Sony patents camera filter system using one motor for two disks
Sony describes a camera filter device that uses a single motor to spin two stacked disks, each holding a neutral density filter. An interlocking mechanism ensures both disks rotate together, reducing the number of parts needed to control the filters.
In the filing’s own words
A filter device includes: a first disk including a first neutral density filter; a second disk that is disposed to face the first disk in an optical axis direction, and includes a second neutral density filter; and a motor that gives a driving force to the first disk to rotate the first disk. In the filter device, an interlocking mechanism that enables the second disk to rotate with rotation of the first disk is provided. In this configuration, the first disk and the second disk are rotated by a single motor, and the filter device and an imaging apparatus can be made smaller in size with the reduced number of components and the simplified structure.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A filter device comprising: a first disk including a first neutral density filter; a second disk that is disposed to face the first disk in an optical axis direction, and includes a second neutral density filter; and a motor that gives a driving force to the first disk to rotate the first disk, wherein an interlocking mechanism that enables the second disk to rotate with rotation of the first disk is provided.
Facts
- Company
- Sony (SONY GROUP CORPORATION)
- Official title
- FILTER DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS
- Publication number
- US20260277077A1
- Application number
- 19470836
- Filed
- Mar 25, 2024
- Published
- Sep 17, 2026
- Inventors
- 3
- Claims
- 9
Classified under
G03B 11/00 Physics & computingG03B 17/12 Physics & computingMore from Sony in Cameras & imaging
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.