JP4980310B2 - Lens barrel - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a lens barrel applied to a small digital camera (mobile camera) mounted on a mobile phone or the like, and in particular, a lens mirror having a function of performing zooming by relatively moving a plurality of lens groups. Regarding the torso.

  As a conventional lens barrel, a first housing and a second housing in which a plurality of lens frames are arranged, an image sensor attached to the second housing, and a plurality of lens frames are reciprocated in the optical axis direction. A plurality of guide shafts fitted in the first housing and the second housing to freely guide, and a plurality of drive mechanisms (motors, lead screws, holding plates) disposed in the first housing or the second housing Etc.) are known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  However, in these lens barrels, since the first housing and the second housing are connected after the guide shaft and the lens frame are assembled in the first housing and the second housing, respectively, a plurality of lenses It was difficult to align the optical axes of the frames (lenses). In addition, since the plurality of drive mechanisms are respectively fixed inside the housing at positions apart from each other, the housing requires a fixing portion corresponding to each drive mechanism, resulting in an increase in the size of the apparatus. Therefore, it is not suitable for mounting on a mobile phone or the like that is required to be downsized.

Further, when a part of a part fails, the entire apparatus must be disassembled to take out the part, and repair work or the like cannot be easily performed.
Furthermore, since the drive mechanism is arranged in the housing, an opening is required to pull out the flexible wiring board (FPC) etc. to the outside of the housing, and dust or the like may enter from the opening, In addition, the motor cannot be securely fixed due to restrictions due to the movement range of a plurality of movable lens groups and the like, and it has been difficult to ensure sufficient impact resistance.
On the other hand, in order to simplify the installation, if a plurality of drive mechanisms are formed as a single unit, if some drive mechanisms become defective, other good drive mechanisms must also be replaced together, Unnecessary cost increases and defect rate increase.

JP 2007-271649 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to simplify the structure, reduce the number of parts and reduce the size by consolidating parts, reduce costs, and workability for assembly. A lens barrel that reduces the defective rate by replacing only defective products when some of the drive mechanisms are defective. It is to provide.

The lens barrel of the present invention includes a housing including an opening formed by removing at least one side wall extending in the optical axis direction and perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and arranged in the housing in the optical axis direction. A plurality of movable lens groups supported relatively movably, and a motor, a lead screw that is directly connected to the motor and extends in the optical axis direction, and is screwed to drive the plurality of movable lens groups. a driving unit including a nut, and a plurality of driving mechanisms each including a holding plate for holding the drive unit, the holding plate included in the plurality of drive mechanisms, respectively, and a wall portion that extends in parallel with the lead screw a fixing unit for fixing the end face of the bent motor at one end of the wall portion, including a holding portion for holding the front end side of the bent lead screw at the other end of the wall portion, the lens barrel There are a flat plate portion that detachably fixed in a state of being adjacent each of the holding plate of the plurality of drive mechanisms to each other, the flat plate portion on the lead screw and nut of the plurality of drive mechanisms faces the opening of the opening One connecting and holding member having at least two fixing parts fixed detachably to the housing so as to be closed, and at least two fixing parts of the one connecting and holding member are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction. It is characterized by being formed so as to be detachable with respect to the side walls of the casing that face each other and are perpendicular to each other .
According to this configuration, the plurality of drive mechanisms are detachably fixed and held together on one connection holding member, and the one connection holding member is detachably attached to the case. It is only necessary to provide a fixing region (screw hole or the like) for fixing one connection holding member, and the structure of the housing can be simplified, and a plurality of driving mechanisms are arranged together, so that the lens barrel as a whole is arranged. Can be miniaturized. In addition, since the plurality of drive mechanisms are detachable from the connection holding member, when a defective product is generated in the plurality of drive mechanisms, the defective drive mechanism is simply replaced with a non-defective drive mechanism. As a result, when it is completely formed as a single unit, it is possible to achieve a reduction in defective rate and a reduction in cost as compared with the case where a good product is replaced.
Further, since the plurality of holding plates that respectively hold the drive units (motors, lead screws, nuts) are detachable with respect to one connection holding member, the attachment and removal can be easily performed.
In addition, since the lead screw and nut face the opening, the opening is closed with a connecting and holding member, and the drive mechanism is assembled from the outside of the housing, so that it is easy to assemble, and once it is assembled, internal inspection or repair It can be easily removed at the same time, and a flexible wiring board can be directly connected to the outside of the housing, so there is no need for a connection opening, and dust etc. enters the housing from the outside. Can be prevented.
Furthermore, since the end face of the motor is fixed to the holding part of the holding plate, the tip of the lead screw that is directly connected to the motor and screwed into the nut is held by the holding part of the holding plate, it is possible to prevent the lead screw from swinging relative to the motor. In addition, a modular drive mechanism in which a plurality of drive mechanisms are integrated is obtained simply by connecting the wall portion of the holding plate to the flat plate portion of the connection holding member with a screw or the like. This modular drive mechanism By fixing the connection holding member (at least two fixing parts) to the housing, the entire drive mechanism can be easily assembled.

  According to the lens barrel having the above configuration, the structure is simplified, the number of parts is reduced, the size is reduced by consolidating parts, the cost is reduced, the assembling workability is improved, and the assembling accuracy is improved. In addition, when a defective product occurs in some of the drive mechanisms in the plurality of drive mechanisms, only the defective product can be replaced, and as a result, a lens barrel with a reduced defective rate can be obtained, and the size can be reduced. It is possible to obtain a lens barrel suitable for a digital camera or the like mounted on a mobile phone or the like that requires cost reduction.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 to 16 show an embodiment of a lens barrel according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the lens barrel M is mounted on a mobile phone P, and FIG. 2 is a lens mirror. 3 is a perspective view of the lens barrel M with the cover removed, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lens barrel M with the cover and drive mechanism removed, and FIG. 5 is a lens mirror. 6 to 8 are a perspective view and an end view showing the housing of the lens barrel M, FIGS. 9 and 10 are a sectional view and a plan view showing the inside of the housing, and FIG. 11 is a lens. FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the lens barrel M including the optical axis, FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the lens barrel M for explaining the assembly of the drive mechanism, and FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the drive mechanism, FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the presser cover, and FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the movable lens group. It is.
Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the lens barrel M is built in a lid P1 having a monitor of the mobile phone P, and the optical axis L of the subject light enters the outer surface of the lid P1 perpendicularly. After that, it is bent at a right angle so as to enter an imaging device such as a CCD connected to the rear side of the lens barrel M.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the lens barrel M includes a housing 10 that defines an outer contour, guide shafts 21 and 22, a rotation stop guide shaft 23, and a front movable lens group 30 as a plurality of movable lens groups. And a rear movable lens group 40, a coil spring 50 that pulls the front lens group 30 and the rear lens group 40 together in the optical axis direction L, a front fixed lens group 60 and a rear fixed lens group 70 as a fixed lens group, a bending element A first position sensor 101 that detects the position of the front movable lens group 30 in the optical axis direction L, and a second position sensor that detects the position of the rear movable lens group 40 in the optical axis direction L. 102, a cover 110 that covers the opening of the housing 10, a presser cover 120 that presses and fixes the prism 80 to the housing 10, and a flexible And a wiring board 130 and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the casing 10 is a cavity having a substantially rectangular cross section using a resin material and is formed to extend in the optical axis direction L, and is positioned in front of the optical axis direction L. Formed excluding the front wall 11, the rear wall 12 located behind the optical axis direction L, the side walls 13 and 14 facing the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction L, and the side walls facing the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction L The opening 15 is provided with an opening 16 having an angle of approximately 90 degrees with the opening 15, an extending wall 17 extending in a substantially triangular shape from the front wall 11, and the like.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the housing 10 includes a front annular fixing portion 11a, three fitting holes 11b, screws, and the like, which can be inserted and fixed from the front in the optical axis direction L. After the hole 11c, the positioning projection 11d, the recess 11e for attaching the first position sensor 101, the recess 11f for fitting a part of the drive mechanism 90, and the rear fixed lens group 70 can be inserted and fixed from the rear in the optical axis direction L. Side annular fixing portion 12a, three fitting holes 12b, screw holes 12c, positioning projection 12d, recess 12e for attaching the second position sensor 102, and part of the drive mechanism 90 (first motor 91a and second motor 92a described later) Two concave portions 12f to be fitted, two substantially U-shaped flange portions 12g continuous to the respective concave portions 12f, a substantially rectangular concave portion 12h for housing an image pickup device such as a CCD, and a cover 110. Positioning claws 12i and 13a, positioning protrusions 14a for positioning the drive mechanism 90, circular holes 14b for passing the screws B, screw holes 17a, four locking claws 17b for latching the presser cover 120, and positioning for positioning the prism 80 A portion 17c and the like are provided.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the three fitting holes 11b and the three fitting holes 12b are respectively inserted into the guide shafts 21 and 22 and the rotation stop guide shaft 23 from the rear in the optical axis direction L, respectively. Are formed so that both end portions thereof are fitted (the front end portion is fitted in the fitting hole 11b and the rear end portion is fitted in the fitting hole 12b).
Thus, since the housing | casing 10 fits and fixes the both ends of the three guide shafts 21,22,23, the three guide shafts 21,22,23 are highly accurate so that it may become parallel to the optical axis L. Therefore, the optical axis alignment of the plurality of movable lens groups (the front movable lens group 30 and the rear movable lens group 40 lens G) guided by the three guide shafts 21, 22 and 23 is increased. Can be done with precision.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the opening 15 is formed so as to open in a substantially rectangular shape, and in a state before the three guide shafts 21, 22, and 23 are inserted, The rear movable lens group 40 is formed in a size that can be inserted into or removed from the housing 10. As described above, by providing the opening 15, the front movable lens group 30 and the rear movable lens group 40 can be easily inserted and assembled into the housing 10 to improve the assembly workability as a whole. be able to.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the two recesses 12 f are formed so that the recesses face outward with respect to the side walls along the outer contours of the first motor 91 a and the second motor 92 a described later. .
The two substantially U-shaped flange portions 12g are formed continuously with the respective recesses 12f, and pass through a first lead screw 91b and a second lead screw 92b, which will be described later, and each of the first motor 91a and the second motor 92a. It is formed so as to face the end face of the.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the opening 16 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape so as to be adjacent to the opening 15 by removing a side wall facing in a direction different from the opening 15 by about 90 degrees. It is covered with a part of the drive mechanism 90 (a connection holding plate 93 as a connection holding member to be described later) that is attached close to. Thus, by providing the opening 16 in addition to the opening 15, the front movable lens group 30 and the rear movable lens group 40 can be more easily assembled and removed.
That is, the opening 16 faces a first lead screw 91b, a first nut 91c, a second lead screw 92, and a second nut 92c of the drive mechanism 90, which will be described later, and is blocked by the connection holding plate 93. ing.

The guide shafts 21 and 22 and the rotation stop guide shaft 23 are each formed to have a circular cross section and extend in the optical axis direction L, and their front end portions are fitted into the corresponding fitting holes 11b, respectively, The end portions are respectively fitted in the corresponding fitting holes 12b, and are fixed to the housing 10 in a state parallel to the optical axis direction L.
The guide shaft 21 guides in the optical axis direction L by slidably connecting a connecting portion 32 of a front movable lens group 30 to be described later.
The guide shaft 22 guides in the optical axis direction L by slidably connecting a connecting portion 42 of a rear movable lens group 40 described later.
Further, the rotation stop guide shaft 23 slidably connects a connecting portion 33 of the front movable lens group 30 and a connecting portion 43 of the rear movable lens group 40, which will be described later, and regulates rotation around the optical axis L together. While guiding in the optical axis direction L.

  As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 9, and 11 (b), the front movable lens group 30 extends from the lens frame 31 that holds one lens G and slides on the guide shaft 21. A connecting portion 32 having a fitting hole that is freely connected, a substantially U-shaped connecting portion 33 that extends from the lens frame 31 and is slidably connected to the rotation stop guide shaft 23, and extends from the lens frame 31. A detection piece 34 that can be detected by the first position sensor 101, a substantially U-shaped engagement piece 35 that extends from the lens frame 31 and engages with a first nut 91c that forms part of the drive mechanism 90, and an engagement piece 35 is provided in the vicinity of 35, and a latching portion 36 and the like on which the end of the coil spring 50 is latched.

  As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 10, and 11 (b), the rear movable lens group 40 extends from the lens frame 41 that holds the three lenses G, and slides on the guide shaft 22. A connecting portion 42 having a fitting hole that is movably connected, a substantially U-shaped connecting portion 43 that extends from the lens frame 41 and is slidably connected to the rotation stop guide shaft 23, and extends from the lens frame 41. Detection piece 44 that can be detected by the second position sensor 102, a substantially U-shaped engagement piece 45 that extends from the lens frame 41 and engages with a second nut 92c that forms part of the drive mechanism 90, and the lens frame A latching portion 46 that extends from 41 and on which an end of the coil spring 50 is latched is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 10, one end of the coil spring 50 is hooked on the hook 36 of the front movable lens group 30, and the other end is hooked on the hook 46 of the rear movable lens group 40. Thus, an urging force is applied so that the front movable lens group 30 and the rear movable lens group 40 are close to each other in the optical axis direction L.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, the front fixed lens group 60 is composed of a single lens G, and is inserted and fixed to the front annular fixing portion 11 a of the housing 10 from the front in the optical axis direction L. Is formed.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, the rear fixed lens group 70 is composed of a single lens G, and is inserted into and fixed to the rear annular fixing portion 12 a of the housing 10 from the rear in the optical axis direction L. It is formed so that.

  As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 12, the prism 80 is a lens disposed in the housing 10 by bending the subject light (optical axis L) emitted from the subject in the housing 10 by 90 degrees. It is led to a group (front side fixed lens group 60, front side movable lens group 30, rear side movable lens group 40, rear side fixed lens group 70) and further led to an image pickup device arranged at the rear end of the housing 10. Has been. The prism 80 is inserted so as to be sandwiched between the two extending walls 17 and positioned at a predetermined position by the positioning portion 17c, and the presser cover 120 is coupled to the extending wall 17 of the housing 10 from the outside. As a result, it is fixed in the housing 10.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 12, the optical system in the lens barrel has a prism 80, a front fixed lens group 60, a front movable lens group 30, and a rear movable lens group from the front to the rear in the optical axis direction L. 40, the rear fixed lens group 70 is arranged in order, and the front movable lens group 30 and the rear movable lens group 40 are appropriately driven by the drive mechanism 90 to move relatively in the optical axis direction L. Thus, zooming operation is performed, and the front lens group 30 performs focusing operation and correction operation.

  As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 9, 10, 13, and 14, the drive mechanism 90 drives the first drive mechanism 91 that drives the front movable lens group 30 and the rear movable lens group 40. The second drive mechanism 92, the first drive mechanism 91, and the second drive mechanism 92 are provided with a connection holding plate 93 or the like as a connection holding member that integrally connects (fixes) and holds the second drive mechanism 92.

  The first drive mechanism 91 is screwed into the first motor 91a, the first lead screw 91b directly connected to the first motor 91a, the first lead screw 91b, and the engaging piece 35 of the front movable lens group 30 with an optical axis. A first nut 91c engaged from the rear side in the direction L, a first bearing member 91d fitted to the tip of the first lead screw 91b, a first motor 91a, and a first holding plate 91e that holds the first bearing member 91d. Etc. Here, a stepping motor or the like is employed as the first motor 91a. Further, here, the first motor 91a, the first lead screw 91b, and the first nut 91c constitute a first drive unit.

The first holding plate 91e includes a wall portion 91e1 extending parallel to the first lead screw 91b, a fixing portion 91e2 which is bent at one end of the wall portion 91e1 and fixes the end surface of the first motor 91a, and the other end of the wall portion 91e1. And bent at both ends in a U-shape so as to define a holding portion 91e3 that is bent and holds the distal end side of the first lead screw 91b (via the first bearing member 91d). A screw hole 91e ′ into which the screw B is screwed is provided.
The first holding plate 91e is detachably fixed and held with respect to the connection holding plate 93 by screws B.
According to this, the end surface of the first motor 91a is fixed to the fixing portion 91e2 of the first holding plate 91e, the front end side of the first lead screw 91b that is directly connected to the first motor 91a and screwed into the first nut 91c is the first side. Since the first holding plate 91e is held by the holding portion 91e3, it is possible to prevent the first lead screw 91b from swinging with respect to the first motor 91a.

  The second drive mechanism 92 is screwed into the second motor 92a, the second lead screw 92b directly connected to the second motor 92a, and the second lead screw 92b, and light is applied to the engagement piece 45 of the rear movable lens group 40. A second nut 92c engaged from the front side in the axial direction L, a second bearing member 92d fitted to the tip of the second lead screw 92b, a second motor 92a, and a second holding plate 92e that holds the second bearing member 92d. Etc. Here, a stepping motor or the like is employed as the second motor 92a. Further, here, the second motor 92a, the second lead screw 92b, and the second nut 92c constitute a second drive unit.

The second holding plate 92e is formed to have the same shape as the first holding plate 91e, that is, a wall portion 92e1 extending in parallel with the second lead screw 92b and bent at one end of the wall portion 92e1 to be second motor. A fixing portion 92e2 for fixing the end surface of 92a and a holding portion 92e3 which is bent at the other end of the wall portion 92e1 and holds the distal end side of the second lead screw 92b (via the second bearing member 92d) are defined. Both ends are bent in a U-shape and have a screw hole 92e 'into which the screw B is screwed in the wall portion 92e1.
The second holding plate 92e is detachably fixed to and held by the screw B with respect to the connection holding plate 93.
Accordingly, the end surface of the second motor 92a is fixed to the fixing portion 92e2 of the second holding plate 92e, and the front end side of the second lead screw 92b that is directly connected to the second motor 92a and screwed into the second nut 92c is the first side. Since the first holding plate 92e is held by the holding portion 92e3, it is possible to prevent the second lead screw 92b from swinging with respect to the second motor 92a.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the connection holding plate 93 is formed so as to define a substantially rectangular flat plate portion 93a and two fixing portions 93b and 93c, and is screwed into the screw hole 91e 'of the first holding plate 91e. A circular hole 93 a ′ through which B is passed, a circular hole 93 a ″ through which screw B is screwed into the screw hole 92 e ′ of the second holding plate 92 e, and a screw hole 17 a formed in the extending wall 17 of the housing 10. A circular hole 93b ′ through which the screw B is inserted, a circular hole 93c ′ into which the positioning protrusion 14a formed on the side wall 14 of the housing 10 is fitted, and a screw hole 93c into which the screw B through the circular hole 14b is screwed. ″ Is defined.

As shown in FIG. 14, the first drive mechanism 91 and the second drive mechanism 92 are connected to the first lead screw 91b and the second motor 92a that are directly connected to the first motor 91a and screwed with the first nut 91c. The first holding plate 91e and the second holding plate 92e are adjacent to each other so that the second lead screw 92b that is directly connected and screwed with the second nut 92c is arranged in parallel. 93 is integrally fixed (coupled) to 93 and held. Thereby, one modular drive mechanism 90 is formed.
As described above, the two drive mechanisms 91 and 92 are integrated into a module by simply connecting the wall portions 91e1 and 92e1 of the holding plates 91e and 92e to the flat plate portion 93a of the connection holding plate 93 with screws or the like. One drive mechanism 90 is obtained, and the connection holding plate 93 (at least two fixing portions 93b and 93c) serving as a base of the modularized drive mechanism 90 is fixed to the housing 10, so that the entire drive mechanism Assembly can be easily performed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the drive mechanism 90 approaches the opening 16 from the outside of the housing 10 and screws the screw B passed through the circular hole 93b 'into the screw hole 17a and passes through the circular hole 14b. By screwing the screw B into the screw hole 93 c ″, the connection holding plate 93 can be detachably attached so as to close the opening 16 of the housing 10.
In this way, the drive mechanism 90 is brought closer to the outside of the housing 10 and assembled so as to cover the opening 16 with the connection holding plate 93, so that the assembly can be easily performed, and even after the assembly once. Since it can be easily removed at the time of internal inspection or repair and the flexible wiring board 130 can be directly connected to the outside of the housing 10, an opening for connection is not required, so that it can be externally connected. It is possible to prevent dust and the like from entering the housing 10.

  In the state where the connection holding plate 93 is assembled to the housing 10, the first drive mechanism 91 causes the first nut 91 c to move in the optical axis direction L when the first lead screw 91 b rotates by the activation of the first motor 91 a. The second drive mechanism 92 is operated to move the front movable lens group 30 to a desired position in the optical axis direction L via the engagement piece 35 that moves and follows the first nut 91c. When the second lead screw 92b is rotated by the activation of 92a, the second nut 92c moves in the optical axis direction L, and the rear movable lens group 40 is moved to the optical axis via the engagement piece 45 that follows the second nut 92c. Actuate to move to desired position in direction L.

  Further, a filling member 94 formed of an epoxy resin (adhesive) or the like for sealing the gap is provided between the first holding plate 91e and the second holding plate 92e and the first motor 91a and the second motor 92a. Has been placed. As a result, the first motor 91 a, the second motor 92 a, the first holding plate 91 e, the second holding plate 92 e, or the gap that leads to the inside of the housing 10 between the housings 10 can be reliably sealed. Intrusion of dust and the like can be prevented more reliably.

  According to the drive mechanism 90, the plurality of drive mechanisms 91 and 92 are detachably fixed and held together on one connection holding plate 93, and this one connection holding plate 93 can be attached to and detached from the housing 10. Therefore, the housing 10 may be provided with a fixing region (such as the screw hole 17a, the positioning protrusion 14a, and the circular hole 14b) for fixing one connection holding plate 93, and the structure of the housing 10 can be simplified. . Further, since the plurality of drive mechanisms 91 and 92 are arranged in an integrated manner, the lens barrel can be downsized as a whole. Further, since the plurality of drive mechanisms 91 and 92 are detachable from the connection holding plate 93, when a defective product is generated in the plurality of drive mechanisms 91 and 92, the drive mechanism for the defective product is replaced with a non-defective product. It is only necessary to replace the drive mechanism, and when it is completely formed as a single unit, it is possible to achieve a reduction in defective rate and cost as compared with a case where a good product is replaced.

The first position sensor 101 is a transmissive optical sensor including a light projecting element and a light receiving element, and is attached to a recess 11e of the housing 10 as shown in FIGS. 3, 9, and 11A. Yes. The first position sensor 101 detects the initial position of the front movable lens group 30 by blocking the detection light from the light projecting element toward the light receiving element.
The second position sensor 102 is a transmissive optical sensor including a light projecting element and a light receiving element, and is attached to the recess 12e of the housing 10 as shown in FIGS. 3, 9, and 11A. Yes. The second position sensor 102 detects the initial position of the rear movable lens group 40 by blocking the detection light from the light projecting element toward the light receiving element.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the cover 110 is formed using a thin metal plate so as to be flat and have a substantially rectangular outer contour so that the opening 15 can be closed. A circular hole 111 through which the positioning protrusions 11d and 12d are fitted, a latching piece 113 that is latched by the latching claws 13a and 12i, and the like.
As shown in FIG. 3, the cover 110 is a part of the components (guide shafts 21, 22, 23, the front movable lens group 30, the rear movable lens group 40, the coil spring 50, etc.) housed in the housing 10. After the assembly is completed, it is coupled to the housing 10 using screws B so as to cover the opening 15.
As described above, by providing the cover 110 that is detachable with respect to the housing 10, it is possible to easily check the inside and perform disassembly work as necessary. Further, since the cover 110 is formed in a flat plate shape, it is possible to reduce the thickness in the direction perpendicular to the cover 110 (direction perpendicular to the optical axis L).

The presser cover 120 is formed using a resin material, and as shown in FIG. 15, the presser cover 120 is brought into contact with the four latch pieces 121 and the prism 80 that are latched by the latch claws 17 b of the housing 10. Two contact portions 122 and the like are provided.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 12, the presser cover 120 is inserted so that the prism 80 is sandwiched between the two extending walls 17, and then fixed while pressing the prism 80 toward the positioning portion 17 c. In addition, the latching piece 121 is latched on the latching claw 17 b and is coupled to the housing 10. Here, since the latching piece 121 is coupled to the latching claw 17b by snap fitting, the presser cover 120 can be easily detached from the housing 10 by bending the latching piece 121 outward.

As shown in FIG. 2, the flexible wiring board 130 carries the connection terminals of the first motor 91 a and the second motor 92 a of the drive mechanism 90, the connection terminals of the first position sensor 101, and the connection terminals of the second position sensor 102. It is electrically connected to a control circuit or the like in the telephone P, and is formed to bend along the outer walls of the housing 10 and the presser cover 120.
As described above, since the flexible wiring board 130 is arranged along the outer wall in the region deviated from the optical path, it can contribute to the reduction in thickness and size of the lens barrel.

Next, assembly of the lens barrel M will be described.
Prior to assembly, the housing 10, the three guide shafts 21, 22, 23, the front movable lens group 30, the rear movable lens group 40, the coil spring 50, the front fixed lens group 60, the rear fixed lens group 70, the prism 80, a modularized drive mechanism 90, a first position sensor 101 and a second position sensor 102, a cover 110, a presser cover 120, a flexible wiring board 130, and the like are prepared.

First, the first position sensor 101 is fitted into the recess 11 e of the housing 10, and the second position sensor 102 is fitted into the recess 12 e of the housing 10.
The front movable lens group 30 and the rear movable lens group 40 are inserted into the housing 10 from the opening 15 and held at predetermined positions, and the guide shafts 21 and 22 and the rotation stop guide shaft 23 are arranged in the optical axis direction L. The guide shaft 21 is inserted into the coupling portion 32 of the front movable lens group 30 and the guide shaft 22 is coupled to the rear movable lens group 40. The rotation stop guide shaft 23 is inserted into the connecting portion 43 of the rear movable lens group 40 and inserted into the connecting portion 33 of the front movable lens group 30, and the corresponding fitting hole of the housing 10 is further inserted. 11b, respectively.

As a result, the guide shafts 21 and 22 and the rotation stop guide shaft 23 are in a state in which both ends thereof are fitted and fixed in the fitting holes 11b and 12b of the housing 10, and are high in parallel with the optical axis direction L. Fixed to accuracy.
In addition, the front movable lens group 30 is guided to be movable in the optical axis direction L by the guide shaft 21 while the rotation around the optical axis L is regulated by the rotation stop guide shaft 23, and the rear movable lens group 40 is Then, the rotation around the optical axis L is regulated by the rotation stop guide shaft 23, and the guide shaft 22 is guided so as to be movable in the optical axis direction L.
Thus, by adopting the dedicated guide shafts 21 and 22 for guiding in the optical axis direction L and the common guide shaft 23 for regulating the rotation around the optical axis L, the structure is simplified and the number of parts is reduced. Thus, the front movable lens group 30 and the rear movable lens group 40 can be guided with high accuracy in the optical axis direction L.

Subsequently, the coil spring 50 is hooked and stretched by the hooking portion 36 of the front movable lens group 30 and the hooking portion 46 of the rear movable lens group 40. The assembly of the coil spring 50 is not limited to this order, and may be assembled later.
Subsequently, the front-side fixed lens group 60 is brought close to the housing 10 from the front in the optical axis direction L, and is inserted into the front-side annular fixing portion 11a and is appropriately fixed using an adhesive or the like.
Subsequently, the rear fixed lens group 70 is brought closer to the housing 10 from the rear in the optical axis direction L, and is inserted into the rear annular fixing portion 12a and fixed with an adhesive or the like as appropriate.
Note that the rear fixed lens group 70 may be incorporated first, and then the front fixed lens group 60 may be incorporated.

  Subsequently, the first nut 91c is brought into contact with the engagement piece 35 from the rear side in the optical axis direction L, and the second nut 92c is brought into contact with the engagement piece 45 from the front side in the optical axis direction L to be modularized. The drive mechanism 90 is moved closer to the housing 10 from the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction L, and is assembled to the housing 10 so as to close the opening 16 with the connection holding plate 93.

Here, the lens barrel assembled up to the drive mechanism 90 is set in a predetermined inspection apparatus, and the front fixed lens group 60, the front movable lens group 30, the rear movable lens group 40, and the rear fixed lens group 70 are used. A characteristic inspection of the optical system is performed.
Here, if the characteristic inspection is passed, the prism 80 is fitted into the housing 10 and the presser cover 120 is assembled from the outside. In addition, if it is rejected in the characteristic inspection, the process is appropriately shifted to a rework process.
Subsequently, the cover 110 is assembled to the housing 10 so as to close the opening 15.

Finally, the flexible wiring board 130 is wired along the outer wall surfaces of the housing 10 and the presser cover 120 to connect the connection terminals of the first motor 91a and the second motor 92a, the first position sensor 101, and the second position sensor. The connection terminals 102 are respectively connected.
Thereby, the lens barrel is completed. Thereafter, if necessary, the imaging element is fitted into the recess 12 h located behind the housing 10.
Thus, since the drive mechanism 90 is disposed outside the housing 10 and the flexible wiring board 130 is also disposed outside the housing 10, the opening that guides the flexible wiring board 130 from the inside of the housing 10 to the outside. Can be prevented, and dust or the like can be prevented from entering the housing 10.

Next, the operation of the lens barrel will be briefly described with reference to FIG.
First, the subject light enters from a direction perpendicular to the prism 80, the optical path is bent by 90 degrees by the prism 80, and the front fixed lens group 60 → front movable lens group 30 → rear movable lens group 40 → The light passes through the rear fixed lens group 70 in order, and is incident on an image pickup device disposed further rearward.
In the resting state, the front lens group 30 is stopped most forward in the optical axis direction L, and the rear movable lens group 40 is stopped most rearward in the optical axis direction L.
Then, the front movable lens group 30 is driven in the optical axis direction L by the first drive mechanism 91, and the rear movable lens group 40 is driven in the optical axis direction L by the second drive mechanism 92. FIG. From the wide-angle end photographing position shown in FIG. 16 to the telephoto end photographing position shown in FIG. 16C through the intermediate photographing position shown in FIG.

  According to the lens barrel M having the above configuration, the structure is simplified, the number of parts is reduced, the size is reduced by consolidating the parts, the cost is reduced, the assembling workability is improved, and the assembling accuracy is improved. On the other hand, if a defective product occurs in some of the drive mechanisms, only the defective product can be replaced. As a result, the defective rate can be reduced, and downsizing and cost reduction are required. A lens barrel suitable for a digital camera or the like mounted on a mobile phone or the like can be obtained.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the two movable lens groups 30 and 40 are provided as the plurality of movable lens groups and the two drive mechanisms 91 and 92 are provided as the plurality of drive mechanisms is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the present invention may be applied to a configuration including three or more movable lens groups and a driving mechanism.

  As described above, the lens barrel of the present invention has a simplified structure, a reduction in the number of parts, and a reduction in size, cost reduction, improvement in assembling workability, improvement in assembling accuracy, etc. Since the defect rate can be reduced while achieving this, it can be applied to a digital camera or the like mounted on a mobile phone or the like that is required to be downsized or reduced in cost. It is also useful as a lens barrel of an information terminal, a digital camera, or an installation type digital camera.

It is a perspective view which shows the state which mounted the lens barrel concerning this invention in the mobile telephone. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a lens barrel according to the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which removed the cover from the housing | casing in a lens barrel. In a lens barrel, it is a perspective view which shows the state which removed the cover and the drive mechanism from the housing | casing. It is a disassembled perspective view of a lens barrel. It is a perspective view which shows the housing | casing which makes a part of lens barrel. It is a perspective view which shows the housing | casing which makes a part of lens barrel. (A) The end view which looked at the housing | casing which forms a part of lens barrel from the back side of an optical axis direction, (b) which looked at the housing | casing which forms a part of lens barrel from the front side of the optical axis direction. It is an end view. It is sectional drawing which shows the inside of a lens barrel. It is a top view which shows the inside of a lens barrel. (A) is an outer side view of a lens barrel, (b) is sectional drawing which shows the inside of a lens barrel. It is sectional drawing in the surface containing the optical axis L of a lens barrel. It is a perspective view which shows the state which removed the drive mechanism from the housing | casing in the lens barrel. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the drive mechanism which makes a part of lens barrel. It is a perspective view which shows the presser cover which makes a part of lens barrel. 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining the operation of a movable lens group included in a lens barrel, in which FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view showing a state at a wide-angle end photographing position, and FIG. c) is a cross-sectional view showing a state at a telephoto end photographing position.

Explanation of symbols

L Optical axis direction P Mobile phone P1 Lid M Lens barrel 10 Housing 11 Front wall 11a Front annular fixing part 11b Fitting hole 11c Screw hole 11d Positioning projections 11e, 11f Recess 12 Rear wall 12a Rear annular fixing part 12b Fitting Joint hole 12c Screw hole 12d Positioning protrusion 12e, 12f Recessed part 12g Substantially U-shaped flange part 12h Recessed part 12i, 13a Stopping claw 13, 14 Side wall 14a Positioning protrusion 14b Circular hole 15, 16 Opening part 17 Extension wall 17a Screw hole 17b Latching claw 17c Positioning portion 21, 22 Guide shaft 23 Anti-rotation guide shaft 30 Front movable lens group 31 Lens frame G Lens 32, 33 Connecting portion 34 Detection piece 35 Engagement piece 36 Latching portion 40 Rear movable lens group 41 Lens frame G Lenses 42 and 43 Connecting portion 44 Detection piece 45 Engagement piece 46 Latching portion 50 Coil spring 60 Front fixed lens group G Lens 70 Rear fixed lens group G Lens 80 Prism 90 Drive mechanism 91 First drive mechanism 91a First motor (drive unit)
91b First lead screw (drive unit)
91c 1st nut (drive unit)
91d 1st bearing member 91e 1st holding plate 91e 'Screw hole 91e1 Wall part 91e2 Fixing part 91e3 Holding part 92 2nd drive mechanism 92a 2nd motor (drive unit)
92b Second lead screw (drive unit)
92c 2nd nut (drive unit)
92d Second bearing member 92e Second holding plate 92e 'Screw hole 92e1 Wall portion 92e2 Fixing portion 92e3 Holding portion 93 Connection holding plate (connection holding member)
93a Flat plate portion 93b, 93c Fixing portion 93a ′, 93a ″ Circular hole 93b ′ Circular hole 93c ′ Circular hole 93c ″ Screw hole 94 Filling member 101 First position sensor 102 Second position sensor 110 Cover 111, 112 Circular hole 113 Latch piece 120 Presser cover 121 Latch piece 122 Contact portion 130 Flexible wiring board

Claims (1)

A housing that includes an opening that extends in the optical axis direction and is formed by removing at least one side wall in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction;
A plurality of movable lens groups arranged in the housing and supported so as to be relatively movable in the optical axis direction;
A drive unit including a motor, a lead screw directly connected to the motor and extending in the optical axis direction, a nut screwed into the lead screw, and the drive unit are held in order to drive each of the plurality of movable lens groups. A plurality of drive mechanisms each including a holding plate ,
Each of the holding plates included in the plurality of driving mechanisms includes a wall portion that extends in parallel with the lead screw, a fixing portion that is bent at one end of the wall portion and fixes an end surface of the motor, including a holding portion which is bent at the other end to hold the distal end of the lead screw,
A lens barrel,
A flat plate portion for detachably securing the respective retaining plate before Symbol plurality of drive mechanisms in a state of being adjacent to each other, said plate is the state in which the lead screw and nut of the plurality of drive mechanisms facing the opening Including one connection holding member having at least two fixing portions that are detachably fixed to the housing so as to close the opening;
At least two fixing portions of the one connection holding member are formed so as to be detachable with respect to the side wall of the casing facing the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction and perpendicular to each other.
A lens barrel characterized by that.

Images