JP2005351930A - Lens unit and digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lens unit hardly made large in size even when it is superposed on another member and to provide a digital camera to be easily miniaturized. <P>SOLUTION: The digital camera (1) has an imaging optical system constituted of three lens groups (21, 22 and 23) and a prism (24) and arranged so that its optical axis may turn in an up-and-down direction. Two lens groups (22 and 23) can move in an optical axis direction, and motors (42 and 43) moving the lens groups (22 and 23) and guide shafts (36, 37 and 38) guiding their movement are housed in a lens barrel (50) together with the lens groups (22 and 23). The lens barrel (50) has a 1st section (51) in which the lens groups (22 and 23) are housed and a 2nd section (52) in which the motors (42 and 43) are housed, and the 2nd section (52) is thinner than the 1st section (51). A display part (15) is arranged to be partially superposed on the 2nd section (52). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

   The present invention relates to a lens unit including a movable lens group and a digital camera.

  The camera is equipped with several lenses to form an image of the light from the object to be photographed, in order to prevent external unnecessary light from being mixed into the light from the object to be photographed and to facilitate handling as a whole. The lens is housed in a lens barrel. Some lenses are fixed, while others are movable in the optical axis direction, such as for focus adjustment and zoom.

  Conventionally, a spiral screw is provided on the inner surface of the lens barrel, a screw that engages with the lens barrel screw is provided on the lens frame that holds the lens, and the lens is moved in the optical axis direction by rotating the lens barrel. I was trying to let them. In such a configuration in which the lens is moved by the rotation of the lens barrel, the rotating lens barrel is inevitably formed in a cylindrical shape, which is limited in shape and large enough to accommodate the entire lens frame of the movable lens. It is difficult to reduce the size.

  Furthermore, if a drive unit such as a motor for driving the movable lens is arranged in the lens barrel, the size of the lens barrel is further increased. Therefore, the drive unit needs to be arranged outside the lens barrel. At this time, if the drive unit is arranged on the side of the lens barrel, the total size of the lens barrel and the drive unit increases in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens, and the drive unit extends the lens barrel. If arranged above, the overall size increases in the optical axis direction of the lens.

  Therefore, a rod-shaped drive shaft provided with a spiral screw on the outer peripheral surface is arranged in parallel to the optical axis of the lens, and a screw that engages with the screw of the drive shaft is provided on the lens frame to rotate the drive shaft. The lens is moved by this. In this case, it is necessary to prevent the inclination and displacement of the optical axis. For this purpose, it is common to provide a guide shaft parallel to the optical axis of the lens and to provide a through hole through which the guide shaft passes in the lens frame. In this configuration, there is no restriction on the shape of the lens barrel, and a drive unit that rotates the drive shaft can be arranged in the lens barrel together with the drive shaft and the guide shaft, so that the overall size can be easily suppressed. Become.

In JP-A-8-292358, a driving unit that drives a lens for focus adjustment and a driving unit that drives a lens for zooming are provided, and these two driving units are arranged on the same straight line, thereby providing a lens. The size in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis is suppressed.
JP-A-8-292358

  Generally, the camera is set so that the optical axis of the lens faces in the front-rear direction (the direction connecting the camera and the object to be photographed), but with this setting, it is difficult to suppress the camera thickness (size in the front-rear direction). . Therefore, in recent years, it has been proposed to set most of the optical axis of the lens perpendicular to the front-rear direction by bending the optical axis of the lens at a right angle by a prism or mirror. In this setting, the thickness of the camera can theoretically be reduced to a little larger than the maximum lens diameter. There is no mention of the shape of the lens barrel in the above publication, but when the drive unit of the movable lens is arranged in the lens barrel, the cross section of the lens barrel viewed from the optical axis direction of the lens is a rectangle, and the longitudinal direction is If the drive unit and the lens are arranged in a vertical direction, the thickness of the camera can be minimized.

  However, since the camera has many members other than the lens and its lens barrel, if the majority of the optical axis of the lens is set perpendicular to the front-rear direction to reduce the thickness, the other members The presence results in an increase in the size in the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction. For example, in a digital camera, a display device such as a liquid crystal display is provided to display a captured image. However, if the lens barrel and the display device do not overlap in the front-rear direction, the size in the left-right direction or the up-down direction can be increased. The size of the display device and the size of the lens barrel must be greater than or equal to each other. If the cross section of the lens barrel is rectangular and the lens barrel and the display device overlap each other, the thickness of the camera will naturally be greater than the sum of the thickness of the lens barrel and the display device.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a lens unit that does not easily increase in size even when overlapped with other members, and a digital camera that can be easily reduced in size. .

  To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, at least one lens group, at least one lens frame for individually holding the lens group, and the lens frame are supported so as to be movable in the optical axis direction of the lens group. A guide shaft, at least one drive unit that individually moves the lens frame, a mirror that accommodates the lens group, the lens frame, the guide shaft, and the drive unit, and supports the guide shaft and the drive unit. In the lens unit comprising a cylinder, the lens barrel has a first section and a second section arranged in a direction perpendicular to the guide shaft, and the lens frame is accommodated in the first section. The guide shaft is accommodated in either the first compartment or the second compartment, the drive unit is accommodated in the second compartment, and is perpendicular to the guide shaft, and the first compartment and the second compartment. In a direction perpendicular to the direction connecting Second magnitude of the compartment that is, a smaller configuration than the size of the first compartment in that direction.

  The lens barrel of this lens unit has a first section that houses the lens frame together with the lens, and a second section that houses the drive unit, and is perpendicular to the direction connecting both sections and perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens group. The size in one direction is not the same in the first section and the second section, and the second section is smaller. Therefore, when overlapping with other members, the increase in the overall size in the overlapping direction can be suppressed or eliminated by overlapping in the second section of the lens barrel.

  Here, it is preferable that the plurality of driving units be set on the same straight line parallel to the guide shaft. If it does in this way, the magnitude | size about the direction which ties a 1st division and a 2nd division can be made small irrespective of the number of drive parts.

  The drive unit includes a drive shaft having a spiral screw formed on an outer peripheral surface, the lens frame includes a screw that engages with a screw of the drive shaft of the drive unit, and the drive unit is connected to the drive shaft. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the lens frame is moved by rotation.

  Two guide shafts, one guide shaft is housed in the second compartment, the other guide shaft is housed in the first compartment, and the lens group is positioned between the two guide shafts It is good to do. In this way, the posture of the lens frame can be stabilized while suppressing an increase in size.

  The second section projects beyond the first section in a direction parallel to the guide axis, and further on the extension of the first section in the direction parallel to the guide axis and to the side of the second section. It can also be set as the structure which has these.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention also provides at least one lens group, at least one lens frame for individually holding the lens group, and the lens frame movable in the optical axis direction of the lens group. A guide shaft to be supported, at least one drive unit that individually moves the lens frame, the lens group, the lens frame, the guide shaft, and the drive unit are accommodated, and the guide shaft and the drive unit are supported. In a digital camera including a lens barrel and an imaging device that receives light guided by the lens group and captures an image, the lens barrel is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the guide shaft and a second section The lens frame is housed in the first compartment, the guide shaft is housed in either the first compartment or the second compartment, and the drive unit is housed in the second compartment. To the optical axis of the lens group And vertically, and the magnitude of the second compartment in a direction perpendicular to the direction connecting the first compartment and a second compartment, a smaller configuration than the size of the first compartment in that direction.

  The lens barrel of this digital camera is smaller in the second section that houses the drive unit than in the first section that houses the lens frame, in the direction perpendicular to the direction connecting the two and perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens. . Therefore, by overlapping another member on the second section of the lens barrel, the first section and the second section are suppressed while suppressing an increase in the overall size of the lens barrel and the other members in the overlapping direction. It is possible to reduce the size of the direction connecting the two.

  Here, there are two guide shafts, one guide shaft is accommodated in the second compartment, the other guide shaft is accommodated in the first compartment, and the lens group is located between the two guide shafts. It is good to have a configuration to be positioned. In this way, the posture of the lens frame can be stabilized while suppressing an increase in size.

  The first section and the second section are overlapped with the second section when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the guide axis and perpendicular to the direction connecting the first section and the second section. It is also possible to have a configuration having at least a part of any one of the battery housing portion, the display portion, the recording medium housing portion, the circuit board, and the operation portion at a position overlapping the first section when viewed from the connecting direction.

  The digital camera has a function as a mobile phone, and is a second compartment as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the guide axis and perpendicular to a direction connecting the first compartment and the second compartment. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a member having a function as a mobile phone is arranged at a position overlapping with the first section when viewed from the direction connecting the first section and the second section.

  In the lens unit of the present invention, the size of the first section and the second section of the lens barrel is not the same in the direction perpendicular to the direction connecting both sections and perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens group. Since the compartment is smaller, by overlapping another member on the second compartment, an increase in the overall size in the overlapping direction can be suppressed or eliminated.

  In the digital camera of the present invention, the size of the first section and the second section of the lens barrel is not the same in the direction perpendicular to the direction connecting both sections and perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens group. Since the two sections are smaller, the other sections are overlapped with the second section, and the increase in the overall size of the lens barrel and the other members in the overlapping direction is suppressed, and the first section The size in the direction connecting the second sections can be reduced. Therefore, it becomes a compact digital camera.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. An appearance of the digital camera 1 according to the first embodiment is schematically shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, (a) is a front view, (b) is a rear view, and a dotted line represents an internal lens barrel described later.

  The digital camera 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 10 whose shortest side is about a fraction of the other side. During normal shooting, the direction of the shortest side of the housing 10 ( 1 is the front-rear direction, the longest side direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) is left-right direction, and the side direction between them (up-down direction in FIG. 1) is up-down direction. It is set to be gripped by the user in a state of facing. Hereinafter, the front and rear, left and right, and top and bottom directions are determined based on this state. Note that the range captured by the digital camera 1 is a rectangle, and normal shooting means that an erect user shoots a long rectangular range on the side of the front and horizontally.

  The digital camera 1 has an objective window 11, a finder front window 12a, a flash light emitting unit 13, a self-timer lamp 14 on the front, a finder rear window 12b, a display unit 15, a mode setting switch 16, a cursor button 17, and a plurality of buttons. The operation key 18 has a release button 19 on the upper surface.

  The objective window 11 can be opened and closed. When the objective window 11 is opened, a first lens group included in an imaging optical system described later is exposed. The finder windows 12a and 12b provide an optical image of the shooting target, and the flash light emitting unit 13 emits flash light that illuminates the shooting target. The self-timer lamp 14 is lit to indicate that preparation for self-timer shooting is in progress.

  The display unit 15 includes a liquid crystal display, and displays various information such as the setting status of the digital camera 1 and operation guidance in addition to the photographed image. The mode setting switch 16 is a slide type and is used for setting an operation mode of the digital camera 1. The digital camera 1 has a still image shooting mode for shooting and recording a still image, a moving image shooting mode for shooting and recording a movie, and a playback mode for playing back and displaying the recorded image. In the vicinity of the switch 16, marks representing the respective modes are marked.

  The cursor button 17 has four contacts on the top, bottom, left, and right, and is used to move the cursor displayed on the display unit 15. The digital camera 1 includes a zoom lens as an imaging optical system, and the cursor button 17 is also used for adjusting the focal length. The operation keys 18 are used for settings related to functions of the digital camera 1 such as switching of items to be displayed on the display unit 15 and selection of displayed items. The release button 19 operates in two stages, and is used for an instruction for preparing to shoot an image to be recorded and an instruction to shoot an image to be recorded. The digital camera 1 has automatic focusing (AF) and automatic exposure control (AE) functions, and performs AF and AE in preparation for shooting.

  The internal configuration of the digital camera 1 is schematically shown in FIGS. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the focal length of the imaging optical system is the shortest, and FIG. 3 shows a state in which the focal length of the imaging optical system is the longest. In these drawings, (a) is a front sectional view, (b) is a plan sectional view, and (c) and (d) are side sectional views. In addition, in (a) and (b), a part of components on another surface are shown superimposed on a cross-sectional view on a single surface.

  The digital camera 1 includes an imaging optical system including a first lens group 21, a second lens group 22, a third lens group 23, and a prism 24 in an enclosure 10, an imaging element 25 such as a CCD area sensor, and the like. In this case, the light from the object to be imaged is imaged on the image sensor 25 by the imaging optical system, and the light is converted into an electrical signal by the image sensor 25, thereby taking an image. The imaging optical system and the imaging element 25 are disposed in the vicinity of the end of the housing 10 in the left-right direction.

  A signal output from the image sensor 25 is processed by a circuit (not shown) to be image data representing a captured image. Image data can be recorded on a removable recording medium 26a. Inside the housing 10, there are provided a recording medium storage chamber 26 for storing the recording medium 26 a and a battery storage chamber 27 for storing a battery 27 a that supplies power to each unit that operates with electric power.

  The image sensor 25 is fixed to the housing 10. The third lens group 23 is disposed between the first lens group 21 and the imaging element 25, and the second lens group 22 is disposed between the first lens group 21 and the third lens group 23. ing. In FIG. 2, the second lens group 22 and the third lens group 23 are each represented as one lens, but each of these lens groups 22 and 23 includes a plurality of lenses.

  Some of the lens groups 21a included in the first lens group 21 are set so that the optical axis thereof faces in the front-rear direction, and the other lens groups 21b included in the first lens group 21 The axis is set so as to be orthogonal to the optical axis of the lens group 21a and to face in the vertical direction.

  The prism 24 is a triangular prism having a right-angled isosceles triangle, and one of two surfaces orthogonal to each other is opposed to the lens group 21a, the other is opposed to the lens group 21b, and a slope is formed from the lens group 21a. It is located on the intersection of the optical axis and the optical axis of the lens group 21b, and is arranged at 45 ° to the optical axis of the lens group 21a and the optical axis of the lens group 21b. The first lens group 21 and the prism 24 are fixed to the housing 10.

  The second lens group 22 and the third lens group 23 are set so that their optical axes coincide with the optical axis of the lens group 21b. Therefore, the optical axis of the entire imaging optical system is bent 90 ° by the prism 24 in the middle, and most of the optical axis is set to face in the vertical direction. In addition, the prism 24 totally reflects the light from the imaging target incident through the lens group 21a and guides it to the lens group 21b. A reflective film may be provided on the slope of the prism 24.

  Both the second lens group 22 and the third lens group 23 are movable in the optical axis direction. The movement of the second lens group 22 performs zooming, that is, the change of the focal length, and the movement of the third lens group 23 performs focusing, that is, the adjustment of the focus on the object to be imaged. The second lens group 22 is held by a lens frame 32, and the third lens group 23 is held by a lens frame 33.

  The digital camera 1 includes a motor 42 for moving the second lens group 22 together with the lens frame 32, and a motor 43 for moving the third lens group 23 together with the lens frame 33. Are provided with guide shafts 36, 37, and 38 for supporting the lens group 22 and the third lens group 23 and guiding their movement in the optical axis direction. The guide shafts 36, 37, and 38 have a cylindrical shape with a smooth outer peripheral surface, and are parallel to the optical axis of the second lens group 22 and the optical axis of the third lens group 23. The guide shaft 37 is located on the opposite side of the guide shaft 36 with respect to the second lens group 22, and the guide shaft 38 is located on the opposite side of the guide shaft 36 with respect to the third lens group 23. The guide shafts 37 and 38 are located on the same straight line.

  The lens frame 32 that holds the second lens group 22 is provided with a tilt prevention portion 32 a through which the guide shaft 36 penetrates and a rotation prevention portion 32 b that sandwiches the guide shaft 37.

  The tilt prevention portion 32a has a cylindrical shape having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the guide shaft 36, and the inner peripheral surface thereof is smooth. The tilt prevention portion 32 a is configured such that the entire inner peripheral surface thereof is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the penetrating guide shaft 36 and allows the lens frame 32 to move smoothly in a direction parallel to the guide shaft 36. The tilt of the lens frame 32 with respect to the shaft 36 is prevented. Thus, the posture of the second lens group 22 is always kept constant, and its optical axis is always parallel to the guide shaft 36.

  The anti-rotation portion 32b has two rods spaced apart by a width slightly larger than the outer diameter of the guide shaft 37, and the inner surface thereof is smooth. The anti-rotation portion 32b is attached to the guide shaft 37 at two points on the inner surface. In contact therewith, while allowing the lens frame 32 to move smoothly in a direction parallel to the guide shaft 37, the movement of the lens frame 32 that attempts to rotate about the guide shaft 36 is restricted. Thus, the optical axis of the second lens group 22 always coincides with the optical axis of the lens group 21b of the fixed first lens group 21.

  The tilt prevention portion 32 a that is in sliding contact with the guide shaft 36 is made as long as possible along the guide shaft 36 within a range that does not restrict the movement range of the second lens group 22. Therefore, even if a slight error occurs in the outer diameter of the guide shaft 36 and the inner diameter of the tilt preventing portion 32a, the tilt of the optical axis of the second lens group 22 can be suppressed to a slight extent. In addition, the guide shaft 36 and the guide shaft 37 (the tilt prevention portion 32a and the rotation prevention portion 32b) are located on opposite sides of the second lens group 22, and the distance between them is long. Therefore, even if a slight error occurs in the outer diameter of the guide shaft 37 and the separation width of the rotation preventing portion 32b, the positional deviation of the optical axis of the second lens group 22 is suppressed to a slight extent.

  The lens frame 33 that holds the third lens group 23 is also provided with an anti-tilt part 33 a through which the guide shaft 36 penetrates and an anti-rotation part 33 b that sandwiches the guide shaft 38. The configurations and functions of the tilt preventing unit 33a and the rotation preventing unit 33b are the same as those of the tilt preventing unit 32a and the rotation preventing unit 32b.

  A rotating shaft of a motor 42 that moves the lens frame 32 that holds the second lens group 22 is coupled to a cylindrical drive shaft 47 having a helical screw formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof. A cylindrical drive shaft 48 having a spiral screw formed on the outer peripheral surface is also coupled to the rotation shaft of the motor 43 that moves the lens frame 33 that holds the group 23. These drive shafts 47 and 48 are parallel to the guide shafts 36, 37 and 38 and are located on the same straight line. The lens frame 32 is provided with an engaging portion 32c formed with a screw that engages with the screw of the drive shaft 47, and the lens frame 33 is also formed with a screw that engages with the screw of the drive shaft 48. An engaging portion 33c is provided.

  The drive shaft 47 rotates with the rotation of the rotation shaft of the motor 42, and the rotation is transmitted to the engaging portion 32 c via the screw, and the lens frame 32 moves along the guide shafts 36 and 37. Similarly, the drive shaft 48 rotates with the rotation of the rotation shaft of the motor 43, the rotation is transmitted to the engaging portion 33 c via the screw, and the lens frame 33 moves along the guide shafts 36 and 38.

  The second lens group 22, the third lens group 23, the lens frames 32 and 33, the motors 42 and 43, the drive shafts 47 and 48, and the guide shafts 36, 37, and 38 are all housed in a single lens barrel 50. Has been. The lens barrel 50 has openings at a part facing the first lens group 21 and a part facing the imaging element 25, and the other parts are closed. The lens barrel 50 has a first section 51 and a second section 52. These two sections 51 and 52 are in communication.

  The first section 51 accommodates the lens groups 22 and 23, the lens frames 32 and 33, and the guide shafts 37 and 38, and supports the guide shafts 37 and 38. The second section 52 accommodates the motors 42 and 43, the drive shafts 47 and 48, and the guide shaft 36, and supports the motors 42 and 43 and the guide shaft 36. Although most of the lens frames 32 and 33 are accommodated in the first section 51, a part of the lens frames 32 and 33 reach the second section 52, and the tilt preventing sections 32a and 33a and the engaging sections 32c and 33c are the second sections. Are accommodated in the section 52.

  As is clear from FIGS. 2 and 3B, the shape of the second lens group 22 (or the third lens group 23) in the cross section perpendicular to the optical axis is the same as that of the first section 51. The second section 52 is also generally rectangular, but the entire lens barrel 50 is not rectangular. A direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the second lens group 22 (or the third lens group 23) and perpendicular to the direction connecting the first section 51 and the second section 52 (that is, the front-rear direction). The size of the first section 51 is different from the size of the second section 52, and the second section is smaller than the first section.

  The front end of the first compartment 51 and the front end of the second compartment 52 are coincident, so that the lens barrel 50 is occupied behind the second compartment 52 and to the side of the first compartment 51. There is no space. In the digital camera 1, the display unit 15 is disposed so that a part thereof is located in this space, and the second section 52 in the direction connecting the first section 51 and the second section 52 (that is, the left-right direction). The size of the housing 10 in the left-right direction is suppressed by the size. The size of the display unit 15 in the front-rear direction is equal to or smaller than the difference between the sizes of the first section 51 and the second section 52 in the front-rear direction, and the display unit 15 and the lens barrel 50 overlap in the front-rear direction. However, an increase in the size of the housing 10 in the front-rear direction is also prevented.

  The size of the first section 51 in the direction parallel to the optical axis of the second lens group 22 (or the third lens group 23) (that is, the vertical direction) is smaller than the size of the second section 52. The lower end of the second section 51 and the lower end of the second section 52 coincide. Therefore, a space that is not occupied by the lens barrel 50 exists above the first section 51 and on the side of the second section 52. The first lens group 21 and the prism 24 are arranged in this space.

  The motor 42 for moving the lens frame 32 holding the second lens group 22 is disposed on the side of the first lens group 21 and the prism 24, and therefore, a long drive shaft 47 is employed. be able to. By making the drive shaft 47 longer, the movement range of the second lens group 22 that controls zooming can be increased, and the imaging magnification can be greatly changed. Further, the tilt preventing portions 32a and 33a can be lengthened, and the stability of the postures of the second lens group 22 and the third lens group 23 can be improved.

  As described above, the two drive shafts 47 and 48 are located on the same straight line, and therefore the motors 42 and 43 are also located on the same straight line. With this setting, the size of the housing 10 in the direction connecting the first section 51 and the second section 52 (that is, in the left-right direction) can be reduced to a single size even though the two motors 42 and 43 are provided. This is the same as when only a motor is provided. The guide shaft 36 is disposed between the lens groups 22 and 23 and the motors 42 and 43, and the guide shaft 36 and the motors 42 and 43 do not overlap in the front-rear direction. Thereby, it is easy to make the second section 52 smaller in the front-rear direction than the first section 51.

  In the digital camera 1, downsizing in the left-right direction is achieved by overlapping a part of the display unit 15 and the lens barrel 50 in the front-rear direction. In addition, since the second section 52 of the lens barrel 50 is configured to be smaller in the front-rear direction than the first section 51, and the display unit 15 is overlapped with the second section 52, the size of the casing 10 in the front-rear direction is increased. There is no increase, and thinning in the front-rear direction is also ensured.

  Hereinafter, other embodiments will be described, but the same or similar components as those of the digital camera 1 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, overlapping description will be omitted, and only differences will be described. . 4 to 6 referred to in the following description, (a) is a front sectional view, (b) is a plan sectional view, (c) and (d) are side sectional views, respectively (a), In (b), a part of components on another surface are shown superimposed on a cross-sectional view on a single surface. The imaging optical system has the shortest focal length.

  FIG. 4 schematically shows an internal configuration of the digital camera 2 according to the second embodiment. The digital camera 2 is obtained by modifying the digital camera 1 and disposing the lens barrel 50 near the center in the left-right direction in the housing 10. A part of the recording medium housing chamber 26 is disposed behind the second section 52 of the lens barrel 50 and on the side of the first section 51. The display unit 15 is located on the opposite side of the recording medium accommodation chamber 26 with respect to the lens barrel 50.

  The first section 51 is not rectangular when viewed from the optical axis direction of the second lens group 22 (third lens group 23), and the end on the rear side and the side far from the second section 52 is recessed forward. It is configured. The display unit 15 is arranged so that the end portion is located in the space generated by the depression, and the recording medium storage chamber 26 and the display unit 15 are positioned on the same plane, but the horizontal direction of the housing 10 The increase in the size of is suppressed.

  FIG. 5 schematically shows an internal configuration of the digital camera 3 according to the third embodiment. The digital camera 3 is obtained by reversing the positions of the first section 51 and the second section 52 of the lens barrel 50 from those of the digital camera 1. On the rear side of the second section 52 of the lens barrel 50 and on the side of the first section 51, the aforementioned operation keys 18 (FIG. 1) and the circuit board 28 provided with their electrical contacts are arranged. .

  FIG. 6 schematically shows an internal configuration of the digital camera 4 according to the fourth embodiment. In the digital camera 4, the prism 24 is omitted from the digital camera 1, and the optical axis of the lens group 21a included in the first lens group 21 is matched with the optical axis of the lens group 21b, so that the optical axis of the imaging optical system is adjusted. It is a straight line without bending.

  When the digital camera 4 performs normal photographing, the direction of the shortest side of the generally rectangular parallelepiped casing 10 (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 6A) is the vertical direction, and the direction of the longest side (FIG. 6A). ) Is held by the user in a state in which the left and right direction) is in the left and right direction and the direction of the length between them (up and down direction in FIG. 6A) is in the front and rear direction. Therefore, the configuration is thin in the vertical direction.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the display unit 15, the recording medium storage unit 26, the operation key 28, and the circuit board 28 are stacked on the second section 52. It is also possible to superimpose these components on the second compartment 52. For example, an image processing unit that processes the output of the image sensor 25 to generate image data representing an image and a circuit board provided with a control unit that controls the overall operation are overlaid on the second section 52. Alternatively, a thin battery may be adopted so that the battery storage portion is stacked on the second section 52. In the first to third embodiments, most of the optical axis of the imaging optical system is set to face in the vertical direction during normal shooting. However, most of the optical axis is set to face in the horizontal direction. Is also possible.

  FIG. 7 schematically shows the appearance of a mobile phone 7 according to the fifth embodiment. 7A is a perspective view of the entire mobile phone 7, and FIG. 7B is a partial rear view thereof. The mobile phone 7 has a foldable configuration in which two casings 71 and 72 are connected by a hinge portion 73.

  A plurality of operation keys 74 operated for inputting a telephone number and selecting a function and an opening 75 for a microphone are provided on the inner surface of the housing 71 (the surface facing the housing 72 when folded). ing. The housing 71 incorporates a substrate on which a contact point of the operation key 74 is provided and a microphone.

  A display portion 76 made of a liquid crystal display and an opening 77 for a speaker are provided on the inner surface of the housing 72, and an extendable antenna 78 is provided at the end of the housing 72. The housing 72 incorporates a circuit board on which various circuits for controlling communication functions are provided, and a speaker 79.

  FIG. 7B shows a part of the housing 72 viewed from the outer surface side. The mobile phone 7 also has a digital camera function, and a digital camera objective window 80 is provided on the outer surface of the housing 72.

  An imaging optical system of a digital camera included in the mobile phone 7 and a lens barrel 50 that accommodates the imaging optical system have the same configuration as that of the digital cameras 1 to 3 of the first to third embodiments, and are bent optical axes. Is arranged in the vicinity of the upper end inside the housing 72 so that most of it faces in the left-right direction (left-right direction in FIG. 7B). As described above, the lens barrel 50 includes the first section 51 and the second section 52 that is thinner than the first section 51. The first section 51 that houses the imaging optical system is the second section that houses the motor and the like. It arrange | positions so that it may be located near an edge rather than a division.

  The speaker 79 is disposed so as to overlap the second section 52, and the end of the display unit 76 is also disposed so as to overlap the second section 52. As described above, by superimposing a part of the display unit 76 and the speaker 79 on the second section 52 of the lens barrel 50, it becomes easy to achieve a reduction in the size of the casing 72 without causing an increase in thickness. .

  Here, an example in which the speaker 79 and the display unit 76 are overlaid on the second section 52 is shown, but other members related to the function of the portable telephone, such as a circuit board, are overlaid on the second section 52. May be.

The front view (a) and back view (b) which show typically the appearance of the digital camera of a 1st embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal configuration of the digital camera of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal configuration of the digital camera of the first embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the internal structure of the digital camera of 2nd Embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the internal structure of the digital camera of 3rd Embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the internal structure of the digital camera of 4th Embodiment. The perspective view (a) and back view (b) which show typically the external appearance of the portable telephone of 5th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1-4 Digital Camera 10 Housing 11 Objective Window 12a Viewfinder Front Window 12b Viewfinder Rear Window 13 Flash Light Emitting Unit 14 Self-Timer Lamp 15 Display Unit 16 Mode Setting Switch 17 Cursor Button 18 Operation Key 19 Release Button 21 First Lens Group 21a , 21b Lens group 22 Second lens group 23 Third lens group 24 Prism 25 Image sensor 26 Recording medium storage chamber 26a Recording medium 27 Battery storage chamber 27a Battery 28 Substrate 32, 33 Lens frame 32a, 33a Tilt prevention section 32b, 33b Anti-rotation part 32c, 33c Engagement part 42, 43 Motor 36, 37, 38 Guide shaft 47, 48 Drive shaft 50 Lens barrel 51 First section 52 Second section 5 Portable telephone 71, 72 Case 73 Hinge 74 Operation keys 75 Microphone Use opening 76 display unit 77 speaker opening 78 antenna 79 speaker 80 objective window

Claims (9)

At least one lens group;
At least one lens frame for individually holding the lens groups;
A guide shaft that movably supports the lens frame in the optical axis direction of the lens group;
At least one drive unit for individually moving the lens frame;
In the lens unit including the lens group, the lens frame, the guide shaft, and the driving unit, and including a lens barrel that supports the guide shaft and the driving unit,
The lens barrel includes a first section and a second section arranged in a direction perpendicular to the guide shaft, the lens frame is accommodated in the first section, and the guide shaft is disposed in the first section. And in either of the second compartments, the drive unit in the second compartment,
The size of the second section in the direction perpendicular to the guide axis and perpendicular to the direction connecting the first section and the second section is smaller than the size of the first section in that direction. A lens unit characterized by that.   The lens unit according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of driving units are positioned on the same straight line parallel to the guide shaft.   The drive unit includes a drive shaft having a spiral screw formed on an outer peripheral surface, the lens frame includes a screw that engages with a screw of the drive shaft of the drive unit, and the drive unit is connected to the drive shaft. The lens unit according to claim 1, wherein the lens frame is moved by rotation.   There are two guide shafts, one guide shaft is housed in the second compartment, the other guide shaft is housed in the first compartment, and the lens group is located between the two guide shafts. The lens unit according to claim 1.   The second section projects beyond the first section in a direction parallel to the guide axis, and further on the extension of the first section in the direction parallel to the guide axis and to the side of the second section. The lens unit according to claim 1, comprising: At least one lens group;
At least one lens frame for individually holding the lens groups;
A guide shaft that movably supports the lens frame in the optical axis direction of the lens group;
At least one drive unit for individually moving the lens frame;
A lens barrel that houses the lens group, the lens frame, the guide shaft, and the drive unit, and supports the guide shaft and the drive unit;
In a digital camera provided with an image sensor that receives light guided by the lens group and captures an image,
The lens barrel includes a first section and a second section arranged in a direction perpendicular to the guide shaft, the lens frame is accommodated in the first section, and the guide shaft is disposed in the first section. And in either of the second compartments, the drive unit in the second compartment,
The size of the second section in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens group and perpendicular to the direction connecting the first section and the second section is the size of the first section in that direction. A digital camera characterized by being smaller than this.   There are two guide shafts, one guide shaft is housed in the second compartment, the other guide shaft is housed in the first compartment, and the lens group is located between the two guide shafts. The digital camera according to claim 6.   A direction that is perpendicular to the guide axis and overlaps the second section when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the direction connecting the first section and the second section, and connects the first section and the second section 7. The digital device according to claim 6, further comprising at least a part of any of a battery housing unit, a display unit, a recording medium housing unit, a circuit board, and an operation unit at a position overlapping with the first section when viewed from above. camera. Has a function as a mobile phone,
A direction that is perpendicular to the guide axis and overlaps the second section when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the direction connecting the first section and the second section, and connects the first section and the second section The digital camera according to claim 6, wherein a member having a function as a mobile phone is disposed at a position overlapping the first section when viewed from the top.

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