Imaging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9338357-B2
Application number	US-201514607628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2015
Priority date	Jan 30, 2014
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes a front lens group having a front lens element and a reflector; a rear lens group, the imaging apparatus performing an image-stabilizing operation by driving the front lens element; a support member supporting the reflector; a support mechanism which supports the movable frame to spherically swing about a spherical-swinging center, positioned on an extension of the optical axis of the front lens element extending behind an underside of a reflection surface of the reflector; and a rotation preventer which prevents rotation of the movable frame about the optical axis of the front lens element while allowing the movable frame to spherically swing about the spherical-swinging center. The rotation preventer includes a projection and a projection insertion portion provided on the movable frame and the support member, respectively, or vice versa, and are engaged with each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a front lens group which constitutes part of an imaging optical system of said imaging apparatus and includes at least one front lens element and a reflector, in that order from an object side, wherein said reflector includes a reflection surface which reflects light rays, exiting from said front lens element, toward a different direction, and wherein said imaging apparatus performs an image-stabilizing operation by driving said front lens element in response to vibrations applied to said imaging optical system in order to reduce image shake on said image plane;
at least one rear lens group which constitutes another part of said imaging optical system and is positioned closer to an image plane than said front lens group;
a movable frame which holds said front lens element;
a reflector support which supports at least said reflector and is immovable relative to an optical axis of said front lens element in a reference state in which said imaging apparatus does not drive said front lens element when said image-stabilizing operation is not performed;
a movable-frame support which supports said movable frame in a manner to allow said movable frame to spherically swing along an imaginary spherical surface about a spherical-swinging center which is positioned on an extension of said optical axis, of said front lens element, extending behind an underside of said reflection surface of said reflector; and
a rotation preventer which prevents rotation of said movable frame about said optical axis of said front lens element relative to said reflector support in said reference state and a state where said movable frame spherically swings about said spherical-swinging center, while allowing said movable frame to spherically swing about said spherical-swinging center relative to said reflector support, said rotation preventer including a projection and a projection insertion portion which are provided on one and the other of said movable frame and said reflector support reflector and engaged with each other.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said projection is slidable relative to said projection insertion portion along a first plane which includes said optical axis of said front lens element in said reference state, and
wherein, with respect to movement of said projection within a second plane which is orthogonal to said first plane and parallel to said optical axis of said front lens element in said reference state, said projection is swingable relative to said projection insertion portion about a point of support which lies in said second plane and movable relative to said projection insertion portion in a direction along said optical axis of said front lens element in said reference state, and is prevented from moving relative to said projection insertion portion in a direction orthogonal to said optical axis of said front lens element in said reference state.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said first plane includes said optical axis of said front lens element in said reference state and an optical axis of light rays reflected by said reflector.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said projection insertion portion comprises a pair of holding portions which face each other, on either sides of said first plane, and hold said projection in said second plane.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said pair of holding portions comprise a pair of facing surfaces which are parallel to said first plane, and
wherein said projection comprises a nonplanar contacting surface which is in sliding contact with said pair of facing surfaces.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said projection insertion portion comprises an elongated hole which is formed such that a distance between a pair of end portions of said elongated hole is greater than a distance between said pair of facing surfaces, and
wherein said spherical-swinging center is positioned on an extension of said elongated hole in the lengthwise direction thereof.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said projection comprises a guide shaft, an axis of which extending along said first plane, and
wherein said pair of holding portions comprises a pair of facing protrusions which hold a portion of said guide shaft in said axial direction thereof.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said spherical-swinging center is positioned on an extension of said axis of said guide shaft.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said projection and said projection insertion portion come in contact with each other in a plane which passes through said spherical-swinging center and is orthogonal to said optical axis of said front lens element in said reference state.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising two actuators which make said movable frame spherically swing about said spherical-swinging center,
wherein a first thrust acting plane, which passes through a center of an outer profile of one of said two actuators and includes a thrust acting direction of said one actuator, and a second thrust acting plane, which passes through a center of an outer profile of the other of said two actuators and includes a thrust acting direction of said other actuator, are each parallel to said optical axis of said front lens element in said reference state, intersect each other at said spherical-swinging center and are plane-symmetrical with respect to a plane of symmetry which passes through a point of said intersection of said first thrust acting plane and said second thrust acting plane and is parallel to said optical axis of said front lens element in said reference state, and
wherein said projection and said projection insertion portion are positioned in said plane of symmetry, to which said first thrust acting plane and said second thrust acting plane are plane-symmetrical.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said first thrust acting plane and said second first thrust acting plane are orthogonal to each other.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising two actuators which make said movable frame spherically swing about said spherical-swinging center,
wherein a first thrust acting plane, which passes through a center of an outer profile of one of said two actuators and includes a thrust acting direction of said one actuator, and a second thrust acting plane, which passes through a center of an outer profile of the other of said two actuators and includes a thrust acting direction of said other actuator, are each parallel to said optical axis of said front lens element in said reference state, intersect each other at said spherical-swinging center and are plane-symmetrical with respect to a plane of symmetry which passes through a point of said intersection of said first thrust acting plane and said second thrust acting plane and is parallel to said optical axis of said front lens element in said reference state, and
wherein said projection and said projection insertion portion are positioned in a plane that is orthogonal to said plane of symmetry, to which said first thrust acting plane and said second thrust acting plane are plane-symmetrical.

13. The imaging apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said first thrust acting plane and said second first thrust acting plane are orthogonal to each other.

14. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising two actuators which make said movable frame spherically swing about said spherical-swinging center,
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Assignees

• Hoya Corp

Inventors

• Nomura Hiroshi
• Suzuka Shinya
• Morinaga Takahiro

Classifications

• H04N23/687 Primary

  by shifting the lens or sensor position · CPC title

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• G02B7/023 Primary

  permitting adjustment · CPC title

• G02B27/646

  compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake (movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68) · CPC title

• H04N5/23287 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic