Lens hood

Abstract

To provide a lens hood capable of minimizing deformation thereof when grabbed by a user.SOLUTION: A lens hood 100 that can be detachably attached to a lens barrel 200 via a bayonet mechanism 102 is provided, the lens hood comprising a resin hood body 101 and a ring member 103 made of a material stronger than the hood body. The hood body 101 has a press-fit surface 101a near an object side of the bayonet mechanism 102, and the ring member 103 is press-fit against the press-fit surface 101a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a lens hood that can be attached to a lens barrel.

Background Art

[0002] For digital still cameras and the like, it has become common to attach a lens hood for blocking harmful light to the tip of a lens barrel. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an invention of a lens hood to be attached to such a lens barrel.

[0003] The above detachable lens hoods are generally made of resin (EP), but some are made of metal (aluminum). For example, Patent Document 2 discloses an invention of a metal lens hood. In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, the hood ring 101 that occupies most of the hood appearance is made of metal, and the hood bayonet ring 102 where the bayonet mechanism is formed is made of resin because elastic deformation is required. By adopting a metal material for the hood appearance in this way, an improvement in strength and texture can be expected.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in the type of lens hood that can be attached and detached via a bayonet mechanism by a user operation described in the above prior art documents, the resin lens hood is deformed by the user's grip. This deformation of the hood occurs not only in the radial direction but also in the optical axis direction depending on the position and force application of the user's grip.

[0006] In recent years, interchangeable lenses for digital still cameras have increasingly been expected to be of high quality not only in terms of optical performance but also in terms of overall construction, including appearance and handling. Therefore, meticulous craftsmanship is being employed to minimize play between the lens barrel and the lens hood. In this context, even slight deformation of the lens hood can worsen the sliding action of the bayonet mechanism or cause the sliding parts to become stuck, making it difficult to attach or detach the lens hood.

[0007] While the aforementioned prior art documents mention radial deformation, they do not mention deformation in the optical axis direction. As mentioned above, the deformation of the lens hood varies depending on where it is held, so to solve these problems, it is simply necessary to increase the rigidity and strength of the lens hood.

[0008] Furthermore, focusing on the click sensation when attaching or detaching the lens hood, this click sensation is also considered an important element in making interchangeable lenses of high quality. For this reason, the click mechanism that generates the click sensation is often manufactured with the same high precision as the bayonet mechanism, and deformation of the hood due to user gripping can affect the click sensation when attaching or detaching the hood, potentially reducing the quality perceived by the user.

[0009] The aforementioned prior literature states that a moderate amount of elasticity is necessary in the click mechanism to achieve a good click feel, but this does not address the deformation that occurs when gripping the hood.

[0010] While it might be possible to manufacture the lens hood using metal materials to minimize overall deformation, the complex shape would increase processing costs. Furthermore, manufacturing a click mechanism from metal is not practical; for example, a locking mechanism would be needed to secure the lens hood, but this would inevitably increase the number of parts.

[0011] Furthermore, lens hoods, which attach to the front of interchangeable lenses, are prone to contact with surrounding objects during shooting, making them susceptible to scratches and dents. A drawback of metal lens hoods is that these scratches and dents are more noticeable compared to those made of resin. Additionally, resin is preferable to metal in terms of weight.

[0012] This invention was made in view of these circumstances, and aims to provide a lens hood that can minimize deformation caused by user gripping. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] To achieve the above objective, the lens hood of the present invention is detachable from the lens barrel via a bayonet mechanism and comprises a resin hood body and a ring member made of a material of higher strength than the hood body, wherein the hood body has a press-fit surface near the object side of the bayonet mechanism, and the ring member is press-fitted into the press-fit surface.

[0014] Furthermore, in a lens hood implementing the present invention, the bayonet mechanism is preferably provided on a flange portion extending in the direction of the optical axis center on the inner circumferential surface of the hood body, and the ring member may abut against the flange portion in the direction of the optical axis. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the lens hood embodying the present invention, it is possible to provide a lens hood that can minimize deformation caused by user handling. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] A perspective view of the lens hood as seen from the subject side. [Figure 2] Disassembled perspective view of the lens hood. [Figure 3] A partial cross-sectional view showing the lens hood attached to the front of the lens barrel. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by this embodiment.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lens hood 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the subject side. In this figure, 100 represents the lens hood, 101 represents the hood body, 102 represents the bayonet mechanism, and 103 represents the ring member. The lens hood 100 can be arbitrarily attached and detached by the user when the sliding portions provided on the bayonet mechanism provided at the camera-side end and the bayonet mechanism provided at the subject-side tip of a lens barrel (not shown) slide and the claw portions engage with each other.

[0019] In the lens hood 100 of this embodiment, the hood body 101 and the bayonet mechanism 102 are integrally molded using a resin material. Further, the ring member 103 is made of a material having higher strength than the resin material used for molding the hood body 101 and the bayonet mechanism 102. As the material having higher strength, for example, metal (aluminum) can be used. The ring member 103 will be described in detail later.

[0020] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the lens hood 100. This figure shows the lens hood 100 in a state of being cut by a plane passing through the optical axis. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the lens hood 100 is attached to the tip of the lens barrel 200.

[0021] The resin hood body 101 has a press-fitting surface 101a at a predetermined position on the inner peripheral surface. This press-fitting surface 101a is provided over the entire circumference of the hood inner peripheral surface. Further, the hood body 101 has a flange portion 102a extending in the direction of the optical axis center over the entire circumference of the hood inner peripheral surface. The flange portion 102a is provided with a sliding portion (not shown), a claw portion (not shown), and a notch portion (not shown) that function as the bayonet mechanism 102 at its tip.

[0022] The ring member 103 is press-fitted from the subject side onto this press-fitting surface 101a. As can also be seen from FIG. 3, The press-fitting surface 101a and the flange portion 102a are adjacent in the optical axis direction. Therefore, the ring member 103 press-fitted on the subject side in the optical axis direction abuts against and is locked to the wall surface of the flange portion 102a in the optical axis direction.

[0023] As described above, the ring member 103 press-fitted into the hood body 101 is made of a material having higher strength than the material of the hood body 101. Thereby, compared with the case where the lens hood 100 is made of a single material such as resin, the strength increases, so that deformation of the lens hood 100 caused by the user's gripping can be suppressed to a small level. Furthermore, a change in the click feeling that may occur due to deformation of the lens hood 100 can be similarly suppressed to a small level.

[0024] Also, the ring member 103 press-fitted into the lens hood 100 is locked in the vicinity of the bayonet mechanism 102. Thereby, deformation in the bayonet mechanism 102 that directly affects deterioration of the sliding property and degradation of the click feeling quality during attachment and detachment can be more effectively suppressed to a small level. Also, since the deformation suppressing effect is sufficiently large, the size of the ring member 103 can be made smaller.

[0025] In the above-described embodiment, the ring member 103 was locked by abutting against the flange portion 102a, but it is not limited to this. As long as it is locked in the vicinity of the bayonet mechanism 102, the same effect of suppressing deformation of the lens hood 100 can be obtained.

[0026] As described above, according to the lens hood described in the present invention, for example, by press-fitting a ring member having higher strength than a resin-made hood body, deformation due to user gripping can be suppressed to a small level, and deterioration of the sliding property and degradation of the click feeling quality during hood attachment and detachment can be suppressed.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0027] 100 Lens hood 101 Hood body 101a Press-fit surface 102 Bayonet Mechanism 102a Flange section 103 Ring member 200 Lens barrel

Claims

1. A lens hood that can be attached to and detached from a lens barrel via a bayonet mechanism, comprising a resin hood body and a ring member made of a material of higher strength than the hood body, wherein the hood body has a press-fit surface near the object side of the bayonet mechanism, and the ring member is press-fitted into the press-fit surface.

2. The lens hood according to claim 1, characterized in that the bayonet mechanism is provided on a flange portion extending in the direction of the optical axis center on the inner circumferential surface of the hood body, and the ring member abuts against the flange portion in the direction of the optical axis.

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