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US4802747A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Compact zoom lens

Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1987-09-23
•
Granted: 1989-02-07
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Expires: 2007-09-23
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Abstract

Abstract A compact zoom lens comprising, from front to rear, a first lens unit of positive power for focusing, a second lens unit of negative power monotonously movable for zooming, a third lens unit held stationary during zooming, and a fourth lens unit of positive power to move in a locus convex toward the front to maintain the constant position of an image plane which shifts as the image magnification varies, a fixed stop for determining F-numbers being located between the second and third lens units.

Inventors

  • 👤 Akihisa Horiuchi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 14:39
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B15/00; G02B15/14; G02B15/144; G02B15/1441; G02B15/144113

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim 137 words
A compact zoom lens comprising: from front to rear, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power and axially movable for focusing; a second lens unit having a negative refractive power and monotonously, axially movable for zooming; a stop fixed relative to an optical axis; a third lens unit stationary relative to the optical axis and having a positive refractive power; and a fourth lens unit to move, while depicting a locus convex toward the front, to compensate for the shift of an image plane resulting from the movement of said second lens unit, wherein letting the focal length of the i-th lens unit counting from the front be denoted by fi and the shortest focal length of the entire lens system by fw, the following conditions are satisfied: 2.99<f.sub.1 /fw<4.08 0.88<|f.sub.2 /fw|<1.21 1.75<f.sub.3 /f.sub.4 <2.42.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 137 words
A compact zoom lens comprising: from front to rear, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power and axially movable for focusing; a second lens unit having a negative refractive power and monotonously, axially movable for zooming; a stop fixed relative to an optical axis; a third lens unit stationary relative to the optical axis and having a positive refractive power; and a fourth lens unit to move, while depicting a locus convex toward the front, to compensate for the shift of an image plane resulting from the movement of said second lens unit, wherein letting the focal length of the i-th lens unit counting from the front be denoted by fi and the shortest focal length of the entire lens system by fw, the following conditions are satisfied: 2.99<f.sub.1 /fw<4.08 0.88<|f.sub.2 /fw|<1.21 1.75<f.sub.3 /f.sub.4 <2.42.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 150 words
A compact zoom lens according to claim 1, wherein said fourth lens unit has a first sub-unit counting from front comprising a first lens having a positive refractive power and whose front surface has a stronger refractive power than its rear surface has, and a bi-convex second lens, and a second sub-unit comprising a meniscus-shaped third lens of negative refractive power convex toward the front, a bi-convex fourth lens, and a fifth lens of positive refractive power whose front surface has a stronger refractive power than its rear surface has, said fourth lens unit saitsfying the following conditions where the radius of curvature of the i-th lens surface counting from the front in said fourth lens unit is denoted by R IVi and the i-th lens thickness or air separation is denoted by D IVi : 1.7<R.sub.IV2 /R.sub.IV3 <2.1 2.6<|R.sub.IV3 /fw|<3.4 0.02<D.sub.IV2 /fw<0.04 0.06<D.sub.IV6 /fw<0.13 1.5<|R.sub.IV6 /fw|<1.9 0.9<R.sub.IV6 /R.sub.IV9 <1.3.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3848967A Cited
US4256381A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1992-02-07 1992-08-08 1993-02-07 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1996-02-07 1996-08-08 1997-02-07 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2000-02-07 2000-08-08 2001-02-07 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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