Lens device, imaging device, and in-vehicle system

Abstract

To maintain a lens in an excellent state in a wide temperature range.SOLUTION: A lens device 1 comprises a lens 2, and a holding member 4 that holds the lens. The holding member includes a plurality of protrusions that protrude toward an optical axis, and abutting sections of the plurality of protrusions respectively abut an outer circumference of the lens. A side opposite to the optical axis with respect to the plurality of protrusions in the holding member is provided with a plurality of openings 43 penetrating in an optical axis direction so as to correspond to each of the plurality of protrusions. In an optical axis direction view, an entirety 481 of each of the abutting sections of the plurality of protrusions is provided in an angular range 482 centered on the optical axis from one end to the other end in a circumferential direction of the corresponding opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lens device used in an imaging device such as an in-vehicle camera. [Background technology]

[0002] Many lens devices have multiple lenses fitted and held within the inner periphery of a lens barrel. In such lens devices, dimensional accuracy of the lens barrel is important for holding each lens with high positional accuracy and improving optical performance. Patent Document 1 discloses a lens barrel that holds multiple lenses, in which a circumferential groove recessed from the image side to the object side is provided between an outer barrel section that holds the lens closest to the object and extends toward the image side and an inner barrel section that is located inside the outer barrel and holds the lens closest to the image side, and a reinforcing rib is provided within the circumferential groove. This lens barrel is a resin-molded product, and the dimensional accuracy of the lens barrel is improved by evenly arranging gates for resin molding relative to the reinforcing rib. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-53932 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the lens barrel disclosed in Patent Document 1 may encounter problems over the wide temperature range (e.g., -40°C to +95°C) required for the usage environment of vehicle-mounted cameras. Specifically, at low temperatures, the lens barrel shrinks according to its linear expansion coefficient, which may cause it to tighten too tightly against the lens, resulting in damage or deformation of the lens. Furthermore, at high temperatures, a gap may form between the lens barrel and the lens, which expands due to thermal expansion, causing the lens to shift position, resulting in a deterioration of optical performance. The present invention provides a lens device that can maintain a lens well over a wide temperature range. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a lens device includes a lens and and a holding member that holds the lens. The holding member includes a plurality of protrusions that protrude toward the optical axis, and abutting portions of each of the plurality of protrusions abut against the outer periphery of the lens. A plurality of openings that penetrate in the optical axis direction are provided on the opposite side of the holding member from the plurality of protrusions to the optical axis, corresponding to each of the plurality of protrusions. When viewed in the optical axis direction, The inner circumferential surfaces on both sides of the opening in the radial direction have an arc shape centered on the optical axis, The entire abutment portion of each of the plurality of protrusions is within an angular range centered on the optical axis from one end to the other end in the circumferential direction of the corresponding opening. Inside It is set up in Characterized by .

[0006] An imaging device using the lens device described above and an in-vehicle system including the imaging device also constitute other aspects of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the lens can be maintained in a good condition over a wide temperature range, and high optical performance can be stably ensured. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a lens unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing variations of the contact portion of the lens barrel in the embodiment. [Figure 5] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the positional relationship between a contact portion of a lens barrel and an opening in the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing angle regions in an embodiment. [Figure 7] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing the magnitude relationship and positional relationship between a first angle region and a second angle region in an embodiment. [Figure 8]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the difference angle and the generated stress in the example. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the magnitude relationship and positional relationship between the first and third angle regions in the embodiment. [Figure 10] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing variations in the shape of the hole in the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an in-vehicle system using a lens unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle equipped with the above-described in-vehicle system. [Figure 13] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the in-vehicle system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Example]

[0010] Fig. 1 shows a lens barrel (holding member) 4 of a lens unit as a lens device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 shows a cross section along the optical axis of lens unit 1, which is composed of lens barrel 4 and lenses 2 and 3 held by it. Lens unit 1 can be used in in-vehicle cameras, cameras for mobile devices, and other imaging devices.

[0011] Lenses 2 and 3 are each made of plastic or glass with a circular periphery. Lenses 2 and 3 are held by lens barrel 4 so that their optical axes coincide with each other, forming a wide-angle lens. Lens 3 is the object-side lens, and lens 2 is the image-side lens with a smaller diameter than lens 3.

[0012] The radial receiving portion 46 of the lens barrel 4 abuts against the entire outer periphery of the lens 3 to hold the lens 3 in the radial direction, and the thrust receiving portion 47 of the lens barrel 4 abuts against the back surface of the lens 3 to hold the lens 3 in the optical axis direction.

[0013] A recess 50 recessed from the object side to the image side is formed in the center of the thrust bearing portion 47 (inner peripheral portion of the lens barrel 4) so that the lens 2 can be accommodated. The image-side surface of the recess 50 serves as a thrust bearing portion 44 that abuts against the back surface 21 of the lens 2 and holds the lens 2 in the optical axis direction. Furthermore, protrusions 42 that protrude radially inward (toward the optical axis) are formed at multiple locations (three locations in this embodiment) around the circumference of the inner peripheral surface of the recess 50. An abutment portion 45 is formed at the inner diameter end of each protrusion 42 as a circular arc surface that has a length in the circumferential direction. The lens 2 is press-fitted into the three abutment portions 45 from the object side. The three abutment portions 45 abut against three locations on the outer peripheral surface (outer peripheral portion) of the lens 2 to hold the lens 2 in the radial direction.

[0014] The three protrusions 42 are provided at equal intervals of 120° in the circumferential direction. The portion of the inner circumferential surface of the recess 50 other than the protrusions 42 forms a relief portion 41 that is spaced radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the lens 2. This allows the lens 2 to be stably held at three points in the circumferential direction, and also reduces the difficulty of manufacturing the lens barrel 4 compared to supporting the entire circumference of the lens 3, such as with the radial support portion 46. This is because high processing precision is required for the portion that supports the lens 2, but with a three-point holding configuration, precision is only required for the abutment portion 45.

[0015] Furthermore, hole portions 43 are provided as openings corresponding to the respective protrusion portions 42 on the radially outer side (the side opposite to the optical axis) of the thrust receiving portion 47 of each protrusion portion 42. Each hole portion 43 penetrates the thrust receiving portion 47 in the optical axis direction and extends in an arc shape in the circumferential direction, and its circumferential length is longer than the circumferential length of the abutment portion 45 (protrusion portion 42). By forming such hole portions 43, deformable portions 49 are formed between the protrusion portions 42 and the corresponding hole portions 43, each of which has a small radial thickness, extends in the circumferential direction, and is radially deformable.

[0016] The hole 43 has an inner peripheral surface 433 that extends in an arc shape on a circle concentric with the outer periphery of the lens 2. Forming the inner peripheral surface 433 in this manner facilitates uniform thickness of the deformable portion 49. A non-uniform thickness of the deformable portion 49 can result in problems such as reduced dimensional accuracy and sink marks when manufacturing the lens barrel 4 by injection molding. While the protrusion 42 is exaggerated in the figure for clarity, in reality, the protrusion amount of the protrusion 42 is small enough not to affect the uniformity of the thickness of the deformable portion 49. Furthermore, stresses within the deformable portion 49 caused by shrinkage of the lens barrel 4 due to temperature changes or press-fitting of the lens 2 into the three abutment portions 45 may be concentrated in the thinnest portion, potentially damaging the deformable portion 49. For this reason, it is preferable to form at least the inner peripheral surface 433 on the protruding portion side of the hole 43 so as to extend in an arc shape on a circle concentric with the outer periphery of the lens 2.

[0017] 3 shows the lens barrel 4 as viewed in the optical axis direction. The circumferential angle range around the optical axis is from one circumferential end 451 to the other circumferential end 452 of each contact portion 45 (i.e., ChiThe angular range in which the abutment portion 45 is provided (the entire circumferential direction of the abutment portion 45) is defined as a first angular range 481. The angular range in the entire circumferential direction from one circumferential end 431 to the other circumferential end 432 of the hole 43 corresponding to the abutment portion 45 is defined as a second angular range 482. Here, the one circumferential end 431 and the other circumferential end 432 of the hole 43 represent the vertices of the ends formed in the arc shape. The first angular range 481 and the second angular range 482 are set so that the entire first angular range 481 (i.e., the entire circumferential direction of the abutment portion 45) is contained within the second angular range 482. In the lens unit 1 configured as described above, when pressure is applied to the abutment portion 45 from the outer peripheral surface of the lens 2, the deformable portion 49 deforms radially outward, and stress generated in the lens 2 can be reduced compared to when this deformation does not occur. This makes it possible to prevent excessive stress from occurring inside the lens 2 when the lens 2 is press-fitted into the three abutment portions 45, or when there is a difference in the amount of thermal deformation caused by temperature changes due to differences in the linear expansion coefficients of the lens barrel 4 and the lens 2 (for example, the lens barrel 4 shrinks more than the lens 2 in a low-temperature environment). Also, by being able to press-fit the lens 2 into the abutment portions 45 by deforming the deformable portions 49, it is possible to maintain the abutment of the abutment portions 45 against the outer peripheral surface of the lens 2 even if the lens barrel 4 expands more than the lens 2 in a high-temperature environment. As a result, it is possible to avoid degradation of optical performance due to misalignment or tilt of the optical axis of the lens 2. do.

[0018] 3, it is desirable that the hole 43 and the protrusion 42 each have a shape that is symmetrical in the circumferential direction with respect to a plane (plane of symmetry) 453 that passes through the circumferential center of the abutting portion 45 and the optical axis. This makes the distribution of stress acting on the abutting portion 45 from the deformable portion 49 and the protrusion 42 uniform in the circumferential direction, enabling more stable support of the lens 2. However, as long as it does not affect the deformation of the deformable portion 49, the hole 43 and the protrusion 42 do not need to be symmetrical, and the plane that passes through the circumferential center of the hole 43 and the optical axis does not need to coincide with the plane that passes through the circumferential center of the protrusion 42 and the optical axis.

[0019] According to this embodiment, the lens 2 can be maintained well over a wider temperature range than conventionally possible, and it is possible to stably ensure high optical performance of the lens unit 1. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to select glass as the material for the lens 2 that could not be selected in conventional configurations, and it is possible to select a material with a larger linear expansion coefficient as the material for the lens barrel 4.

[0020] In this embodiment, the abutment portion 45 is formed in a shape that has a length in the circumferential direction and abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the lens 2 with a surface. However, as shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the abutment portion 45 may have a shape that does not have a length in the circumferential direction and abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the lens 2 at a point or along a line extending in the optical axis direction. In this case, as shown in Figure 5, the first angular range 481 is a circumferential position (angular position) and is represented by a single straight line in the figure, but the entire circumferential direction of the abutment portion 45 falls within the second angular range 482, just like in the case of Figure 3.

[0021] 6, one circumferential end 431 and the other circumferential end 432 of the hole 43 may be formed in a linear shape extending in the radial direction. In this case, too, the entire circumferential direction of the abutting portion 45 (the entire first angle range 481) falls within the second angle range 482, just like in FIG. [Example]

[0022] Next, a lens unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 7 shows the lens barrel 4 of the lens unit according to the second embodiment as viewed in the optical axis direction. The configuration and shape of the lens barrel 4 are the same as those of the lens barrel 4 according to the first embodiment.

[0023] 7, the interior angle α of the first angle range 481 and the interior angle β of the second angle range 482 are such that the interior angle α is smaller than the interior angle β. This is the same as in Example 1, and the stress generated in the lens barrel 4 can be prevented from occurring excessively in the lens 2 by the deformation of the deformable portion 49 between the abutment portion 45 and the hole portion 43.

[0024] 7, it is preferable that the bisectors of the interior angles α and β coincide with each other when viewed in the optical axis direction. This makes it possible to move the abutment portion 45 in the normal direction to the outer peripheral surface of the lens 2 by deformation of the deformable portion 49, and prevents excessive stress from occurring within the lens 2 while maintaining a stable abutment state with the lens 2. Note that the bisectors of the interior angles α and β may be offset from each other.

[0025] Furthermore, the larger the differential angle θ, which is equivalent to half the difference between the interior angles α and β, the more easily the abutting portion 45 moves in the normal direction to the outer peripheral surface of the lens 2. FIG. 8 shows the results of a simulation of the relationship between the differential angle θ and the stress generated in the deformable portion 49. The stress decreases sharply when the differential angle θ is approximately 0° to 5°, and then decreases more gradually from there toward 30°. As the differential angle θ is increased from there, the structural strength of the abutting portion 45 decreases. For this reason, it is preferable that the differential angle θ be greater than or equal to 5° and less than or equal to 30°.

[0026] Without the holes 43, the lens barrel 4 is less likely to deform, and most of the stress that is generated acts on the lens 2. In contrast, by providing the holes 43 and generating stress in the deformable section 49 or by deforming the deformable section 49, it is possible to hold the lens 2 with high precision while mitigating the stress that acts on the lens 2.

[0027] 9 also shows the lens barrel 4 as viewed in the optical axis direction. In Fig. 9, the circumferential angular range from one circumferential end 434 to the other circumferential end 435 of the inner circumferential surface (arc line: not including the arc-shaped inner end surface having vertices 431 and 432) 433 on the protruding portion side of the hole 43 is defined as a third angular range 483 (= γ). The first angular range (α) 481 and the third angular range 483 (γ) are set so that the entire first angular range 481 (i.e., the entire abutment portion 45) falls within the third angular range 483.

[0028] Furthermore, it is preferable that the bisectors (circumferential centers) of the first angle range (α) 481 and the third angle range 483 (γ) coincide with each other. In other words, it is preferable that the first angle range 481 (i.e., the abutment portion 45) and the third angle range 483 are symmetrical in the circumferential direction with respect to a plane (plane of symmetry) 4831 that passes through the circumferential center of the abutment portion 45 and the optical axis. Note that the bisectors of the first angle range 481 and the third angle range 483 may be offset from each other.

[0029] Although the above embodiments have been described with reference to cases where the hole 43 has an arc shape, the hole 43 may have other shapes. For example, it may be rectangular as shown in Fig. 10(a) or circular as shown in Fig. 10(b). [Example]

[0030] 11 shows the configuration of an in-vehicle camera 10 as an imaging device according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and an in-vehicle system (driving assistance device) 600 equipped with the in-vehicle camera 10. The in-vehicle system 600 is held by a movable body (moving device) such as an automobile (vehicle), and is a system for assisting the driving (piloting) of the vehicle based on image information of the surroundings of the vehicle acquired by the in-vehicle camera 10.

[0031] Fig. 12 shows a vehicle 700 as a moving device equipped with an in-vehicle system 600. Fig. 12 shows a case where the imaging range R of the in-vehicle camera 10 is set in front of the vehicle 700, but the imaging range R may also be set behind or to the side of the vehicle 700.

[0032] 11 and 12, the vehicle-mounted system 600 includes an in-vehicle camera 10, a vehicle information acquisition device 20, a control device (control unit, ECU: Electronic Control Unit) 30, and a warning device (warning unit) 40. As shown in FIG. 10 1 and the image processing unit 10 2 and the parallax calculation unit 10 3 and the distance acquisition unit (acquisition unit) 10 4 and the collision detection section 105. Image processing unit 10 2. Parallax calculation section 10 3, distance acquisition part 10 4 and collision detection section 10 The processing unit is composed of 5. 10 Reference numeral 1 denotes an imaging device that has the lens unit of the first or second embodiment and an imaging element such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor, and captures an image of an object.

[0033] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the in-vehicle system 600. The in-vehicle system 600 (mainly the control device 30) executes this process in accordance with a computer program.

[0034] First, in step S1, the imaging unit 10 1 is used to capture images of objects (targets) such as obstacles and pedestrians around the vehicle, and multiple image data (parallax image data) are obtained.

[0035] In step S2, vehicle information is acquired by the vehicle information acquisition device 20. The vehicle information includes the vehicle speed, yaw rate, steering angle, and the like.

[0036] In step S3, the imaging unit 10 1, an image processing unit for processing the plurality of image data acquired by the image processing unit; 10 Image processing is performed using the method described above. Specifically, image feature analysis is performed to analyze feature quantities such as the amount and direction of edges in the image data, density values, etc. Here, the image feature analysis may be performed on each of the multiple image data, or may be performed on only some of the multiple image data.

[0037] In step S4, the imaging unit 10 The parallax (image shift) information between the plurality of image data acquired by 1 is calculated by a parallax calculation unit. 10 3. As a method for calculating disparity information, known methods such as the SSDA method and the area correlation method can be used, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here. Note that steps S2, S3, and S4 may be performed in the above order, or may be performed in parallel with each other.

[0038] In step S5, the imaging unit 10 The distance information between the object and the image captured by 1 is acquired by the distance acquisition unit. 10 The distance information is acquired (calculated) by the parallax calculation unit 4. 10 The parallax information calculated by 3 and the imaging unit 10 The distance can be calculated based on the internal and external parameters of the object. Note that the distance information here refers to information relating to the relative position of the object, such as the distance to the object, the amount of defocus, and the amount of image shift, and may directly represent the distance value of the object in the image, or may indirectly represent information corresponding to the distance value.

[0039] In step S6, the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition device 20 and the distance acquisition unit 10 A collision determination unit determines whether the distance to the object is within a preset distance range using the distance information calculated by the collision determination unit. 10 This is performed by the collision determination unit 5. This makes it possible to determine whether or not an object exists within a set distance around the vehicle, and to determine the possibility of a collision between the vehicle and the object. 10 If an object exists within the set distance, the control unit 5 determines that there is a "possibility of collision" (step S7), and if there is no object within the set distance, the control unit 5 determines that there is no "possibility of collision" (step S8).

[0040] Next, the collision detection section 10 When the collision determination unit 5 determines that there is a possibility of a collision, it notifies (transmits) the determination result to the control device 30 and the warning device 40. At this time, the control device 30 notifies (transmits) the collision determination result to the control device 30 and the warning device 40. 10 The vehicle is controlled based on the determination result in the collision determination unit 5 (step S6). 10 Based on the determination result in step S5, a warning is given to the vehicle user (driver, passengers) (step S7). The notification of the determination result may be given to at least one of the control device 30 and the warning device 40.

[0041] The control device 30 can control the movement of the vehicle by outputting control signals to the drive units (engine, motor, etc.) of the vehicle. For example, it performs control such as applying the brakes on the vehicle, releasing the accelerator, turning the steering wheel, and generating control signals to generate braking forces on each wheel to suppress the output of the engine or motor. In addition, the warning device 40 warns the user by, for example, issuing a warning sound (alarm), displaying warning information on the screen of a car navigation system or the like, or vibrating the seat belt or steering wheel.

[0042] According to the in-vehicle system 600 of this embodiment, the above processing enables effective detection of an object and makes it possible to avoid a collision between the vehicle and the object. In particular, by applying the optical systems according to the above-described embodiments to the in-vehicle system 600, it becomes possible to detect an object and make a collision judgment over a wide angle of view while miniaturizing the entire in-vehicle camera 10 and increasing the degree of freedom in placement.

[0043] There are various methods for calculating distance information. 10 This section explains a case where a split-pupil image sensor having a plurality of pixel units arranged regularly in a two-dimensional array is used as the image sensor of the optical system 1. In the split-pupil image sensor, each pixel unit is composed of a microlens and a plurality of photoelectric conversion units, and can receive a pair of light beams that pass through different regions in the pupil of the optical system and output a pair of image data from each photoelectric conversion unit.

[0044] Then, the image shift amount for each area is calculated by correlation calculation between the paired image data, and the distance acquisition unit 10 4 calculates image shift map data that represents the distribution of the image shift amount. 10 The distance acquisition unit 4 may further convert the image shift amount into a defocus amount and generate defocus map data that represents the distribution of the defocus amount (distribution on a two-dimensional plane of the captured image). 10 4 may acquire distance map data of the distance to the object converted from the defocus amount.

[0045] Furthermore, the in-vehicle system 600 and the mobile device 700 may be provided with a notification device (notification unit) for notifying the manufacturer of the in-vehicle system or the dealer of the mobile device, etc., if the mobile device 700 collides with an obstacle. For example, the notification device may be one that transmits information (collision information) related to the collision between the mobile device 700 and an obstacle to a preset external notification destination by e-mail or the like.

[0046] In this way, by adopting a configuration in which the notification device automatically notifies collision information, it is possible to promptly take measures such as inspection and repair after a collision occurs. The destination of the collision information may be an insurance company, a medical institution, the police, or any other party set by the user. Furthermore, the notification device may be configured to notify the destination not only of collision information but also of information on the failure of each part and information on the consumption of consumables. The detection of whether or not a collision has occurred is carried out in accordance with the above-mentioned Image sensor The detection may be performed using distance information acquired based on the output from the sensor, or may be performed by another detection unit (sensor).

[0047] In this embodiment, the in-vehicle system 600 is applied to driving assistance (collision damage reduction), but the application is not limited to this, and the in-vehicle system 600 may also be applied to cruise control (including an all-speed tracking function), autonomous driving, etc. Furthermore, the in-vehicle system 600 is not limited to vehicles such as automobiles, but can be applied to moving bodies such as ships, aircraft, industrial robots, etc. Furthermore, the application is not limited to moving bodies, but can be applied to various devices that use object recognition, such as intelligent transport systems (ITS). (Other Examples) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0048] The embodiments described above are merely representative examples, and various modifications and alterations are possible to each embodiment when implementing the present invention.

[0049] In the above-described embodiment, the lens device is applied to the vehicle-mounted camera 10 as a distance measuring device, but the lens device may also be applied to a vehicle-mounted camera other than a distance measuring device. For example, the vehicle-mounted camera may be disposed at the rear or side of the vehicle, and the acquired image information may be displayed on a display unit (monitor) inside the vehicle to provide driving assistance. In this case, components used for distance measurement, such as a parallax calculation unit, a distance acquisition unit, and a collision determination unit, may not be provided.

[0050] In the above-described embodiment, the lens device is applied to an imaging unit in an in-vehicle system, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the lens device may be applied to imaging devices such as digital still cameras, digital video cameras, and silver halide film cameras, or may be applied to optical instruments such as telescopes or image projection devices such as projectors. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1 Lens unit 2, 3 lenses 4 Telescope tube 42 Protrusion 43 Hole 481 First Angle Range 482 Second Angle Range

Claims

1. Lenses and a holding member for holding the lens; the holding member includes a plurality of protrusions that protrude toward the optical axis, and a contact portion of each of the plurality of protrusions contacts an outer periphery of the lens, a plurality of openings penetrating in the optical axis direction are provided on the holding member on the opposite side of the optical axis from the plurality of protrusions, the openings corresponding to the plurality of protrusions, When viewed in the optical axis direction, the inner circumferential surfaces on both radial sides of the opening have an arc shape centered on the optical axis, and the entire abutment portion of each of the multiple protrusions is located inside an angular range centered on the optical axis from one end to the other end of the corresponding opening in the circumferential direction.

2. 2. The lens device according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the holding member between the protrusion and the corresponding opening is a deformable portion that is deformable in the radial direction.

3. The abutment portion has a circumferential length, When viewed in the optical axis direction, an angular range centered on the optical axis from one end to the other end in the circumferential direction of the contact portion is defined as a first angular range, and the angular range from one end to the other end in the circumferential direction of the opening corresponding to the contact portion is defined as a second angular range, 3. The lens device according to claim 1, wherein the entire first angular range is within the second angular range.

4. 4. The lens device according to claim 3, wherein half of the difference between the interior angle of the first angle range and the interior angle of the second angle range is 5 degrees or more and 30 degrees or less.

5. 3. The lens device according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion has no circumferential length and contacts the outer periphery of the lens at a point or a line.

6. 6. The lens device according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion and the opening each have a shape that is symmetrical with respect to a plane that passes through the circumferential center of the protrusion and the optical axis.

7. A lens device described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that when viewed in the optical axis direction, the entire abutment portion of each of the multiple protrusions is located within an angular range centered on the optical axis from one end to the other end of the arc line on the protrusion side of the opening corresponding to the protrusion.

8. The abutment portion has a circumferential length, When viewed in the optical axis direction, the angular range from one end to the other end in the circumferential direction of the abutment portion is defined as a first angular range, and the angular range from one end to the other end of the arc line is defined as a third angular range, 8. The lens device according to claim 7, wherein the center of the first angular range and the center of the third angular range in the circumferential direction coincide with each other.

9. A lens device described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the inner end surfaces on both sides of the opening in the circumferential direction have an arc shape.

10. An imaging device comprising: the lens device according to claim 1; and an imaging element that captures an image of an object through the lens.

11. The imaging device according to claim 10; and a processing unit that processes image information acquired by the imaging device.

12. 12. The in-vehicle system according to claim 11, further comprising a determination unit that determines a possibility of a collision between the vehicle and the object based on the image information.

13. 13. The in-vehicle system according to claim 12, further comprising a notification device that notifies an external device of information regarding a collision between the vehicle and the object.

14. A moving device comprising the imaging device according to claim 10, and capable of moving while holding the imaging device.

15. The moving device according to claim 14, further comprising a determination unit that determines the possibility of a collision with the object based on image information acquired by the imaging device.

16. 16. The moving device according to claim 15, further comprising a control unit that outputs a control signal for controlling movement when it is determined that there is a possibility of collision with the object.

17. 17. The mobile device according to claim 15, further comprising a warning unit that issues a warning to a user of the mobile device when it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision with the object.

18. 18. The moving device according to claim 15, further comprising a notification unit that notifies an external device of information relating to the collision with the object.

Images