Lens barrier device, lens barrel, and imaging device

A lens barrel comprising:

• a barrel portion that accommodates an imaging optical system and a lens barrier device;
• wherein the lens barrier device includes
• a plurality of barrier blades disposed in an oscillatible manner in front of an imaging lens positioned in closest proximity to a subject side in the imaging optical system, and
• an oscillating mechanism that allows the plurality of barrier blades to oscillate so as to form a fully closed state in which an optical path of the imaging optical system is fully closed and a fully opened state in which the optical path is fully opened by the barrier blades,
• the oscillating mechanism including a drive ring that is provided in an inversely rotatable manner within a predetermined angular range about an optical axis of the imaging optical system and allows the plurality of barrier blades to oscillate back and forth to form the fully closed state and the fully opened state by rotating forward and backward, and
• the drive ring including
• a main body portion that extends in a ring shape around the optical axis, and
• a plurality of coupling portions that are provided to the main body portion and coupled to the respective barrier blades so as to allow the respective barrier blades to oscillate back and forth between a close position at which the fully closed state is formed and an open position at which the fully opened state is formed in association with forward and backward rotations of the main body portion and undergo elastic deformation when the respective barrier blades are directly forced to oscillate from the close position to the open position.

An imaging device comprising:

• an imaging optical system;
• a lens barrier device;
• and
• a lens barrel having a barrel portion that accommodates the imaging optical system and the lens barrier device,
• wherein the lens barrier device includes
• a plurality of barrier blades disposed in an oscillatible manner in front of an imaging lens positioned in closest proximity to a subject side in the imaging optical system, and
• an oscillating mechanism that allows the plurality of barrier blades to oscillate so as to form a fully closed state in which an optical path of the imaging optical system is fully closed and a fully opened state in which the optical path is fully opened by the barrier blades,
• the oscillating mechanism including a drive ring that is provided in an inversely rotatable manner within a predetermined angular range about an optical axis of the imaging optical system and allows the plurality of barrier blades to oscillate back and forth to form the fully closed state and the fully opened state by rotating forward and backward, and
• the drive ring including
• a main body portion that extends in a ring shape around the optical axis, and
• a plurality of coupling portions that are provided to the main body portion and coupled to the respective barrier blades so as to allow the respective barrier blades to oscillate back and forth between a close position at which the fully closed state is formed and an open position at which the fully opened state is formed in association with forward and backward rotations of the main body portion and undergo elastic deformation when the respective barrier blades are directly forced to oscillate from the close position to the open position.