Abstract: The lens barrel includes a flexible wire, a first supporting frame and a second supporting frame. The flexible wire has a first end with at least one terminal, a second end with at least one terminal and a bent portion disposed between the first and second ends. The bent portion includes a plurality of part overlapping each other. The first supporting frame supports the first end. The second supporting frame is movably disposed in a first direction with respect to the first supporting frame and supports the bent portion.

Abstract: A lens barrel includes a first support frame and a second support frame. The first support frame has a cam groove. The second support frame has an annular main body with a cam follower that extends outwardly in a radial direction. The cam follower is slidably disposed in the cam groove and has a first cam portion, a second cam portion and a connecting portion. The second cam portion is aligned with the first cam portion along the circumferential direction of the main body. The connecting portion connects the first cam portion and the second cam portion to create a space between the connecting portion and the cam groove.

Abstract: A method of turning the surface of a die, which is used to make a product, into an antireflective roughened one includes the steps of: a) producing a first roughness on the surface of the die; and b) producing a second roughness, which is smaller than the first roughness, on the surface of the die on which the first roughness has already been produced.

Abstract: A lens barrel of the present invention includes: a fixing frame having a plurality of cam grooves that are formed an inner circumferential surface of the fixing frame and also having a protrusion provided between any adjacent two of the cam grooves among a plurality of the cam grooves; and a drive frame having cam followers that are provided to an outer circumferential surface of drive frame, are engaged with the cam grooves, and are movable along the cam grooves. With this configuration, when an external force is applied to the drive frame, an end portion of the drive frame comes into contact with the protrusion to prevent the cam followers from coming out of the cam grooves.

Abstract: A lens barrel of the present invention includes a fixing frame 100 provided with cam grooves 103-105 formed in an inner circumferential surface of the fixing frame, and a drive frame 200 provided with cam followers 201-203 formed on an outer circumferential surface of the drive frame and a plurality of engaging teeth 200a provided to the outer circumferential surface of the drive frame so as to be located on substantially the same circumference as the cam followers 201-203. The drive frame 200 is adapted such that, with the drive frame incorporated in the fixing frame 100, the cam followers 201-203 are fitted in the cam grooves 103-105, drive force is transmitted via the engaging teeth 200a, and the drive frame 200 can move relative to the fixing frame 100 in the optical axis direction of a lens as the cam followers 201-203 move along the cam grooves 103-105.

Abstract: Lens barrel 3 includes a stationary frame 20, a drive frame 30, a rotation cam frame 70, and a first lens frame 60. The drive frame 30 is supported by the stationary frame 20 to be movable in a Y axis direction along an optical axis of an imaging optical system O and rotatable around the optical axis in response to a drive force. The rotation cam frame 70 is supported by the drive frame 30 to be movable in the Y axis direction relative to the drive frame 30 in response to the drive force. The first lens frame 60 supports a first lens group G1 included in the imaging optical system O, and is supported by the rotation cam frame 70 to be movable in the Y axis direction relative to the rotation cam frame 70 in response to the drive force.

Abstract: Lens barrel 3 includes a stationary frame 20, a drive frame 30, a rotation cam frame 70, and a first lens frame 60. The drive frame 30 is supported by the stationary frame 20 to be movable in a Y axis direction along an optical axis of an imaging optical system O and rotatable around the optical axis in response to a drive force. The rotation cam frame 70 is supported by the drive frame 30 to be movable in the Y axis direction relative to the drive frame 30 in response to the drive force. The first lens frame 60 supports a first lens group G1 included in the imaging optical system O, and is supported by the rotation cam frame 70 to be movable in the Y axis direction relative to the rotation cam frame 70 in response to the drive force.

Abstract: A simply structured zooming movement mechanism for moving a first lens group located in the object side from a bending member. Also provided are a small-sized lens unit by making it collapsible and an image pickup apparatus. The lens unit has: the bending member for bending the light entering from an object along a first optical axis, to the direction of a second optical axis substantially perpendicular to the first optical axis; and a first moving member for moving a first support member, which supports the first lens group, in the direction of the first optical axis to a storage position; a bending member moving member for moving the bending member to an evacuation position in order to create a space for storing the first supporting member; and a first zooming movement member for moving the first supporting member in the direction of the first optical axis in a variable magnification manner.

Abstract: Lens barrel 3 includes a stationary frame 20, a drive frame 30, a rotation cam frame 70, and a first lens frame 60. The drive frame 30 is supported by the stationary frame 20 to be movable in a Y axis direction along an optical axis of an imaging optical system O and rotatable around the optical axis in response to a drive force. The rotation cam frame 70 is supported by the drive frame 30 to be movable in the Y axis direction relative to the drive frame 30 in response to the drive force. The first lens frame 60 supports a first lens group G1 included in the imaging optical system O, and is supported by the rotation cam frame 70 to be movable in the Y axis direction relative to the rotation cam frame 70 in response to the drive force.

Abstract: A lens system 3 is provided with a plurality of lens units including a first lens unit 9, and has a condition changing structure 6 that is capable of changing the condition of the first lens unit 9 without changing the position of the first lens unit 9 in the direction of the optical axis x.

Abstract: There is provided an image stabilizing unit 1 small in size in one direction perpendicular to an optical axis, including, on a base member 2, a movable compensation member 5 which can displace an image forming position by moving in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis Z, and two drive units 6, 7 for displacing the movable compensation member 5 in the directions of R and S which are different from each other for 90 degrees, wherein the directions in which the drive units 6, 7 respectively move the movable compensation member 5 are inclined 45 degrees to a direction X which connects the drive units 6, 7 and the optical axis center Z of the movable compensation member 5.

Abstract: A displacement sensor is provided with: a light-projection unit; a light-receiving unit having a light-shielding mask and a light-receiving element; a first light-converging element which converges luminous fluxes released from the light-projection unit on a measuring object; a second light-converging element which converges reflected luminous fluxes on the light-receiving unit; a first light-path control element which allows a projection-light light axis and a receiving-light light axis to be coaxially set on the measuring object side; and a light-path length sweeping mechanism which continuously changes a light-path length from the light-projection unit to the measuring object and a light-path length from the measuring object to the light-receiving unit.

Abstract: A lens system 1 is provided with: a first lens unit 5 that is movable in the direction of the optical axis x; a second lens unit 12 that is movable in the direction of the optical axis x; a driving mechanism 9 that linearly moves the first lens unit 5 in the direction of the optical axis x; and a cylindrical cam shaft 13 having at least a first cam portion 13a and a second cam portion 13b. In the cylindrical cam shaft 13, the first cam portion 13a is engaged with the first lens unit 5, and the second cam portion 13b is engaged with the second lens unit 12. The cylindrical cam shaft 13 is rotated by the linear movement of the first lens unit 5 by the first driving mechanism 9, and the second lens unit 12 is linearly moved by the rotation of the cylindrical cam shaft 13.

Abstract: A lens system 3 is provided with a plurality of lens units including a first lens unit 9, and has a condition changing structure 6 that is capable of changing the condition of the first lens unit 9 without changing the position of the first lens unit 9 in the direction of the optical axis x.

Abstract: A compact lens housing which is of a multistage type in which it is projected and retracted through three stages. The lens housing includes three pairs, each of which is composed of a straight-moving member which is movable in an axial direction of the lens housing but not rotatable and is composed of a rotation member which can rotate relative to the straight-moving member, in which the rotation member moves integrally together with the straight-moving member in the axial direction. The straight-moving members of the three pairs have straight-moving interlocking parts, respectively, and the straight-moving interlocking parts slidably engage with each other so as to be able to move in the axial direction. The straight-moving interlocking parts are arranged generally in the same circumference when the lens housing is viewed in the axial direction.

Abstract: A displacement sensor is provided with: a light-projection unit; a light-receiving unit having a light-shielding mask and a light-receiving element; a first light-converging element which converges luminous fluxes released from the light-projection unit on a measuring object; a second light-converging element which converges reflected luminous fluxes on the light-receiving unit; a first light-path control element which allows a projection-light light axis and a receiving-light light axis to be coaxially set on the measuring object side; and a light-path length sweeping mechanism which continuously changes a light-path length from the light-projection unit to the measuring object and a light-path length from the measuring object to the light-receiving unit.

Abstract: A single mechanism of a camera which performs zooming and focusing operations. The mechanism has a first lens group which performs focusing operation, a second lens group which moves relative to the first lens group to perform zooming operation, and a zoom lens barrel which carries the first lens group and the second lens group, so that each of the first lens group and the second lens group moves along a zooming line including a plurality of focusing sections and a plurality of zooming sections alternately. A forwarding amount of the first lens group in one of the focusing sections is different from that in at least one of the other focusing sections.

Abstract: A zoom lens barrel which is an integrated zoom and focus drive type zoom lens barrel that moves lens units on a single zoom line having plurality of focusing sections and plurality of zooming sections, wherein the single zoom line has characteristic that the “rate of change of the relative distance of the two lens units with regard to a barrel rotation angle” in each focusing section becomes smaller in the focusing sections of the telephoto side.

Abstract: A zoom lens barrel which is an integrated zoom and focus drive type zoom lens barrel that moves lens units on a single zoom line having plurality of focusing sections and plurality of zooming sections, wherein the single zoom line has characteristic that the “rate of change of the relative distance of the two lens units with regard to a barrel rotation angle” in each focusing section becomes smaller in the focusing sections of the telephoto side.

Abstract: A structure, used for a collapsible type of zoom lens barrel provided in a camera, which makes advantageous a wiring of an electric wire extending between a side of a camera body and an electrically driven device which is installed within a space inside the zoom lens barrel, in an attempt of effective use of the space therein. The zoom lens barrel includes: a stationary lens barrel, rectangular in cross section, fitting to a rectangular exposure window of a picture frame in front of a film set inside the camera body; a first movable lens barrel, rectangular in cross section, slidably fitted inside the stationary lens barrel; and a second movable lens barrel, circular in cross section, slidably fitted inside the first movable lens barrel, in which the zoom lens barrel can take a projecting state and a retracting state. In the retracting state, the space is formed between the first movable lens barrel and the second movable lens barrel, in which space the electrically driven device is positioned.