Patent 7751136 was granted and assigned to Fujinon on July, 2010 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
In the lens assembly, ventilation channels 15b1, 15c1, 15d1, and 15e1 passing between an object-side opening 15—1 and an image-side opening 15—2 of a barrel 15 are formed by processing inner surfaces 15b, 15c, and 15d of the barrel 15 and a surface 15e of the barrel 15. Thereby, when a taking lens 11 of a first group having an O-ring 16 fitted thereto is mounted into the barrel 15, air in the barrel 15 is pushed out from the image-side opening 15—2 of the barrel 15 through the ventilation channels 15b1, 15c1, 15d1, and 15e1.