Lens Barrel Miniaturization via Merged Cam and Guide Frame
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lens barrels face challenges in miniaturization due to the need to restrict tilting and movement of lens components while maintaining optical axis alignment and preventing eccentric errors.
Innovation Solution
The lens barrel design incorporates a movable frame with cam followers and guide protrusions that engage with cam grooves and guide grooves, respectively, to restrict tilting and facilitate miniaturization by reducing the number of guide grooves and optimizing the configuration of cam followers and grooves, allowing for precise movement and alignment of lens units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional lens barrel designs are used to restrict tilting and movement of lens components, then optical alignment is maintained, but the lens barrel size cannot be miniaturized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple guiding functions into a single guide frame structure. The guide frame integrates both tilting restriction and movement guidance functions that were previously handled by separate components, enabling miniaturization while maintaining optical alignment stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam frame and guide frame serve multiple functions simultaneously: the cam frame provides both tilting restriction through cam-follower engagement and positional guidance, while the guide frame provides movement guidance along the optical axis. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, enabling smaller lens barrel design.
2Volume of moving object
If multiple guide grooves are provided for each lens unit, then tilting and movement are restricted, but the number of parts increases and miniaturization becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple guide grooves that would traditionally be provided for each lens unit are merged into a single shared guide frame. This guide frame contains guide grooves that accommodate cam followers from multiple lens units simultaneously, reducing the total number of guide grooves and parts while maintaining effective tilting and movement restriction.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide frame is designed as a universal component that serves multiple lens units. A single guide frame with appropriately positioned guide grooves can guide cam followers from different lens units, making the guide frame a multi-functional element that reduces overall device complexity.
3Reliability
If conventional cam and guide configurations are used, then lens unit movement is controlled, but the load on the barrel increases and rattling or detachment may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The cam frame and guide frame are combined into an integrated structure that distributes mechanical loads more effectively. By merging these components, the load from multiple lens units is shared across a unified structure rather than individual components, reducing the force burden on each component and preventing rattling or detachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam-follower mechanism provides dynamic control of lens unit movement. The cam profile is designed to guide the followers through precise motion paths that maintain stable engagement throughout the zoom range, ensuring continuous contact and preventing rattling while controlling the dynamic forces acting on the lens units.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure aims to miniaturize a lens barrel. The lens barrel includes: a movable frame which has two cam followers provided in a circumferential direction about an optical axis and two guide protrusions arranged along an optical axis direction; a cam frame having two cam grooves with which the two cam followers of the movable frame are engaged respectively; and a guide frame having one guide groove with which the two guide protrusions are engaged. The two cam followers and the two guide protrusions restrict tilting of the movable frame with respect to the cam frame and the guide frame.