Abstract: A high-expansion compensating member and a low-expansion compensating member respectively have contact surfaces that make contact with each other in a state inclined with respect to the optical axis such that, when a variation in temperature causes the high-expansion compensating member to expand or contract in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, the low-expansion compensating member is displaced in the optical axis direction. As the low-expansion compensating member is displaced in the optical axis direction, a compensator lens holding frame and a compensator lens move in the optical axis direction, and thereby a displacement in focal position occurring in an image-taking lens due to a variation in temperature is compensated for.

Abstract: An actuator capable of attaining two-dimensional positioning with a simple configuration includes an electromechanical transducer 11 which makes mechanical displacement in accordance with a voltage applied thereto, a driving shaft 12 which is axially displaced and inclined by the mechanical displacement of the electromechanical transducer 11, a movable member 13 which frictionally engages on the driving shaft 12, and a driving circuit for superposing a direct-current driving voltage leading to an inclination of the driving shaft 12 at a desired angle at a low rate of change preventing slide displacement of the movable member 13 relative to the driving shaft 12 and an alternating driving voltage for causing axial vibrations of the driving shaft 12 so as to cause slide displacement of the movable member 13 relative to the driving shaft 12 and applying the superposed voltages to the electromechanical transducer 11.

Abstract: An optical film that even in the event of aging (storage) of optical film formed into thin film and large width in the form of lengthy roll, is free from the danger of sticking failure and protrusion failure attributed to uplift of the film due to local film friction; a process for producing such an optical film; and a polarization plate utilizing the optical film.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical element for use in an optical apparatus having a light source which emits a light flux with a wavelength ? (350 nm???450 nm), the optical element containing: a molded portion formed by molding a resin; and one or a plurality of anti-reflection layers formed on the molded portion, wherein at least one of the anti-reflection layers is made of SixOy; and an elemental ratio r (r=y/x) designating an ratio of O to Si in the molecule of SixOy satisfies a requirement represented by Formula (1): 1.40?r?1.80.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a mold for molding an optical element, wherein the mold comprising a base material having a molding base face and a covering layer provided on the molding base face of the base material, and an upper surface portion of the covering layer located above the molding base face forms a molding face, the method including: a covering step for forming a covering layer on the molding base face of the base material; a pressurizing step for pressurizing a surface of the covering layer; and a high-precision processing step for forming a molding face by applying high-precision processing onto the surface of the covering layer subsequent to the pressurizing step.

Abstract: It is possible to provide a camera module manufacturing method and a camera model which can improve performance of a camera module without complicating the manufacturing method. A light shield is formed on the side surface of each lens body (11) and a lens support member (12). Thus it is possible to obtain the diaphragm function for regulating the incident light flux transmission area and the function for suppressing the intrusion of stray light without using a separate diaphragm or a light shielding member.

Abstract: Provided are a small image pickup lens which ensures a wide angle of view, permits various aberrations to be excellently corrected and is applicable to an image pickup element having a high pixel density, an image pickup apparatus using the image pickup lens, and a mobile terminal using the image pickup apparatus. The image pickup lens employs a structure which includes, in order from the object side, an aperture stop, a first lens with positive refractive power, a second lens with negative refractive power, a third lens with positive refractive power, and a fourth lens with negative refractive power, and the image pickup lens is designed to satisfy predetermined conditional expressions.

Abstract: An objective lens relating to the present invention includes a first optical path difference providing structure in which a first basic structure and a second basic structure are overlapped with each other. The first basic structure is a blaze-type structure which emits a Xth-order diffracted light flux, when the first light flux passes through the first basic structure, where the value of X is an odd integer. At least a part of the first basic structure arranged around an optical axis includes a step facing an opposite direction to the optical axis. The second basic structure is a blaze-type structure which emits a Lth-order diffracted light flux, when the first light flux passes through the second basic structure, where the value of L is an even integer. At least a part of the second basic structure arranged around the optical axis includes a step facing the optical axis.

Abstract: A probe which is inserted into a lumen of inside of a body, irradiates an observation object part of a physiological tissue with excitation light, and detects fluorescence resulting from the excitation light, wherein the probe including: a plus lens arranged facing toward a tip side of the probe; and a plurality of optical fibers receiving the fluorescence at tip surfaces through the plus lens, wherein the tip surface are directed toward the plus lens and arranged in positions offset from an optical axis of the plus lens, wherein positions of the tip surface of at least optical fibers of which an amount of offset from the optical axis of the plus lens differ mutually among plurality of optical fibers are shifted mutually along the optical axis of the plus lens.

Abstract: An imaging lens good in mass-productivity, compact, low in manufacturing cost, good in aberration performance is provided by effectively correcting aberrations without greatly varying the variation of the thickness of a curing resin. An imaging device having such an imaging lens and a portable terminal are also provided. A third lens (L3) has a flat surface on the object side, a convex surface near the optical axis on the image side, and a concave aspheric surface around the peripheral portion within the region where a light beam passes. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the other optical aberrations such as distortion and simultaneously to design the imaging lens so that the astigmatism takes on a maximum value at the outermost portion. Hence, the resolutions at low to middle image heights are high. In addition, such a shape does not cause a large variation of the thickness of the third lens (L3) from the region along the axis to the periphery.

Abstract: Disclosed are an optical element assembly comprising a base member in which occurrence of cracks in the base member upon cutting can be prevented and a method of manufacturing an optical unit. The optical element assembly comprises a base member and a plurality of lens members, wherein at least the base member of the optical element assembly is composed of an acryl resin having an alicyclic structure which is a polymer of a monomer represented by the following formula (1) in which linkage groups R2 and R3 lie between an atomic group A and R1OCO and between an atomic group A and OCOCR2, respectively.

Abstract: A friction drive actuator, comprising: a vibration member which is configured to be driven to vibrate by expansion and contraction of a piezoelectric displacement portion which is included in the vibration member and driven by a driving signal; a sliding member which is in contact with the vibration member and is driven by the vibration member in a first direction with respect to the vibration member; a pressing member which causes the vibration member and the sliding member to come into a pressure contact therebetween; and a control member which is provided on each of the vibration member and the sliding member at a contact portion therebetween for controlling a relative movement of the sliding member with respect to the vibration member in a direction perpendicular to the first direction when the vibration member and the sliding member are pressedly contacted with each other by the pressing member.

Abstract: To provide a mirror structure capable of reflecting incident light with good efficiency and is excellent in reliability. In a mirror structure which is used under an environment that the maximum irradiance of incident light is 5 kW/m2 or more and has an area of 0.2 m2 or more, the mirror structure is characterized in that the mirror comprises a mirror, a supporting member and a resin-made adhesive sheet to glue the mirror to the supporting member, and is structured such that a dielectric multilayer is formed at least on an incident light side surface of a plate-shaped substrate and the mirror has an average reflectance ratio 95% or more for incident light having a wavelength in a range of 400 to 1000 nm.

Abstract: A wavelength conversion element, including: a substrate; and a ceramic layer formed on the substrate, the ceramic layer being obtained by sintering a ceramic precursor; wherein the ceramic precursor is a compound selected from the group composed of alkoxysilane and a compound having a plurality of siloxane structures; a phosphor and particles of an oxide are mixed with the ceramic precursor; the phosphor has particle diameters within a range of from 1 ?m to 50 ?m and a concentration of the phosphor in the ceramic layer is equal to or more than 40 wt % and less than 95 wt %; and the particles of the oxide have primary particle diameters within a range of from 0.001 ?m to 30 ?m and a concentration within a range of from 0.5 wt % to 20 wt % in the ceramic layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for manufacturing a resin molded article having a hollow section inside for an optical element, by injecting a molten resin into a cavity. The apparatus has: a pressurized fluid injection device, which forms the hollow section by injecting a pressurized fluid into the molten resin injected into the cavity; and a bias device which biases a movable part in the same direction as a mold clamping direction. The movable part is moved with respect to a first mold or a second mold, in an opposite direction to the mold clamping direction against the bias force applied by the bias device, with a pressure increased in the mold by the injecting the pressurized fluid into the cavity. The moving is moved, in the same direction as the mold clamping direction, by discharge of the pressurized fluid.

Abstract: An injection molding comprises: a fixed mold; a movable mold which is capable of contacting to and separating from the fixed mold; and an injection unit which supplies molten resin to a space formed between the fixed mold and the movable mold when being pressed to a non-molding face of the fixed mold. The injection unit comprises: a nozzle portion which injects molten resin to the space formed between the molds; an injecting portion which applies molten resin pressure toward the space formed between the fixed mold and the movable mold though the nozzle portion; a heater and a temperature sensor provided on the nozzle portion; and a heater and a temperature sensor provided on the injecting portion, and detection accuracy of the sensor of the nozzle portion is higher than that of the injecting potion. There is thus provided an injection molding machine capable of manufacturing optics with high accuracy without considerable cost-up by realizing stable and highly accurate injection.

Abstract: An optical unit and image pickup apparatus capable of performing “auto focus function” and “image shake correction function” and characterized by easy assembling, compact configuration, high performance and reduced costs is provided. The optical unit and image pickup apparatus are provided with a polymer actuator to move an optical device, whereby performing auto focus function and image shake correction function can be performed. The polymer actuator is provided with electric wirings for image pickup device, thereby reducing the number of circuit board used for electric wiring of the image pickup device, with the result that an optical unit and image pickup apparatus characterized by easy assembling, compact configuration, high performance and reduced costs are provided.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for an optical film via a solution casting method on a transparent substrate film comprising the steps of: (i) ejecting a micro-particle dispersion containing micro-particles having a average particle diameter of at least 25-200 nm as liquid droplets by use of an ink-jet head when a residual solvent content in a web is 5-400 weight %, and (ii) depositing the liquid droplets to adhere onto one side surface of a web and to form a micro convex structure, and further to form 1-10,000 points of convex parts per 10,000 ?m2 having a height of the convex parts of the convex structure of 0.01-0.5 ?m.

Abstract: An optical recording head includes: a light source; a slider comprising a wave guide which irradiates light from the light source to a recording medium, wherein a grating coupler is formed on an end portion at an opposite side of the waveguide relative to the light source; and an optical element which comprises a diffraction grating and introduces the light from the light source to the grating coupler through the diffraction grating. The optical element deflects the light from the light source so that the light is incident into the grating coupler with a deflection angle larger than 90 degrees with respect to a direction in which the light proceeds when the light is incident into the optical element.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cellulose ester film which rarely causes the attachment of foreign matters to the surface of a conveying roll or the failure of film transfer induced by the attachment of the foreign matters, which is free of the partial deformation caused by foreign matters on the conveying roll, exhibits high durability after saponification treatment, has good close adhesion to a polarizer, and has excellent processing suitability in the processing into a polarizer. Also disclosed is a method for producing the cellulose ester film by a melt-casting process. Further disclosed are; a protective film for a polarizing plate, which has high film strength; a polarizing plate having high durability; and a liquid crystal display having high image quality; each comprising the cellulose ester film. The cellulose ester film comprises a cellulose ester, a compound represented by the general formula (1) and a compound represented by the general formula (2).