Retractable Lens Barrel Alignment to Prevent Tilt and Eccentricity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lens barrels face challenges in achieving compactness while maintaining high optical performance due to issues such as lens tilting, wobbling, and eccentricity during the transition between image pickup and retracted states, with insufficient details on contact portions and moving guide structures.
Innovation Solution
A lens barrel design with a base lens barrel and a lens holding frame that abut on each other via contact surfaces in the image pickup state and separate in the retracted state, utilizing biasing members to guide movement in a direction different from the optical axis, ensuring precise alignment and preventing tilting and wobbling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lens holding frame and base movable barrel are fitted together with an outer diameter portion and inner diameter portion, then the lens holding frame can move relative to the base movable barrel, but a gap must be provided which causes fitting backlash and eccentricity, deteriorating optical performance
Solution Approach 1:
A guide member is introduced as an intermediary component between the lens holding frame and base movable barrel. The guide member includes a guide protrusion on the lens holding frame that fits into a guide groove on the base movable barrel, providing precise guiding movement while eliminating direct fitting backlash between the frame and barrel.
Solution Approach 2:
The moving guide structure is segmented into distinct components: the guide protrusion on the lens holding frame and the guide groove on the base movable barrel. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function while maintaining precise relative positioning.
2Volume of moving object
If the lens holding frame is made compact for miniaturization, then the overall lens barrel size is reduced, but the contact portion details are insufficient causing the lens holding frame to tilt and wobble
Solution Approach 1:
The contact portion is designed with an asymmetric L-shaped configuration rather than a simple point or line contact. This L-shaped contact surface provides both vertical support and horizontal positioning, preventing tilting and wobble while maintaining compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member acts as an intermediary that provides stable guidance without requiring large contact surfaces. The guide protrusion and groove arrangement ensures stable positioning of the lens holding frame while keeping the overall structure compact.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design provides a compact retractable lens barrel with maintained optical performance by accurately aligning lens units, reducing eccentricity, and preventing tilting, thus enhancing overall image quality.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member configured to bias the base lens barrel and the lens holding frame in a different direction from the optical axis direction such that the first contact surface and the second contact surface abut on each other
Data Source
AI summary
A lens barrel including: a base lens barrel; and a lens holding frame configured to hold a lens and be movably held in an optical axis direction relative to the base lens barrel, in which the base lens barrel has a first contact surface, and the lens holding frame has a second contact surface, in which the first contact surface and the second contact surface abut on each other in an image pickup state and separate from each other in the optical axis direction in a retracted state, in which the lens barrel includes a biasing member configured to bias the base lens barrel and the lens holding frame in a different direction from the optical axis direction such that the first contact surface and the second contact surface abut on each other.