Abstract: A camera comprising a main body part having a chamber for holding an exposed filmstrip wound into a exposed film roll, and a film winding thumbwheel for winding the exposed filmstrip into the exposed film roll, is characterized in that the main body part has a film egress opening at one end of the chamber which is dimensioned to allow the exposed film roll to be unloaded from the chamber through the film egress opening, and the film winding thumbwheel light-tightly seals the chamber at the film egress opening and is removable to permit the exposed film roll to be unloaded from the chamber.

Abstract: A camera comprising a housing having similar length front, rear and bottom walls, and a cover-handle for the housing pivotable between folded and extended positions relative to the housing to uncover and recover at least a taking lens opening in the front wall, is characterized in that the cover-handle has a cavity within which the front and rear walls of the housing are partially located and the bottom wall of the housing is completely located when the cover handle is pivoted to its extended position, in order to provide an extension of the housing that makes the housing more easy to hold.

Abstract: A camera comprising a taking lens, a lens support for supporting the taking lens, and a transparent lens cover for shielding the taking lens, is characterized in that the transparent lens cover has a plurality of retaining portions that constitute a single piece with the transparent lens cover and are individually connected to the lens support to hold the taking lens to the lens support, but which can be individually disconnected from the lens support to free the taking lens.

Abstract: A waterproof protective housing for a camera comprising an elastic pouch which is shaped and dimensioned to enclose the camera and has an opening for a taking lens of the camera, is characterized in that a pair of rigid outer and inner clamping parts are secured together parallel to one another to squeeze the elastic pouch between them at the opening to provide a watertight seal around the opening, and at least one of the outer and inner clamping parts is transparent and covers the opening.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera which comprises a first part including a film winding thumbwheel rotatably supported for winding and unwinding rotation, and a second part assembled to the first part and including a resilient anti-backup pawl for engaging the thumbwheel to prevent unwinding rotation of the thumbwheel, is characterized in that the first part has a deflector arranged to deflect the anti-backup pawl to prevent the anti-backup pawl from engaging the thumbwheel during assembly of the first part to the second part and to allow the anti-backup pawl to engage the thumbwheel when the first part is assembled to the second part.

Abstract: A camera including a viewfinder for viewing a subject to be photographed, a masking a device for the viewfinder having a number of different format mask configurations, a taking lens for forming an image of the subject, and a lens cover for the taking lens, is characterized in that the masking device and said lens cover are supported to be moved at the same time for any one of the mask configurations to be in a masking position partially masking the viewfinder when the lens cover is not covering the taking lens and for every one of the mask configurations to be respective non-masking positions not partially masking the viewfinder when the lens cover covers the taking lens.

Abstract: A camera comprises a shutter release that is manually depressible to initiate picture-taking, and a delayed action device for automatically depressing the shutter release to initiate picture-taking after a predetermined interval of time has elapsed. The shutter release has an engageable portion that can be engaged to depress the shutter release. The delayed action device has a setting piece that is movable in a forward direction to a cocked position to move an engaging portion of the setting device from a closer side to a farther side of the engageable portion of the shutter release and is returned in a reverse direction with the engaging portion in engagement with the farther side to automatically depress the shutter release.

Abstract: A camera comprising a spindle for supporting an image recording disk to be rotated about a center axis, and a handgrip which is to be hand held at an angular position, is characterized in that the handgrip is supported for rotation about the center axis to vary the angular position at which the handgrip is hand held.

Abstract: An actuator mechanism of simple and inexpensive design is incorporated in a camera structure to control a motor advance film winding system. The actuator includes a metering mechanism interface, a motor activation switch interface, and a shutter mechanism interface. In operation, a metering mechanism of a camera contacts with the metering mechanism interface in an exposure ready state to hold the actuator in an initial position in which the motor activation switch interface interfaces with a moveable contact of a motor switch to prevent contact between the moveable contact and a stationary contact of the motor switch. When a shutter mechanism of the camera is depressed, the shutter mechanism interfaces with the shutter mechanism interface to hold the actuator in the initial position and also moves the metering mechanism out of contact with the metering mechanism interface.

Abstract: A camera comprising a particular device (such as an electronic flash unit) that requires electrical energy to operate, a power switch capable of being changed from a normal state to a working state in order to provide electrical power to the device and biased to return to the normal state, and a protective cover (such as a lens cover) that changes the power switch from the normal state to the working state as the protective cover is moved from being closed to being open, is characterized in that the protective cover is supported for manual movement when open, without being moved to close, to change the power switch from the normal state to the working state when the power switch has returned to the normal state.

Abstract: A compact camera comprising a main body part, and a substantially flat flash circuit board, is characterized in that the flash circuit board has at least two separate flat board pieces, and the main body part has respective separate locations for each one of the separate pieces of the flash circuit board.

Abstract: A camera comprising a cartridge receiving chamber for receiving a film cartridge with a filmstrip having a film leader, a backframe opening at which the filmstrip is to be exposed during picture-taking, and a guide arrangement located to facilitate movement of the film leader towards the backframe opening when the film cartridge is placed in the cartridge receiving chamber, is characterized in that the guide arrangement has a pair of leader guide surfaces, a first one of which is configured to guide a curled corner segment of a reduced-width leading portion of the film leader, and a second one of which is configured to guide a curved transitioning longitudinal edge segment intermediate the reduced width leading portion of the film leader and a full width portion of the film leader.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprising a taking lens for making successive exposures on a filmstrip, is characterized in that a lens disfiguring member is movable over the taking lens to scratch the taking lens after the last exposure has been made on the filmstrip, to prevent the taking lens from being reused.

Abstract: A camera comprising a main body part having a backframe opening for exposing successive sections of a filmstrip, a metering sprocket rotatably supported on the main body part proximate the backframe opening and having respective teeth that can project through individual perforations in the filmstrip to engage successive sections of the filmstrip at the backframe opening, and a rear cover part having a plurality of parallel film guide ribs longitudinally extending to guide successive sections of the filmstrip over the backframe opening, is characterized in that one of the film guide ribs includes an integral portion configured to at least partially surround the teeth of the metering sprocket one at a time, in a predetermined location at which each tooth projects from one of the perforations in the filmstrip, to retain a film section at the backframe opening in engagement with the tooth.

Abstract: A camera for taking pictures, comprises a viewfinder masking device having three different format mask configurations; a manual picture-format selector having three different format selection settings which correspond respectively to the three different format mask configurations in order to select any one of the three different format mask configurations; and a default reset for returning the selector to a predetermined one of the three different format selection settings and returning the viewfinder masking device to a corresponding one of the three different format mask configurations, when the selector is in any one of the selection settings that is not the predetermined one, after a picture is taken and before another picture is taken.

Abstract: A touch sensitive electronic switch for a camera comprises a pair of front and rear cover parts of the camera that constitute separate electrical conductors which when temporarily bridged by one's hand allow a direct current path between the front and rear cover parts, and an insulator configured to fill a space between the front and rear cover parts in order that the front and rear cover parts and the insulator together define a housing for the camera.

Abstract: A camera comprising a slide manually movable in forward and reverse directions, and a spool drive device connectable with a film spool for rotation in a winding direction to similarly rotate the film spool, is characterized in that the slide and the spool drive device are engaged with each other at a first location, to rotate the spool drive device in the winding direction, and simultaneously slip in contact with each other at an opposite location, to not interfere with rotation of the spool drive device in the winding direction, when the slide is moved in the forward direction, and are engaged with each other at the opposite location, to rotate the spool drive device in the winding direction, and simultaneously slip in contact with each other at the first location, to not interfere with rotation of the spool drive device in the winding direction, when the slide is moved in the reverse direction, whereby a two-way drive coupling is created between the slide and the spool drive device.