JPH10288727A - Lens barrel and its repair method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [PROBLEMS] To provide a lens barrel for caulking and fixing a lens, which can easily and securely hold and fix the lens again even if the lens is taken out for replacement or cleaning.
And a method for repairing the same. SOLUTION: This lens barrel has optical members 2, 3, and 4.
And a cylindrical holding member 1 for holding the optical member, wherein the optical member is fitted into the holding member, and the optical member is fixed to the holding member by caulking the holding member. The holding member 1 is provided with engaging portions 1c and 1d that can be engaged with the holding member 22 that holds the member.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a device using a lens, for example, a still camera, a digital camera, a telescope,
The present invention relates to a lens barrel suitable for use in binoculars, microscopes, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, there are many optical apparatuses using lenses, and in recent years, the number of lens barrels that perform so-called crimping for holding and fixing the lens in the barrel has become very large in recent years. .

A conventional lens barrel will be described with reference to FIG. The lens frame 31 is supported by a lens barrel (not shown), is formed in a cylindrical shape, and holds the lenses 32, 33, and 34 inside thereof. Both outer peripheral ends of the lens frame 31 are swaged at the caulking portions 31a and 31b, and the lenses 32 and 33 are held and fixed inside the lens frame 31. Since such a caulking method can easily and effectively hold and fix a lens and can reduce the cost, it is increasingly used instead of a conventional retaining ring method.

[0004]

However, in the conventional example shown in FIG. 3, for example, the outer surfaces 32b, 33
b may be scratched, or fogging or mold may occur on the inner surfaces 32a and 34a of the lens, and the lens may need to be replaced or cleaned.

In this case, even if the lens 32 is taken out by raising the caulking portion 31a for exchanging the lens 32, re-caulking has many problems in terms of accuracy. It is impossible to caulk again. In addition, a caulking device capable of performing such caulking is usually provided only on a production line.

Therefore, the repair parts must be so-called assembled parts, and the lens frames 31 assembled by fixing the lenses 32, 33, and 34 shown in FIG.
Are stored as a set for repair, and it is necessary to replace the entire lens frame 31 in the lens barrel each time repair is performed.

[0007] This means that it is necessary to replace normal parts, which is not only wasteful in terms of resources, but also increases the cost for repairs by the user. It had to be preserved, which was a burden. Further, for example, repair of parts whose parts stock has been exhausted becomes impossible, and those which can be easily cleaned, such as fogging of the lens surface as described above, cannot be repaired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a lens barrel for caulking and fixing a lens, which can easily and surely hold and fix the lens again even if the lens is taken out for replacement or cleaning, and repair thereof. It is to provide a method.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a lens barrel according to the present invention comprises at least one optical member and a cylindrical holding member for holding the at least one optical member. In the lens barrel in which the optical member is fixed to the holding member by crimping the holding member, the optical member is fitted into the holding member, and can be engaged with the pressing member holding the optical member. An engaging portion is provided on the holding member.

According to the present invention, when the optical member is taken out of the holding member for repair / repair in the lens barrel, and the optical member is fitted into the holding member again and fixed,
The optical member can be fixed to the holding member by engaging the pressing member with the engaging portion provided on the holding member.

In this case, the engaging portion includes a screw portion formed in a circumferential direction of an outer peripheral portion of the holding member, and may be configured to be screw-coupled to a screw portion provided on the pressing member. .

Further, the method of the present invention for repairing a lens barrel as described above includes a step of cutting out a caulked portion of the holding member and taking out the optical member from the inside of the holding member; Re-fitting the optical member into the holding member, and fixing the optical member to the holding member by engaging a holding member holding the fitted optical member with an engaging portion of the holding member. And

According to the present invention, even if the optical member required for repair or the like is taken out of the holding member, the optical member is fitted into the holding member again, and the holding member is engaged with the engaging portion of the holding member. To hold and fix the optical member.
For this reason, it becomes possible to take out only the optical members that need to be repaired from the lens barrel and replace / clean them.
The lens barrel can be easily repaired, the optical member after the repair can be securely held, and other members that do not require repair can be used as they are.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of a lens barrel showing an embodiment of the present invention. The lens barrel shown in FIG. 1 includes a lens frame 1, and a plurality of lenses 2, 3, and 4 held by the lens frame 1.
An extension 1e is supported by a lens barrel (not shown). The lens frame 1 is made of a plastic resin by molding, but may be made of a metal or the like.

The lens frame 1 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a lens 2 is fitted in a first inner peripheral portion 1f which is substantially parallel to the optical axis p, and lenses 3 and 4 are similarly mounted in a second inner peripheral portion 1g. Inset. First inner peripheral portion 1f and second inner peripheral portion 1 of lens frame 1
An annular projection 6 is formed substantially coaxially with the extension 1e on the inner peripheral surface between the projection g and the projection 6, and shoulders 7, 8 with which the lens contacts the projection 6 are formed.

The outer peripheral surface of the lens frame 1 forms a first outer peripheral portion 11 and a second outer peripheral portion 12 with an extension 1e as a boundary, and a screw portion 1c is formed in a circumferential direction of the first outer peripheral portion 11. Forming the second
A threaded portion 1d is formed in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral portion 12 of the first embodiment.
These threaded portions 1c and 1d are not used at the stage of shipping the product, but when they are repaired later, the retaining ring 22 (FIG. 2)
(Shown in (c)) to hold the lens by screw connection. The screw portions 1c and 1d are connected to the respective outer peripheral portions 11 and 1
2, but may be formed over the entire surface.

The lens 2 is inserted into the first inner peripheral portion 1f of the lens frame 11, and the inner end of the lens 2 is opposed to the shoulder 7 of the protrusion 6 formed substantially at the center of the inner periphery of the lens frame 1. Peripheral surface 2b
To fit. Similarly, the second of the lens frame 11
The lenses 4 and 3 are inserted into the inner peripheral portion 1g of the lens frame 1 and are fitted so that the inner peripheral surface 4a of the lens 4 is brought into contact with the shoulder 8 of the protrusion 6 on the inner periphery of the lens frame 1.

Subsequently, caulking is performed on both outer peripheral surfaces of the lens frame 1 to form caulked portions 1a and 1b, respectively, and the outer peripheral surface 2a of the outer side of the lens 2 and the lens 3 are formed.
The lenses 2, 3, and 4 are fixed in the lens frame 1 by holding the outer peripheral surface 3a on the outer side of the lens by the caulking portions 1a and 1b, respectively. In this manner, the lens 2 is sandwiched and held and fixed between the shoulder portion 7 and the caulked portion 1a at the first inner peripheral portion 1f of the lens frame 1. Similarly,
The lenses 3 and 4 are sandwiched and held and fixed between the shoulder portion 8 and the caulked portion 1b at the second inner peripheral portion 2g.

In this case, the lenses 2, 3, and 4 in the lens frame 1 are held and fixed so that their optical axes coincide. The lens frame 1 assembled in this manner is supported by a lens barrel (not shown) via an extension 1e so that the optical axis of the lens coincides with the optical axis p of the lens barrel.

Next, a procedure for taking out and repairing the lens in the lens frame 1 of the lens barrel shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a view for explaining the steps in a case where the lens 2 shown in FIG. 1 is replaced with a new lens as an example. In FIG. 2, the replacement of the lens 2 is taken as an example, but the procedure is the same for the other lenses 3 and 4.

First, as shown in FIG. 2A, the swaged portion 1a of the lens frame 1 is cut along a dotted line d in the figure, and as shown in FIG.
Is removed as shown by a one-dot chain line in the figure to expose the end peripheral surface 2a of the lens 2. From this state, the lens 2 is taken out from the first inner peripheral portion 1f of the lens frame 1 (FIG. 2).
(E)).

Here, a retaining ring 22 prepared for repair as shown in FIG. 2C is used. Press ring 22
Is formed into a short cylindrical shape, and a screw portion 22 formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof so as to be screw-connectable with the screw portion 1c of the lens frame 1.
a, and further includes a ring portion 22b protruding from the cylindrical ring 22 toward the center thereof. When the press ring 22 is attached to the lens frame 1, the ring portion 22 b holds a lens 21, which will be described later, on the end peripheral surface 22 a.

Next, a new lens 21 (FIG. 2D) prepared in place of the lens 2 is placed on the first frame 21 of the lens frame 1 in a state after the lens 2 is taken out as shown in FIG. Into the inner peripheral portion 1f of the protruding portion 6, and fitted so that the end peripheral surface 21b is in contact with the shoulder portion 7 of the protruding portion 6.

In this state, the inner peripheral surface of the holding ring 22 is aligned with the first outer peripheral portion 11 of the lens frame 1 and the screw portion 22a is formed.
Into the threaded portion 1c of the lens frame 1 from the
Is attached to the lens frame 1. As a result, as shown in FIG.
Abuts on the end peripheral surface 21a. Therefore, the lens 21
Is a pressing ring 2 at a first inner peripheral portion 1 f of the lens frame 1.
2 between the ring portion 22b and the shoulder portion 7 of the protrusion 6 and is held and fixed. Since the lens 21 is fitted into the first inner peripheral portion 1f of the lens frame 1 similarly to the original lens 2, its optical axis does not deviate from the optical axis p of the lens barrel.

In this manner, in the lens frame 1 in which the lenses 2, 3, and 4 are caulked and held and fixed, the lens 2
Is taken out and replaced with a new lens 21, the lens 21 can be held and fixed without the optical axis being shifted as before the repair.

According to the repair method according to the present embodiment, a method is provided in which a screw portion capable of engaging with the pressing ring is provided in the lens frame in advance, so that the lens is fixed to the lens frame of the lens barrel by a caulking method. Even if it is adopted, it is possible to replace only the lens that needs to be replaced or cleaned by removing the swaged portion, and the holding ring can securely hold and fix the lens again as in the swage method. In this way, the lens frame can be repaired by a simple method.

According to the above-described repair method, it is not necessary to replace the entire assembly with a new one, and normal components can be continuously used, thereby contributing to resource saving. In addition, the manufacturer can reduce the number of parts for repairing a component that is burdensome in terms of cost while using a low-cost caulking method at the time of manufacture, and can select a repair part in the right place at the right material. In addition, it is possible for the user to select a method in which the possibility that the parts cannot be repaired due to the bottom of the parts is reduced, and the repair cost can be reduced.

The repair method according to the present invention is not only applied to the case where the optical member such as a lens is replaced or cleaned, but is not limited to the case where the holding member is used for repairing, replacing or cleaning other parts. Remove the swaged part and hold the optical member again.
Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to the case of fixing.

[0029]

According to the present invention, in a lens barrel for caulking and fixing an optical member, a lens mirror which can easily and reliably hold and fix the optical member again even if the optical member is taken out for replacement or cleaning. A tube and a method for repairing the tube can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a part of a lens barrel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a process ((a)) of repairing the lens barrel shown in FIG. 1;
(F)) is a diagram for explaining.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a part of a conventional lens barrel.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lens frame (holding member) 1a, 1b Caulking part 1c, 1d Screw part (engaging part) 1e Extension part 1f, 1g First and second inner peripheral parts 2, 3, 4 Lens (optical member) 6 Projecting part 7, 8 Shoulder portion 10 Cut-off caulked portion 11, 12 First and second outer peripheral portions 21 Interchangeable lens 22 Pressing ring (pressing member) 22a Screw portion 22b Ring portion p Optical axis

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An optical device comprising: at least one optical member; and a cylindrical holding member for holding the at least one optical member. The optical member is fitted into the holding member, and the holding member is swaged. In a lens barrel in which the optical member is fixed to the holding member, an engaging portion engageable with a holding member that holds the optical member is provided on the holding member. 2. The lens barrel according to claim 1, wherein the engagement portion includes a screw portion formed in a circumferential direction of an outer peripheral portion of the holding member, and is screwed to a screw portion provided on the holding member. . 3. The method for repairing a lens barrel according to claim 1, wherein a step of cutting off a caulked portion of the holding member and taking out the optical member from the inside of the holding member. A step of re-inserting a new optical member into the holding member, and fixing the optical member to the holding member by engaging a holding member holding the inserted optical member with an engaging portion of the holding member. And a method for repairing the lens barrel.