JP7180616B2 - Lens barrel and camera - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to lens barrels and cameras.

Conventionally, there is a lens barrel in which a part of the lens group of the lens barrel can be inserted into and removed from the optical axis as a movable portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a lens barrel having a movable portion that can be inserted and removed from a predetermined position, and a camera and a lens barrel in which the operability of the movable portion is further improved.

JP 2014-98812 A

The lens barrel of the first aspect is a lens barrel attachable to a camera body, comprising a photographing optical system arranged along an optical axis and a lens which is a part of the photographing optical system, When the camera body is in the horizontal position, a straight line connecting the center of the lens at the mounted position on the optical axis and the center of the lens at the retracted position away from the optical axis is the rectangular shape of the camera body. a movable part that includes a lens that is substantially parallel to the long side of the imaging element and that rotates between the mounting position and the retracted position; and an operation part that allows a user to operate the rotation of the movable part, When the lens barrel is attached to the camera body and the camera body is in a horizontal position, a rotation trajectory of the movable portion is convex upward, and at least a portion of the operation portion is: an elastic member disposed above the center of rotation, biasing the movable portion, and having one end fixed to at least a portion of the movable portion positioned outside the outer periphery of the lens; When the movable portion moves between the mounting position and the retracted position, and the movable portion is closer to the mounting position than a predetermined position between the mounting position and the retracted position, the movable portion is moved to the mounting position. When the movable portion is closer to the retracted position than the predetermined position, the movable portion is biased toward the retracted position.

Further, the lens barrel of the second aspect is a lens barrel that can be attached to a camera body, and is composed of a photographing optical system arranged along an optical axis and a lens that is a part of the photographing optical system. A straight line connecting the center of the lens at the mounted position on the optical axis and the center of the lens at the retracted position retracted from the optical axis when the camera body is in the lateral position is a rectangle provided by the camera body. a movable part including a lens substantially parallel to the long sides of a shaped image pickup device and rotating between the mounting position and the retracted position; When the lens barrel is attached to the camera body and the camera body is in the horizontal position or the vertical position, the movable part moves from the retracted position to the mounted position. The center rotates downward, at least a part of the operation portion is arranged above the center of rotation, biases the movable portion, and one end of the operation portion is located outside the outer periphery of the lens. An elastic member fixed to at least a part of the movable part is provided, and when the movable part moves between the mounting position and the retracted position, the movable part moves between the mounted position and the retracted position. When the movable portion is closer to the mounting position than the predetermined position, the movable portion is biased toward the mounting position, and when the movable portion is closer to the retracted position than the predetermined position, the movable portion is directed toward the retracted position. It was configured to be biased by

A camera according to a third aspect includes the lens barrel and the camera body.

1 is a perspective view of a camera 1 including a lens barrel 2 of an embodiment and a camera body 3 to which the lens barrel 2 is attached; FIG. 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining the internal structure of the lens barrel 2, in which FIG. It is a figure seen from an angle different from FIG. 2, (a) shows the state in which the movable part 300 is in the mounting position, and (b) shows the state in which the movable part 300 is in the retracted position. FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C are diagrams for explaining the state of movement between the mounting position and the retracted position of the movable portion 300. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a gear portion 50; FIG. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining an encoder that detects a mounting state of the movable part 300; FIG. It shows the direction of gravity applied to the movable part 300 when the camera 1 is in the vertical position. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing operation states of the camera 1; FIG.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a camera 1 including a lens barrel 2 of an embodiment and a camera body 3 to which the lens barrel 2 is attached. Although the lens barrel 2 is detachable from the camera body 3 in this embodiment, the lens barrel 2 and the camera body 3 of the camera 1 may be integrated.

In the following description, up-down, left-right, and front-back directions when viewed from the photographer's side with the camera 1 in the horizontal position are also referred to as up-down, left-right, and front-back directions in the specification. The front-rear direction coincides with the optical axis OA direction.
Here, the horizontal position is
・When the long side of the rectangular imaging element 4 (indicated by the dotted line in the figure) of the camera body 3 extends horizontally,
When the handle portion 5 (horizontal position handle portion 5a) provided in the camera body 3 is located in the right lateral direction of the image sensor 4 as seen from the photographer,
When the release button 7a, which is used by the photographer who operates the camera body 3 to operate the shooting operation, is located in the upper right direction of the image sensor 4 as seen from the photographer,
・When the viewfinder 6 and the flash light emitting unit 8 provided in the camera body 3 are located above the image sensor 4,
・When the tripod hole (not shown) of the camera body 3 is located below the image sensor 4,
It is when at least one of
The vertical position is a state in which the camera 1 is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise from the horizontal position around the optical axis OA as seen from the photographer's side, and the horizontal position handle 5a is on the upper side. It is in.

(Camera body 3)
The camera body 3 is a so-called digital single-lens reflex camera that processes subject light incident on the imaging element 4 and records the image in a recording unit (not shown). However, the camera body is not limited to digital single-lens reflex cameras. A mirrorless camera or a compact digital camera may be used. Alternatively, a two-lens camera may be used. A camera built into a smartphone or tablet may also be used. Furthermore, it is not limited to a digital camera, and may be a film camera.

The camera body 3 is provided with a handle portion 5a for lateral position projecting forward on the right side of the camera body 3 so that the user can stably and easily hold the camera 1 in the lateral position. Further, on the lower side of the camera body 3, there is provided a handle portion 5b for vertical position protruding forward so that the user can stably and easily hold the camera 1 when photographing in the vertical position. Note that the handle portion 5b for vertical position may be detachable from the camera body 3. As shown in FIG.

Release buttons 7a and 7b are provided on the upper and lower sides of the lateral position handle portion 5, respectively. When the release buttons 7a and 7b are half-pressed, the autofocus function is activated, and when fully-pressed, the subject image is picked up at a preset shutter speed.
The release button 7a provided on the upper side is a horizontal position release button 7a used when the camera body 3 is in the horizontal position. The release button 7b provided on the lower side is the vertical position release button 7b used when the camera body 3 is in the vertical position.

A viewfinder 6 is provided above the imaging element 4 on the rear surface of the camera body 3 . The viewfinder 6 is not limited to an optical viewfinder system, and may be an electronic viewfinder system, allowing confirmation of the subject and composition, confirmation of the focus position, confirmation of various settings, and the like.
A tripod hole (not shown) is provided on the bottom surface of the camera body 3 . A body mount BM is provided at the center of the front side of the camera body 3 .

(Lens barrel 2)
The lens barrel 2 is detachably attached to the camera body 3 by engaging the lens mount LM on the rear side thereof with the body mount BM of the camera body 3 .

The lens barrel 2 has therein a photographing optical system composed of a plurality of lens groups. In FIG. 1, only the lens L in the front row is illustrated.
An operation section 21, a housing section 22, and a strap mounting section 23 are provided outside the lens barrel 2 from the rear end toward the front side along the optical axis OA. A focus ring 24 and a zoom ring 25 are arranged in front of the strap mounting portion 23 .

The strap attachment portions 23 are attached to the left and right sides of the exterior barrel 26b of the lens barrel 2, and the lens straps 27 can be attached to the left and right strap attachment portions 23. As shown in FIG.

(accommodating section 22)
The accommodation portion 22 is a portion that protrudes in a convex shape from the exterior cylinder 26a and covers a movable portion 300 including a teleconverter lens 30 (to be described later) at the retracted position.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the lens barrel 2, and is a diagram for explaining the internal structure of the lens barrel 2 with the exterior barrels 26a and 26b covering the outer circumference of the lens barrel 2 removed from the state shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a view seen from an angle different from that of FIG. 2 and 3, (a) shows the state where the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30) is at the mounted position, and (b) shows the state where the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30) is at the retracted position. FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C are diagrams for explaining the state of movement of the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) between the mounted position and the retracted position. An inner cylinder 29 that movably supports the movable portion 300 is arranged on the inner diameter side of the outer cylinder 26a.

(Movable part 300)
The movable portion 300 includes a teleconverter lens 30 and a frame 31 that covers the outer circumference of the teleconverter lens 30 .

(Teleconverter lens 30)
Teleconverter lens 30 is a lens group that extends the focal length. The mounting position is the position of the teleconverter lens 30 when the center (optical axis) of the teleconverter lens 30 is arranged on the optical axis OA of another photographing optical system, and the combined focal length becomes large, and the object is captured. It is possible to take an enlarged photograph. The retracted position is a position where the teleconverter lens 30 is out of the optical path of the imaging optical system so as not to block the optical path of another imaging optical system.

(Frame body 31)
The frame body 31 includes an annular frame 32 surrounding the outer periphery of the teleconverter lens 30, an arm portion 33 projecting outward from the annular frame 32, and a roller holding portion 34 projecting outward from the annular frame 32. and

(Arm portion 33)
The arm portion 33 has a first portion 33a extending radially outward from the annular frame 32, and a second portion 33b extending radially outwardly from the first portion 33a. The shape and arrangement of the first portion 33a and the second portion 33b in the arm portion 33 can be changed as appropriate. In this embodiment, the first portion 33a and the second portion 33b are arranged along the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel 2 when the movable portion 300 is at the retracted position, thereby increasing the diameter of the lens barrel 2. It is preferable because it prevents
The tip of the second portion 33b is attached to a rotation shaft A4 of a teleconverter rotation gear 54 of the gear portion 50, which will be described later. When the second portion 33b and the first portion 33a rotate (swing) with the rotation of the teleconverter rotary gear 54, the movable portion 300 rotates (swings) about the rotation axis A4.
Note that in the embodiment, the weight of the frame 31 is lighter than the weight of the teleconverter lens 30, so the center of gravity of the movable part 300 is shown to substantially match the center of the teleconverter lens 30 in FIG. Further, since the teleconverter lens 30 and the annular frame 32 are cylindrical members centered on the optical axis of the teleconverter lens 30, the center of gravity of the movable part 300 in the plane orthogonal to the optical axis direction is the teleconverter lens 30. Almost coincides with the center.

(Spring member 36)
A first attachment portion 33c is provided at a location near the annular frame 32 in the first portion 33a of the arm portion 33 . A fixing portion 29a fixed to the inner cylinder 29 is provided with a second mounting portion 33d. A spring member 36 is attached between the first attachment portion 33c and the second attachment portion 33d.
In addition, although the spring member 36 is attached in the present embodiment, the spring member 36 is not limited to this, and any material that can urge the first attachment portion 33c and the second attachment portion 33d to attract each other and is deformable, such as rubber, can be used. Other elastic members may be used.
Then, when the arm portion 33 rotates about the rotation axis A4 of the teleconverter rotary gear 54 as described above, the spring member 36 is fixed to the first mounting portion 33c about one end mounted to the second mounting portion 33d. The other end rotates. At least one of one end and the other end of the spring member 36 may be rotatable so that the arm portion 33 can be rotated.

(Roller holding portion 34)
The roller holding portion 34 protrudes outward from a position different from the arm portion 33 in the annular frame 32 of the frame 31 . A cylindrical portion 35 made of an elastic member is attached to the tip of the roller holding portion 34 so as to be rotatable about a shaft extending in the direction of the optical axis OA. In addition, the cylindrical portion 35 is not limited to the elastic member, and may be another flexible member. Also, the cylindrical portion 35 may be an elastic member or a flexible member on the contact wall portion 40 side, which will be described below, instead of the elastic member.

(Abutting wall portion 40 (first restricting portion))
When the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) is at the mounting position, the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) rotates counterclockwise due to the spring force of the spring member 36 described above and the gravity applied to the movable portion 300, which will be described later. A force is applied in the direction (movement in the direction opposite to the direction toward the retracted position, movement to the left of the arrow R in the drawing).
Therefore, in order to limit the counterclockwise movement beyond the mounting position of the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30), the contact wall portion 40 (first limiting portion) fixed to the inner cylinder 29 is provided. It is The contact wall portion 40 abuts against the cylindrical portion 35 when the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) reaches the mounting position, and prevents the counterclockwise rotation of the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) beyond the mounting position. To prevent.

(Abutting member 41 (second restricting portion))
When the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30) is at the retracted position, the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30) rotates clockwise ( A force is applied in the direction of movement in the direction opposite to the direction toward the mounting position (movement to the right of the arrow R in the drawing).
Therefore, a contact member 41 (second restricting portion) fixed to the inner cylinder 29 is provided to restrict the clockwise movement of the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) beyond the retracted position. there is The abutting member 41 is an L-shaped metal fitting, which abuts against the cylindrical portion 35 when the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) reaches the retracted position. Prevent rotation around.

The contact wall portion 40 fixed to the inner cylinder 29 is used as the first restricting portion, and the contact member 41, which is an L-shaped fitting, is used as the second restricting portion. Not as long. Also, separate members may be used as the first restricting portion and the second restricting portion. Further, in the present embodiment, the contact member 41 contacts the first limiter and the second limiter. It is also possible to let

The location where the roller holding portion 34 is provided is preferably located at a greater distance from the rotation axis A4 so that the force with which the cylindrical portion 35 is pressed against the contact wall portion 40 and the contact member 41 by the spring member 36 can be reduced.

The center of the movable part 300 is positioned on the optical axis OA of the lens barrel 2 when the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30 ) in FIG. 4A is in the mounting position. Here, the center of the movable portion 300 in this embodiment substantially coincides with the central axis of the annular frame 32 and the optical axis of the teleconverter lens 30, but this may not be the case depending on the members included in the movable portion 300. FIG. In this embodiment, since the teleconverter lens 30 of the movable part 300 is included, it is preferable from the standpoint of optical performance that the center of the movable part 300 substantially coincides with the optical axis OA of the other lens included in the lens barrel 2 at the mounting position. . Depending on the members included in the movable section 300, the center of the movable section 300 does not have to be positioned on the optical axis OA at the mounting position.
Further, the center of gravity of the movable part 300 in this embodiment substantially coincides with the center of gravity of the teleconverter lens 30, and substantially coincides with the center of gravity of the member combining the annular frame 32 and the teleconverter lens 30, but this is not the only option. .

4C (teleconverter lens 30) is in the retracted position, it is only necessary to be in a position that does not block the light rays in the lens barrel 2, and it is not necessary to expand the accommodating portion 22. is preferably That is, the positional accuracy when the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30) is in the retracted position may be lower than the positional accuracy when the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30) is in the mounting position. Also, when the teleconverter lens 30 is at the retracted position, it is preferably located on the semicircular side of the optical axis OA on the outer circumference of the frame 31 .

The cylindrical portion 35 is rotatable with respect to the roller holding portion 34 . Therefore, when the cylindrical portion 35 abuts against the abutment wall portion 40 or the abutment member 41 , the abutment portion is moved by the rotation of the cylindrical portion 35 without always abutting the same portion. Therefore, wear is not concentrated on one part, and the durability of the cylindrical part 35 is good.
In addition, since the cylindrical portion 35 is an elastic member, it does not generate a collision noise when it comes into contact with the contact wall portion 40 or the contact member 41, and is excellent in quietness. In the present embodiment, the cylindrical portion 35 is made of an elastic member, but it can be changed as appropriate as long as the collision noise can be reduced. The elastic member may be a flexible member, a shock absorbing member, or a sound absorbing member. In addition, the elastic member is provided on at least one of the contact wall portion 40 (first limiting portion), the contact member 41 (second limiting portion), and the member (cylindrical portion 35 in this embodiment) that contacts the limiting portion. All you have to do is

(Gear portion 50)
FIG. 5 is a view showing the gear portion 50 with the gear portion cover 56 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 removed. The gear portion 50 transmits driving force to the movable portion 300 when the operation portion 21 is operated, and includes an operation portion connection gear 51 , an intermediate gear 52 , a brush rotation gear 53 , and a teleconverter rotation gear 54 . , and a damper gear 55 .
These gears are arranged in rows along the circumferential direction around the optical axis OA, but are not limited to this, and can be arranged in rows along the circumferential direction around the optical axis OA as long as the driving force can be transmitted. It doesn't have to be.

One end of a rotating portion 21a of the operating portion 21, which will be described later, is attached to the rotating shaft A1 of the operating portion connecting gear 51. As shown in FIG. A brush portion 61 , which will be described later, is attached to the rotating shaft A<b>3 of the brush rotating gear 53 . The distal end portion of the second portion 33b of the arm portion 33 is attached to the rotary shaft A4 of the teleconverter rotary gear 54 as described above. The damper gear 55 is a gear whose rotational speed is limited by, for example, viscous oil, and reduces the rotational speed of the teleconverter rotary gear 54 .

(Operation unit 21)
Returning to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the operating portion 21 is attached to the rear side of the housing portion 22. As shown in FIG. The operating portion 21 is L-shaped and includes a rotating portion 21a extending in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis OA and an extending portion 21b extending in the direction of the optical axis OA.
One end of the rotating portion 21a is attached to the rotating shaft A1 of the operating portion connecting gear 51 of the gear portion 50 described above, and is rotatable (oscillating) about the rotating shaft A1.
The extending portion 21b extends from the other end side of the rotating portion 21a to the front side in the optical axis OA direction outside the outer tube 26a. The outer tube 26a is provided with a slit opening in a predetermined range in the circumferential direction, and the extending portion 21b extends outside the outer tube 26a through the slit.

When the photographer moves the extending portion 21b of the operation portion 21 from the outside of the outer tube 26a along the slit in the circumferential direction of the outer tube 26a, the rotating portion 21a rotates about the rotation axis A1.
Then, the operating section connection gear 51 rotates, and the rotation rotates the teleconverter rotation gear 54 having a large number of teeth via the intermediate gear 52 and the brush rotation gear 53 . When the teleconverter rotary gear 54 rotates, the arm portion 33 also rotates. As the arm portion 33 rotates, the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) moves between the mounting position and the retracted position. At this time, the center of the movable part 300 rotates in the direction of the arrow R in FIG.

In this manner, the operation section 21 is connected to the teleconverter rotation gear 54 having a large number of teeth via the operation section connection gear 51 , the intermediate gear 52 and the brush rotation gear 53 . Therefore, even if the force for driving the operation portion 21 is small, it is possible to rotate the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30), which requires a large force for driving, through these gear portions.

A stopper 28 is provided between the extending portion 21b at the mounting position and the extending portion 21b at the retracted position. The stopper 28 is slidable with respect to the outer tube 26a, and when slid forward in the optical axis OA direction, the extending portion 21b is movable between the mounting position and the retracted position, and when slid backward in the optical axis OA direction. , the extension portion 21b is prevented from moving between the mounting position and the retracted position.

(Encoder)
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an encoder (signal generating section) that detects the mounted state of the movable section 300 (teleconverter lens 30). The encoder includes an FPC (flexible printed circuit board) 60 and a brush section 61 .
The FPC 60 is attached to the outer surface of a gear section cover 56 that houses the gear section 50 . The brush portion 61 is attached to the rotating shaft A3 of the brush rotating gear 53 and rotates together with the rotating shaft A3.

When the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) shown in FIG. 6C is at the retracted position, the brush portion 61 is out of contact with the wiring for the movable portion attachment/detachment signal of the FPC 60. FIG.
When the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) shown in FIG. 6A is at the mounting position, the brush portion 61 is in contact with the wiring for the movable portion attachment/detachment signal of the FPC 60. FIG.

It is the position shown in FIG. 6B that the contact state of the brush portion 61 with the wiring for the movable portion attachment/detachment signal of the FPC 60 is switched.
That is, it is before the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30) reaches the mounted position or the retracted position while it is moving between the mounted position and the retracted position, and the moving direction of the center of the movable part 300 is from the upper side to the lower side. , the state of contact between the wiring for the movable portion attachment/detachment signal of the FPC 60 and the brush portion 61 is switched. A signal indicating a change in the mounting state is sent to a control section (not shown) provided in the lens barrel 2 and the camera body 3 via the FPC 60 .

A control unit provided in at least one of the lens barrel 2 and the camera body 3 performs processing for calculating the lens position, shutter speed, aperture, and exposure during autofocus. During these calculations, different calculations are performed depending on whether the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30) is at the mounted position or at the retracted position because the presence or absence of the teleconverter function is different.

On the other hand, if a mounting signal is sent to the control section when the movable section 300 (teleconverter lens 30) reaches the mounting position or the retracted position, for example, it takes a long time to perform calculations for photographing. There is a time lag between switching the presence or absence of the converter function and being able to shoot.
However, according to this embodiment, before the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30) starts moving from the retracted position and reaches the mounting position, or when the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30) moves from the mounting position. is started and before reaching the retracted position, a signal indicating a change in the mounting state is sent to the control unit via the FPC 60 . Therefore, the arithmetic processing can be started before the position switching of the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) is completed, and the arithmetic processing can be started when the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) reaches the mounting position or the retracted position. The process is finished and you can start shooting immediately.
In the present embodiment, the timing at which the contact state switches is when the moving direction of the center of the movable portion 300 switches from the upper side to the lower side, but this is not the only timing. The timing at which the contact state is switched may be before the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30) reaches the mounting position or the retracted position, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the time required for transmission to the control unit and arithmetic processing in the control unit. It is possible.

(For horizontal position)
Returning to FIG. 4, the arrow G in the drawing indicates the direction of gravity applied to the center of the movable portion 300 when the camera 1 is in the horizontal position.
An arrow R is a locus of movement of the center of the movable part 300 . When the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30) moves between the mounting position and the retracted position, the position of the center of the movable part 300 in the vertical direction (vertical direction) moves upward once as indicated by the arrow R. Then, after passing the highest point shown in FIG. 4(b), it moves downward. The arrow R extends along the circumferential direction around the rotation axis A4.
That is, the locus of movement of the center of the movable part 300 is U-turned in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the camera 1 is in the horizontal position, the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) is prevented from stopping in the middle of switching, and the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) is positioned at either the mounting position or the retracted position. Moving.

In the state shown in FIG. 4B, the vertical position of the center of the movable portion 300 is the highest position. In this state, the first attachment portion 33c of the spring member 36, the rotation axis A4, and the second attachment portion 33d are aligned, and the spring member 36 is in a state of being extended most between the retracted position and the mounted position.

From this state, when the teleconverter lens 30 moves from (b) to the mounting position side of (a), the spring member 36 becomes the inner diameter side of the rotation axis A4. As a result, the spring member 36 is urged toward the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) toward the mounting position because the spring member 36 is urged in the contracting direction.
That is, in addition to the gravitational force described above, the spring force of the spring member 36 also urges the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) toward the mounting position.

Further, when the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) moves from (b) to the retracted position side of (c), the spring member 36 becomes the outer diameter side of the rotation axis A4. Then, since the spring member 36 is applied with a biasing force in the contracting direction, the spring member 36 biases the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) toward the retracted position.
That is, in addition to the gravitational force described above, the spring force of the spring member 36 also urges the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) toward the retracted position.

In this way, in the lateral position, whether the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30) is at the mounting position or at the retracted position, the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30) has a Gravity applies force in the downward direction, and spring force also applies pulling force in the same direction. Therefore, the photographer does not need much force to move the operation unit 21 in the latter half of the movement, and the operation is easy. In particular, operability is improved when the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) is heavy.

Further, at the mounting position shown in FIG. 4(a) and the retracted position shown in FIG. 4(c), spring force and gravity are applied to the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) in substantially the same direction. Therefore, the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) is less likely to move from the mounting position or the retracted position, and is held more stably.

(For vertical position)
FIG. 7 shows the direction of gravity applied to the movable part 300 when the camera 1 is in the vertical position tilted 90 degrees from the horizontal position shown in FIG.
Even in the vertical position, when the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) moves from (b) to the mounting position side (a), the spring force of the spring member 36 moves the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30). is biased to move to the mounted position.
Gravity also applies a force to the center of the movable part 300 so as to move it toward the mounting position.
Therefore, even when the camera 1 is in the vertical position, the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) moves toward the mounting position after the maximum value of the spring force is exceeded.
At the mounting position, the spring force and gravity are applied to the movable portion 300 in substantially the same direction. Therefore, the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) is less likely to move from the mounting position, and is more stably held at the mounting position.

Also in the vertical position, the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) is retracted by the spring force of the spring member 36 when the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) moves from (b) to (c) at the retracted position side. urged to move into position.
At this time, the spring force of the spring member 36 is directed against gravity, but the teleconverter lens 30 is moved to the retracted position by selecting the spring force to be stronger than the gravity.
Therefore, even when the camera 1 is in the vertical position, the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) moves to the retracted position after the maximum value of the spring force is exceeded.
At the retracted position, the spring force and the gravity acting on the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30) are on opposite sides, so the stability is lower than at the mounting position, but the movable part 300 (teleconverter lens 30) is In the case of the retracted position, since there is no influence on the photographing, there is little adverse effect.

Further, according to the embodiment, at least part of the operation part 21, at least part of the gear part 50, and at least part of the retracted teleconverter lens 30 are arranged on the same straight line along the optical axis OA. ing.
An extending portion 21b of the operating portion 21 extending outside the exterior cylinder 26a is arranged on the rear side of the accommodating portion 22 that accommodates the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30) in the retracted state. That is, the housing section 22 is arranged closer to the subject than the operation section 21 .
The extending portion 21b is positioned radially inward of the optical axis OA relative to the accommodating portion 22. As shown in FIG. Therefore, even if something comes into contact with the lens barrel 2 from the outside, the accommodating portion 22 comes into contact with the extension portion 21b before the extension portion 21b, so the possibility of malfunction of the operating portion 21 is small.

As described above, the lens strap 27 is attached to the strap attaching portion 23 on the front side of the accommodation portion 22. However, since the accommodation portion 22 is provided, the lens strap 27 may be accidentally caught on the extension portion 21b. Therefore, the operation unit 21 is not erroneously operated.

According to this embodiment, the operation section 21 and the housing section 22 are provided on the right side of the lens barrel 2 . In other words, the operation section 21 is arranged at a position closer to the lateral position handle section 5a than the optical axis OA.
8A and 8B are diagrams showing operation states of the camera 1. FIG. When holding the camera 1 in the horizontal position, the photographer generally holds the horizontal position handle 5a with the right hand RH. Then, the tip of the index finger is placed on the horizontal position release button 7a. At this time, the user operates the focus ring 24 and the zoom ring 25 while supporting the front portion of the lens barrel 2 with the left hand LH.
According to the embodiment, the operation part 21 is arranged on the right hand RH side that grips the lateral position handle part 5a.
Furthermore, when the lens barrel 2 is attached to the camera body 3, the operation section 21 is closer to the horizontal position handle section 5a for the photographer to hold during horizontal position photography than the optical axis OA. placed in position. That is, it is arranged within a range that the middle finger and the ring finger can reach while holding the lateral position handle portion 5a with the right hand RH.
Therefore, the photographer can switch whether or not the function of the teleconverter lens 30 is enabled while looking through the viewfinder 6 and pressing the release button 7a. That is, it is possible to switch whether the function of the teleconverter lens 30 is on or off without changing the posture from the normal photographing state, so that the operability is good.

Particularly when the lens barrel 2 is heavy, the left hand LH often supports the tip of the lens barrel 2 while operating the focus ring 24 and the zoom ring 25 . If the operation unit 21 were arranged on the left hand LH side, it would be necessary to move the left hand LH away from the lens barrel 2 or shift the supporting position to the operation unit 21 position to operate the operation unit 21. . In this case, the lens barrel 2 cannot be held with the left hand LH or is unstable, resulting in poor operability.

(deformed form)
Although preferred embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the following modifications are also possible.
(1) In the present embodiment, the teleconverter lens 30 is attached and detached using the L-shaped lever-shaped operating portion 21, but a push button may be used.
(2) In addition, in the embodiment, the gear portion 50 is used for power transmission between the operation portion 21 and the movable portion 300 (teleconverter lens 30). A motor may be placed.
(3) In the embodiment, a member including the teleconverter lens 30 has been described as a movable part, but the movable part is not limited to this. It may be a member including a part of lenses, a member including lenses used for switching the focal length of a bifocal lens, or a movable portion that does not need to include lenses.
(4) In the embodiment, switching detection is performed by the FPC 60 as an encoder and the brush portion 61, but this is not limitative. Other structures such as Also, in the embodiment, the brush is at the base of the operating portion 21 and the encoder is at the side of the gear portion, but this is not the only option.
(5) In the embodiment, the operation unit 21 has a structure to be driven manually, but the structure is not limited to this, and may be a structure to move electrically when a switch is turned on.

A1: rotation axis, A3: rotation axis, A4: rotation axis, BM: body mount, L: lens, LM: lens mount, OA: optical axis, 1: camera, 2: lens barrel, 3: camera body, 4 : image sensor 5a: horizontal position handle portion 5b: vertical position handle portion 6: finder 7: release button 7a: horizontal position release button 7b: vertical position release button 21: operation unit 21a: rotating portion, 21b: extending portion, 22: accommodating portion, 23: strap mounting portion, 24: focus ring, 25: zoom ring, 26a, 26b: external cylinder, 27: strap, 28: stopper, 29: inner Cylinder 29a: Fixed portion 30: Teleconverter lens 31: Frame 32: Annular frame 33: Arm portion 33a: First portion 33b: Second portion 33c: First mounting portion 33d: Second mounting portion 34: Roller holding portion 35: Cylindrical portion 36: Spring member 40: Contact wall portion 41: Contact member 50: Gear portion 51: Operation portion connection gear 52: Second gear 53: third gear 54: teleconverter rotary gear 55: damper gear 56: gear section cover 61: brush section 300: movable section

Claims (15)

A lens barrel attachable to a camera body,
a photographing optical system arranged along the optical axis;
A lens that is part of the photographing optical system, wherein the center of the lens at the mounted position on the optical axis and the center of the lens at the retracted position away from the optical axis when the camera body is in a horizontal position. a movable portion including a lens whose straight line connecting between and is substantially parallel to the long side of a rectangular imaging element provided in the camera body, and rotating between the mounting position and the retracted position;
an operation unit for operating the rotation of the movable unit by a user,
When the lens barrel is attached to the camera body and the camera body is in a horizontal position, a rotation trajectory of the movable portion is convex upward,
at least a portion of the operation portion is arranged above the center of rotation;
an elastic member that biases the movable part and has one end fixed to at least a part of the movable part positioned outside the outer circumference of the lens;
When the movable portion moves between the mounting position and the retracted position,
urging the movable portion toward the mounting position when the movable portion is closer to the mounting position than a predetermined position between the mounting position and the retracted position;
A lens barrel that biases the movable portion toward the retracted position when the movable portion is closer to the retracted position than the predetermined position. A movement trajectory of the movable part is convex in a direction opposite to a moving direction of the operation part when moving the movable part from the retracted position to the mounting position,
The lens barrel according to claim 1. the movable part rotates between the mounting position and the retracted position;
A movement trajectory of the movable part has a convex shape in a direction away from the center of rotation,
The lens barrel according to claim 1 or 2. A lens barrel attachable to a camera body,
a photographing optical system arranged along the optical axis;
A lens that is part of the photographing optical system, wherein the center of the lens at the mounted position on the optical axis and the center of the lens at the retracted position away from the optical axis when the camera body is in a horizontal position. a movable portion including a lens whose straight line connecting between and is substantially parallel to the long side of a rectangular imaging element provided in the camera body, and rotating between the mounting position and the retracted position;
an operation unit for operating the rotation of the movable unit by a user,
When the lens barrel is attached to the camera body and the camera body is in the horizontal position or the vertical position, when the movable part moves from the retracted position to the mounted position, the center of the movable part is rotate downward,
at least a portion of the operation portion is arranged above the center of rotation;
an elastic member that biases the movable part and has one end fixed to at least a part of the movable part positioned outside the outer circumference of the lens;
When the movable portion moves between the mounting position and the retracted position,
urging the movable portion toward the mounting position when the movable portion is closer to the mounting position than a predetermined position between the mounting position and the retracted position;
A lens barrel that biases the movable portion toward the retracted position when the movable portion is closer to the retracted position than the predetermined position. The lateral position is
When the long side of the rectangular imaging element provided in the camera body extends in the horizontal direction,
When the handle portion of the camera body is located in the right lateral direction of the imaging device,
When the viewfinder provided on the camera body is positioned above the imaging element, or when the tripod hole provided on the camera body is positioned below the imaging element,
is when at least one of
The lens barrel according to any one of claims 1 to 4. an extension part included in the operation part and operated by the user;
a gear portion that transmits the driving force from the extension portion to the center of rotation;
the extension portion is positioned above the center of rotation;
The lens barrel according to any one of claims 1 to 5. at least part of the gear portion is positioned above the center of rotation;
The lens barrel according to claim 6. the center of the movable part is positioned on the optical axis when the movable part is at the mounting position;
The lens barrel according to any one of claims 1 to 7. a first restricting portion that restricts movement of the movable portion beyond the mounting position to the side opposite to the retracted position;
a second restricting portion that restricts movement of the movable portion beyond the retracted position to the side opposite to the mounting position;
The lens barrel according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , comprising at least one of a cylindrical portion that contacts at least one of the first restricting portion and the second restricting portion when the movable portion is positioned at the mounting position or the retracted position;
any one of the first restricting portion, the second restricting portion, or the cylindrical portion is an elastic member or a flexible member;
The cylindrical portion is rotatably fixed to the movable portion, and the outer peripheral surface is in contact with the first restricting portion or the second restricting portion.
The lens barrel according to claim 9 . A signal generator that generates a signal when the moving direction of the movable part switches from the upper side to the lower side,
A lens barrel according to any one of claims 1 to 10 . a signal generator for detecting a change in the mounted state of the movable part before the movable part reaches the mounted position or the retracted position while the movable part is moving between the mounted position and the retracted position;
comprising
A lens barrel according to any one of claims 1 to 11 . The movable part comprises a teleconverter lens,
A lens barrel according to any one of claims 1 to 12 . A camera comprising the lens barrel according to any one of claims 1 to 13 and the camera body. The lens barrel is detachable from the camera body,
A lens barrel according to any one of claims 1 to 13 .

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