JP2017040795A - Barrel and imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique capable of achieving size reduction and thickness reduction of a device, by allowing switching of electric lens driving and manual lens driving in a state of regulating a rotation range of an operation ring, with a simple mechanism, and preventing a time lag between a rotation operation of the operation ring and lens driving.SOLUTION: A barrel comprises: a drive cylinder 224 which rotates and moves in an optical axis direction for driving a lens holding part; switching means for switching, by a user operation, electric lens driving for transmitting rotation of a motor 401 to the drive cylinder 224 for driving the lens holding part, and manual lens driving for transmitting rotation of an operation ring 101 to the drive cylinder 224 for driving the lens holding part; and a regulation member 302 which moves toward the drive cylinder 224 when a drive state is switched to the manual lens driving from the electric lens driving. The drive cylinder 224 has an engagement part 224b to which the regulation member 302 is engaged, and the regulation member 302 moves to the drive cylinder 224 and engages to the engagement part 224b when the drive state is switched to the manual lens driving, and regulates a rotation range of the drive cylinder 224.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

  The present invention relates to a lens barrel mounted on an imaging apparatus such as a digital camera or a digital video camera, and an imaging apparatus including the lens barrel.

  Some image pickup apparatuses such as digital cameras enable zooming and focusing by moving a lens by rotating an operation ring provided on the outer peripheral side of a lens barrel. For example, a configuration is disclosed in which a manual / electrical switch is provided on the side of a lens barrel so that zooming or the like by electric driving and manual operation is possible (Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  In addition, a configuration is also disclosed in which the rotation amount of the operation ring is detected and the lens is electrically driven according to the detection amount, thereby enabling operation with a feeling close to manual operation (Patent Document 3). Further, there is also disclosed a configuration that enables manual operation of the operation ring and zooming by electric drive without providing a changeover switch by a gear mechanism that realizes two inputs to the lens barrel (Patent Document 4). ).

JP 2008-58914 A JP 2006-259130 A JP-A-5-11163 JP 2012-42619 A

  However, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a gear train for transmitting the rotation of the operation ring to the lens barrel and a switching mechanism for moving the gear in the axial direction are required. As a result, the image pickup apparatus is prevented from being downsized.

  Further, in Patent Document 3, when the rotation of the operation ring is transmitted to the lens barrel via the gear train, the influence of the rattling of the switching mechanism on the gear teeth is accumulated, so the rotation operation timing of the operation ring and the lens drive are accumulated. There may be a time lag between the timing.

  Further, in Patent Document 4, the problem of the switching mechanism is solved, but a large space is required to install a gear mechanism that realizes two inputs, and the cause that hinders the reduction in size and thickness of the lens barrel and thus the imaging device. become.

  Therefore, the present invention can switch between the electric lens driving and the manual lens driving in a state in which the rotation range of the operation ring is regulated by a simple mechanism to realize a reduction in size and thickness of the device, and the rotation operation of the operation ring. Provided is a technique for preventing a time lag from occurring when driving a lens.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a lens barrel that is mounted on an imaging device that supports an operation ring so as to be rotatable, and engages with a lens holding portion that holds the lens, and rotates the light while rotating. By moving in the axial direction, a drive cylinder that drives the lens holding portion in the optical axis direction, a motor that transmits the rotation to the drive cylinder via a transmission mechanism, and the rotation of the motor is transmitted to the drive cylinder. User operation includes electrically driven lens driving for driving the lens holding portion in the optical axis direction and manual lens driving for transmitting the rotation of the operation ring to the drive cylinder and driving the lens holding portion in the optical axis direction. And switching means for switching by the switching means, and when switching from the electrically driven lens driving to the manual lens driving by the switching means, the switching means moves toward the drive cylinder, and the switching means A restriction member that moves in a direction away from the drive cylinder when the lens drive by movement is switched from the lens drive by movement to the electric lens drive, and the drive cylinder is provided with an engaging portion that engages the restriction member. And when the switching member is switched from the electrically driven lens drive to the manual lens drive by the switching means, the restricting member moves toward the drive cylinder and engages with the engaging portion. The rotation range of the cylinder is limited.

  According to the present invention, the electric lens driving and the manual lens driving in a state in which the rotation range of the operation ring is regulated can be switched by a simple mechanism to realize a reduction in size and thickness of the device, and the rotation operation of the operation ring. It is possible to prevent a time lag from occurring during lens driving.

(A) is the perspective view which looked at the digital camera which is an example of embodiment of the imaging device of this invention from the front side, (b) is the perspective view which looked at the digital camera shown to (a) from the back side. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the digital camera shown in FIG. (A) is the figure which looked at the lens barrel fixed to the internal frame from the front side, (b) is the figure which looked at the lens barrel from the front side. It is sectional drawing in the retracted position of a lens-barrel. It is sectional drawing in the imaging position of a lens-barrel. It is a disassembled perspective view of a lens barrel. It is an expanded view of the inner peripheral side of a fixed cam cylinder. It is an expanded view of the inner peripheral side of a drive cylinder. (A) is a figure explaining the transmission path | route of the driving force from a motor to a drive cylinder, (b) is a disassembled perspective view of the slip gear shown to (a). (A) is sectional drawing which shows the relationship between the gear connection switching mechanism and slip gear in the zoom drive state by electricity, (b) is sectional drawing which shows the idling state of a slip gear. (C) is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the gear connection switching mechanism and the slip gear in the manual zoom drive state, and (d) is a cross-sectional view showing the slip gear push start state when the zoom drive is switched from manual to electric. It is. (A) is an exploded perspective view of a gear connection switching mechanism attached to the gear box of the lens barrel, and (b) is an exploded perspective view of a gear urging unit constituting the gear connection switching mechanism shown in (a). (A) is a cross-sectional view of the zoom operation ring and the lens barrel at the storage position, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the zoom operation ring and the lens barrel at the photographing position (feeding position). (A) is a front view explaining the operation of the gear urging unit and the restriction shaft when the switching member is operated to the electric side, and (b) is the gear urging unit when the switching member is operated to the manual side. It is a front view explaining operation | movement of a control shaft. (A) is sectional drawing explaining operation | movement of a gear biasing unit and a control shaft when a switching member is operated by the electric side, (b) is a gear biasing unit when a switching member is operated by the manual side, and It is sectional drawing explaining operation | movement of a control shaft. (A) is a perspective view explaining operation | movement of a gear biasing unit and a control shaft when a switching member is operated to the electric side, (b) is a gear biasing unit when a switching member is operated to a manual side, and It is a perspective view explaining operation | movement of a control shaft.

  Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a digital camera 1 as an example of an embodiment of an imaging apparatus of the present invention as viewed from the front side, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the digital camera 1 shown in FIG. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the digital camera 1 of the present embodiment has a zoom lens barrel that moves in the optical axis direction between the retracted position and the photographing position to change the photographing magnification. 2 is installed. A zoom operation ring 101 is rotatably provided on the outer peripheral side of the lens barrel 2, and a switching member for switching between electric zoom driving and manual zoom driving by a user operation is provided in the vicinity of the zoom operation ring 101. 102 is provided.

  On the top surface of the digital camera 1, a power button 103, a release button 104, a zoom lever 105, a mode dial 106, an exposure correction dial 107, and a pop-up strobe unit 108 are provided. A pop-up lever 109 is provided on the right side when viewed from the front side of the digital camera 1, and by operating the pop-up lever 109, the light emitting unit of the strobe unit 108 pops up and can emit light. .

  As shown in FIG. 1B, a display unit 110 composed of an LCD or the like, various operation button groups 111, and a grip portion 112 are provided on the back surface of the digital camera 1. In addition, a terminal cover 113 that covers a terminal for connecting to an external device so as to be openable and closable is provided on the right side as viewed from the back of the digital camera 1.

  FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the digital camera 1 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, a battery housing unit 118 is provided on the left side of the lens barrel 2 when the digital camera 1 is viewed from the front side, and a flash unit 108 is provided on the right side of the lens barrel 2. . Battery storage unit 118 and strobe unit 108 are each fixed to internal frame 114.

  The strobe unit 108 is provided with a side cover 115 having a pop-up lever 109 that engages with the strobe unit 108. A substrate (not shown) is fixed to the back surface of the battery storage unit 118. A CPU, a memory, an external connection connector, an image processing LSI, and the like are mounted on the substrate, and the lens barrel 2 is connected to the substrate. The lens barrel 2 incorporates a lens group constituting a photographing optical system, a lens driving mechanism, and an image sensor such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor.

  A front cover unit 117 and a zoom operation ring 101 are provided on the front side of the digital camera 1, and a ring shape made of a cushion material or the like that rotates integrally with the zoom operation ring 101 is provided on the inner periphery of the zoom operation ring 101. The elastic member 116 is fixed. The zoom operation ring 101 is supported so as to be rotatable with the elastic member 116 with respect to the front cover unit 117.

  A switching member 102 is attached to the front cover unit 117. As described above, the switching member 102 is a member for switching between manual zoom driving and electric zoom driving by a user operation. The position of the switching member 102 is restricted by a switching mechanism having a click mechanism (not shown) with respect to the front cover unit 117. When the front cover unit 117 is assembled, the switching member 102 is engaged with the gear connection switching mechanism 3.

  3A is a view of the lens barrel 2 fixed to the internal frame 114 as viewed from the front side, and FIG. 3B is a view of the lens barrel 2 as viewed from the front side. As shown in FIG. 3, a gear box 4 for zooming the lens barrel 2 is disposed at the lower right portion of the lens barrel 2, and a motor 401 is disposed at the bottom. The motor 401 is coupled to the drive cylinder 224 (see FIG. 4) via gear trains 402 to 408 (see FIG. 9) provided on the back surface portion. The gear connection switching mechanism 3 is attached to the upper surface side of the motor 401 and the front side of the gear trains 402 to 408 (see FIG. 9).

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the lens barrel 2 at the retracted position. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the lens barrel 2 at the photographing position. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the lens barrel 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the lens barrel 2 includes a first group unit 210, a second group lens holding unit 213, a third group unit 216, a fourth group lens holding unit 217, and a fifth group lens holding unit 218. It consists of a lens. Between the second group lens holding unit 213 and the third group unit 216, an aperture unit 214 that is a light amount adjusting member at the time of photographing is provided. The first group unit 210, the second group lens holding unit 213, the aperture unit 214, and the fifth group lens holding unit 218 are variable power lens groups.

  The first group unit 210 includes a first group lens holding unit 212 that holds the first lens 201, and a first group base plate 211 that holds the first group lens holding unit 212 and has a barrier member that protects the first lens 201. The second group lens holding unit 213 holds the second lens 202. The third group unit 216 includes a third group lens holding unit 215 that holds the third lens 203, and a third group base plate 216a having a shutter member (not shown). The third group unit 216 has an anti-vibration mechanism, and corrects camera shake during shooting by moving the third group lens holding unit 215 in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis during shooting.

  The fourth group lens holding unit 217 holds the fourth lens 204 constituting the focus lens. The fifth group lens holding unit 218 holds the fifth lenses 205 and 206, and holds the fourth group lens holding unit 217 so as to be movable along the optical axis direction. A zoom operation is performed by moving the lens of each group in the optical axis direction.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the lens barrel 2 includes a cover cylinder 225 constituting a zoom mechanism, and a sensor holder unit 219 fastened to the cover cylinder 225 with screws or the like. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the sensor holder unit 219 holds an image sensor 208 via a sensor plate 227. An optical filter 207 sandwiched between the sensor holder unit 219 and the sensor rubber 226 is disposed on the front side (subject side) of the image sensor 208.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the sensor holder unit 219 is provided with a motor 401 and gear trains 403 to 408 (see FIG. 9). A gear (pinion) 402 is fixed to the drive shaft of the motor 401, and the gear 402 is rotated by driving the motor 401, and this rotation is transmitted to the drive cylinder 224 via the gear trains 403 to 408, whereby the lens The lens barrel 2 is driven in the optical axis direction. The gear trains 403 to 408 correspond to an example of the transmission mechanism of the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the fourth group lens holding portion 217 is supported by the fifth group lens holding portion 218 so as to be linearly movable in the optical axis direction. The fourth group lens holding portion 217 is provided with a nut portion 217a. The nut portion 217a is urged in the optical axis direction with respect to the fourth group lens holding portion 217 by the spring 217b. It can move integrally along the optical axis direction.

  The fifth group lens holding unit 218 is provided with a drive source 218a on which a screw shaft for driving the fourth group lens holding unit 217 is formed. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, a main guide shaft 218b and a rotation restricting sub guide shaft 218c arranged in parallel with the optical axis are fixed to the fifth group lens holding portion 218 by press fitting or the like.

  The pair of guide shafts 218b and 218c are fitted with guide portions 217c and 217d formed on the fourth group lens holding portion 217, respectively, so as to be movable in the optical axis direction. When the drive source 218a provided in the fifth group lens holding portion 218 is driven, the screw shaft into which the nut portion 217a is screwed rotates to drive the fourth group lens holding portion 217 in the optical axis direction. . Accordingly, the fourth group lens holding unit 217 and the fifth group lens holding unit 218 function as a focus lens mechanism.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a movable cam barrel 222 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the second group lens holding portion 213, the third group unit 216, the fourth group lens holding portion 217, and the fifth group lens holding portion 218. Yes. As shown in FIG. 6, three types of cam grooves 222 a having different trajectories are formed on the inner peripheral portion of the movable cam barrel 222. Follower pins 213a, 214b, and 216b formed on the outer periphery of the second group lens holding portion 213, the aperture unit 214, and the third group unit 216 are engaged with and follow the three types of cam grooves 222a. Yes.

  Further, a rectilinear guide cylinder 221 that restricts rotation when each lens group moves is provided on the inner peripheral portion of the movable cam cylinder 222. The rectilinear guide cylinder 221 and the moving cam cylinder 222 are bayonet-coupled and move substantially integrally in the optical axis direction, and the moving cam cylinder 222 is rotatable relative to the rectilinear guide cylinder 221.

  As shown in FIG. 6, rectilinear grooves 221a, 221b, and 221c extending in the optical axis direction are formed in the rectilinear guide cylinder 221. By the straight grooves 221a, 221b, and 221c, the second group lens holding portion 213, the aperture unit 214, and the third group unit 216 move straight in the optical axis direction while being restricted in rotation.

  A first group base plate 211 of the first group unit 210 is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the movable cam cylinder 222. A follower pin 211b (see FIG. 5) is formed on the inner peripheral portion of the first group base plate 211, and the follower pin 211b engages and follows a cam groove 222a formed on the outer peripheral portion of the movable cam cylinder 222. ing. Further, a rectilinear guide groove 211a is formed on the inner peripheral portion of the first group base plate 211, and a guide protrusion 221d formed on the rectilinear guide tube 221 is fitted in the rectilinear guide groove 211a so as to be movable in the optical axis direction. ing. As a result, the first group unit 210 moves straight in the optical axis direction while being restricted in rotation.

  With the above configuration, when the movable cam barrel 222 rotates, the first group unit 210, the second group lens holding portion 213, the aperture unit 214, and the third group unit 216 that follow the movable cam barrel 222 are restricted in rotation. Moves straight in the direction of the optical axis.

  A decorative cylinder 220 is provided integrally with the movable cam cylinder 222 on the outer peripheral side of the first group unit 210. A fixed cam cylinder 223 is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the movable cam cylinder 222, a drive cylinder 224 is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the fixed cam cylinder 223, and a cover cylinder 225 is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the drive cylinder 224. ing. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the fixed cam cylinder 223 is fixedly arranged while being sandwiched between the cover cylinder 225 and the sensor holder unit 219.

  FIG. 7 is a development view of the inner peripheral side of the fixed cam cylinder 223. FIG. 8 is a development view of the inner periphery side of the drive cylinder 224.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a cam groove 223 a and rectilinear guide grooves 223 d 1 and 223 d 2 extending in the optical axis direction are formed in the inner peripheral portion of the fixed cam cylinder 223. The follower pin 222b (see FIG. 6) of the movable cam barrel 222 is engaged with the cam groove 223a, and the rectilinear regulating portion 221e (see FIG. 6) of the rectilinear guide barrel 221 is in the optical axis direction in the rectilinear guide grooves 223d1 and 223d2. Is movably engaged. The fixed cam cylinder 223 is formed with a slit-shaped through cam 223b having the same locus as the cam groove 223a.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a drive groove 224d extending in the optical axis direction is formed in the inner peripheral portion of the drive cylinder 224, and a follower pin 222b of the movable cam cylinder 222 is movably engaged with the drive groove 224d. The distal end portion (upper end portion in the drawing) of the driving groove 224d is disposed at a position that does not reach the distal end portion (upper end portion in the drawing) of the driving cylinder 224. Thus, external harmful light is prevented from entering from the end of the driving cylinder 224 on the subject side. Further, the amount of movement of the movable cam barrel 222 in the optical axis direction is restricted by the drive groove 224d. The follower pin 222b of the movable cam barrel 222 is disposed at a position spaced apart from the through cam 223b of the fixed cam barrel 223 in the optical axis direction.

  A gear portion 224g (see FIG. 6) is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the drive cylinder 224, and the driving force of the motor 401 is transmitted to the gear portion 224g via the gear trains 402 to 408. As a result, the movable cam barrel 222 moves in the optical axis direction while rotating following the cam groove 223a of the fixed cam barrel 223.

  The rectilinear guide cylinder 221 moves in the optical axis direction integrally with the movable cam cylinder 222, but is restricted in rotation by the rectilinear guide portion 221e movably fitted in the rectilinear guide grooves 223d1 and 223d2 of the fixed cam cylinder 223. Yes. Thereby, the rectilinear guide tube 221 moves straight in the optical axis direction in a state where the rotation is restricted.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, a fifth group driving cam groove 224a is formed in the inner peripheral portion of the drive cylinder 224, and the fifth group driving cam groove 224a has a fifth group lens holding portion 218. A follower pin 218d formed on the outer periphery engages and follows. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the fixed cam cylinder 223 is formed with a through hole 223e extending in the optical axis direction, and the follower pin 218d is engaged with the through hole 223e, whereby the fifth group lens holding portion 218 is formed. Rotation is restricted.

  6 and 8, a drive cylinder driving cam groove 224c is formed in the inner peripheral portion of the drive cylinder 224, and an outer peripheral portion of the fixed cam cylinder 223 is formed in the drive cylinder driving cam groove 224c. The follower pins 223j formed on the inner side are engaged to follow. As shown in FIG. 8, the driving cylinder driving cam groove 224c of the driving cylinder 224 has a flat portion and a lift portion, and the photographing position is displaced in the optical axis direction toward the image sensor 208 with respect to the storage position in the figure. It is formed as follows. Therefore, when the drive cylinder 224 rotates, the follower pin 223j of the fixed cam cylinder 223 follows the drive cylinder drive cam groove 224c, so that the drive cylinder 224 moves to the subject side in the optical axis direction.

  FIG. 9A is a diagram for explaining a transmission path of driving force from the motor 401 to the driving cylinder 224, and FIG. 9B is an exploded perspective view of the slip gears 405 and 406 shown in FIG. 9A.

  Referring to FIG. 9A, the driving force of the motor 401 is decelerated and transmitted from the gear (pinion) 402 attached to the driving shaft to the gear portion 224g of the driving cylinder 224 via the gear trains 403 to 408. As a result, the drive cylinder 224 rotates.

  The gear trains 402 to 408 have two slip gears 405 and 406. Of the two slip gears 405 and 406, the large-diameter slip gear 405 is an input gear, and the small-diameter slip gear 406 is an output gear. The slip gear 405 is supported so as to be movable in the axial direction with respect to the slip gear 406.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, the slip gears 405 and 406 are provided with the same number of convex portions 405a and 406a and concave portions 405b and 406b on the surfaces in contact with each other, and the convex portions 405a and 406a and the concave portions 405b and 406b are They are connected by slope portions 405c and 406c. Driving of the slip gear 405 in the axial direction with respect to the slip gear 406 is performed by the gear connection switching mechanism 3, and the rotation is transmitted from the slip gear 405 to the slip gear 406 when the slope portions 405 c and 406 c abut each other.

  The rotation of the gear 407 is transmitted to the gear 411 via the gears 409 and 410. A part of the gear 411 is formed in a disk shape having a plurality of slits in the rotation direction, and the amount of rotation of the drive cylinder 224 is detected by the photo interrupters 412 and 413 arranged in the slits.

  FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the gear connection switching mechanism 3 and the slip gears 405 and 406 in an electrically driven zoom drive state, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view showing the slipping state of the slip gear. FIG. 10C is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the gear connection switching mechanism 3 and the slip gears 405 and 406 in the manual zoom drive state, and FIG. 10D is a slip gear when the zoom drive is switched from manual to electric. It is sectional drawing which shows the pushing start state of.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the slip gear 405 is movable in the axial direction (± Z direction) while being urged toward the direction of the slip gear 406 (−Z direction) by the gear urging unit 5. It is supported by. The gear urging unit 5 has a rear lever 502 slidably supported with the front lever 504 as a fixed end in the Z direction. In this state, the slope portions 405c and 406c of the slip gears 405 and 406 come into contact with each other, and zoom driving can be performed electrically.

  In the state of FIG. 10A, when receiving an input from the motor 401 in a state where the drive cylinder 224 cannot rotate, an excessive load is applied to the gear trains 403 to 408. In this case, as shown in FIG. 10B, the slip gear 405 is moved in the + Z direction with respect to the slip gear 406 by the wedge action of the slope portions 405c and 406c.

  If the moving force in the + Z direction of the slip gear 405 at this time is larger than the urging force in the −Z direction of the gear urging unit 5, the rear lever 502 of the gear urging unit 5 is pushed in the + Z direction. As a result, the engagement between the convex portions 405a and 406a of the slip gears 405 and 406 and the concave portions 406b and 405b is released, and only the slip gear 405 is idled and the slip gear 406 is stopped.

  When an excessive load on the gear trains 403 to 408 is removed, the convex portions 405a and 406a of the slip gears 405 and 406 and the concave portions 406b and 405b are engaged again by the biasing force in the -Z direction of the gear biasing unit 5. Thus, the slope portions 405c and 406c come into contact with each other. Thereby, it returns to the state shown to Fig.10 (a), and it becomes possible to perform zoom drive electrically. The details of the gear urging unit 5 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  As an example in which a load is applied to the gear train 403 to 408, there is an obstacle in the extending direction when the lens barrel 2 is extended, and a driving force is input from the motor 401 in a state where the driving cylinder 224 cannot rotate. Even in such a case, the slippage of the slip gear 405 can prevent the gear from being damaged as shown in FIG.

  Further, by releasing the urging to the slip gear 405 by the gear urging unit 5, the rotation transmission path from the slip gear 405 to the slip gear 406 is blocked. In this state, the gear trains 407 and 408 and the drive cylinder 224 after the slip gear 406 can be manually rotated.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10C, the bias to the slip gear 405 by the gear biasing unit 5 is released, and the drive cylinder 224 can be rotated by an external force other than the motor 401. Enables manual zoom drive. Further, as shown in FIG. 10A, in the state where the slip gear 405 is urged by the gear urging unit 5, normal electric zoom driving is enabled. The slip gear pushing start operation when the zoom drive is switched from manual to electric as shown in FIG. 10D will be described later with reference to FIG.

  11A is an exploded perspective view of the gear connection switching mechanism 3 attached to the gear box 4, and FIG. 11B is an exploded view of the gear urging unit 5 constituting the gear connection switching mechanism 3 shown in FIG. 11A. It is a perspective view.

  As shown in FIG. 11A, the gear connection switching mechanism 3 includes a gear urging unit 5, a support member 301, a restriction shaft 302, a washer 303, and a restriction shaft urging spring 304, and the front of the gear box 4. It is fixed to the part with screws or the like. The restriction shaft 302 corresponds to an example of a restriction member of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 11 (b), the gear urging unit 5 has a shaft 501, a rear lever 502, an urging spring 503, and a front lever 504. After assembly, the gear urging unit 5 is unitized by fixing with an E ring 505. Has been. The shaft 501 is formed with a D-cut shape portion 501a except for the right end portion in the drawing.

  The back lever 502, the urging spring 503, and the front lever 504 are inserted in this order in the D-cut shape portion 501a in the axial direction, and the front lever 504 is pushed in. The E-ring is compressed with a predetermined amount. 505 is attached to the shaft groove 501b. Accordingly, the back lever 502 is supported to be slidable in the axial direction of the shaft 501 with the front lever 504 as a fixed end. In such a support state, the front lever 504 and the rear lever 502 having a D-shaped through hole that engages with the D-cut shape portion 501a are rotatable in the same phase.

  As described above, the urging spring 503 generates an urging force in the axial direction with respect to the slip gear 405, and as shown in FIG. 11B, one end 503a is formed in the groove 502b formed in the back lever 502. Is inserted and the other end 503b is abutted against the front cover 504. As a result, a torsional charging force is generated in the urging spring 503 and the gear urging unit 5 is urged in the rotational direction.

  Next, the operation of the drive cylinder 224 during manual zoom operation will be described with reference to FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional view of the zoom operation ring 101 and the lens barrel 2 in the storage position, and FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view of the zoom operation ring 101 and the lens barrel 2 in the shooting position (feeding position). .

  In the state shown in FIG. 12A, the drive cylinder 224 of the lens barrel 2 is spaced apart in the axial direction from the elastic member 116 fixed to the inner peripheral portion of the zoom operation ring 101. For this reason, even if the zoom operation ring 101 is rotated, the rotation is not transmitted to the drive cylinder 224 and the lens barrel 2 does not extend. In the present embodiment, the operation of extending the lens barrel 2 from the storage position to the photographing position and the operation of retracting from the photographing position to the storage position are performed electrically. Therefore, the zoom operation ring 101 is driven to rotate during electric zoom driving. This is also for preventing transmission to the cylinder 224.

  Further, by avoiding further increase of the load on the drive cylinder 224 (lens barrel 2) by the elastic member 116, the lens barrel 2 can be smoothly extended by electric drive, and the lens barrel 2 can be extended. It is possible to avoid an increase in the driving current for retraction. Further, at the storage position of the lens barrel 2, the elastic member 116 is prevented from being engaged or pressed by being left in a high-temperature and high-humidity state for a long time, thereby suppressing the deterioration of the elastic member 116.

  In the state shown in FIG. 12B, the drive barrel 224 is moved toward the subject side in the optical axis direction as described with reference to FIG. Thus, the rotation of the zoom operation ring 101 can be transmitted to the drive cylinder 224 by engaging the drive cylinder 224 in the optical axis direction with the elastic member 116 fixed to the inner peripheral portion of the zoom operation ring 101. Therefore, by rotating the zoom operation ring 101, the rotation of the zoom operation ring 101 is transmitted to the drive cylinder 224, and the zoom lens group moves in the optical axis direction, so that manual zoom driving is possible. It becomes.

  Next, the operation of the gear connection switching mechanism 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 13A is a front view for explaining the operation of the gear urging unit 5 and the restriction shaft 302 when the switching member 102 is operated to the electric side. FIG. 13B is a front view for explaining the operation of the gear urging unit 5 and the restriction shaft 302 when the switching member 102 is operated to the manual side.

  The restriction shaft 302 moves in the axial direction in conjunction with the turning operation around the axis of the shaft 501 of the front lever 504. The restriction shaft 302 moves in a direction in which the drive cylinder restricting portion 302a moves away from the lens barrel 2 at the time of electric zoom driving (FIG. 13A), and at the time of manual zoom driving, the drive cylinder restricting portion 302a is moved to the lens. It moves in a direction approaching the lens barrel 2 (FIG. 13B). Thereby, the rotation range of the drive cylinder 224 is regulated. The restriction on the rotation range of the drive cylinder 224 will be described later with reference to FIG. The switching of the phase of the front lever 504 by the switching member 102 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 14A is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the gear urging unit 5 and the restriction shaft 302 when the switching member 102 is operated to the electric side. FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the gear urging unit 5 and the restriction shaft 302 when the switching member 102 is operated to the manual side.

  As shown in FIG. 14, a washer 303 is locked to the stepped portion 302 b formed on the regulating shaft 302, and the peripheral portion of the washer 303 is engaged with the groove portion 504 b of the front lever 504. As a result, when the front lever 504 rotates in conjunction with the operation of the switching member 102, the restriction shaft 302 moves forward and backward in the ± X direction of the figure with respect to the drive cylinder 224 along the guide hole 301 a of the support member 301. To do.

  When the camera is activated, when the zoom lens is electrically driven as shown in FIG. 14A, or when the lens barrel 2 is housed, the drive cylinder restricting portion 302a of the restriction shaft 302 is disposed away from the drive cylinder 224, and the drive cylinder As for 224, a rotation range will be in an unregulated state. An urging spring 304 and an E-ring 305 are attached to the restriction shaft 302, and the urging spring 304 is sandwiched in a state of being urged between the support member 301 on the fixed end side and the E-ring 305. This urging force acts in the + X direction in the figure, that is, in the direction in which the rotation range of the drive cylinder 224 is set to the non-regulated state, and the regulating shaft 302 does not contact the drive cylinder 224.

  At the time of manual zoom driving shown in FIG. 14B, the drive cylinder restricting portion 302a of the restriction shaft 302 is engaged with the engagement groove 224b formed in the drive cylinder 224, so that the rotation range of the drive cylinder 224 is within the imaging region. Thus, it is limited to a range where manual zoom driving is possible. That is, by restricting the rotation of the drive cylinder 224 to the outside of the imaging region, the lens barrel 2 is prevented from being retracted from the imaging position to the storage position, and the elastic member 116 and the drive cylinder 224 shown in FIG. Ensuring engagement. Accordingly, the user can perform highly reliable manual zoom driving in the imaging region without being aware of the rotation range of the drive cylinder 224. The engagement groove 224b corresponds to an example of the engagement portion of the present invention.

  FIG. 15A is a perspective view for explaining the operation of the gear urging unit 5 and the regulating shaft 302 when the switching member 102 is operated to the electric side. FIG. 15B is a perspective view for explaining the operation of the gear urging unit 5 and the regulating shaft 302 when the switching member 102 is operated to the manual side.

  In the state shown in FIG. 15A, the pressing surface 502a of the back lever 502 presses the tip of the urging protrusion 405d of the slip gear 405 as an input gear, and the urging force of the urging spring 503 is the same as that of the pressing surface 502a. It acts in the direction to hold down the urging protrusion 405d. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10A, the convex portions 405a and 406a of the slip gears 405 and 406 are engaged with the concave portions 406b and 405b, and the electric zoom drive by the motor 401 becomes possible.

  In the state shown in FIG. 15B, the abutting portion 504a of the front lever 504 is pushed into the protrusion 102a of the switching member 102 that is slid in the + X direction in the figure, and the gear biasing unit 5 uses the shaft 501 as an axis. Turn counterclockwise. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10C, the pressing of the urging protrusion 405d of the slip gear 405 by the pressing surface 502a of the back lever 502 is released. In this state, the rotation transmission path from the motor 401 to the drive cylinder 224 is blocked, and manual zoom driving by rotating the zoom operation ring 101 is possible.

  In FIG. 15, in both the electric zoom drive and the manual zoom drive, the protrusion 102 a of the switching member 102 is in contact with the contact portion 504 a of the front lever 504 by the biasing force of the biasing spring 503. For this reason, it becomes possible to suppress the rattling of the switching member 102.

  The amount of operation of the switching member 102 is determined by the required amount of rotation of the back lever 502 and the depth of the engagement groove 224b of the drive cylinder 224. That is, in the electrically driven zoom driving state and the retracted state of the lens barrel 2 shown in FIGS. 15A and 14A, the engagement groove 224b does not exist at the position facing the restriction shaft 302, and the restriction is not caused. The shaft 302 faces the outer peripheral surface 224f of the drive cylinder 224. Then, when the restriction shaft 302 abuts on the outer peripheral surface 224f of the drive cylinder 224, the movement of the restriction shaft 302 is restricted, and the switching member 102 connected to the restriction shaft 302 via the front lever 504 is moved to the manual side. Is also regulated. As a result, when the camera is activated, it can always be activated from the electrically driven zoom drive state, and erroneous operation can be prevented.

  In the present embodiment, the range of the engaging groove 224b of the drive cylinder 224 in the rotation direction is from the optical zoom closest side to the telephoto side, so that the switching member 102 is in the retracted state (non-photographing area) of the lens barrel 2. Cannot be switched to the manual side. As a result, when the power is turned on, the lens barrel 2 is always driven out electrically, and the time until photographing can be shortened.

  Further, when the switching member 102 is returned from the manual side to the electric side in the photographing state, the gear biasing unit 5 always receives the biasing force in the clockwise direction in FIG. The lever 502 rotates while pushing the biasing protrusion 405d of the slip gear 405. At this time, as shown in FIG. 10 (d), an inclined surface is formed on the biasing projection 405d of the slip gear 405, and an inclined surface 502c is also formed on the mating rear lever 502. This facilitates the pushing of the biasing protrusion 405d by the back lever 502, and the slip gear 405 and the slip gear 406 can be engaged with each other in phase.

  The pushing mechanism of the slip gear 405 using the inclined surface by the rotation of the back lever 502 can simplify the mechanism and save space as compared with the pushing mechanism of the slip gear 405 in the axial direction. Can be made smaller and thinner.

  As described above, in this embodiment, when the electric zoom drive is switched to the manual zoom drive, the rotation operation of the zoom operation ring 101 is applied to the drive cylinder 224 via the elastic member 116 fixed to the zoom operation ring 101. This is transmitted to enable manual zoom drive. Thus, manual zoom driving and electric zoom driving can be switched by a simple mechanism, and the lens barrel 2 and thus the camera 1 can be reduced in size and thickness. Further, since the rotation of the zoom operation ring 101 is transmitted to the drive cylinder 224 via the elastic member 116, it is possible to prevent a time lag from occurring between the rotation operation of the zoom operation ring 101 and the lens drive.

  Further, in the present embodiment, at the time of manual zoom driving, the rotation range of the drive cylinder 224 is restricted by engaging the drive cylinder restriction portion 302a of the restriction shaft 302 with the engagement groove 224b of the drive cylinder 224. Accordingly, the user can perform highly reliable manual zoom driving in the imaging region without being aware of the rotation range of the drive cylinder 224.

  The configuration of the present invention is not limited to that exemplified in the above embodiment, and the material, shape, dimensions, form, number, arrangement location, and the like can be changed as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the lens driving manual / electrical switching in zooming is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the lens driving manual / electrical switching in focusing may be used.

  Moreover, although the digital camera was illustrated as an imaging device in the said embodiment, it is not limited to this, A digital video camera and another imaging device may be sufficient.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Digital camera 2 Lens barrel 101 Zoom operation ring 102 Switching member 116 Elastic member 224 Drive cylinder 224b Engaging groove 302 Restriction shaft 401 Motors 402 to 408 Gear train

Claims (6)

A lens barrel mounted on an imaging device that supports an operation ring so as to be rotatable;
A driving cylinder for driving the lens holding portion in the optical axis direction by engaging with a lens holding portion for holding the lens and moving in the optical axis direction while rotating;
A motor that transmits rotation to the drive cylinder via a transmission mechanism;
Electric lens drive that transmits the rotation of the motor to the drive cylinder to drive the lens holding portion in the optical axis direction, and rotation of the operation ring is transmitted to the drive cylinder to move the lens holding portion in the optical axis direction. Switching means for switching between manual lens driving to be driven by a user operation;
When switching from the electrically driven lens drive to the manually operated lens drive by the switching means, moving toward the drive cylinder, and when the switching means switches from the manual lens drive to the electrically driven lens drive A regulating member that moves in a direction away from the drive cylinder,
The drive cylinder is provided with an engaging portion with which the restricting member is engaged,
When the switching member is switched from the electrically driven lens drive to the manual lens drive by the switching means, the restricting member moves toward the drive cylinder and engages with the engaging portion, thereby A lens barrel characterized by limiting a rotation range.   2. A blocking means for blocking a transmission path for transmitting rotation from the motor to the drive cylinder via the transmission mechanism when the switching is switched to the manual lens driving by the switching means. The lens barrel described in 1.   The lens barrel according to claim 1, wherein the engagement portion is a groove formed along a rotation direction of the drive cylinder. The manual lens driving is manual zoom driving,
4. The lens barrel according to claim 1, wherein the restricting member restricts at least the rotation of the drive cylinder to the outside of the imaging region when engaged with the engaging portion. 5. .   5. The lens mirror according to claim 1, further comprising a restricting unit that restricts switching of the switching unit from the electrically driven lens drive to the manual lens drive in a non-photographing region. Tube. An image pickup apparatus equipped with a zoom-type lens barrel that moves in the optical axis direction between a non-photographing region and a photographing region to change a photographing magnification, and an operation ring is supported so as to be rotatable.
6. An image pickup apparatus comprising the lens barrel according to claim 1 mounted as the lens barrel.