Sony patents lens mechanism using balls to spread force evenly
Sony describes an interchangeable camera lens design that uses a specific arrangement of guide shafts and rolling balls to move internal parts. A spring pushes one ball against a shaft, and that force is spread out to several other balls to keep the movement smooth and stable.
In the filing’s own words
An interchangeable lens includes: a pair of first guide shafts that are held by a shaft holding portion of a moving body and are arranged in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis direction; one first rolling ball that is rolled with respect to a pair of first guide shafts when the moving body moves in the optical axis direction; a pair of second guide shafts that are held by the shaft holding portion and are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction; a pair of third guide shafts that are located on the opposite side of the first guide shaft with the second guide shaft interposed therebetween and are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction; a plurality of second rolling balls rolled with respect to the pair of second guide shafts and the pair of third guide shafts; and a biasing mechanism that biases the first rolling ball in a direction of pressing the first rolling ball against the first guide shaft. A biasing force applied to the first rolling ball by the biasing mechanism is distributed to the plurality of second rolling balls via the first guide shaft and the second guide shaft.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. An interchangeable lens comprising: a moving body including a moving frame provided with a shaft holding portion and an optical element held by the moving frame, the moving body being moved in an optical axis direction; a drive source that applies a drive force to the moving body; a pair of first guide shafts that are held by the shaft holding portion, have an axial direction coinciding with the optical axis direction, and are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction; one first rolling ball that is rolled with respect to the pair of first guide shafts when the moving body moves in the optical axis direction; a pair of second guide shafts that are held by the shaft holding portion, have an axial direction coinciding with the optical axis direction, and are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction; a pair of third guide shafts that are located on the opposite side of the first guide shaft with the second guide shaft interposed therebetween, have an axial direction coinciding with the optical axis direction, and are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction; a plurality of second rolling balls located separately in the optical axis direction and rolled with respect to the pair of second guide shafts and the pair of third guide shafts when the moving body moves in the optical axis direction; and a biasing mechanism that biases the first rolling ball in a direction of pressing the first rolling ball against the first guide shaft, wherein a biasing force applied to the first rolling ball by the biasing mechanism is distributed to the plurality of second rolling balls via the first guide shaft and the second guide shaft.
Facts
- Company
- Sony (SONY GROUP CORPORATION)
- Official title
- INTERCHANGEABLE LENS AND IMAGING DEVICE
- Publication number
- US20260319341A1
- Application number
- 19476210
- Filed
- Apr 8, 2024
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
- Inventors
- 2
- Claims
- 9
Classified under
G03B 17/14 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.