Zoom Lens Barrel Assembly 2-Step Design

The patent merges the functions of multiple barrels into a single integrated barrel structure. The first and second lens groups are positioned within the same barrel, which can move relative to the third lens group to achieve zooming. This consolidation reduces the number of separate barrels from three to one, directly addressing the complexity issue while maintaining the five magnification zooming capability through coordinated movement of lens groups within the unified barrel structure.

The patent applies nesting by placing the first and second lens groups within the same barrel, which is then nested within the camera housing. The barrel containing multiple lens groups moves relative to the third lens group, creating a compact nested arrangement. This nesting strategy allows the zoom mechanism to achieve five magnification zooming while minimizing the overall thickness of the lens barrel assembly, as the lens groups are arranged in a space-efficient nested configuration rather than requiring separate barrels stacked along the optical axis.

The patent employs dynamic movement of the barrel containing the first and second lens groups relative to the third lens group. As the barrel moves along the optical axis during zooming, the lens groups within it dynamically adjust their positions to maintain proper optical relationships. This dynamic arrangement allows a single-barrel design to achieve five magnification zooming performance comparable to traditional 3-barrel designs, as the relative movement creates the necessary optical path changes without requiring multiple separate barrels.