JP2001166350A - Device provided with vibration-proof function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate operation for setting a correction optical system from a locked state to an unlocked state and to simplify a function therefor. SOLUTION: This device is provided with the correction optical system 13 for correcting image blurring caused by shake, a holding member 14 holding the correction optical system, the operation member which is operated to the unlocked state shown as a state from a 1st position to a 2nd position (state of figure 4 (b)) when it is engaged with the member 14 so that the optical system 13 is made in the locked state where its vibration proof state is not attained, whereby it is not engaged with the member 14 so that the optical system 13 is made in the unlocked state where its vibration-proof state is attained, and an energizing member 11 moving the operation member from the 2nd position to the 1st position by releasing the operational force of the operation member by a user.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a device having a vibration damping function such as a camera.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, photographing apparatuses such as still cameras and video cameras have become increasingly multifunctional. In addition to an automatic exposure function and an automatic focus detection function, an image blur correction function for correcting camera shake added to the photographing apparatus has been provided. Have been put to practical use.

[0003] A shake correction function generally used in the field of cameras and the like detects a shake state of a camera using a shake sensor.
Based on the shake information, a part of the correction lens of the photographing optical system is driven by an actuator to suppress image shake on an image forming plane.

When the shake correction function is used, the correction lens must be driven and controlled in accordance with shake information. When the shake correction control is completed, the correction lens must be locked at a predetermined position. No. Therefore, normally, the correction lens is locked at a predetermined position, and when the shake correction function is operated, the lock of the correction lens is released, and when the shake correction function is terminated, the lock mechanism locks the correction lens at the predetermined position. However, it is provided in a photographing apparatus having a shake correction function.

[0005] By the way, the apparatus having the image blur correction function as described above has the following disadvantages.

1) In addition to a driving actuator for driving the correction lens, a locking actuator for accurately locking the correction lens at a predetermined position is required.
The control of the shake correction function becomes complicated, and the power consumption increases.

2) Since there are many actuators, the number of parts is large and the cost is high, and the mechanism is not suitable for downsizing.

In view of the above points, the present applicant has filed Japanese Patent Application No. Hei.
No. 142175 proposes an anti-vibration device having a structure in which a switch operation of a photographer becomes a lock operation of a shake correction optical system without using a lock actuator. According to this proposal, the power switch of the anti-vibration device is a slide type switch, and the power of the anti-vibration device is turned on / off by sliding in a direction perpendicular or parallel to the optical axis of the optical system. are doing. Also,
A part of the slide switch is engaged with the locking means of the shake correction optical system, so that a lock and an unlock operation can be performed. With this type of lock mechanism, the lock actuator can be eliminated, and cost reduction and downsizing can be achieved.

[0009]

However, such a vibration isolator also has the following problems.

A) Locking is not performed unless the photographer returns the slide switch to OFF, so that the photographer must sequentially perform ON / OFF switch operations in a timely manner, which is troublesome.

B) When trying to lock, the correction lens during image stabilization drive is pulled back to the lock position by the switch operation force of the photographer, and a load is applied to the drive system.

C) The slide switch operation is difficult to operate.

(Object of the Invention) A first object of the present invention is to facilitate an operation for setting a correction optical system from a locked state to an unlocked state and to simplify a mechanism for the operation. It is an object of the present invention to provide a device with an anti-vibration function.

A second object of the present invention is to activate a means used for driving and controlling the correction optical system in advance,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device with a vibration proof function that can perform accurate vibration correction immediately after the correction optical system is unlocked.

A third object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus with an anti-vibration function capable of smoothly performing an operation for changing a correction optical system from a locked state to an unlocked state.

[0016]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the first object, the invention according to claim 1 provides a correction optical system for correcting an image blur caused by a shake, and a correction optical system for correcting the image shake. A holding member to be held and, when engaged with the holding member, the correction optical system is in a locked state where image stabilization is impossible, and is operated from a first position to a second position, whereby the holding member Is a disengaged relationship, an operating member for bringing the correction optical system into an unlockable state in which vibration compensation is possible, and an operating force by a user of the operating member is released, whereby the operating member is moved to the second position. And a biasing member for moving from the position to the first position.

Further, in order to achieve the second object,
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a position detecting means for detecting a position of the operating member, and the position detecting means detecting that the operating member is being operated from the first position to the second position. By doing so, at least one of the means used for driving the correction optical system and controlling the correction optical system is activated, thereby providing the device with a vibration proof function according to claim 1.

In order to achieve the third object,
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a position detecting means for detecting a position of the operating member, and the position detecting means detecting that the operating member is being operated from the first position to the second position. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the correction optical system is positioned at a movable center.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing only a main part of a single-lens reflex camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. The single-lens reflex camera includes an interchangeable lens 1 and a camera body 2. The interchangeable lens 1 is equipped with a motor for autofocus, a stepping motor for controlling the aperture, and the like, but these are omitted in FIG. 1 to simplify the description.

The interchangeable lens 1 is equipped with an optical system for vibration reduction and a mechanism for driving the optical system. As an optical system for image stabilization, a part of a photographing lens (a correction lens described later) is moved in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis,
A shift image stabilizing optical system for stabilizing a captured image is used.
The shake correction mechanism for driving the two shift sensors includes two shake detection sensors 3p and 3y for detecting camera shake, and two shift driving actuators 4p for driving a correction lens.
4y, two position detecting sensors 5p and 5y for detecting the position of the correction lens. Then, the O of the shake correction mechanism
An anti-vibration switch ring 6 for determining N / OFF and control contents is provided. There is a lens CPU 7 and a camera CPU 8 mounted on the camera body 2.
The camera body 2 and the interchangeable lens 1 communicate necessary information and data through the electrical contacts 9 and share and control the entire camera.

Next, the operation of the components shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

The shake in the pitch direction and the shake in the yaw direction of the camera are detected by shake detection sensors 3p and 3y arranged in directions corresponding to the respective directions, and the CPU 7 in the lens controls the shift driver 10 based on the shake detection signals. Then, the shift driving actuators 4p and 4y are driven via the controller to shift the correction lens in a direction (pitch and yaw direction) orthogonal to the optical axis to start image blur correction. Further, the position of the correction lens is detected by using the position detection sensors 5p and 5y, and based on the position signal, the shift driving actuator 4p is detected.
Feedback control of p and 4y is performed.

Next, the anti-vibration switch ring 6 for activating the anti-shake mechanism will be described.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the camera for explaining a method of operating the image stabilizing switch ring 6. When the photographer takes a picture while looking through the viewfinder of the camera, when the camera shake is a concern, the image blur correction function is activated by rotating the anti-vibration switch ring 6 in the direction of the arrow in the figure. I have. Then, when the photographer releases his / her hand from the anti-vibration switch ring 6, the anti-vibration switch ring 6 automatically returns to the original position.

FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of the mechanism of the vibration-proof switch ring 6.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the shake correction function is OFF (locked state), and the anti-vibration switch ring 6 is biased to the fixed portion 12 by the urging force (urging torque) of the spring 11. It is in the state that it is. Engaging portions 14a, 14b, 14c of lens holding frame 14 holding correction lens 13
Are the engaging portions 6a, 6 of the outer diameter side anti-vibration switch ring 6.
b, 6c, and the lens holding frame 14 is locked with an appropriate play so that the rotation of the vibration isolation switch ring 6 can be performed. Therefore, when the anti-vibration switch ring 6 is rotated from the locked state of FIG. 3 as shown in FIG. 4 (a) to FIG. 4 (b), the lens holding frame 14 is held so as not to rotate. At the position shown in FIG. 4 (a), it is separated from the engaging portions 6a, 6b, 6c shown in FIG. 3 (in the middle of unlocking).

When the rotation operation is further performed, the lens holding frame 1
The engagement portions 14a, 14b, and 14c of 4 are disengaged because they have the same angle in the rotation direction as the non-engagement portions 6A, 6B, and 6C of the anti-vibration switch ring 6, and are in an unlocked state. When further rotated, the fixing portion 12 is moved to the position shown in FIG.
And the unlock end 6D of the anti-vibration switch ring 6 abuts, so that the rotation operation cannot be performed any more. In this way, the photographer can rotate the anti-vibration switch ring 6 against the urging force of the spring 11 to bring the unlocked state.

When the photographer releases his / her hand from the anti-vibration switch ring 6, the anti-vibration switch ring 6 is pulled back counterclockwise by the urging force of the spring 11, and
Rotate to the position where 2 and the lock end 6E abut,
As a result, the lens holding frame 14 is locked around the optical axis.

The urging force of the spring 11 is determined by the weight of the part to be locked, so that the interchangeable lens shifts to the locked state only by the urging force of the spring 11 regardless of the posture of the whole interchangeable lens. The value is determined as much as possible. Further, if the biasing force is too large, the switch operation of the photographer becomes too heavy, so that the biasing force is determined sensuously to such an extent that human operation is easy.

A means for detecting an operation angle is attached to the vibration-proof switch ring 6 to detect a rotation angle. In this embodiment, the angle is detected by a metal brush 15 attached to a rotating anti-vibration switch ring 6 as shown in FIG. 3 and a flexible printed board 16 attached to a fixed portion (not shown). ing.

The detection of the angle will be described in detail with reference to FIG. Three end portions 15a, 15b, 1 of the brush 15
5c slides on the copper pattern patterns Z1, Z0, COM of the flexible printed circuit board 16 while receiving an appropriate pressure. The flexible printed circuit board 16 is provided with a coverlay opening 16a, and the metallic brush 15 slides to change the electrical continuity with the copper plating patterns Z1, Z0, COM.

Accordingly, FIGS. 3 to 4B and 4B
When the anti-vibration switch ring 6 rotates up to
The position 5 changes the contact positions of P1, P2, P3, P4, and P5. The brush tip 15c is always in contact with the copper plating pattern COM. The brush tip 15b is in non-contact between the copper plating pattern Z0 and P1 and P2, is in contact between P2 and P4, and is in contact with P4 to P4.
There is no contact during 5.

The brush tip 15a is in contact with the copper plating pattern Z1 and between P1 and P3.
There is no contact during 5. Therefore, when the copper-copper pattern COM and the copper-copper patterns Z1 and Z0 are in a conductive state, they are set to “1”, and when they are not in a conductive state, they are set to “0”. In the conceptual diagram shown in FIG. Can be detected as four regions (region to region).

Therefore, when operating the anti-vibration function, the anti-vibration switch ring 6 is rotated to change the area from area to area. The area is changing. Signals of "1" and "0" indicating this conduction state are sent to the CPU in the lens.
7, the CPU 7 in the lens can sequentially grasp the area where the lens is located as shown in FIG.

The control method of the shake correction function in each area will be described.

The areas (P1 and P2) are provided with a shake correction function O
This is the area of the FF. The area (P2 to P3) is an area where the anti-vibration function starts, and the vibration detection sensor 3 such as a vibration gyro
Activate p and 3y to start initialization and activate the position detection sensors 5p and 5y. However, this is an area in which the shift driving actuators 4p and 4y are not driven.

In the areas (P3 to P4), the shift driving actuators 4p and 4y are driven based on the outputs of the activated position detection sensors 5p and 5y to raise the correction lens 13 to substantially the center of the optical axis (to resist gravity). Control).
This control makes it easier to rotate the anti-vibration switch ring 6, and enables smooth unlocking. At the position P6 in this area, the engagement between the lens holding frame 14 and the anti-vibration switch ring 6 is released, and the state shifts to the unlocked state. Since this region is a transition region between the locked state and the unlocked state, the vibration correcting function is not activated, but the correction lens 13 is moved to the optical axis center (movable center).
It only performs the control to keep holding in

The region is a region where the shake correction function is operated, and the shift correction actuators 4p and 4y are driven based on the outputs of the shake detection sensors 3p and 3y to perform shake correction control. The position of the correction lens 13 is fed back to the in-lens CPU 7 using the position detection sensors 5p and 5y, so that the shake correction is accurately performed.

When the photographer releases his / her hand from the anti-vibration switch ring 6, the urging force of the spring 11 causes the anti-vibration switch ring 6 to release.
Is pulled back and returns from region to region. In this area, the correction lens 13 is held at the center of the optical axis in the area, and the lens holding frame 14 is locked at the rotation angle (position P6) in the middle. Then, when moving to the area, the shift driving actuators 4p and 4y are stopped. Then, when entering the region, the shake detection sensors 3p, 3
y and the position detection sensors 5p and 5y are stopped.

Next, the operation of the CPU 7 in the lens for detecting the position of the anti-vibration switch ring 6 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

Step # 100 is a state in which the interchangeable lens 1 is mounted on the camera body 2 and the main power is turned on. When the process proceeds to step # 101 from this state, it is determined here whether the anti-vibration switch ring 6 is located in the area, and when it is located in the area, this step # 101 is repeated. Thereafter, when it is determined that the anti-vibration switch ring 6 is not located in the area, the process proceeds to step # 102. Here, it is determined whether or not the anti-vibration switch ring 6 is located in the area. Proceed to # 105, and shake detection sensors 3p, 3y
Then, the position detection sensors 5p and 5y are activated to bring the shake correction function into the initial preparation state. Then, the process returns to step # 101.

If it is determined in step # 102 that the anti-vibration switch ring 6 is not located in the area, the process proceeds to step # 103, where it is determined whether the anti-vibration switch ring 6 is located in the area. If it is located in the area, the process proceeds to step # 106, in which the shift driving actuators 4p and 4y are driven to perform control to maintain the position of the correction lens 13 substantially at the center of the optical axis. Then, the process returns to step # 101.

If it is determined in step # 103 that the anti-vibration switch ring 6 is not located in the area, the process proceeds to step # 104, in which it is determined whether the anti-vibration switch ring 6 is located in the area. If it is located in the area, the process proceeds to step # 107, and the shake detection sensor 3
By driving the shift drive actuators 4p and 4y based on the signals of p and 3y, the shake of the image to be shot is corrected. Then, the process returns to step # 101.

That is, as long as the anti-vibration switch ring 6 is kept pressed in the unlocked state, the process proceeds to step # 101.
# 102 → # 103 → # 104 → # 107 → # 101 ...
, And the shake correction function continues to operate. Conversely, when the anti-vibration switch ring 6 is returned to the locked state and positioned, the flow becomes a closed flow in which step # 101 is repeated, and the shake correction function is not functioning at all.

According to the above embodiment, it is possible to lock and unlock the correction lens 13 for shake correction by rotating the image stabilization switch ring 6.
When the photographer releases his / her hand from the anti-vibration lock ring 6, the lock state is reliably returned to by the urging force of the spring. Therefore, there is no need to provide a locking actuator as in the related art, and the number of parts, cost, and power consumption can be reduced, and the size of the device can be reduced.

Further, since the rotation angle of the anti-vibration switch ring is detected, and the control of the shake correction function at that angle is set to an appropriate control, the shift to the release operation and the lock operation at the time of unlocking is performed. It can be done smoothly. In particular, the control of the shake correction function is started before the lock is released, and in the transition area, the correction lens is held substantially at the center of the optical axis, so that the operation load at the time of transition is reduced and based on the stable output. Anti-vibration control can be performed, and a switch operation without a sense of discomfort can be performed. Conversely, when shifting to unlocking, the same effect can be obtained by holding the correction lens substantially at the center of the optical axis in the shift region.

[0048]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the operation for setting the correction optical system from the locked state to the unlocked state is facilitated, and a mechanism for that is provided. And a device with a vibration-proof function that can simplify the above.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the means used for driving and controlling the correction optical system is activated in advance, and accurate vibration correction is performed immediately after the correction optical system is unlocked. It is possible to provide a device with an anti-vibration function capable of performing the following.

Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an apparatus with an anti-vibration function which can smoothly perform an operation for changing the correction optical system from the locked state to the unlocked state. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a main part of a single-lens reflex camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view for explaining a method of operating an anti-vibration switch ring according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of an anti-vibration switch ring according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state when a vibration isolating switch ring according to one embodiment of the present invention is rotated.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a relationship between a flexible printed board and a brush according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a method of detecting a rotation angle of the vibration-proof switch ring according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a correspondence between an angle region and a region signal in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of control by operating an anti-vibration switch ring according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 camera body 2 interchangeable lens 3p, 3y shake detection sensor 4p, 4y shift drive actuator 5p, 5y position detection sensor 6 anti-vibration switch ring 11 spring 14 lens holding frame 15 brush 16 flexible printed circuit board

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A correcting optical system for correcting an image blur caused by a shake, a holding member for holding the correcting optical system, and a lock that engages with the holding member to prevent the correcting optical system from being shake-proof. When in the state, the operation is performed from the first position to the second position so that the correction optical system is disengaged from the holding member, and the correction optical system is unlocked to be in a vibration-proof state. And a biasing member for moving the operation member from the second position to the first position when the operation force of the operation member by a user is released. Attached device. 2. A position detecting means for detecting a position of the operating member, wherein the position detecting means detects that the operating member is being operated from a first position to a second position. 2. The device with a vibration-proof function according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the means used for driving and controlling the correction optical system is activated. 3. A position detecting means for detecting a position of the operating member, and the position detecting means detecting that the operating member is being operated from a first position to a second position. 3. The device with an anti-vibration function according to claim 1, wherein the correction optical system is positioned at a movable center. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the correcting optical system corrects a shake by moving in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the photographing optical system. apparatus. 5. A device used for driving and controlling the correction optical system, a driving unit for driving the correction unit, a position detection unit for detecting a position of the correction optical system,
3. The device with a vibration-proof function according to claim 2, wherein the device is a shake detecting means for detecting a shake. 6. The device with a vibration damping function according to claim 1, wherein the operation member is a member that is rotated by a user.