Abstract: A lens guide mechanism has first and second members positioned adjacent to each other in which the second member supports a lens group. The second member is movable relative to the first member along an optical axis of the lens group. The lens guide mechanism also has a first guide shaft extending from the first member to the second member in a direction of the optical axis, one end of the first guide shaft being secured to the second member, a lens shutter provided on the first member, a first encoder provided on the first member for detecting a size of a diaphragm formed by the lens shutter which includes a first photosensor and a first rotating disk associated with the first photosensor, and a second encoder provided on the first member for detecting an axial position of the lens group which includes a second photosensor and a second rotating disk associated with the second photosensor.

Abstract: A zoom lens includes an outer barrel driven to rotate about an optical axis of the zoom lens which includes at least one first guide groove formed on an inner periphery of the zoom lens and extending in a direction of the optical axis, and an inner barrel positioned inside the outer barrel so that the outer barrel is rotatable relative to the inner barrel about the optical axis. The inner barrel includes at least one second guide groove formed on an inner periphery and extending in the direction of the optical axis. The at least one first guide groove is defined by at least one inward projection which projects inwardly from the inner periphery of the outer barrel. The at least one second guide groove is defined by an outward projection which projects outwardly from an outer periphery of the inner barrel.

Abstract: A zoom compact camera is provided with a stationary barrel portion and includes a movable barrel that houses a zoom lens. A linear guide groove is formed parallel to the optical axis on the stationary barrel portion. A guide key is provided on the movable barrel. The guide key slidably fits into the linear guide groove to guide the movable barrel. A code plate is fixed to an inner surface in the linear guide groove and a contacting terminal is securely fixed to the guide key to be in sliding contact with the code plate.The focal length of the zoom lens is determined based on a signal indicating the relative position of the contacting terminal with respect to the code plate.

Abstract: A flexible printed circuit board is disclosed having a predetermined circuit pattern printed thereon. The flexible printed circuit board is bent at a predetermined location. The flexible printed circuit board includes a covered portion at which a part of the printed circuit pattern is covered by a covering layer, and an uncovered portion at which another part of the printed circuit pattern is not covered by the covering layer. The covered and uncovered portions are formed on the flexible printed circuit board. A border of the covering layer that is located adjacent to the uncovered portion on the flexible printed circuit board is positioned in the vicinity of the bent portion and is formed to be longer than a possible minimum length of the border.

Abstract: A method for producing a male helicoid molding die which is adapted to manufacture an inner barrel having a male helicoid, and for producing a female helicoid molding die which is adapted to manufacture an outer barrel having a female helicoid which can engage with said male helicoid of the inner barrel. The method includes the steps of firstly, setting an included angle of trapezoidal threads of the male helicoid to be identical to an included angle of trapezoidal grooves of the female helicoid in a section perpendicular to a direction of an extension of the threads and preparing a cutting tool having an angle identical to the set angle. Secondly, the male helicoid molding die is machined to form a helicoid portion thereof using the cutting tool. Next, an electric spark machining electrode is prepared having a helicoid portion whose shape is identical to a shape of the helicoid portion of the male helicoid molding die, by a mechanical cutting operation, using the cutting tool.

Abstract: A lens barrel is disclosed that includes: an outer barrel provided on an inner periphery thereof with a first thread and at least one linear guide groove intersecting the first thread and extending in a direction of an optical axis of the lens barrel; a middle barrel provided on an outer periphery thereof with a second thread meshing with the first thread; an inner barrel positioned inside the middle barrel, the inner barrel being provided with at least one follower which engages with the at least one linear guide groove, so that the inner barrel is guided along the optical axis without rotating about the optical axis with respect to the outer barrel; and a recess formed at a front end of each of the at least one linear guide groove on the inner periphery of the outer barrel, the recess having a width dimension to enable rotational movement of the at least one follower into the at least one linear guide groove during initial meshing of the middle barrel with the outer barrel.

Abstract: An exposure controlling device comprises, a controlling unit that controls a DC motor, a calculating unit that calculates a time period between a predetermined starting point and a point where a predetermined aperture area is obtained during the forward rotation of the DC motor, and a timer for counting the time period from the starting point. The controlling unit controls, at the time of an exposure, the DC motor to rotate reversely for a predetermined time period at a first step, to rotate forward to open shutter blades of a lens shutter at a second step and to rotate reversely to close the shutter blades at a third step.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing the cylindrical product includes the steps of inserting a first cylindrical mold into a hole at the center of a second cylindrical mold and engaging a toothed portion on the first cylindrical mold with a spiral groove on the second cylindrical mold to provide a lower mold. Further, an upper mold is mounted thereon to form a space for forming the cylindrical product and molten resin material is injected into the space to harden therein. The second cylindrical mold is withdrawn in a direction to allow the mold to be opened, the first cylindrical mold is axially moved to insert the toothed portion into a relief groove on a flat portion of the second cylindrical mold, the first cylindrical mold is rotated in a direction to withdraw it along the flat portion, the upper mold is rotated to extract the cylindrical product.

Abstract: The exposure controlling device comprises a controlling unit that controls, at the time of an exposure, the DC motor to rotate forward to open the shutter blades and then to rotate reversely to close the shutter blades, a calculating unit that calculates a time period for driving the DC motor in the forward direction between a predetermined starting point and a point where a required aperture area is obtained, a timer for counting the time period from the starting point, a memory for storing data of relationship between the time period and the aperture area, and means for storing an individual data of the relationship into the memory.The calculating unit calculates the time period based on a required aperture area by using the data of relationship stored in the memory for compensating individual differences among lens shutters.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electronically controlled camera in which a lens system moves along its optical axis. When the lens stops moving, a brake is applied. In order to prevent unnecessary braking which is applied after the lens stopped, the brake is applied wile the lens is moving, and the brake is released immediately when the lens has stopped its movement.

Abstract: A lens drive mechanism includes first and second members positioned adjacent to each other, where the second member supports a lens group and is movable relative to the first member along an optical axis of the lens group. A first guide shaft is provided which extends in a direction of the optical axis which is supported by the first member to be guided in the direction of the optical axis. One end of the first guide shaft is secured to the second member. A screw shaft extends in the direction of the optical axis and has a first thread, where one end of the screw shaft is secured to the second member and the screw shaft is positioned adjacent to the first guide shaft. A device for detecting whether the lens group is located at an extremity of a predetermined movable range of the lens group relative to the first member along the optical axis is also provided. The detecting device includes a connecting member secured to the other end of each of the screw shaft and the first guide shaft.

Abstract: An exposure controlling device includes, an aperture diaphragm that is driven by a motorized driving mechanism to open and close, an encoder for detecting an actuation of the motorized driving mechanism comprising a photocoupler and a rotating disk mounted in connection with the photocoupler. The rotating disk rotates corresponding to the actuation of the motorized driving mechanism by less than one full turn, and the rotating disk has a first angular range where the output signal from the photocoupler does not vary even when the rotating disk rotates and a second angular range where the output signal from the photocoupler varies in cycles in accordance with the rotation of the rotating disk. A controlling unit is provided to control the motorized driving mechanism to drive the aperture diaphragm in accordance with signals received from the photocoupler. The photocoupler faces to the first angular range when the aperture diaphragm is set at an p redetermined initial position.

Abstract: A zoom lens camera includes a whole unit moving device to move a front lens group and a rear lens group together as a whole in an optical axis direction, and a relative moving means to vary a distance between the front lens group and the rear lens group. The whole unit moving means is driven during a zooming operation, and at least the whole unit moving means or the relative moving means is driven during a focusing operation to focus on a subject to be photographed.

Abstract: A lens barrel has first, second and third barrels concentrically arranged in this order from an optical axis. The lens barrel includes at least one cam slot formed on the second barrel and extending oblique to a direction of the optical axis, at least one guide groove formed on an inner periphery of the third barrel, at least one follower formed on an outer periphery of the first barrel and engaging with the at least one guide groove through the at least one cam slot, and at least one member integrally formed on an outer periphery of the second barrel adjacent to an end of the at least one cam slot. The at least one member includes a surface formed thereon to contact the at least one follower when the at least one follower moves to the end of the at least one cam slot.

Abstract: A glass lens and a plastic lens are secured such that the glass lens is retained in a predetermined position with reference to a lens barrel and against a reference surface provided in the lens barrel. The plastic lens is held by a resilient ring-shaped portion of the lens barrel against the glass lens, thus locating the plastic lens in a predetermined position with reference to both the lens barrel and the glass lens. The glass lens is retained against the reference surface by a retaining member positioned opposite the reference surface.

Abstract: A lens barrel includes a frontmost lens, a lens supporting annular member for supporting the frontmost lens to prevent the frontmost lens from moving rearward from a predetermined axial position relative to the lens supporting annular member, a lens fixing ring for fixing the frontmost lens to the lens supporting annular member, an annular abutting surface which abuts against a circumferential portion of a front surface of the frontmost lens and is formed on the lens fixing ring and a coating applied to the annular abutting surface. The coating is positioned between said annular abutting surface and said circumferential portion to provide a substantially watertight seal.

Abstract: A control method of a zoom lens camera comprising a lens system having a movable front lens group and a movable rear lens group, a first motor for moving the front lens group, a second motor for moving the rear lens group, a first pulse encoder which is adapted to control the angular position of the first motor and a second pulse encoder which is adapted to control the angular position of the second motor. In such a zoom lens camera. the difference in the image plane position between the wide-angle position and the telephoto position is measured to obtain the necessary number of drive pulses for the motors, so that the zoom adjustment and the fB adjustment can be carried out without need of a mechanical zoom adjustment or a mechanical fB adjustment.

Abstract: A lens barrel is disclosed that includes a rotational barrel driven to rotate about an optical axis of the lens barrel. The rotational barrel has a plurality of guide grooves formed on an inner periphery thereof. The lens barrel further includes a linear moving barrel guided along the optical axis without rotating about the optical axis, a unit secured inside the linear moving barrel, and a plurality of follower pins securing the unit to the linear moving barrel. The plurality of follower pins each project outwardly from an outer periphery of the linear moving barrel to engage with the plurality of guide grooves, respectively, so that the linear moving barrel is moved along the optical axis relative to the rotational barrel when the rotational barrel is driven to rotate.

Abstract: A lens drive mechanism is disclosed that includes: a shutter block which supports a lens shutter including a plurality of shutter blades; a lens group guided along an optical axis thereof relative to the shutter block; a first motor secured to the shutter block for opening or closing the lens shutter; a second motor secured to the shutter block for moving the lens group along the optical axis; a first encoder for detecting a size of a diaphragm formed by the lens shutter; a second encoder for detecting an axial position of the lens group; a shutter driving gear train which connects the lens shutter with the first motor; a first encoder gear train which connects the first encoder with the first motor, the shutter driving gear train and the first encoder gear train being supported on the shutter block and arranged along a circumferential direction of the shutter block with a driving pinion of the first motor being positioned between the shutter driving gear train and the first encoder gear train; a lens driving

Abstract: A molding die assembly includes an outer molding die which forms an outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical mold, and, an inner molding die which forms an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical mold, wherein the outer molding die is comprised of a plurality of split die elements which are split at an oblique separating surface inclined with respect to the circumferential and axial directions of the cylindrical mold.