Patents by Inventor Tatsuo Takanashi

Tatsuo Takanashi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6324019
    Abstract: A lens housing including an anti-flare aperture device in the form of a thin planar aperture member. In one embodiment, a plurality of guide pins extend from a group-3 lens element, with a compression spring on one of the guide pins to bias the group-3 lens in the direction of its optical axis. The aperture member, the position of which is defined by two guide pins, is sandwiched between the group-3 lens and the compression spring, thereby being supported. The aperture member moves backward and forward together with the group-3 lens supported by the guide pins. In a second embodiment, the aperture device is attached directly to one side of the lens elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuo Takanashi, Mitsuhiro Sato
  • Patent number: 6317273
    Abstract: A lens barrel apparatus according to the present invention incorporates a cam cylinder serving as a lens barrel having cam grooves for moving frame. Spring portions serving as spring means for making predetermined holding force are formed adjacent to the cam grooves to cause the cam grooves to pinch the cam followers. The cam grooves are continuous grooves or openings formed in the surface adjacent to the cam cylinder. The spring portions are constituted by a plurality of openings formed adjacent to the cam grooves. The lens barrel apparatus exhibiting a simple structure having the small number of elements can be operated by a structure constituted by a cam and a cam follower free from any looseness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Olympus Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuo Takanashi
  • Patent number: 6304390
    Abstract: A lens housing having an aperture device has a moving frame, a lens that is movable backward and forward, an aperture member fitted to the lens, and a cam cylinder having cam grooves for receiving cam followers. The aperture member has arm sections bent and extended from a substrate section having an aperture opening in the direction of an optical axis. The individual arm sections have engagement openings for receiving the cam followers, thereby the aperture member is fitted to the lens. The lens housing functions with reduced components and occupying space, thereby providing advantages in cost reduction and miniaturization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuo Takanashi
  • Publication number: 20010028513
    Abstract: A body of a lens frame, which is a lens barrel of the present invention, consists of an inner frame for holding a lens, an intermediate frame in which an adjusting screw is screwed, and an outer frame in which an adjusting screw is screwed. The frames are connected to one another by parallel springs. In the case of this lens frame, the inner frame is displaced in the direction of X-axis or a horizontal axis by screwing the adjusting screw thereinto in the direction of the horizontal axis and screwing another adjusting screw thereinto by the direction of a vertical axis. Thus, the inner frame is displaced in Y-direction through the intermediate frames. Consequently, the translation of the position of the optical axis of the lens is performed without inclination of the intermediate frame. Hence, the adjustment of the position of the optical axis is easily achieved. Moreover, this lens frame achieves a reduction in the cost of components thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2001
    Publication date: October 11, 2001
    Applicant: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuo Takanashi, Mitsuhiro Sato
  • Publication number: 20010026401
    Abstract: In a lens barrel, a group-2 lens frame, which is movable forwardly and backwardly, is fit into an inner peripheral portion of an M-cam frame which is rotatably supported. A cam groove, into which a cam follower fits, is provided at the M-cam frame. A shaft hole, into which a shaft portion of the cam follower is press-fit and fixed, is provided at the group-2 lens frame. Two edge portions are formed at the shaft portion. Two conical slide faces are provided at a portion which slides at the cam groove of the cam follower. The two edge portions are provided at end portions of the slide faces. When the cam follower attempts to tilt, the edge portions of the shaft portion bite-into a cam face, and prevent a fit-together state of the shaft portion from coming out of place. Further, when an external force acts on the cam follower, the edge portions of the conical slide faces bite into the cam groove such that a fit-together state of the cam follower is prevented from coming out of place.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Publication date: October 4, 2001
    Applicant: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tamotsu Koiwai, Tatsuo Takanashi
  • Patent number: 6262853
    Abstract: A body of a lens frame, which is a lens barrel of the present invention, consists of an inner frame for holding a lens, an intermediate frame in which an adjusting screw is screwed, and an outer frame in which an adjusting screw is screwed. The frames are connected to one another by parallel springs. In the case of this lens frame, the inner frame is displaced in the direction of X-axis or a horizontal axis by screwing the adjusting screw thereinto in the direction of the horizontal axis and screwing another adjusting screw thereinto by the direction of a vertical axis. Thus, the inner frame is displaced in Y-direction through the intermediate frames. Consequently, the translation of the position of the optical axis of the lens is performed without inclination of the intermediate frame. Hence, the adjustment of the position of the optical axis is easily achieved. Moreover, this lens frame achieves a reduction in the cost of components thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuo Takanashi, Mitsuhiro Sato
  • Publication number: 20010005288
    Abstract: In this zoom lens barrel, its cam ring has three sets of three cam grooves for advancing or retracting a first group frame, a focus frame and third group frame. The three cam grooves include a cam follower introducing groove connected to ends of two cam grooves for the focus frame and third group frame and a joint groove for joining two cam grooves for the first group frame and the focus frame. When inserting a cam follower of the first group frame into the cam groove, after it is inserted into the introducing groove, it is passed through the cam groove for the focus frame and then, passed through the joint groove and fit to the cam groove for the first group frame. Further, when inserting the cam followers of the focus frame and third group frame into the cam groove, after it is inserted from the introducing groove, it can be fit to the focus frame and third group frame separately.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeo Hayashi, Tatsuo Takanashi
  • Publication number: 20010005287
    Abstract: This lens barrel comprises a first group frame supported by two first guide shafts and a second guide shaft such that it is capable of being advanced or retracted, a focus frame, a focus frame holding portion, and a third group frame. The first guide shafts are bonded and supported by the focus holding frame in parallel such that both ends thereof are exposed. The first group frame and the third group frame are supported slidably by both end portions. Further, the second guide shaft supports the focus frame slidably. An end of the second guide shaft is supported through a short fitting length while it is not fixed to the first group frame and the other end thereof is supported slidably by the third group frame through a short fitting length. Therefore, in this lens barrel, the accuracy in advancement and retraction of respective members is excellent and an efficiency of storage space is excellent thereby contributing to reduction of the size, achieving compactness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Inventors: Shigeo Hayashi, Tatsuo Takanashi
  • Patent number: 5713056
    Abstract: A film feeding apparatus of a camera moves a film when the camera is switched to its nonoperative state or has not been operated for a predetermined time, in order that focusing is not affected by film deformation caused by a pair of flanges of the film cartridge when the film has been left for a long time. A film feeding motor feeds the film, and a perforation detector or a film encoder outputs a signal corresponding to the feeding amount of the film. When the camera is switched to its nonoperative state or has not been operated for the predetermined time, a CPU in response to the film feeding amount signal causes the film to be moved by a predetermined amount in a first direction. Further, when the camera is switched to its operative state or an operation command is inputted, the CPU causes the film to be moved in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Asakura, Shinya Takahashi, Akira Inoue, Tatsuo Takanashi