Lens barrel and imaging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10073238-B2
Application number	US-201514922837-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2015
Priority date	Dec 10, 2013
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

A lens barrel: an optical system; a focusing manipulation unit capable of changing a focal position of the optical system in a normal photographing area and in a macro photographing area where the focal position can be changed for an object located at a position shorter than a shortest distance position of the normal photographing area; a photographing mode switching unit for switching between a normal photographing mode and a macro photographing mode; and an index ring having a normal scale and a macro scale, the normal scale indicating an object distance in the normal photographing mode, and the macro scale indicating the object distance in the macro photographing mode. Then, the photographing mode switching unit switches a display position of the index ring between the normal scale and the macro scale, and the focusing manipulation unit changes the focal position displayed on the index ring by rotation manipulation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lens barrel comprising:
an optical system formed of a plurality of lenses;
a focusing manipulation unit that changes a focal position of the optical system in a normal photographing area and in a macro photographing area where the focal position is changed for an object located at a position shorter than a shortest distance position of the normal photographing area;
a photographing mode switching unit that switches between a normal photographing mode and a macro photographing mode by moving at least a part of lenses among the plurality of lenses of the optical system; and
an index ring having a normal scale and a macro scale, the normal scale indicating an object distance in the normal photographing mode, and the macro scale provided at a position different from the position of the normal scale and indicating the object distance in the macro photographing mode,
wherein the photographing mode switching unit switches a display position of the index ring between the normal scale and the macro scale in order that one of the normal scale and the macro scale is displayed while an other one of the normal scale and the macro scale is not displayed, and
the focusing manipulation unit changes the focal position displayed on the index ring by rotation manipulation.

2. The lens barrel according to claim 1 , wherein the index ring has a shortest distance mark for each of the normal photographing mode and the macro photographing mode at a same phase position in a circumferential direction, and a longest distance mark for each of the normal photographing mode and the macro photographing mode at another same phase position in the circumferential direction.

3. The lens barrel according to claim 1 , wherein the focusing manipulation unit has an auto focus setting part, and
the index ring has an auto focus mode mark for each of the normal photographing mode and the macro photographing mode at a same phase position in the circumferential direction.

4. The lens barrel according to claim 1 , wherein the index ring is engaged with the focusing manipulation unit and driven only in a rotation direction.

5. The lens barrel according to claim 1 , wherein a dustproof sheet is interposed between the index ring and the focusing manipulation unit.

6. An imaging apparatus comprising the lens barrel according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ikeo Kenji
• Yoshikawa Tsutomu
• Inata Masahiro
• Onishi Hideo

Classifications

• G02B7/105 Primary

  with movable lens means specially adapted for focusing at close distances · CPC title

• G02B27/0006

  with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation (G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B) · CPC title

• G02B7/08

  adapted to co-operate with a remote control mechanism · CPC title

• G02B7/102

  controlled by a microcomputer (cameras with interchangeable lenses G03B17/14) · CPC title

• G02B7/09

  adapted for automatic focusing or varying magnification · CPC title