Manual Zoom Ring Drive With Adjustable Lens Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional accessory coupling devices for camera lenses face issues with mounting due to imbalance when the lens barrel length is large, and they are limited to specific focus rings, making them incompatible with varying lens barrel diameters and lengths.
Innovation Solution
A manually operated ring drive device with a first guide unit that slides in the optical axis direction, a second guide unit that slides perpendicular to the axis, and a drive gear that rotates the manually operated ring, allowing for stable mounting regardless of lens barrel diameter and length.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If three supporting arms are used to support the lens barrel, then mounting is possible regardless of the outside diameter of the lens barrel, but mounting becomes impossible when the lens barrel length is large due to imbalance
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm's position along the optical axis is made adjustable rather than fixed. The support arm can be moved to different positions to change the support point location, allowing the device to adapt to lens barrels of various lengths while maintaining proper balance and mounting stability.
2Reliability
If a fixing screw is threaded into a dedicated screw hole provided to the focus ring, then the focus ring can be fixed, but the device can only be used with a dedicated focus ring
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing mechanism is designed to work with multiple types of focus rings rather than being dedicated to a single type. The support arm and fixing screw configuration can accommodate different focus ring designs, making the device universally applicable across various lens configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
A zoom ring drive device (10) comprises a guide unit (11), a guide unit (14), a drive gear (21), and a DC motor (23). The guide unit (11) slides in the optical axis direction of a lens (L1) included in the lens barrel (32). The guide unit (14) is provided to the guide unit (11) and slides in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction. The drive gear (21) is provided in the guide unit (14) at a position where the drive gear comes into contact with a ring gear (25) wound around a zoom ring (33), and rotates in a state of being in contact with the ring gear (25) to rotate the zoom ring (33). The DC motor (23) is provided to the guide unit (14) and rotationally drives the drive gear (21).