Lens barrel incorporating the linear guide mechanism

A linear guide mechanism of a lens barrel, comprising:

• a cam ring having at least one outer cam groove and at least one inner cam groove which are formed on an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface of said cam ring, respectively;
• an outer movable ring positioned radially outside said cam ring, supporting a first imaging component, and including an inward cam follower which projects radially inwards to be engaged in said outer cam groove of said cam ring;
• an inner movable ring positioned radially inside said cam ring, supporting a second imaging component, and including an outward cam follower which projects radially outwards to be engaged in said inner cam groove of said cam ring;
• a non-rotatable linear guide ring positioned radially outside said cam ring, said linear guide ring including at least one linear guide portion located on an inner peripheral surface of said linear guide ring to extend parallel to an optical axis of said lens barrel;
• a first linearly-guided ring directly guided linearly by said linear guide portion of said linear guide ring without rotating;
• and
• a second linearly-guided ring directly guided linearly by said linear guide portion of said linear guide ring without rotating,
• wherein said outer movable ring and said inner movable ring are independently linearly guidable along said optical axis without rotating, by one and the other of said first linearly-guided ring and said second linearly-guided ring, respectively.

A digital camera having a body, a lens barrel and a linear guide mechanism for guiding rings supporting components of a lens barrel along an optical axis, the lens barrel and mechanism housed within the body, the mechanism comprising:

• an outer ring supporting a first imaging component;
• an inner ring positioned radially inwardly of said outer ring for supporting a second imaging component;
• a first guide ring configured to linearly guide the outer ring without rotation of the outer ring;
• a second guide ring configured to linearly guide the inner ring without rotation of the inner ring;
• and
• a linear guide ring having at least one guide portion located on an inner peripheral surface of the linear guide ring, said at least one guide portion engageable with said first and second guide rings, said outer ring and said inner ring being independently guidable via the respective first and second guide rings and are movable linearly along said optical axis without rotating.