# US 8,783,977 B2 · Light-quantity control apparatus and optical apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,783,977 B2 - Document ID: US8783977B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/146,380 - Filed: 2014-01-02 - Published: 2014-05-01 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-07 - Assignees: Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Satoshi Kozu; Naoki Kawakubo; Akira Kurosawa; Mitsuo Shibata - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8783977B2 ## CPC - G03B 9/02: Diaphragms - 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 9/14: Two separate members moving in opposite directions - G03B 11/00: Filters or other obturators specially adapted for photographic purposes - G03B 2205/00: Adjustment of optical system relative to image or object surface other than for focusing - 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 The light-quantity control apparatus includes a stop blade including a stop portion and a supported portion rotatably supported with respect to a base member, a shutter blade having a shutter portion and a supported portion rotatably supported with respect to the base member, and a driving member disposed between the shutter and stop blades and rotating around the light-passing aperture to rotate the stop blade. The stop and shutter blades have tilts in their supported portions toward a same one side in the optical axis direction so that the stop and shutter portions are distant from the supported portions in the optical axis direction. The driving member has a shape concave toward the one side from its outer circumferential side portion to its inner circumferential side portion. A concave space facing the light-passing aperture is formed inside than the stop and shutter blades and the driving member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A light-quantity control apparatus provided with a light-passing aperture, comprising: a base member; a stop blade including a stop portion to change a quantity of light passing through the light-passing aperture and a stop blade-supported portion rotatably supported with respect to the base member; a shutter blade having a shutter portion to block the light passing through the light-passing aperture and a shutter blade-supported portion rotatably supported with respect to the base member; and a driving member disposed between the shutter blade and the stop blade and rotating with respect to the base member around the light-passing aperture to rotate the stop blade, wherein, when a direction orthogonal to an aperture plane of the light-passing aperture is defined as an optical axis direction, and a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction is defined as a radial direction, the stop blade and the shutter blade respectively have tilts in the stop blade-supported portion and the shutter blade-supported portion toward a same one side in the optical axis direction with respect to the aperture plane so that the stop portion and the shutter portion are respectively distant from the stop blade-supported portion and the shutter blade-supported portion in the optical axis direction, the driving member has a shape concave toward the one side from its outer circumferential side portion to its inner circumferential side portion, and thereby a concave space facing the light-passing aperture is formed inside in the radial direction than the stop blade, the shutter blade and the driving member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes, as the shutter blade, a first shutter blade and a second shutter blade, the first and second shutter blades each have a curved surface shape or a bent shape so that the tilt with respect to the aperture plane is reduced from the shutter blade-supported portion to the shutter portion, the first shutter blade is disposed so as to overlap the second shutter blade on an opposite side to the concave space, and a curvature of the curved surface shape of the first shutter blade or a bend angle of the bent shape of the first shutter blade with respect to an extension of its shutter blade-supported portion is larger than that of the second shutter blade. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shutter blade, the driving member and the stop blade are arranged in order from a concave space side to the one side, the stop blade is provided with a cam groove portion, the driving member is provided with a cam boss portion engaging with the cam groove portion to rotate the stop blade by rotation of the driving member, and a tip of the cam boss portion on the one side is located on an opposite side to the one side further than an edge of the stop portion on the one side, regardless of a rotation position of the stop blade. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a driver including an actuator to rotate the driving member, wherein the driver is installed to the base member so as to protrude to the one side from the base member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the stop blade-supported portion of the stop blade and the shutter blade-supported portion of the shutter blade is rotated about an axis tilted with respect to the optical axis direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) An optical apparatus comprising: a body of the optical apparatus; and an optical system including a lens and the light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 1. ### Claim 7 A light-quantity control apparatus provided with a light-passing aperture, comprising: a base member; a stop blade including a stop portion to change a quantity of light passing through the light-passing aperture and a stop blade-supported portion rotatably supported with respect to the base member; and a first shutter blade and a second shutter blade each having a shutter portion to block the light passing through the light-passing aperture and a shutter blade-supported portion rotatably supported with respect to the base member, wherein, when a direction orthogonal to an aperture plane of the light-passing aperture is defined as an optical axis direction, and a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction is defined as a radial direction, the stop blade and the first and second shutter blades respectively have tilts in the stop blade-supported portion and the shutter blade-supported portions toward a same one side in the optical axis direction with respect to the aperture plane so that the stop portion and the shutter portions are respectively distant from the stop blade-supported portion and the shutter blade-supported portions in the optical axis direction, and thereby a concave space facing the light-passing aperture is formed inside in the radial direction than the stop blade and the first and second shutter blades, the first and second shutter blades each have a curved surface shape or a bent shape so that the tilt with respect to the aperture plane is reduced from the shutter blade-supported portion to the shutter portion, the first shutter blade is disposed so as to overlap the second shutter blade on an opposite side to the concave space, and a curvature of the curved surface shape of the first shutter blade or a bend angle of the bent shape of the first shutter blade with respect to an extension of its shutter blade-supported portion is larger than that of the second shutter blade. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a driving member rotating with respect to the base member around the light-passing aperture to rotate the stop blade, wherein the first and second shutter blades, the driving member and the stop blade are arranged in order from a concave space side to the one side, the stop blade is provided with a cam groove portion, the driving member is provided with a cam boss portion engaging with the cam groove portion to rotate the stop blade by rotation of the driving member, and a tip of the cam boss portion on the one side is located on an opposite side to the one side further than an edge of the stop portion on the one side, regardless of a rotation position of the stop blade. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a driver including an actuator to rotate the driving member, wherein the driver is installed to the base member so as to protrude to the one side from the base member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each of the stop blade-supported portion of the stop blade and the shutter blade-supported portions of the first and second shutter blades is rotated about an axis tilted with respect to the optical axis direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) An optical apparatus comprising: a body of the optical apparatus; and an optical system including a lens and the light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 7. ### Claim 12 A light-quantity control apparatus provided with a light-passing aperture, comprising: a base member; a light-quantity control blade including a light-quantity control portion to change a quantity of light passing through the light-passing aperture and a supported portion rotatably supported with respect to the base member; and a driving member rotating with respect to the base member around the light-passing aperture to rotate the light-quantity control blade, wherein, when a direction orthogonal to an aperture plane of the light-passing aperture is defined as an optical axis direction, and a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction is defined as a radial direction, the light-quantity control blade have tilts in the supported portion toward one side in the optical axis direction with respect to the aperture plane so that the light-quantity control portion is distant from the supported portion in the optical axis direction, the driving member has a shape concave toward the one side from its outer circumferential side portion to its inner circumferential side portion, and thereby a concave space facing the light-passing aperture is formed inside in the radial direction than the light-quantity control blade and the driving member. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the driving member and the light-quantity control blade are arranged in order from a concave space side to the one side, the light-quantity control blade is provided with a cam groove portion, the driving member is provided with a cam boss portion engaging with the cam groove portion to rotate the light-quantity control blade by rotation of the driving member, and a tip of the cam boss portion on the one side is located on an opposite side to the one side further than an edge of the light-quantity control portion on the one side, regardless of a rotation position of the light-quantity control blade. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the light-quantity control blade has a curved surface shape or a bent shape so that the tilt with respect to the aperture plane is reduced from the supported portion to the light-quantity control portion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the supported portion is rotated is rotated about an axis tilted with respect to the optical axis direction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a plurality of the light-quantity control blades are provided, and the light-quantity control blades are rotated so as to change a size of the light-passing aperture to control the quantity of the light. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein one light-quantity control blade is provided in which a stop aperture is formed, and the light-quantity control blade is rotated so as to move the stop aperture with respect to the light-passing aperture to control the quantity of the light. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the light-quantity control portion of the light-quantity control blade is formed by an ND filter, and the light-quantity control blade is rotated so as to move the ND filter with respect to the light-passing aperture to control the quantity of the light. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) A light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a driver including an actuator to rotate the driving member, wherein the driver is installed to the base member so as to protrude to the one side from the base member. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) An optical apparatus comprising: a body of the optical apparatus; and an optical system including a lens and the light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 12. ### Claim 21 A light-quantity control apparatus provided with a light-passing aperture, comprising: a light-quantity control blade disposed facing a convex surface of a lens and formed in a curved surface shape; and a driving member to drive the light-quantity control blade, wherein the driving member has a shape concave in an optical axis direction, and thereby the driving member forms a concave space which allows insertion of a portion including the convex surface of the lens thereinto. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) An optical apparatus comprising: a body of the optical apparatus; and an optical system including a lens and the light-quantity control apparatus according to claim 21.