, and the left side of the drawing shows the state after the lens hood 1A according to the present embodiment and a conventionally known filter are attached to the end 10a of the lens 10. Note that the same parts as those shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 5 are given the same reference numerals, and the description of their configurations will be omitted. Moreover, the conventionally known filter 12 used together with the lens hood 1A according to this embodiment has the same configuration as the filter 34 shown in FIG.

[0024] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the filter 12 includes a filter body 13 having a function of cutting out light of a desired wavelength, a frame portion 14 provided on the periphery of the filter body 13, a ring-shaped male screw structure 151 fixed to one surface of the filter body 13 in the frame portion 14, and a ring-shaped female screw structure 152 fixed to the other surface of the filter body 13 in the frame portion 14. The male thread structure 151 in the filter 12 is formed by forming a male thread 151a on the outer surface of a short cylinder made of, for example, metal or resin. The female screw structure 152 in the filter 12 is formed by forming a female screw 152a on the inner surface of a short cylinder made of, for example, metal or resin. In other words, the male thread structure 151 of the conventionally known filter 12 can be screwed into the first female thread structure 11 provided on the end 10a side of the lens 10 shown in Figures 2 and 3, and the first male thread structure 4 or the second male thread structure 5 of the lens hood 1A of this embodiment can be screwed into the female thread structure 152 provided on this filter 12.

[0025] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, a conventionally known filter 12 is attached (screwed) to a first female thread structure 11 provided on the end 10a side of a lens 10 of a camera 8 (not shown), and then the lens hood 1A of this embodiment can be attached (screwed) in the forward direction so as to be overlapped on this filter 12. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, with the lens hood 1A of this embodiment attached (screwed) in the forward direction to the first female thread structure 11 provided on the end 10a side of the lens 10 of the camera 8, a filter 12 can be attached (screwed) to the second male thread structure 5 of this lens hood 1A. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, with the lens hood 1A of this embodiment attached (screwed) in the reverse direction to the first female thread structure 11 provided on the end 10a side of the lens 10 of the camera 8, a filter 12 can be attached (screwed) to the first male thread structure 4 of this lens hood 1A. In addition, as shown in FIG. 9, with a conventionally known filter 12 attached (screwed) to the first female thread structure 11 provided on the end 10a side of the lens 10 of the camera 8, the lens hood 1A of this embodiment can be attached (screwed) in the reverse direction so as to be overlapped on this filter 12. Although Figures 6 to 9 show an example in which a single filter 12 is used in combination with the lens hood 1A of this embodiment, multiple filters 12 may be stacked and used, or a single or multiple filters 12 may be attached (screwed) to both the first male thread structure 4 and the second male thread structure 5 of the lens hood 1A of this embodiment, and then attached (screwed) to the first female thread structure 11 of the lens 10.

[0026] The camera 8 in accordance with this embodiment is a camera 8 in which the lens hood 1A in accordance with this embodiment is screwed in the forward or reverse direction onto the first female thread structure 11 of the lens 10 attached to the camera body 9 (see FIG. 2 or FIG. 3).

[0027] [1-2; Actions and effects of the basic configuration] According to the lens hood 1A of this embodiment as described above, the lens hood body 2 can be screwed in either the forward or reverse direction into the first female thread structure 11 that is provided in advance on the end portion 10a of the lens 10 (see FIGS. 2 to 5). In this case, the lens hood 1A is less likely to come off from the end portion 10a of the lens 10 than when the lens hood is attached to the end portion 10a of the lens 10 by bayonet engagement (eg, Patent Document 1). This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the lens hood 1A from unintentionally coming off the end portion 10a of the lens 10 when the camera 8 according to this embodiment is in use.

[0028] In particular, as shown in Figures 6 to 9 above, the lens hood 1A of this embodiment can be used in conjunction with a conventionally known filter 12 regardless of whether the lens hood 1A is attached to the lens 10 of the camera 8 in the forward or reverse direction. Furthermore, when using the lens hood 1A of this embodiment in combination with a conventionally known filter 12, whether the filter 12 is attached to the lens hood 1A or the lens hood 1A is attached to the filter 12, they can be screwed together to form a single unit, thereby preventing either or both of the lens hood 1A and the filter 12 from coming off from the end 10a of the lens 10. Therefore, according to the lens hood 1A of this embodiment, it is possible to improve stability when the lens hood 1A and the filter 12 are used together.

[0029] In particular, when the lens hood 1A of this embodiment is attached in the reverse direction to the end 10a of the lens 10 (see Figures 3 and 5), the lens hood 1A can also be used as a protective member for the lens 10 when the lens 10 is removed from the camera body 9 for storage or transportation (see Figure 5). In this case, the peripheral side surface of the lens 10 is covered by the side wall portion 26 of the lens hood main body 2, so that when a strong impact is applied to the lens 10 from the peripheral side surface side, the lens hood 1A will deform or break, thereby preventing damage to the lens 10 itself. In other words, by attaching the lens hood 1A according to this embodiment to the lens 10 in the reverse direction, the impact resistance of the lens 10 can be improved. When the lens hood 1A according to this embodiment is used particularly as a protective member for the lens 10, it is preferable that the shape of the side wall portion 26 be cylindrical rather than a flower-shaped or irregular type. This is because, when the lens hood body 2 is attached to the lens 10, the area covered by the lens hood body 2 is wider with a cylindrical shape than with a flower-shaped or irregular type.

[0030] [1-3; Optional additional items to the basic configuration] <1-3-1: Second female screw structure> A modification of the lens hood 1A according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the lens hood according to this embodiment attached in the normal direction and a filter being attached to the lens hood. Note that in Fig. 10, the right side of the page shows the state before the filter is attached, and the left side of the page shows the state after the filter is attached. Also, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same parts as those shown in Figs. 1 to 6, and explanations of their configurations will be omitted. The lens hood 1A of this embodiment may have a ring-shaped second female thread structure 6 arranged on the hollow portion 2c side of the lens hood body 2 and surrounding the second male thread structure 5, as shown in FIG. 1, for example. The second female thread structure 6 is formed by forming a female thread 6a on the inner surface of a short cylinder made of, for example, metal or resin. More specifically, in the lens hood 1A of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, for example, the protruding portion 3 has a step 18, and this step 18 has a female thread 6a on a surface opposite to the surface on which the male thread 5a of the second male thread structure 5 is formed. The combination of the step 18 formed in the protruding portion 3 and the female thread 6a corresponds to the ring-shaped second female thread structure 6.

[0031] According to the lens hood 1A having the second female thread structure 6 as described above, an accessory such as a filter 19 having a ring-shaped male thread structure 22 can be attached (screwed) to the second female thread structure 6 for use, as shown in FIG. 10. The filter 19 includes a filter body 20 having a function of, for example, cutting light of a desired wavelength, a frame portion 21 provided on the periphery thereof, and a ring-shaped male screw structure 22 fixed to the frame portion 21. The male thread structure 22 in the filter 19 is formed by forming a male thread 22a on the outer surface of a short cylinder made of, for example, metal or resin.

[0032] In this case, when capturing an image with the camera 8, both the lens hood 1A and the filter 19 can be attached to the end portion 10a of the lens 10 by screwing. As a result, the risk of the lens hood 1A and the filter 19 becoming unintentionally detached when the camera 8 is operated can be significantly reduced, so that the operability of the camera 8 can be further improved. Furthermore, although not specifically shown, it is also possible to attach (screw) one or more filters 12 to the end portion 10a of the lens 10 of the camera 8, then attach (screw) the lens hood 1A according to this embodiment to this filter 12, and then attach (screw) a filter 19 to the second female thread structure 6 of this lens hood 1A. In other words, with the lens hood 1A according to this embodiment, one or more filters 12, the lens hood 1A, and the filter 19 can be used in combination. In this case as well, the above three components can be screwed together to form an integrated unit, so there is an extremely low risk that any or all of the accessories will come off during use. Therefore, the lens hood 1A according to this embodiment can improve stability when the above three components are used together.

[0033] <1-3-2; Regarding the through holes for lighting> The lens hood 1A of this embodiment may, if necessary, be provided with a through hole 17 for admitting light that is formed by penetrating the thickness direction of the protruding portion 3 (see through hole 17 in lens hood 7 of a prototype having the same configuration as lens hood 1A shown in Figures 4 and 5). Moreover, it is preferable that the through holes 17 are disposed at a plurality of positions evenly in the circumferential direction of the lens hood body 2. Furthermore, in the prototype lens hood 7 shown in Figures 4 and 5, the case in which the through hole 17 is a long hole has been described as an example, but the shape of the through hole 17 may be circular, or may have any other planar shape. Furthermore, the lens hood 1A of this embodiment has a light-gathering through hole 17 formed in the protruding portion 3, so that light can be guided into the hollow portion 2c of the lens hood main body 2 from this through hole 17 in addition to the opening 2b side of the lens hood main body 2. As a result, the quality of the image captured by the camera 8 can be made different compared to when the lens hood 1A according to this embodiment in which no through hole 17 is formed is used.

[0034] Although not specifically shown, the protruding portion 3 may have a two-layer structure in its thickness direction and be configured to be rotatable in the circumferential direction of the lens hood main body 2 around the central axis of the lens hood main body 2, making it possible to switch the opening degree and open / closed state of the through hole 17. In this case, the quality of the image captured by the camera 8 can be adjusted more freely, making it possible to provide a lens hood with higher functionality.

[0035] [1-4; Manufacturing method of basic structure] A manufacturing method for the lens hood 1A according to this embodiment will now be described with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B. Fig. 11A is a cross-sectional view of the first and second parts constituting the lens hood according to this embodiment. Fig. 11B is a cross-sectional view showing the first and second parts joined together to form an integrated unit. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate the same parts as those shown in Figs. 1 to 10, and explanations of their configurations will be omitted. When the lens hood 1A according to this embodiment is particularly equipped with the second female thread structure 6, it is necessary to form the male thread 5a and the female thread 6a facing each other in the narrow portion that is the gap between the second male thread structure 5 and the second female thread structure 6. However, it is extremely difficult to insert a tool into this narrow portion and machine the male thread 5a and the female thread 6a. In view of these circumstances, the inventors conducted extensive research and came up with the following method of manufacturing a lens hood according to this embodiment.

[0036] In other words, the manufacturing method for the lens hood according to this embodiment comprises a first step (see FIG. 11A) of producing a first part 23 comprising the lens hood main body 2 and a portion 16a of the protruding portion 3 having the second female thread structure 6, a second step (see FIG. 11A) of producing a second part 24 comprising the second male thread structure 5 and the remaining portion 16b of the protruding portion 3 having the second male thread structure 5 arranged back-to-back, and a third step (see FIG. 11B) of integrating the first part 23 and second part 24, for example with an adhesive 25, to form the lens hood 1A. It should be noted that the first and second steps in the manufacturing method for the lens hood according to this embodiment do not have to be performed in this order, and they may be performed in reverse or in parallel. Furthermore, it is not necessary to use adhesive 25 to join first part 23 and second part 24, and they may be joined by other means such as welding or thermocompression bonding depending on the material of lens hood 1A.

[0037] According to the manufacturing method of the lens hood of this embodiment as described above, there is no need to use a tool to process and form the male threads 5a and the female threads 6a in the narrow portion that is the gap between the second male thread structure 5 and the second female thread structure 6. That is, the presence of the second male thread structure 5 does not pose an obstacle when forming the female thread 6a in the second female thread structure 6 (step 18) in the first part 23. Similarly, the presence of the second female thread structure 6 (step 18) does not pose an obstacle when forming the male thread 5a in the second male thread structure 5 in the second part 24. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of the lens hood according to this embodiment, the lens hood 1A according to this embodiment, which has the second female thread structure 6, can be manufactured efficiently and at low cost.

[0038] [2; Variations of the basic structure] A lens hood according to a modification of this embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as a "lens hood according to a modification") will be described below with reference to FIG. Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the lens hood according to a modified example taken along the central axis thereof. Note that the same parts as those shown in Figs. 1 to 11B are designated by the same reference numerals, and description of their configurations will be omitted. In the lens hood 1A according to this embodiment shown in Figure 1 etc., the step 18 formed in the protruding portion 3 is utilized as the second female thread structure 6, but the second female thread structure 6 may have a form other than this. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, the lens hood 1B of the modified example has a brim-shaped protruding portion 3' that does not have a step 18 protruding from the base 2a of the lens hood main body 2, a ring-shaped second female thread structure 6 is provided on the surface of this protruding portion 3' that faces the hollow portion 2c, and further has a first male thread structure 4 and a second male thread structure 5 arranged back-to-back on an end portion 3a' of the protruding portion 3' on the hollow portion 2c side. Furthermore, the lens hood 1B according to the modified example shown in FIG. 12 achieves the same functions and effects as the lens hood 1A according to this embodiment (see the description of [1-2] above).

[0039] Furthermore, the lens hood 1B according to the modified example shown in FIG. 12 can be produced by the same procedure as that shown in [1-4] above. More specifically, in the lens hood 1B relating to the modified example, the protruding portion 3' disposed between the second female thread structure 6 and the second male thread structure 5 (or the first male thread structure 4) is cut at its midpoint (for example, the position indicated by symbol Q in FIG. 12) to produce parts (a first part and a second part) separately, and then these parts are joined together using, for example, an adhesive (not shown) to form an integrated unit. In this case as well, the lens hood 1B according to the modified example can be manufactured efficiently and at low cost.

[0040] [3; Other variations of the basic structure] Finally, a lens hood according to another modified example of this embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as "the lens hood according to another modified example") will be described with reference to FIG. Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a lens hood according to another modified example taken along the central axis thereof. Note that the same parts as those shown in Figs. 1 to 12 are designated by the same reference numerals, and description of their configurations will be omitted. The lens hood 1B of the modified example shown in Figure 12 above has a second female thread structure 6 on the protruding portion 3', so that while the lens hood 1B is attached (screwed) in the forward direction to the end 10a side of the lens 10 of the camera 8, an accessory such as a filter 19 (see Figure 10 above) having a ring-shaped male thread structure 22 can be attached (screwed) to the end 10a side of the lens 10 and to the hollow portion 2c side of the lens hood body 2. On the other hand, there may be cases where the second female screw structure 6 in the lens hood 1B according to the modified example is not necessary.

[0041] In consideration of these circumstances, a lens hood 1C according to another modified example may be configured without the ring-shaped second female screw structure 6 in the lens hood 1B according to the modified example shown in FIG. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, a lens hood 1C according to another modified example may have a brim-shaped protruding portion 3' without a step 18 protruding from the base 2a of the lens hood body 2, and may have a first male thread structure 4 and a second male thread structure 5 back-to-back at an end 3a' of this protruding portion 3' on the hollow portion 2c side. In addition, when using a lens hood 1C according to another modified example shown in FIG. 13, the same effects as those of the lens hood 1A described above in [1-2] are achieved.

[0042] Moreover, a lens hood 1C according to another modified example shown in FIG. 13 can be produced by the same procedure as that shown in [1-4] above. More specifically, the protruding portion 3' of the lens hood 1C according to another modified example is cut between the side having the lens hood main body 2 and the side having the first male thread structure 4 and the second male thread structure 5 back-to-back (for example, the position indicated by symbol Q' in FIG. 12) to produce separate parts (a first part and a second part), and then these parts are joined together using, for example, an adhesive (not shown) to form an integrated unit. In this case as well, the lens hood 1C according to the other modified example can be manufactured efficiently and inexpensively. [Industrial Applicability]

[0043] As described above, the present invention provides a lens hood that can be screwed in either the forward or reverse direction to the incident end of a lens attached to a camera, and a camera and method for manufacturing the lens hood, and can be used in technical fields related to accessories for imaging devices such as cameras. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 1A to 1C...Lens hood 2...Lens hood body 2a...Base 2b...Opening 2c...Hollow portion 3, 3'...Protruding portion 3a...End portion 4...First male screw structure 4a...Male screw 5...Second male screw structure 5a...Male screw 6...Second female screw structure 6a...Female screw 7...Prototype lens hood 8...Camera 9...Camera body 10...Lens 10a...End portion 11...First female screw structure 11a...Female screw 12...Filter 13...Filter body 14...Frame portion 151...Male screw structure 151a...Male screw 152...Female screw structure 152a...Female screw 16a...Part (protruding portion) 16b...Remaining portion (protruding portion) 17...Through hole 18...Step 19...Filter 20...Filter body 21...Frame portion 22... Male thread structure 22a... Male thread 23... First part 24... Second part 25... Adhesive 26... Side wall 30... Camera 31... Camera body 32... Lens 32a... End 33... Female thread structure 33a... Female thread 34... Filter 35... Filter body 36... Frame 371... Male thread structure 371a... Male thread 372... Female thread structure 372a... Female thread S... Center axis

Claims

1. A lens hood is attached to a ring-shaped first female screw structure attached to an end of a camera lens on the incident side, a lens hood body having a side wall portion extending to surround the lens; a ring-shaped first male screw structure that is screwed into the first female screw structure and to which the lens hood body is attached so as to block a portion of light entering the lens; a ring-shaped second male screw structure that is screwed into the first female screw structure and that allows the lens hood body to be attached so as to cover a side surface of the lens; a flange-shaped protruding portion protruding from a base portion of the lens hood body toward a hollow portion; a ring-shaped second female screw structure disposed on the hollow side of the lens hood body and surrounding the second male screw structure; a lens hood characterized in that the first male thread structure and the second male thread structure are connected in series in their central axis direction to form a cylindrical structure, and an inner edge of the protruding portion is connected to an outer surface of the cylindrical structure at a midpoint in the central axis direction.

2. A lens hood attached to a ring-shaped first female screw structure attached to an end of a camera lens on the incident side, a lens hood body having a side wall portion extending to surround the lens; a ring-shaped first male screw structure that is screwed into the first female screw structure and to which the lens hood body is attached so as to block a portion of light entering the lens; a ring-shaped second male screw structure that is screwed into the first female screw structure and that allows the lens hood body to be attached so as to cover a side surface of the lens; a protruding portion that protrudes from a base portion of the lens hood body toward the hollow side to form a flange shape and has a through hole for admitting light formed through the protruding portion in a thickness direction thereof, a lens hood characterized in that the first male thread structure and the second male thread structure are connected in series in their central axis direction to form a cylindrical structure, and an inner edge of the protruding portion is connected to an outer surface of the cylindrical structure at a midpoint in the central axis direction.

3. The lens hood according to claim 1 or 2; The camera body and a lens attached to the camera body and having a ring-shaped first female screw structure at an end on an incident side for screwing the lens hood thereon.

4. A method for manufacturing a lens hood to be attached to a ring-shaped first female screw structure provided at an end of a camera lens on an incident side, comprising: a lens hood body that blocks a portion of light entering the lens; a first step of producing a first part including a part of a flange-shaped protruding portion protruding from a base portion of the lens hood body into a hollow space; A remainder of the protruding portion; and In the remaining portion of the protruding portion, a ring-shaped first male screw structure provided on an inner edge disposed on the hollow side, the first male screw structure being screwed into the first female screw structure to attach the lens hood body so as to block a portion of light entering the lens; a second step of producing a second part comprising: a ring-shaped second male screw structure that is connected in series to the first male screw structure in a central axial direction to form a cylindrical structure, the inner edge being connected to an outer surface of the cylindrical structure at a middle position in the central axial direction, and that is screwed into the first female screw structure to attach the lens hood body so as to cover a side surface of the lens; A lens hood manufacturing method comprising: a third step of bonding the first part and the second part together to form an integrated unit.

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