Abstract: Provided is a lens barrel comprising a fixed cylinder; an optical system having a first optical component that moves relative to the fixed cylinder; a first holding frame that holds the first optical component; a guide axle that is connected to the first holding frame and that extends parallel to an optical axis of the optical system; a linear drive unit operable to move the guide axle in the direction of the optical axis and to fix the position of the guide axle; and a holding cylinder that holds the linear drive unit, the holding cylinder being fixed to the fixed cylinder with respect to the direction of the optical axis when the linear drive unit moves the guide axle and moving relative to the fixed cylinder in the direction of the optical axis when the linear drive unit holds the guide axle.

Abstract: Provided is a lens barrel including: a guide shaft in an axial form supported by a reference member; a holding member holding an optical system, and movable in an axial direction of the guide shaft with respect to the reference member; and an interlocking member including an engaging section engaging with the holding member, the interlocking member moving in the axial direction while rotating around an optical axis of the optical system, and moving along the guide shaft without rotating the holding member. The lens barrel may include a driving cylinder including a cam groove engaging with the interlocking member, where when rotated around the optical axis, the driving cylinder drives the interlocking member by means of the cam groove, to cause the interlocking member to move linearly in the direction of the guide shaft.

Abstract: A lens barrel comprising: a first retention member that includes a first engaging portion, which engages with a guide shaft, and that retains a first optical system and a second optical system, which is different from the first optical system, to be integrally movable along the guide shaft; and a second retention member that includes a second engaging portion, which engages with the guide shaft, and that retains a third optical system, which is disposed between the first optical system and the second optical system, to be movable independently of the first and second optical systems.

Abstract: A lens barrel and imaging device with a low likelihood of optical characteristics being degraded by an impact from a fall or the like may be provided. A lens barrel including: a retention member that retains an optical system; and a first guide shaft that guides the retention member to be movable along an optical axis of the optical system, wherein the retention member includes, a first engaging portion that engages with the first guide shaft, and an abutting portion disposed at the opposite side of the optical axis from the side thereof at which the first engaging portion is disposed, at a position that is offset in the optical axis direction from the engaging portion, the abutting portion being abuttable against an abutted portion when a force in the optical axis direction is applied at least to the retention member.

Abstract: A lens barrel having an image forming optical system including a first optical system and a second optical system which is moveable independently from the first optical system, a first driving portion which drives the first optical system during a magnification changing operation of the image forming optical system, and a second driving portion which drives the second optical system during the magnification changing operation, along with driving the second optical system during a focus adjustment of the image forming system.

Abstract: Provided is a lens barrel comprising: an optical system including an optical component that moves relative to a fixed cylinder; a holding frame that holds the optical component; a guide axle that is connected to the holding frame and that extends in a direction parallel to an optical axis of the optical system; a scaling drive unit that can move relative to the fixed cylinder and that moves the holding frame in the direction of the optical axis when the optical system scales; and a focusing drive unit that has at least a portion thereof fixed to the fixed cylinder and that moves the guide axle in the direction of the optical axis while facing at least a portion of the guide axle.

Abstract: Provided is a lens barrel comprising a cylinder that is provided on a base and that extends in a direction of the axis of the cylinder; a guide axle that slides in the direction of the axis of the cylinder along an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder; a first holding component that holds a first lens and is fixed to the guide axle; and a second holding component that holds a second lens, which is different from the first lens, and slides in the direction of the axis of the cylinder along an outer peripheral surface of the cylinder.

Abstract: Provided is a lens barrel including a subject-side lens guided by guide bars, comprising a first guide shaft that is disposed within a cylindrical fixed cylinder and oriented along an axial direction of the fixed cylinder; a second guide shaft that is disposed outside the fixed cylinder and oriented along the axial direction, and arranged such that at least a portion thereof overlaps with the first guide shaft in a longitudinal direction of the first guide shaft; a first holding member that holds a first lens, includes a first engaging member that engages with the first guide shaft, and moves along the first guide shaft; and a second holding member that holds a second lens positioned on a subject side of the first lens, includes a second engaging member that engages with the second guide shaft, and moves along the second guide shaft, wherein at least a portion of movement range of the first engaging member on the first guide shaft overlaps in the axial direction with at least a portion of movement range of th

Abstract: Provided is a lens barrel comprising a cylinder that is provided on a base and that extends in a direction of the axis of the cylinder; a guide axle that slides in the direction of the axis of the cylinder along an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder; a first holding component that holds a first lens and is fixed to the guide axle; and a second holding component that holds a second lens, which is different from the first lens, and slides in the direction of the axis of the cylinder along an outer peripheral surface of the cylinder.

Abstract: Provided is a lens barrel comprising a fixed cylinder; an optical system having a first optical component that moves relative to the fixed cylinder; a first holding frame that holds the first optical component; a guide axle that is connected to the first holding frame and that extends parallel to an optical axis of the optical system; a linear drive unit operable to move the guide axle in the direction of the optical axis and to fix the position of the guide axle; and a holding cylinder that holds the linear drive unit, the holding cylinder being fixed to the fixed cylinder with respect to the direction of the optical axis when the linear drive unit moves the guide axle and moving relative to the fixed cylinder in the direction of the optical axis when the linear drive unit holds the guide axle.

Abstract: Provided is a lens barrel comprising: an optical system including an optical component that moves relative to a fixed cylinder; a holding frame that holds the optical component; a guide axle that is connected to the holding frame and that extends in a direction parallel to an optical axis of the optical system; a scaling drive unit that can move relative to the fixed cylinder and that moves the holding frame in the direction of the optical axis when the optical system scales; and a focusing drive unit that has at least a portion thereof fixed to the fixed cylinder and that moves the guide axle in the direction of the optical axis while facing at least a portion of the guide axle.

Abstract: Provided is a lens barrel including: a guide shaft in an axial form supported by a reference member; a holding member holding an optical system, and movable in an axial direction of the guide shaft with respect to the reference member; and an interlocking member including an engaging section engaging with the holding member, the interlocking member moving in the axial direction while rotating around an optical axis of the optical system, and moving along the guide shaft without rotating the holding member. The lens barrel may include a driving cylinder including a cam groove engaging with the interlocking member, where when rotated around the optical axis, the driving cylinder drives the interlocking member by means of the cam groove, to cause the interlocking member to move linearly in the direction of the guide shaft.

Abstract: A lens barrel comprising: a first retention member that includes a first engaging portion, which engages with a guide shaft, and that retains a first optical system and a second optical system, which is different from the first optical system, to be integrally movable along the guide shaft; and a second retention member that includes a second engaging portion, which engages with the guide shaft, and that retains a third optical system, which is disposed between the first optical system and the second optical system, to be movable independently of the first and second optical systems.

Abstract: A lens barrel including a surface wave motor to generate surface waves to drive a photographic optical system. The surface wave motor includes a fixed member to generate surface waves to drive the moving member which drives the photographic optical system. An externally operated manual operation unit drives the photographic optical system upon manual operation thereof. A roller is mounted in a freely rotatable state on the fixed member, and is in compressive contact with the manual operation unit via an intermediate ring. When a mode selection switch is set to a manual focus adjustment mode, the fixed member comes into compressive contact with a rotary element, and is rotatable integrally with a cam ring. By rotating a rotation ratio setting ring in a circumferential direction, a large diameter portion of the roller comes into contact with a changeover ring, and a small diameter portion of the roller to comes into contact with a changeover ring.

Abstract: Lens barrel with built-in ultrasonic motor, comprises photographing optical system having lens movable in the direction of the optical axis, fixed barrel supporting the optical system, manual operation member held on the fixed barrel and rotatable by external operation, ultrasonic motor including stationary member which is provided on fixed barrel and is rotatable about the optical axis and which can generate ultrasonic wave and rotor which is in frictional contact with stationary member and rotatable about the optical axis, and mode selection member by which is selectable automatic focus adjusting mode and manual focus adjustment mode.

Abstract: In order to provide a zoom lens barrel in which the direction of rotation of a zoom ring or a focus ring during the operation thereof can be independently determined even if use is made of a cam cylinder in which the mutual relation between the movement locus of a lens for focusing and the movement locus of a lens for focal length change cannot be destroyed, provision is made of a fixed cylinder, a zoom ring operated during a focal length change, a focus ring operated during focusing, a cam mechanism for moving each of lens units in the direction of the optical axis thereof by the rotational force of the zoom ring without rotating them about the optical axis, and moving the lens units in the direction of the optical axis while rotating them about the optical axis by the rotational force of the zoom ring, an interlocking ring rotatably fitted to the fixed cylinder, and a rotatable gear for transmitting the rotational force of the focus ring while reversing the direction thereof, and the interlocking ring guide

Abstract: A lens barrel for a camera includes a photography optical system, an ultrasonic motor, an external manual operation member and a conversion device. The ultrasonic motor includes a vibrating member that generates ultrasonic vibrations and a relative moving member connected with the vibrating member that moves the photography optical system along an optical axis through the ultrasonic vibrations. The external manual operation member is moved manually to move the photography optical system along the optical axis via the relative moving member. The conversion device reduces an amount by which the relative moving member moves in response to an amount by which the external manual operation member is moved. As a result, the external manual operation member can be used to adjust the photography optical system by minute amounts.

Abstract: An ultrasonic wave motor comprises a vibration member for generating a travelling vibration wave, a movable body to be driven by the vibration member, and a pressing mechanism having spring member which abuts against at least one of the vibration member and the movable body and presses the vibration member and the movable body toward each other. The spring member is formed by a resilient plate member.

Abstract: A lens barrel has a fixed barrel portion including therein a focusing optical system movable in the direction of the optical axis thereof to perform the focusing operation, and having a groove portion for electric wiring on the outer peripheral portion thereof. A moving member is rotatable about the fixed barrel portion with the optical axis as the center and moves the focusing optical system in the direction of the optical axis by rotation. An operating mechanism is rotatively operable about the optical axis and rotatable about the fixed barrel portion by the drive operation for the moving member. A fitted auxiliary member is secured on the outer peripheral portion of the fixed barrel portion and is rotatably fitted to one or both of the moving member and the operating mechanism.

Abstract: A lens barrel having a focusing optical system, a rotatable moving member for moving the focusing optical system for the focusing operation, an rotatable operating mechanism for driving the moving member for focusing, a biasing member for giving a friction torque to the rotation of the operating mechanism, a driving member secured to the operating mechanism for rotating the moving member, a connecting device secured to the operating mechanism for connecting and non-connecting the operating mechanism with the moving member, and a detecting device for detecting the rotation of the operating mechanism. Auto focusing is possible when the connecting device is in its non-connecting state and the focusing optical system is driven by the driving member through the moving member.