Lens Barrel Gear Repositioning for Compact Layout
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing lens barrel designs for imaging devices are inefficient and bulky due to interference between actuators and gears, leading to a less compact layout.
Innovation Solution
A lens barrel design featuring a first frame, a second frame, and a moving frame with a drive actuator mounted on the first frame, where the gear component is positioned in the middle of the second frame's main body component in the optical axis direction, allowing for effective use of space and reducing the size of the lens barrel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the gear component is formed at the end of the support frame on the first frame side, then the actuator and gear can be disposed separately, but the lens barrel becomes bulky and layout efficiency decreases due to interference between actuator and gear
Solution Approach 1:
The gear component is repositioned from the end of the support frame to the middle of the main body component in the optical axis direction, utilizing the radial and axial dimensions more effectively. This dimensional repositioning allows the actuator to be disposed in the newly created space without interfering with the gear, thereby improving layout efficiency while maintaining compact lens barrel dimensions
2Ease of operation
If the gear component is formed on the end of the second frame on the opposite side from the first frame, then the actuator can be disposed near the end of the support frame, but the actuator components meshing with the gear become larger in the optical axis direction
Solution Approach 1:
The gear component is positioned in the middle of the main body component in the optical axis direction, which changes the spatial relationship between the actuator and gear. This repositioning allows the actuator components to mesh with the gear at a more favorable location, reducing their size in the optical axis direction while still enabling proper actuator disposal and functionality
Data Source
AI summary
An interchangeable lens unit comprises a lens housing, a cam frame, and a zoom drive unit. The zoom drive unit is mounted to the lens housing, and rotationally drives the cam frame with respect to the lens housing. The lens housing has a substantially cylindrical main body component and a gear component that is disposed on the inner peripheral face of the main body component and to which the drive force of the zoom drive unit is transmitted. The gear component is disposed substantially in the middle of the main body component in the optical axis direction.