# US 7,611,296 B2 · Optical apparatus including diaphragm device

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- Number: US 7,611,296 B2
- Document ID: US7611296B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/464,747
- Filed: 2006-08-15
- Published: 2007-03-08
- Granted: 2009-11-03
- Earliest claimed: 2005-09-08
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Youichi Iwasaki; Shigeru Ogino
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7611296B2

## CPC

- G03B 9/06: Two or more co-operating pivoted blades, e.g. iris type (shutters functioning as diaphragms by limiting extent of opening movement G03B9/08)
- G03B 9/07: with means for presetting the diaphragm
- G03B 9/14: Two separate members moving in opposite directions
- 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)

## Abstract

A lens apparatus includes a lens barrel, an image-capturing optical system, and a diaphragm device disposed in an optical path of the image-capturing optical system. The diaphragm device includes a plurality of diaphragm blades and an electroactive polymer actuator configured to move the plurality of diaphragm blades from a diaphragm-open state to a diaphragm-closed state and from a diaphragm-closed state to a diaphragm-open state.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A lens apparatus comprising:
a lens barrel;
an image-capturing optical system; and
a diaphragm device disposed in an optical path of the image-capturing optical system,
wherein the diaphragm device includes,
a plurality of diaphragm blades, and
an electroactive polymer actuator configured to move the plurality of diaphragm blades from a diaphragm-open state to a diaphragm-closed state and from a diaphragm-closed state to a diaphragm-open state,
wherein the electroactive polymer actuator is a two-phase electroactive polymer actuator, and
wherein when the two-phase electroactive polymer actuator is in a non-conductive state, the plurality of diaphragm blades is kept at an intermediate diaphragm position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A camera comprising:
the lens apparatus according to claim 1; and
a camera main body including an image-capturing device configured to receive light from the lens apparatus.