Lens barrel unit

Abstract

A lens barrel unit includes gyro sensors that detect vibration. The gyro sensors are disposed around a CCD mounting portion within a range over which the lens barrel unit is projected along the optical axis of a photographic optical system. This positional arrangement allows the lens barrel unit to be provided as a compact retractable unit, and ultimately achieves miniaturization of the camera.

1 . A lens barrel unit, comprising: 
 a photographic optical system;    a drive force generating unit that generates a drive force with which the photographic optical system is caused to move;    a drive mechanism that moves the photographic optical system with the drive force received from the drive force generating unit;    an image-capturing element mounting portion at which an image-capturing element that captures an image obtained through the photographic optical system is mounted; and    a vibration detection device that detects vibration and is disposed in an area surrounding the image-capturing element mounting portion within a range in which the lens barrel unit is projected along an optical axis of the photographic optical system.    
   
   
       2 . A lens barrel unit according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the drive force generating unit generates the drive force so as to cause the photographic optical system to move along the optical axis; and    the drive force generating unit and the vibration detection device are disposed at positions facing opposite each other over the image-capturing element mounting portion.    
   
   
       3 . A lens barrel unit according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the vibration detection device includes two vibration sensors; and    the vibration sensors are both disposed in the area surrounding the image-capturing element mounting portion within the range in which the lens barrel unit is projected along the optical axis of the photographic optical system.    
   
   
       4 . A lens barrel unit according to  claim 3 , wherein: 
 the two vibration sensors are mounted on a sensor board constituted of a hard board; and    the sensor board is fixed onto a member constituting the image-capturing element mounting portion as an integrated part thereof.    
   
   
       5 . A lens barrel unit according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a terminal unit that achieves an electrical connection with an external device, wherein:    at least one of an adjustment operation and an inspection operation related to a blur correction operation is executed based upon detection results provided by the vibration detection device with power supply and control communication achieved via the terminal unit.    
   
   
       6 . A lens barrel unit according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the vibration detection device includes two vibration sensors; and    the vibration sensors are both disposed in the area surrounding the image-capturing element mounting portion within the range in which the lens barrel unit is projected along the optical axis of the photographic optical system.    
   
   
       7 . A lens barrel unit according to  claim 6 , wherein: 
 the two vibration sensors are mounted on a hard board which is disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the optical axis and in the area surrounding the image-capturing element mounting portion within the range in which the lens barrel unit is projected along the optical axis of the photographic optical system.    
   
   
       8 . A lens barrel unit according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a retract motor that generates a drive force to reduce a length of the lens barrel unit.    
   
   
       9 . A lens barrel unit, comprising: 
 a photographic optical system that includes a blur correction optical system;    a vibration detection device that is disposed in an area surrounding an image-capturing element mounting portion at a position which does not project out along a radial direction beyond an outermost perimeter of the lens barrel unit and detects vibration occurring along two directions perpendicular to an optical axis of the photographic optical system; and    a blur correction drive unit that drives the blur correction optical system in correspondence to a detection value provided by the vibration detection device.    
   
   
       10 . A camera comprising: 
 a lens barrel unit according to  claim 1  that is built in the camera.