Optical: systems and elements – Lens – With variable magnification
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-25
2001-09-04
Mack, Ricky (Department: 2873)
Optical: systems and elements
Lens
With variable magnification
C359S697000, C396S133000, C396S137000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06285511
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application Nos. 11-253465 and 11-253466 filed on Sep. 7, 1999 and Japanese Application No. 11-253793 filed on Sep. 8, 1999, which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manual and automatic apparatus for a lens barrel configured so that zooming and focusing operations of a lens can be changed without changing manual and automatic operations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional lens barrel used for a camera or a television camera is provided with a focus lens for adjusting the focus and a zoom lens for changing powers. These lenses can be manually or automatically operated by a change-operation knob. For example, one of these lenses is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 02285311A.
That is, in the case of a zooming function, external teeth are formed on the periphery of a zooming ring, a change gear is set to the external teeth so as to be engaged with or disengaged from the teeth, rotation of an electric motor is transmitted via the change gear, and the change gear is moved by a change-operation knob. According to the function, by operating the change-operation knob and engaging the change gear with the external teeth of the zooming ring, it is possible to automatically drive the zoom lens by automatically operating the zooming ring, manually operate the zooming ring by disengaging the change gear from the external teeth, and set a desired magnification.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The above conventional lens barrel that can be manually or automatically operated requires the change operation for rotating the change-operation knob. However, the change operation is complicated and moreover, a trouble occurs that a photographing opportunity is missed because focusing an object is not quickly performed due to the change operation.
Therefore, the present applicant proposes a manual and automatic apparatus for a lens barrel requiring no change operation by using a clutch mechanism in accordance with U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/504,038. That is, when pressing an automatic operation switch (zoom seesaw) for zooming (the same is true for focusing), rotation of an electric motor is transmitted to a lens-operating ring through the connecting operation of a clutch mechanism, a zoom lens is automatically driven. When releasing the automatic operation switch (canceling of pressed state), the clutch mechanism performs disconnecting operation, and thereby the lens-operating ring can be manually operated.
In the case of the manual and automatic apparatus for a lens barrel, however, if an operator erroneously contacts an automatic operation switch (zoom seesaw) undermanual operation, a trouble occurs that a zoom lens unexpectedly moves. In the case of photographing by a camera, there is a case in which only manual operation is performed and automatic operation is unnecessary according to circumstances. In this case, operability is deteriorated.
Moreover, in the case of the above manual and automatic apparatus for a lens barrel requiring no change operation, if a lens can be quickly manually moved in the same direction or opposite direction when the above zoom seesaw is slightly pushed and automatically slowly moved, a quick camera work not missing a photographing opportunity may be realized. However, when the zoom seesaw is operated, the lens-operating ring is very heavy because the clutch mechanism is comparatively firmly connected. Therefore, it is difficult to manually move the ring.
In general, to change automatic operation to manual operation, the operation of a zoom seesaw is stopped and then, a lens-operating ring is operated. In this case, no major problems arise, but to perform photographing again at a speed at which slow zooming with a small push-in value (depth) of the zoom seesaw is performed (for example, a case of returning a zoom lens which has been moved from wide angle direction to telescopic direction to the wide angle direction and moving it in the telescopic direction again), it is effective to manually operate a lens-operating ring during automatic operation.
That is, if an operator once separates his hand from the zoom seesaw or performs zooming in the opposite direction, it is necessary to set the zoom-seesaw push-in value equivalent to the slow zooming rate previously used again. This operation is complex. Therefore, a zoom seesaw moving from wide angle to telescopic directions which can be once returned to the wide angle direction is desired. Moreover, the same is true for a zoom seesaw having a constant-speed zooming function of storing a zoom-seesaw push-in value and constantly performing zooming at the speed equivalent to the stored value (e.g. official gazette of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-101932).
Moreover, in the manual and automatic apparatus for a lens barrel, the clutch mechanism and a mechanism for moving a lens by a lens-operating ring are set so that they are brought into an optimum state at ordinary temperature. For example, when using the apparatus at a low temperature, the operation torque under manual operation increases or the rotational speed under automatic operation lowers. Particularly, grease is used for a mechanically movable portion and change of viscosities of the grease due to temperature becomes a large cause. Thus, at a temperature greatly different from ordinary temperature, stable manipulation or operation cannot be secured.
The present invention is made to solve the above problems and its first object is to provide a manual and automatic apparatus for a lens barrel not requiring the change of manual and automatic operations but allowing an operator to perform stable manual operation because a lens does not unexpectedly move under manual operation.
Moreover, it is the second object of the present invention to provide an apparatus not requiring the change of manual and automatic operations but allowing an operator to perform manual operation even under automatic operation when a driving speed is low and perform quick camera work.
Furthermore, it is the third object of the present invention to provide an apparatus not requiring the change of manual and automatic operations but capable of stabilizing the operability under manual operation or operations under automatic operation even when the apparatus is used at an environmental temperature out of ordinary temperature.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To attain the above first object, an aspect of the present invention comprises a lens barrel for holding a lens so as to be movable, a lens-operating ring rotatably set to the periphery of the lens barrel for manually moving the lens, an electric motor for automatically moving the lens, automatic manual-and-automatic (electric motor) -operation change means (circuit) for connecting the electric motor with the lens-operating ring by a clutch mechanism (the clutch mechanism is operated by a clutch-operating motor) and performing connection or disconnection of the clutch mechanism by making the connection or disconnection interlock with the operation of an automatic operation switch, and a mode change switch for changing an automatic manual-and-automatic-operation change mode for operating the automatic manual-and-automatic-operation change means and a manual-operation (single) mode for enabling only manual operation by disconnecting the clutch mechanism.
The above configuration can be provided with operation-torque change means for adjusting the pressure of the friction face of the clutch mechanism and changing manual operation torques of the lens-operating ring.
According to the present invention, by pressing an automatic zooming or focusing switch when setting an automatic manual-and-automatic-operation change mode, a clutch mechanism is connected by a clutch-operating motor. Therefore, rotation of an electric motor is transmitted to a lens-operating ring through a gear train and thereby, a predetermined lens is driven. Thereafter,
Kanayama Atsushi
Kaneko Keiji
Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
Mack Ricky
Snider Ronald R.
Snider & Associates
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