# US 12,601,890 B2 · Lens unit and in-vehicle camera

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- Number: US 12,601,890 B2
- Document ID: US12601890B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/009,350
- Filed: 2021-06-09
- Published: 2023-05-18
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2020-06-12
- Assignees: Maxell, Ltd.
- Applicants: Maxell, Ltd.
- Inventors: Yasushi Kato
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12601890B2

## CPC

- G02B 7/028: {with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation}
- G02B 7/021: {for more than one lens}
- G02B 7/026: {using retaining rings or springs (G02B7/027 takes precedence)}
- G03B 30/00: Camera modules comprising integrated lens units and imaging units, specially adapted for being embedded in other devices, e.g. mobile phones or vehicles
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D)

## Abstract

A lens unit includes: a lens group in which a plurality of lenses are aligned along an optical axis of the lenses; a lens barrel that integrally supports the lens group; an intermediate ring; and an elastic member having an annular shape and provided between the lens and the intermediate ring, the lens being adjacent to the elastic member in the optical axis direction, and including a recess having an annular shape, the elastic member is provided in a compressed state, and the elastic member presses the lens disposed on an object side of the elastic member against an end portion of the lens barrel on the object side, presses the lens disposed on an image side of the elastic member against an end portion of the lens barrel on the image side via the intermediate ring, and absorbs rattling.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A lens unit comprising: a lens group in which a plurality of lenses are aligned along an optical axis direction of the lenses; a lens barrel that integrally supports the lens group; and an annular elastic member disposed between the lenses in at least one position of the lens group and in contact with both of the lenses, wherein
the lenses that sandwich the annular elastic member in the optical axis direction have respective abutment surfaces in abutment with each other in parts of outer circumferential surfaces facing each other,
one of the lenses that sandwich the annular elastic member in the optical axis direction includes a recess having an annular shape to be recessed in the optical axis direction on an outer circumferential surface on an outer circumferential side of the abutment surface,
the annular elastic member is provided in a compressed state in the optical axis direction in the recess, and
the annular elastic member presses all the lenses disposed on an object side of the annular elastic member toward an end portion of the lens barrel on the object side, also presses all the lenses disposed on an image side of the annular elastic member toward an end portion of the lens barrel on the image side, and thus absorbs rattling that occurs in association with a relative movement of the lens barrel and the lens group in the optical axis direction caused by a temperature change.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The lens unit according to claim 1, wherein the annular elastic member is disposed at a position where sensitivity between surfaces is lowest among the plurality of lenses constituting the lens group, the sensitivity between the surfaces being sensitivity in image formation relative to a distance between lens surfaces.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An in-vehicle camera comprising:
the lens unit according to claim 1;
a substrate including an image sensor; and
a support member that supports the lens unit in a state where the lens unit is positioned with respect to the substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The lens unit according to claim 1, wherein the respective abutment surfaces of the lenses in abutment with each other include a first respective abutment surface and a second respective abutment surface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The lens unit according to claim 4, wherein the first respective abutment surface is a flat surface orthogonal to the optical axis direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The lens unit according to claim 5, wherein the second respective abutment surface is a flat surface orthogonal to the optical axis direction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The lens unit according to claim 4, wherein the first respective abutment surface is provided on a radial inner side with respect to the recess of the one of the lenses that sandwich the annular elastic member.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The lens unit according to claim 1, wherein the one of the lenses that sandwich the annular elastic member has an outer circumferential surface that is in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the lens barrel.