Patents by Inventor Yoshifumi Mitani

Yoshifumi Mitani 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: 10401588
    Abstract: A lens barrel includes a tubular first fixing cylinder holding a lens group having one or more lenses, and a tubular second fixing cylinder fixedly coupled to one axial end part of the first fixing cylinder so that an axial direction thereof extends along that of the first fixing cylinder, and the second fixing cylinder is made of synthetic resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Mitani
  • Patent number: 10203473
    Abstract: A lens barrel includes a frame body, a frame body holder that holds the frame body, and an adjuster adjusting the inclination of the frame relative to a predetermined axis of the frame body holder. The adjuster includes an adjustment screw having a screw shaft with an external thread portion formed thereon, an internal thread portion screwed together with the external thread portion, a through hole formed in the frame body, a contact portion that is provided at a circumferential portion of the through hole, a hole portion formed in the frame body holder so as to be continuous with the internal thread portion, and a fitting portion extending from the external thread portion toward the screw tip of the adjustment screw with a fitting portion to be fitted into the hole portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Mitani
  • Patent number: 10191240
    Abstract: In a lens barrel of the present invention, a frame body holding an optical element is held in a frame body holding member, includes an adjuster for adjusting the position of the frame body with respect to a predetermined axis of the frame body holding member so as to be able to adjust at least one of the orientation of an optical axis in the optical element and the position of the optical element in a direction of the optical axis, and the adjuster is arranged at a position adjustable from an opening portion of a mounting member to be mounted on the frame body holding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Mitani, Tomohiro Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10126520
    Abstract: A rotation regulating device and a lens barrel includes a rotating ring, a holder that rotatably holds the rotating ring, a rotation regulator that regulates the rotation of the rotating ring by contacting and stopping the rotating ring, and a receiver that receives a part of the rotation regulator. The rotation regulator is held on the holder and formed of an elastic body. The holder includes a holding shaft that holds the rotation regulator and a rotation stopper that stops the rotation regulator to prevent the rotation regulator from rotating about the holding shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Mitani
  • Patent number: 10018801
    Abstract: A lens barrel and an imaging device utilizing the same includes a fixed cylinder that has a guide groove; a cam cylinder which is rotatably provided to the fixed cylinder and has a cam groove having a tapered section; and a moving lens support member that supports a moving lens and movably supports a cam follower that moves along the guide groove. The cam follower has a tapered contact section, which can be brought into contact with the tapered section of the cam groove, and is impelled radially outward by the cam follower impelling member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Matsumoto, Yoshifumi Mitani
  • Patent number: 9977215
    Abstract: A lens tube includes: a cylindrical exterior member having one axial end disposed on an object side and the other axial end disposed on an image side; a cylindrical protective member including an elastic body protecting the exterior member; and a cylindrical attachment-mounting member disposed on the inside of the exterior member and configured to mount an attachment, the protective member including: a cylindrical body disposed between the exterior member and the attachment-mounting member; an exterior-member protection portion provided at an axial end on the object side of the cylindrical body to project to the object side; and a flange portion projecting radially inwardly from an inner periphery of the cylindrical body and facing an axial end surface on the image side of the attachment-mounting member, the cylindrical body and the flange portion having at least three notched portions, the attachment-mounting member including at least three fixing portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Mitani
  • Publication number: 20180081145
    Abstract: A lens barrel includes a frame body, a frame body holder that holds the frame body, and an adjuster adjusting the inclination of the frame relative to a predetermined axis of the frame body holder. The adjuster includes an adjustment screw having a screw shaft with an external thread portion formed thereon, an internal thread portion screwed together with the external thread portion, a through hole formed in the frame body, a contact portion that is provided at a circumferential portion of the through hole, a hole portion formed in the frame body holder so as to be continuous with the internal thread portion, and a fitting portion extending from the external thread portion toward the screw tip of the adjustment screw with a fitting portion to be fitted into the hole portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Mitani
  • Patent number: 9557514
    Abstract: A lens cap includes: a cap main frame; and a pair of operating members attached to a front surface of the cap main frame, wherein, when the operating members are made to slide outward by a biasing force, engaging portions at outer ends of the operating members are engaged with to-be-engaged portions in the front end opening, while first locking portions are formed at inner edges of the operating members, and second locking portions are formed on back surfaces of the operating members, concave portions are formed on the front surface of the cap main frame, first openings and second openings are formed in bottoms of the concave portions, cover plates are placed on the back surface of the cap main frame, and biasing members are placed between the cover plates and the back surface of the cap main frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Naohiko Hayashi, Yoshifumi Mitani
  • Publication number: 20160216475
    Abstract: A lens tube includes: a cylindrical exterior member having one axial end disposed on an object side and the other axial end disposed on an image side; a cylindrical protective member including an elastic body protecting the exterior member; and a cylindrical attachment-mounting member disposed on the inside of the exterior member and configured to mount an attachment, the protective member including: a cylindrical body disposed between the exterior member and the attachment-mounting member; an exterior-member protection portion provided at an axial end on the object side of the cylindrical body to project to the object side; and a flange portion projecting radially inwardly from an inner periphery of the cylindrical body and facing an axial end surface on the image side of the attachment-mounting member, the cylindrical body and the flange portion having at least three notched portions, the attachment-mounting member including at least three fixing portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Mitani
  • Publication number: 20160209617
    Abstract: In a lens barrel of the present invention, a frame body holding an optical element is held in a frame body holding member, includes an adjuster for adjusting the position of the frame body with respect to a predetermined axis of the frame body holding member so as to be able to adjust at least one of the orientation of an optical axis in the optical element and the position of the optical element in a direction of the optical axis, and the adjuster is arranged at a position adjustable from an opening portion of a mounting member to be mounted on the frame body holding member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi MITANI, Tomohiro MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20160178038
    Abstract: A rotation regulating device and a lens barrel includes a rotating ring, a holder that rotatably holds the rotating ring, a rotation regulator that regulates the rotation of the rotating ring by contacting and stopping the rotating ring, and a receiver that receives a part of the rotation regulator. The rotation regulator is held on the holder and formed of an elastic body. The holder includes a holding shaft that holds the rotation regulator and a rotation stopper that stops the rotation regulator to prevent the rotation regulator from rotating about the holding shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Mitani
  • Publication number: 20160170169
    Abstract: A lens barrel includes a tubular first fixing cylinder holding a lens group having one or more lenses, and a tubular second fixing cylinder fixedly coupled to one axial end part of the first fixing cylinder so that an axial direction thereof extends along that of the first fixing cylinder, and the second fixing cylinder is made of synthetic resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Mitani
  • Patent number: 9363434
    Abstract: A lens barrel includes: a motor; an input transmission ring that is rotated by the motor and is rotatable around the optical axis; and a lens drive cylinder connected to the input transmission ring so that rotating force can be transmitted from the input transmission ring, the lens drive cylinder moving a lens in the optical axis direction and being rotatable. The lens drive cylinder is placed on one side of the motor in the optical axis direction, and the input transmission ring is placed on the same side of the motor as the lens drive cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Mitani, Yutaka Tsujimoto
  • Publication number: 20160018621
    Abstract: A lens barrel and an imaging device utilizing the same includes a fixed cylinder that has a guide groove; a cam cylinder which is rotatably provided to the fixed cylinder and has a cam groove having a tapered section; and a moving lens support member that supports a moving lens and movably supports a cam follower that moves along the guide groove. The cam follower has a tapered contact section, which can be brought into contact with the tapered section of the cam groove, and is impelled radially outward by the cam follower impelling member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Matsumoto, Yoshifumi Mitani
  • Publication number: 20150253531
    Abstract: A lens cap includes: a cap main frame; and a pair of operating members attached to a front surface of the cap main frame, wherein, when the operating members are made to slide outward by a biasing force, engaging portions at outer ends of the operating members are engaged with to-be-engaged portions in the front end opening, while first locking portions are formed at inner edges of the operating members, and second locking portions are formed on back surfaces of the operating members, concave portions are formed on the front surface of the cap main frame, first openings and second openings are formed in bottoms of the concave portions, cover plates are placed on the back surface of the cap main frame, and biasing members are placed between the cover plates and the back surface of the cap main frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: NAOHIKO HAYASHI, YOSHIFUMI MITANI
  • Publication number: 20150146035
    Abstract: A lens barrel includes: a motor; an input transmission ring that is rotated by the motor and is rotatable around the optical axis; and a lens drive cylinder connected to the input transmission ring so that rotating force can be transmitted from the input transmission ring, the lens drive cylinder moving a lens in the optical axis direction and being rotatable. The lens drive cylinder is placed on one side of the motor in the optical axis direction, and the input transmission ring is placed on the same side of the motor as the lens drive cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Mitani, Yutaka Tsujimoto
  • Patent number: 8873171
    Abstract: A lens barrel and a lens unit each include a lens drive operation member that drives a lens holding member holding a movable lens group, in an axial direction by a rotation operation of a rotating member. This lens drive operation member has a body disposed so as to be rotatable about an axis of a fixed barrel and so as not to be movable in the axial direction and connected to the rotating member by a connecting portion, and the connecting portion includes at least two connecting members, that is, a first connecting member formed integrally with the body, and a second connecting member formed separately from the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Advanced Layers, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Mitani, Kenichi Miyaji
  • Patent number: 8649116
    Abstract: A lens barrel of the present invention is provided with an electric section having a plurality of sliding portions that slide along the predetermined conductor pattern. The electric section is provided with a thin-sheet electric section body supporting the plurality of sliding portions, and a reinforcing portion is provided at the electric section body. Therefore, in the lens barrel 1, the reinforcing portion increases the deformation resistance of the electric section body that supports the sliding portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Advanced Layers, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Mitani
  • Patent number: 8605373
    Abstract: An FPC (3) includes a first bending portion (31) having an outer periphery thereof directed from an attachment portion (36) toward an upstream end (3F), and bent in such a direction as to face the attachment portion (36); a second bending portion (32) which is bent from the attachment portion (36) toward a center axis (Z1) at a specified position closer to a downstream end (3B) than the first bending portion (31), and guided to a positioning portion (11); and a third bending portion (33) which is bent toward the camera body at a specified position closer to the downstream end (3B) than the positioning portion (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Advanced Layers, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Mitani
  • Publication number: 20130155531
    Abstract: A lens barrel and a lens unit each include a lens drive operation member that drives a lens holding member holding a movable lens group, in an axial direction by a rotation operation of a rotating member. This lens drive operation member has a body disposed so as to be rotatable about an axis of a fixed barrel and so as not to be movable in the axial direction and connected to the rotating member by a connecting portion, and the connecting portion includes at least two connecting members, that is, a first connecting member formed integrally with the body, and a second connecting member formed separately from the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Inventors: Yoshifumi MITANI, Kenichi MIYAJI