Abstract: In a lens unit 1, and an image sensing apparatus 15 incorporated with the lens unit 1 of the invention, a fixed cylinder 2 is formed with an oblong hole 21 extending in an optical axis direction in a lateral surface of the fixed cylinder 2. A driving force from a driving member such as a motor 12 is transmitted to a gear portion formed on an outer periphery of a cam cylinder 3 by a major axis gear 10 received in the oblong hole 21. Thereby, the cam cylinder 3 is rotated, and a lens holding frame is driven in the optical axis direction for a zoom operation. A pressing member 13 for pressing the major axis gear 10 in the optical axis direction during the zoom operation is provided at an end surface of the major axis gear 10.

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).

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.

Abstract: In an engaging member 1 which holds a contact member 8 made of metal and having two contact surfaces 9 which form a recess 6 for receiving a shaft member 5 so as to be slidably displaceable on the shaft member 5 in accordance with displacement in a direction of the axis of the shaft member 5, a holding groove 12 is formed for exposing at least either end of a back side of the contact surface 9 of the contact member 8 in a direction of the axis of the shaft member 5, and not for exposing a central section of a back side of the contact surface 9 of the contact member 8 in the axial direction. As a result, it becomes possible to hold the contact member 8 in the manufacturing process, so that the contact surface 9 is accurately positioned.

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: There is provided an inexpensive camera module 1 having shieldability. The camera module 1 has a housing 2 which is molded from resin so that layers of the resin are formed on both sides of a metal plate 5 and in which an inside space for accommodating a group of lenses 6, 7 is formed and which is opened at least in one direction, a lid 3 for sealing the opened part of the housing 2, and a substrate 4 on which an imaging element 10 is mounted. In the housing 2, the metal plate 5 is partially exposed, and the lid 3 composed of conductive material and ground patterns 22 on the substrate 4 are in conductive contact with exposed parts 19, 21 of the metal plate 5.

Abstract: A lens unit includes: a first lens group arranged in a first optical axis direction of the lens unit, on which a light flux from an object is incident; a second lens group provided closer to an image side than the first lens group and arranged in a second optical axis direction; a bending section provided between the first and the second lens groups, which bends the first optical axis in the second optical axis direction, wherein the first and second lens groups are movable in the respective optical axes when a zooming operation is carried out; an actuator which drives the first and second lens groups; a first drive mechanism which moves the first lens group; a second drive mechanism which moves the second lens group; and a coupling member which concurrently transmits drive force from the actuator to the first and second drive mechanisms.

Abstract: In a lens unit 1, and an image sensing apparatus 15 incorporated with the lens unit 1 of the invention, a fixed cylinder 2 is formed with an oblong hole 21 extending in an optical axis direction in a lateral surface of the fixed cylinder 2. A driving force from a driving member such as a motor 12 is transmitted to a gear portion formed on an outer periphery of a cam cylinder 3 by a major axis gear 10 received in the oblong hole 21. Thereby, the cam cylinder 3 is rotated, and a lens holding frame is driven in the optical axis direction for a zoom operation. A pressing member 13 for pressing the major axis gear 10 in the optical axis direction during the zoom operation is provided at an end surface of the major axis gear 10.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lens unit including: a first lens group; a second lens group; an optical-path bending member; a movable frame holding the first lens group; a stationary frame holding the movable frame movably in an direction of the first optical axis, and adopted to telescopically house the movable frame therein; and a bending-member moving mechanism for moving the optical-path bending member. When an image is taken, the movable frame protrudes from the stationary frame and the optical-path bending member is arranged at a position so as to bend the first optical axis in the direction of the second optical axis. When the lens unit retracts, the bending-member moving mechanism moves the optical-path bending member to retreat the optical-path bending member from an area where the first lens group to be housed in the stationary frame.

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: In a lens barrel having an image pickup optical system including a first lens frame held movably in the optical axis direction for holding at least one lens and a second lens frame held movably in the optical axis direction for holding at least one lens, the first lens frame has a movable member which moves in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis in correspondence with the movement of the first lens frame in the optical axis direction, and has a cam connection with the second lens frame, thus the second lens frame moves in correspondence with the movement of the first lens frame in the optical axis direction.

Abstract: A lens barrel is provided with: a first movable frame and a second movable frame of a plurality of movable frames that are coaxially disposed to be movable back and forth to a stationary main frame and are inserted telescopically into the stationary frame; and two U-shaped support and drive members each having a first engagement portion, wherein each of the support and drive members is constituted of two arm portions, a second engagement portion, and a coupling member which connects the two arm portions. The first movable frame is driven by one of the support and drive members, and the second movable frame and the first movable frame are engaged with each other.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for fabricating a lens unit in which an inter-barrel member can be fixed with a high degree of accuracy without enlarging the lens barrels and the accuracy of the dimension of the inter-barrel member is not required. The method comprises the steps of: disposing an inter-barrel member 11 in a gap “g” defined between a front lens barrel 7 on a subject side in an optical-axis direction x and a rear lens barrel 8 on an imaging surface side in the optical-axis direction x; bringing the inter-barrel member 11 into close contact with one of the front lens barrel 7 and the rear lens barrel 8 in the optical-axis direction x; inserting a resilient member 12 into a space in the optical-axis direction x between the inter-barrel member 11 and the other of the front lens barrel 7 and the rear lens barrel 8; and fixing the front lens barrel 7 and the rear lens barrel 8 integrally with each other to compress the resilient member 12 in the optical-axis direction x.

Abstract: In an engaging member 1 which holds a contact member 8 made of metal and having two contact surfaces 9 which form a recess 6 for receiving a shaft member 5 so as to be slidably displaceable on the shaft member 5 in accordance with displacement in a direction of the axis of the shaft member 5, a holding groove 12 is formed for exposing at least either end of a back side of the contact surface 9 of the contact member 8 in a direction of the axis of the shaft member 5, and not for exposing a central section of a back side of the contact surface 9 of the contact member 8 in the axial direction. As a result, it becomes possible to hold the contact member 8 in the manufacturing process, so that the contact surface 9 is accurately positioned.

Abstract: There is provided an inexpensive camera module 1 having shieldability. The camera module 1 has a housing 2 which is molded from resin so that layers of the resin are formed on both sides of a metal plate 5 and in which an inside space for accommodating a group of lenses 6, 7 is formed and which is opened at least in one direction, a lid 3 for sealing the opened part of the housing 2, and a substrate 4 on which an imaging element 10 is mounted. In the housing 2, the metal plate 5 is partially exposed, and the lid 3 composed of conductive material and ground patterns 22 on the substrate 4 are in conductive contact with exposed parts 19, 21 of the metal plate 5.

Abstract: A lens unit according to the present invention is capable of varying power for forming an image onto an image pickup element. The lens unit includes: a plurality of lens groups, a diaphragm, and a shutter. In the plurality of lens groups, a distance between a k-th lens group counting from an object side and a (k+1)-th lens group arranged at an image side of the k-th lens group changes for varying power. The diaphragm is arranged between a position at an image side of the k-th lens group and a lens surface facing the object side of a lens closest to the image in the (k+1)-th lens group. The shutter is provided with an aperture in a noncircular shape and fulfills the predetermined conditional formulas.

Abstract: A lens barrel includes a first and second movable frames provided coaxially on an optical axis of a lens, and telescopically moved in and out from a stationary main frame; a first support member engaged with the first movable frame as a first pivot orthogonal to the optical axis, and a second support member engaged with the first movable frame as a second pivot orthogonal to the optical axis and the first pivot, a first connection member pivotally supported on or engaged with the second movable frame as a third pivot or the first movable frame as a fourth pivot; and engaged with the second movable frame as a fifth pivot or the first movable frame as a sixth pivot, wherein arm portions of the first support member and the first connection member are engaged with each other.

Abstract: There are provided a lens barrel unit and an imaging apparatus in which a plurality of constituent elements can be driven using a linear driving mechanism.

Abstract: In a lens barrel having an image pickup optical system including a first lens frame held movably in the optical axis direction for holding at least one lens and a second lens frame held movably in the optical axis direction for holding at least one lens, the first lens frame has a movable member which moves in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis in correspondence with the movement of the first lens frame in the optical axis direction, and has a cam connection with the second lens frame, thus the second lens frame moves in correspondence with the movement of the first lens frame in the optical axis direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lens unit including: a first lens group; a second lens group; an optical-path bending member; a movable frame holding the first lens group; a stationary frame holding the movable frame movably in an direction of the first optical axis, and adopted to telescopically house the movable frame therein; and a bending-member moving mechanism for moving the optical-path bending member. When an image is taken, the movable frame protrudes from the stationary frame and the optical-path bending member is arranged at a position so as to bend the first optical axis in the direction of the second optical axis. When the lens unit retracts, the bending-member moving mechanism moves the optical-path bending member to retreat the optical-path bending member from an area where the first lens group to be housed in the stationary frame.