Abstract: A camera comprising a door with an exterior viewing opening for viewing readable information appearing on a photographic article such as a film cartridge in the camera, and an interior light-trapping gasket that surrounds the viewing opening to confine ambient light entering the viewing opening when the door is closed, is characterized in that the viewing opening is extended along the door to hold a label at a particular portion of the viewing opening that does not interfere with ambient light entering the viewing opening to view the information.

Abstract: Advancing sheath film loader, method of film loading, and camera frame assembly. In the method a photographic filmstrip is loaded in a film supply. A sheath is advanced into the film supply. The sheath defines a substantially cylindrical scroll space within the film supply. During the advancing, the filmstrip is propelled into the scroll space to form a scroll. During the propelling, the sheath is tensioned against the scroll. The sheath can be disposed substantially in the film supply prior to film loading. If so, the sheath is partially extracted and then is returned to the film supply in coordination with the propelling of the filmstrip into the film supply.

Abstract: A camera comprising a door moveable to be closed, a sprocket wheel having respective teeth for entering successive spaced perforations in a filmstrip to engage the filmstrip and being moveable to a film engaging position for one of the teeth to enter one of the film perforations, and an actuator moveable to move the sprocket wheel to its film engaging position when the door is moved to be closed, is characterized in that the actuator has a compliant member which yields elastically when the actuator is moved to move the sprocket wheel to its film engaging position, but one of the teeth comes to rest against a limited section of the filmstrip between two of the film perforations rather than the tooth entering one of the perforations, whereby the compliant member acts to prevent the tooth from perforating the limited section of the filmstrip.

Abstract: A three roller film winder and method for loading photographic film. In the method, a film cartridge is positioned in a cartridge chamber of a camera frame assembly. The camera frame assembly has the cartridge chamber, a supply chamber, and an intermediate section between the chambers. The film cartridge includes a spool and a filmstrip. The filmstrip has leading, main, and tail portions. A sleeve is introduced into the supply chamber. An upper roller is disposed over the sleeve. A pair of lower rollers are introduced into the supply chamber. The upper and lower rollers together define a substantially cylindrical scroll space. The leading portion of the filmstrip is advanced out of the cartridge and into the sleeve. The leading portion is curled within the sleeve and scroll space into an initial filmstrip scroll having at least one turn. The sleeve is retracted after the curling step.

Abstract: A camera comprising a backframe opening for exposing successive sections of a filmstrip, and a deflector supported at one end of the backframe opening for movement to permit a leading edge of the filmstrip which is advanced against the deflector to move the deflector away from the backframe opening to allow the leading edge to be advanced over the deflector rather than become trapped in the backframe opening, is characterized in that the deflector is flexible and has at least one fixed peripheral side and at least two adjacent free peripheral sides to permit the deflector to be flexed away from the backframe opening at the free peripheral sides, but not at the fixed peripheral side, when the leading edge of the filmstrip is advanced against the deflector.

Abstract: A camera comprising a backframe opening for exposing successive sections of a filmstrip in a film exposure plane, and a deflector pivotally supported at one end of the backframe opening to permit a leading edge of the filmstrip to pivot the deflector away from the backframe opening to allow the leading edge to be advanced over the deflector rather than become trapped in the backframe opening, is characterized in that the deflector is supported to be pivoted about an inclined axis that extends at an acute angle with respect to the film exposure plane.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for loading a photographic camera (426) of a type including an external housing (428, 478) having a movable closure (484) giving access to a film guide track (566) within the camera; an externally accessible device (476, 508, 526, 530) for moving film within the camera; a counterwheel (500), operatively connected to the means for moving, for counting a number of frames exposed during use of the camera, the counterwheel having a feature (676, 676a, 676b, 676c) optically detectable when illuminated; and a window (501) in the housing for external viewing of the feature.

Abstract: A photographic camera (426) is disclosed which may include an external housing (428, 478) having a movable closure (484) giving access to a film guide track (566) within the camera, the guide track extending between an unexposed film chamber (562) and an exposed film chamber (564), a rotatable sprocket (530) for driving film along the guide track, and a driven gear (508) operatively connected to rotate the sprocket. The camera is characterized by a coupling (476) accessible externally of the housing and operatively connected to the driven gear, the driven gear and the coupling being mounted for axial movement in the housing; an anti-backup gear (514) mounted for rotation and axial movement with the driven gear; and a device (516-525) for preventing reverse rotation of the driven gear in a first axial position of the coupling and for allowing rotation of the driven gear in either direction in a second axial position of the coupling.

Abstract: A photographic camera for making pseudo photographs on film exposure areas upon opening of a camera shutter includes a light emitting diode disposed in the camera body for directly illuminating one or more positions on the film, an aperture disposed in the camera body between the light emitting diode and film for controlling illumination of the light emitting diode to provide a predetermined coded pattern of exposure on one or more positions of the film, and a lever positionable between the aperture and film to cover or uncover the aperture to regulate film exposure by the light passing through the aperture upon camera shutter opening.

Abstract: A battery especially useful in single use cameras has the insulative layer or wrapping removed therefrom to expose the metal jacket of the battery which functions as the positive terminal of the battery. The battery is then slid longitudinally into a cylindrical cavity in the camera to axially engage a first contact with the negative terminal of the battery and to be engaged radially by a second contact which contacts the metal jacket. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the metal jacket is contacted at a point between a groove in the jacket and a second end face of the battery which is unitary with the metal jacket. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the second contact has a spring arm with an edge which engages a wall of the groove so as to prevent removal of the battery by the customer.

Abstract: A film cassette comprises a light-shielding door for preventing ambient light from entering the cassette interior, a film spool supported for rotation in film unwinding and film winding directions, and a locking device supported for movement into engagement with the spool to secure the spool and out of engagement with the spool to release the spool. According to the invention, the door is supported for closing movement to prevent ambient light from entering the cassette interior and for opening movement, and includes cam means for moving the locking device into engagement with the spool responsive to closing movement of the door. Also, the locking device is resilient to permit it to be temporarily deformed should it be obstructed from being moved by the cam means to engage the spool and the light-shielding means is forcibly closed, or should it be engaging the spool and the spool is forcibly rotated in the film unwinding and winding directions.

Abstract: A simple camera is disclosed without any film cassette or film spool. Instead, a filmstrip is stored in unexposed and exposed film chambers on respective film rolls. A light lock/film guide is rotated open to load the filmstrip into the unexposed film chamber, is closed to direct the filmstrip to the exposed film chamber, and is reopened to unload the filmstrip.

Abstract: A film roll accumulating device for forming a filmstrip into a cylindrical film roll as for example in a camera or a film cassette, comprises an arcuate film guide at least partially enclosing a cylindrically-shaped space having a centerline. The arcuate film guide includes a film ingress opening through which a filmstrip can be fed to be guided concentrically about the centerline into a cylindrical film roll in the space, and is flexible and secured to permit the film ingress opening to widen to expand the cylindrically-shaped space concentrically about its centerline in order to accommodate enlargement of the cylindrical film roll without any shift in the centerline as additional film is fed through the opening.

Abstract: When an exposure counter in a single-use camera indicates that the maximum number of exposures on a roll of film in the camera have been exposed, a function of the camera such as an electronic flash capability is disabled to prevent unauthorized recycling of the camera. A reset code must be inputted to the camera to initialize the exposure counter and to enable the electronic flash capability, to permit authorized reuse of the camera with another roll of film.

Abstract: In a camera, a snag-and-drag web has one end portion secured to a take-up spool and an opposite free end portion provided with an integral hook. The web's free end portion initially protrudes into a cartridge-receiving chamber to be bent when a film cartridge with a projecting film leader is loaded into the chamber, to make the hook extend away from the free end portion to engage the film leader. Rotation of the take-up spool then winds the snag-and-drag web onto the spool to move the hook to draw the film leader from the film cartridge and onto the spool.

Abstract: In a camera, a snag-and-drag web has one end portion secured to a take-up spool and an opposite free end portion provided with an integral hook. The web's free end portion initially protrudes into a nest adjacent a cartridge-receiving chamber, to make the free end portion bent to extend the hook away from the free end portion. When a film cartridge with a projecting film leader is loaded into the chamber, the hook engages the film leader. Rotation of the take-up spool then winds the snag-and-drag web onto the spool to move the hook to draw the film leader from the film cartridge and onto the spool.

Abstract: When an exposure counter in a single-use camera indicates that the maximum number of exposures on a roll of film in the camera have been exposed, a function of the camera such as an electronic flash capability is disabled to prevent unauthorized recycling of the camera. A reset code must be inputted to the camera to initialize the exposure counter and to enable the electronic flash capability, to permit authorized reuse of the camera with another roll of film. If an invalid code is inputted to the camera, the electronic flash capability is permanently disabled or cannot be re-enabled for a period of time.

Abstract: A method of recycling a single-use camera after a function of the camera has been purposefully disabled to prevent unauthorized reuse of the camera, comprising inputting a reset code to the camera to re-enable the function that has been disabled to permit authorized reuse of the camera, is characterized further by inputting a start code to the camera before the reset code is to be inputted to the camera to condition the camera for testing, testing the camera to determine whether the camera is reusable, and preventing the reset code from being inputted to the camera when testing the camera indicates the camera is not reusable.

Abstract: A light-shielding door of a film cassette when opened overlaps an extension of a film gate device to bridge a gap between the film cassette and the film gate device, to facilitate movement of a leading end of a filmstrip from the film cassette onto film support rails of the film gate device.

Abstract: A decorative outer cover for a camera body of a single-use camera comprises a single-piece information-bearing panel and write-on panel connected together at a common fold line. The information-bearing panel is located on top of the write-on panel to substantially conceal the write-on panel and is foldable beneath the write-on panel along the fold line to substantially reveal the write-on panel.