Canon working to improve durability of shutter mechanism, patent application suggests

canon patentCanon patent application JP-A-2018-10053 describes how to improve the durability of shutter blades.

Claims:

An opening forming member in which an opening serving as an optical path is formed, First and second shutter blades which enter and leave the opening, A drive transmission member engaged with the first and second shutter blades for transmitting a driving force, And a stopper for stopping the movement of the blade by abutment of the first and second shutter blades when the optical path is blocked by the first and second shutter blades in the opening,
Wherein the first and second shutter blades each include a shutter portion for shielding the optical path in the opening portion, an engaging portion for engaging with the drive transmission member, and a connecting portion for connecting the shutter portion and the engaging portion with each other Has,
Wherein the stopper includes a main stopper in which one side of the engaging portion side of the first and second shutter blades abuts and a second stopper provided between the opening and the drive transmission member and on one side of the connecting portion And a sub-stopper with which the portion abuts.

It’s good to see that Canon’s R&D are working on the really useful things. More Canon patent applications.

Canon patent application for lens barrel design that allows to insert and remove an optical element

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Canon patent application EP3267238 (A1) describes a lens barrel design where you can insert and remove an optical element, i.e. you can insert or remove an optical filter.

From the abstract:

The present invention relates to a technique to insert and remove an optical element into and from an optical path of an image pickup optical system. A first drive mechanism (12) moves a first element (34) in an optical axis direction. A second element (23) is located at an image surface side of the first element and is selectively inserted in the optical path. A second drive mechanism (24) moves a holding member (18) holding the second element in a direction different from an optical axis. A control unit (65) controls the first drive mechanism to move the first element to an object side to a position where the first element and the holding member are not overlapped when viewing in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, controls the second drive mechanism to remove the second element from the optical path, when they are overlapped.

Being able to insert a filter into the lens barrel sounds pretty cool to me. If I got the patent application right, then the optical element (i.e. the filter) is inserted where the arrow points to in the image at top.

Canon working on weather sealed lens adapter, patent application suggests

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A few days ago we learned how well the EOS 5D Mark IV can cope with water. It’s just natural we found a Canon patent application for what appears to be a weather sealed lens adapter (EF/EF-S to EF-M, is my guess).

Canon patent application EP20170178735 describes a lens adapter which is protected against dust, water, whatever.

The present invention provides a technique that ensures reliability of an electric connection between a lens adapter and an apparatus body with a simple configuration even when a spacer is inserted between the lens adapter that has an electrical communication unit and the apparatus body of an image pickup apparatus. Moreover, the present invention provides a technique that ensures a dustproof performance between the lens adapter and the apparatus body of the mage pickup apparatus even when the lens adapter has the electrical communication unit.

According to the present invention, the reliability of the electric connection between the lens adapter and the apparatus body is ensured with the simple configuration even when the spacer is inserted between the lens adapter that has the electrical communication unit and the apparatus body of the image pickup apparatus. Moreover, according to the present invention, the dustproof performance between the lens adapter and the apparatus body of the mage pickup apparatus is ensured even when the lens adapter has the electrical communication unit.

I’d love to know what exactly this lens adapter is for. Is it the next iteration of the already existing EF/EF-S to EF-M adapter (), or has it something to do with Canon’s upcoming full frame mirrorless camera which is rumored since a while? Any help is welcome, patent literature is difficult to read.

canon patentPatent applications filed by a company do not necessarily mean the described technology will hit the market any time soon. Patents are a way companies have to protect their intellectual property and research. Some Canon patent applications that in our opinion might indeed go into production are these:

All Canon patent applications featured on Canon Watch.

Canon optical filters might get new and improved coating, patent application

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Canon patent application (in Japan) 2017-227774 describes methods and technology to reduce light reflection on optical filters.

Patent application abstract (machine translated):

To provide an optical filter, a light quantity adjusting device, and an optical device having an excellent light reflection preventing effect.
A fine structure provided on the multilayered film, wherein the microstructure is provided with a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a matrix so that incident light from the outermost surface of the fine structure A microstructure surface having a fine uneven structure equal to or smaller than a wavelength of reflected light at an interface between the multilayer film and the microstructure, and a plurality of interfaces of the multilayer film and a plurality of interfaces of the multilayer film and the transparent substrate The relationship between the phase of the reflected light at one interface with respect to the incident light from the interface between the fine structure and the multilayer film and the phase of the reflected light at the other interface between the interface and the interface And a light reflection preventing structure having an anti-phase relationship in which they cancel each other out.

If I got it right, light reflection is reduced by applying a multilayered film with an extreme fine structure on the filter glass, a structure that’s “equal to or smaller than a wavelength of reflected light”.

Other interesting Canon patent applications that might go into production:

Japanese patent applications can not be linked. To learn more about this or other Japanese patent applications use this site and the number of the patent application (e.g. 2017-227774)

Future Canon tilt-shift lenses may have image stabilisation, patent application suggests

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Canon might experimenting with the idea to feature image-stabilisation on the company’s future tilt-shift lenses.

Canon patent application (in Japan) 2017-227697 describes the implementation of image-stabilisation technology in tilt-shift lenses.

A patent application filed by a company doesn’t necessarily mean the technology described in the patent application will hit the market any time soon. Patents are a way companies have to protect their intellectual property and research.

Some patent applications that in our opinion might indeed go into production are these:

Canon tilt-shift lenses on Amazon.

Canon patent for a new EF 24-105 f/4 lens

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Another Canon patent. An optical formula for a EF 24-105 f/4 lens has been filed by Canon.

The mere fact that Canon (or any other company) makes a patent application for an optical formula (aka lens) does not mean you will see this lens anytime soon. Patents are primarily a way for companies to secure their research. Very few of the many Canon patents you are seeing on the net will ever make it into production.

However, we spend a lot of time to search for patents that might go into production. I think the following patents have a fair chance to be implemented in upcoming Canon cameras:

The patent we are featuring today has a very little chance to go into production in my opinion. However, it’s Canon research so we will feature it. Also, note that there is no image stabilisation in this optical formula.

Canon patent US20170374291 describes the optical formula for an EF 24-105 f/4 lens, a classic and widespread focal range for full-frame cameras. Nothing really new. The patent may apply to a lens Canon already made.

The abstract:

Provided is a zoom lens, including, in order from an object side, a positive first lens unit, a negative second lens unit, a positive third lens unit, a negative fourth lens unit, and a positive fifth lens unit, in which an interval between each pair of adjacent lens units is changed during zooming, in which the second lens unit moves during focusing, and includes, in order from the object side to the image side, a negative lens, a negative lens, a positive lens, and a negative lens, and in which a focal length of the second lens unit, a thickness of the second lens unit on an optical axis, a refractive index of a material of the positive lens included in the second lens unit, and an average value of refractive indices of materials of the negative lenses included in the second lens unit are each appropriately set.

Again, a patent application does not mean that the described technology will go public soon. Patents are in first place a way for companies to secure their research. What they throw to the market is another story.