Lens selection device
AssigneeMinolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHiroshi Ikeda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lens selection device for placing any one of three or more magnification lenses in an operative position where its optical axis aligns with a respective reference axis, a selected lens being shifted along a fixed path from a retracted position to the operative position thereof by separate drive means numbering one less than the quantity of the lenses. In the case of three lenses, for instance, a first drive means is used to shift a first lens, a second drive means is used to shift a second lens, and a follower means coupled with a third lens is used to shift it to its operative position when the first (or the second) lens is driven to its retracted position.
Claims10
A lens selection device including three magnification lenses each movably disposed in a direction perpendicular to a single reference axis and adapted to be shifted to a respective operative position on the reference axis, characterized in that:
- two of the lenses are each adapted to be shifted by separate drive means while the third of the three lenses is provided with means to follow the movements of the aforesaid two lenses, said third lens being movable in response to particular movements of the aforesaid two lenses, whereby a desired one of the three lenses can assume an operative position on the reference axis.
A lens selection device including first, second and third magnification lenses each having a principal axis and being mounted for movement in an associated path perpendicular to its principal axis, each lens being shiftable along the associated path between a retracted and an operative position, each lens when in its operative position being disposed in an optical path, first drive means coupled to the first lens to shift it as desired, second drive means coupled with the second lens to shift it as desired, the third lens being provided with means effective to cause the third lens to follow the other lenses when either of them are shifted so that the third lens (1) assumes its operative position when the other lenses are in their retracted positions and (2) assumes its retracted position when one of the other lenses assumes its operative position, whereby a desired one of the three lenses can be positioned in its operative position.
A lens selection device including first, second, and third magnification lenses each having a principal axis and each being shiftable along a respective, fixed path between respective retracted and operative positions, each lens when in its operative position intersecting a respective, spatially fixed reference axis that coincides with the principal axis of the lens, first drive means coupled to the first lens and selectively operable to shift it between its retracted and operative positions, a second drive means coupled to the second lens and selectively operable to shift it between its retracted and operative positions, and follower means coupled with the third lens and selectively co-operating with the first lens, the second lens, or both of them, the follower means being effective to shift the third lens from its retracted position to its operative position when one of the other lenses shifts to its retracted position but the remaining one of the lenses stays in its retracted position.
A lens selection device comprising, in combination, at least three magnification lenses, each lens forming part of an assembly supported for movement along a respective fixed path from/to a position wherein the lens is retracted to/from a position wherein the lens is operative;
- a plurality of drive means for effecting said movement of the assemblies, there being one less drive means than there are assemblies, each assembly being coupled to a respective one of the drive means except for a particular assembly, each drive means being selectively operable to shift the assembly coupled thereto between the retracted and operative positions;
- follower means coupled to the aforesaid particular assembly and being operable to shift the particular assembly between the retracted and operative positions thereof in response to movement of any one of the other assemblies from the operative and retracted positions associated therewith;
- and control means for the drive means adapted to mutually exclusively select a chosen one of the assemblies for shifting into the operative position thereof, said follower means being effective to position the particular lens assembly in the operative position thereof in the absence of selection of any of the assemblies coupled to a drive means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.