# US 2019/0377150 A1 · Lens tube and imaging system having the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0377150 A1 - Document ID: US20190377150A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/548,131 - Filed: 2019-08-22 - Published: 2019-12-12 - Earliest claimed: 2013-07-18 - Assignees: Denso Corporation - Applicants: Denso Corporation - Inventors: Daisuke TAKAMA; Noboru KAWASAKI; Takayuki KIMURA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190377150A1 ## CPC - G02B 7/021: {for more than one lens} - G02B 7/02: for lenses {(supports for magnifying lenses G02B25/002)} - G03B 17/12: with means for supporting objectives, supplementary lenses, filters, masks, or turrets - H04N 23/54: Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils - H04N 23/55: Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof - H04N 23/57: Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices - 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) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract The lens tube includes a cylindrical barrel, a holder, a cap, and a stress applying portion. The barrel houses at least one first lens. The holder houses an imaging element and is fixed to a substrate. The holder is configured to allow one end of the barrel in an axial direction to be screwed into the holder such that an optical axis of the first lens and an optical axis of the imaging element are aligned with each other. The cap is mountable to the barrel by allowing the other end of the barrel in the axial direction to be screwed into the cap. The stress applying portion is located between the holder and the cap when the barrel is screwed into the holder and the cap, and applies a stress in a direction in which the cap is separated from the holder. The first lens is held and fixed between a first stopper formed on the cap and a second stopper formed in the barrel when the cap is mounted to the barrel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lens tube comprising: a barrel that houses at least one first lens; a holder that is fixed to a substrate in which an imager is arranged, the holder being mounted to one end of the barrel in an axial direction of the barrel such that an optical axis of the first lens and an optical axis of the imager are aligned with each other; and a cap that houses at least one second lens and is mounted to the other end of the barrel in the axial direction, wherein: a first spacer is arranged to be sandwiched between the first lens and the second lens; the cap and the barrel are engaged with each other by a thread structure; and the first spacer is arranged at approximately the same position as a position at which the cap and the barrel are engaged with each other in the axial direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The lens tube according to claim 1, wherein: a space in which the barrel is inserted is formed in the cap; a first thread is formed on an inner surface of the space in the cap; a second thread is formed on an outer surface of the barrel; and the first thread and the second thread are engaged with each other to fix the second lens. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The lens tube according to claim 1, wherein: a first space in which the second lens is housed and a second space in which the barrel is inserted are formed in the cap; and the second lens is not housed in the second space. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The lens tube according to claim 1, wherein: a first space in which the second lens is housed and a second space in which the barrel is inserted are formed in the cap; the first space in which the second lens is housed is formed to have a diameter smaller than a diameter of the second space in which the barrel is inserted; and a step portion is formed at a boundary portion between the first space in which the second lens is housed and the second space in which the barrel is inserted. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The lens tube according to claim 2, wherein: the first spacer is placed at approximately the same position as a position where the first thread of the cap and the second thread of the barrel are engaged with each other in the axial direction when the barrel is screwed into the cap. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The lens tube according to claim 2, wherein: a position of the first spacer in the axial direction is approximately the same as a position at which the first thread in the inner peripheral surface of the cap and the second thread in the outer peripheral surface of the barrel are engaged with each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The lens tube according to claim 1, wherein: the first spacer is housed in the barrel and arranged closer to the cap than the second spacer. ### Claim 8 A lens tube comprising: a barrel that houses at least one first lens; a holder that is fixed to a substrate in which an imager is arranged, the holder being mounted to one end of the barrel in an axial direction of the barrel such that an optical axis of the first lens and an optical axis of the imager are aligned with each other; and a cap that houses at least one second lens and is mounted to the other end of the barrel in the axial direction, wherein: a first spacer is arranged to be sandwiched between the first lens and the second lens; a first thread is formed in the cap; a second thread is formed in the barrel; the second thread is screwed onto the first thread in the axial direction; and the first spacer is arranged at approximately the same position as a position where the second thread of the barrel is screwed onto the first thread of the cap in the axial direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The lens tube according to claim 8, wherein: a space in which the barrel is inserted is formed in the cap; the first thread is formed on an inner surface of the space in the cap; the second thread is formed on an outer surface of the barrel; and the second thread on the inner surface of the barrel is screwed onto the first thread on the outer surface of the cap in the axial direction to fix the second lens. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The lens tube according to claim 8, wherein: a first space in which the second lens is housed and a second space in which the barrel is inserted are formed in the cap; and the second lens is not housed in the second space. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The lens tube according to claim 8, wherein: a first space in which the second lens is housed and a second space in which the barrel is inserted are formed in the cap; the first space in which the second lens is housed is formed to have a diameter smaller than a diameter of the second space in which the barrel is inserted; and a step portion is formed at a boundary portion between the first space in which the second lens is housed and the second space in which the barrel is inserted. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The lens tube according to claim 9, wherein: the first spacer is placed at approximately the same position as a position where the second thread of the barrel is screwed onto the first thread of the cap in the axial direction when the barrel is screwed into the cap. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The lens tube according to claim 9, wherein: a position of the first spacer in the axial direction is approximately the same as a position at which the second thread in the outer peripheral surface of the barrel is screwed onto the first thread in the inner peripheral surface of the cap in the axial direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The lens tube according to claim 8, wherein: the first spacer is housed in the barrel and arranged closer to the cap than the second spacer.