Retractable lens system and method of retracting a retractable lens system
AssigneePENTAX Corporation
InventorsHiroshi Nomura, Takamitsu Sasaki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A retractable lens system includes a plurality of optical elements. All of the plurality of optical elements are positioned on a common optical axis when the retractable lens is in use. A removable element of the plurality of optical elements is moved to a removed position outside of the common optical axis, and the removable element and at least one element of the remaining elements of the plurality of optical elements are moved rearward, respectively, when the retractable lens system is in a retracted position.
Claims22
A retractable lens system having a plurality of optical elements;
- wherein all of said plurality of optical elements are positioned on a common optical axis to constitute a photographing optical system when said retractable lens system is in a ready-to-photograph position;
- and
- wherein at least one removable element of said plurality of optical elements is moved to a removed position outside of said common optical axis, and said removable element and at least one element of the remaining elements of said plurality of optical elements are moved rearward respectively, when said retractable lens system is in a retracted position.
A method of retracting a retractable lens system having a plurality of optical elements, wherein all of said plurality of optical elements are positioned on an common optical axis to constitute a photographing optical system when said retractable lens system is in a ready-to-photograph position, said method comprising:
- moving at least one element of said plurality of optical elements in a radial direction to a removed position outside of said common optical axis;
- retracting said removable element of said optical elements rearward after being moved to said removed position;
- and
- retracting at least one element of the remaining elements of said plurality of optical elements along said common optical axis.
A retractable zoom lens system having a plurality of lens groups, wherein at least a portion of said lens groups are moved continuously along an optical axis to vary a focal length;
- wherein at least one radially movable lens group of said plurality of lens groups is radially moved from among said plurality of lens groups so that said radially movable lens group and at least one lens group of the remaining lens groups of said plurality of lens groups are positioned so as to overlap in the same positional range in said optical axis direction when said retractable zoom lens is in the retracted position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.