Abstract: A camera comprising a cartridge receiving chamber for a film cartridge with a filmstrip including a film leader, a film takeup chamber, a backframe opening located between the cartridge receiving chamber and the film take-up chamber, a metering sprocket for engaging the filmstrip, and a film slit between the cartridge receiving chamber and the backframe opening to permit the film leader to be longitudinally inserted through the film slit from the cartridge receiving chamber across the backframe opening and to the film take-up chamber when the film cartridge is placed in the cartridge receiving chamber, is characterized in that a film guide is supported for movement in a first direction relative to the metering sprocket to be able to guide the film leader over the metering sprocket when the film leader is inserted through the film slit from the cartridge receiving chamber across the backframe opening and to the film take-up chamber and for movement in a reverse direction relative to the metering sprocket to be

Abstract: A camera comprising a film winder rotatable to wind successive exposed imaging areas of a filmstrip onto an exposed film roll, is characterized in that a minor spring source of motion is connected to the film winder to rotate the film winder to wind one exposed imaging area of the filmstrip onto the exposed film roll and can be re-energized to again rotate the film winder to wind another exposed imaging area of the filmstrip onto the exposed film roll, and a major spring source of motion is connected with the minor spring source of motion to re-energize the minor spring source of motion after each exposed imaging area of the filmstrip is wound onto the exposed film roll. Preferably, the major spring source of motion has the capacity to be energized once to re-energize the minor spring source of motion a total number of times at least equal to the total number of successive imaging areas of the filmstrip that are to be exposed.

Abstract: A compact camera comprising a body housing, a film roll chamber within the body housing, and a flip-up flash pivotally connected to the body housing to permit the flip-up flash to be flipped up from the body housing for use and flipped down to the body housing for storage, is characterized in that the body housing has a protruding portion that at least partially forms the film roll chamber, and the flip-up flash has a flash housing with a cavity for receiving the protruding portion when the flip-up flash is flipped down to the body housing, to integrate the flash housing with the body housing.

Abstract: A camera for use with a film cartridge having a spool rotatable in a film winding direction to wind an exposed filmstrip into the cartridge and a light lock movable to be closed after the exposed filmstrip has been wound into the cartridge, comprising a film winder rotatable in engagement with the spool in the film winding direction to rotate the spool in the same direction, and a closing actuator rotatable in engagement with the light lock to close the light lock and including a film sensor for sensing the presence and absence of the exposed filmstrip to determine whether the exposed filmstrip has been wound into the cartridge, is characterized in that the film winder and the closing actuator are mutually coupled when the film sensor senses the presence of the exposed filmstrip, to prevent the film sensor substantially from applying any pressure against the exposed filmstrip, and when the film sensor senses the absence of the exposed filmstrip, to rotate the closing actuator to close the light lock when the

Abstract: An iris diaphragm comprises a stationary circular base having a pair of opposite sides and pivot pins at only one of the sides, a plurality of opaque blades positioned adjacent the side of the circular base that has the pivot pins to define an aperture between the blades, and having pivot holes that contain the pivot pins to permit the aperture to be changed in size by pivoting the blades about the pivot pins, a rotatable ring positioned adjacent the side of the circular base without the pivot pins, and a plurality of interconnections between the ring and respective ones of the blades to make rotation of the ring relative to the circular base pivot the blades about the pivot pins.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera provided with an opaque cover part comprising a door portion and a remaining portion, a line of weakness between the door portion and the remaining portion that allows the door portion to be pivoted along the line of weakness to open the door portion, and a pair of lead-in slots between the door portion and the remaining portion each having an open lead-in end and an opposite end that is closed at the line of weakness to facilitate pivoting the door portion to be opened, is characterized in that the slots are partially filled between their open and closed ends with opaque tear substances that are thin enough to be readily ripped, from the open ends of the slots to the closed ends of the slots, when the door portion is pivoted along the line of weakness to be opened.

Abstract: A compact camera including a housing, a manually depressible shutter release button, and a movable flash supported for movement between a folded position against the housing and covering the shutter release button and an unfolded position extending from the housing and not covering the shutter release button, is characterized in that the movable flash has a built-in actuator for the shutter release button which covers the shutter release button when the movable flash is in its folded position, but can be manually depressed sufficiently to similarly depress the shutter release button.

Abstract: A camera comprising a chamber for receiving a film cartridge, a door supported for closing movement to cover the chamber and for opening movement to uncover the chamber, and an extracting mechanism connected with the door for pulling the film cartridge at least part way out of the chamber when the door is opened, is characterized in that the extracting mechanism includes an engaging member adapted to engage a protruding spool end of the film cartridge, to permit the engaging member to tilt the film cartridge out of the chamber when the door is opened. Preferably, the engaging member has a partially enclosed catch-space configured to receive the protruding spool end of the film cartridge in order to engage the protruding spool end.

Abstract: A camera comprises flash circuit board, a shutter-flash synchronization contact conductively connected to the flash circuit board for synchronizing shutter opening and flash illumination, a shutter blade conductively connected to the flash circuit board and movable in a single direction against the synchronization contact as an incident of shutter opening to initiate flash illumination, and an optical film encoder conductively connected to the flash circuit board to receive electrical energy to provide film encoding illumination when the shutter blade is moved against the synchronization contact.

Abstract: A flash camera comprising a main body part and an electronic flash unit connected together, is characterized in that the main body part has a mount for the flash unit that is provided with an engageable portion and at least one locator portion, and the flash unit has an engageable portion for engaging with the engageable portion of the mount that projects rearwardly from the flash unit and at least one locator portion for mating with the locator portion of the mount that projects rearwardly from the flash unit, parallel to and farther than the engageable portion of the flash unit, to permit the locator portion of the flash unit to mate with the locator portion of the mount before the engageable portion of the flash unit can engage with the engageable portion of the mount.

Abstract: A camera including a cartridge receiving chamber for a film cartridge with a filmstrip including a film leader, a film take-up chamber, a backframe opening located between the cartridge receiving chamber and the film take-up chamber, a film platen located over the backframe opening, a film slit between the cartridge receiving chamber and the backframe opening to permit the film leader to be longitudinally inserted through the film slit from the cartridge receiving chamber across the backframe opening and to the film take-up chamber when the film cartridge is placed in the cartridge receiving chamber, and a film support movable to a leader supporting position within the backframe frame opening to prevent the film leader from becoming jammed in the backframe opening and for guiding the film leader to the film take-up chamber, is characterized in that the film platen is supported for movement in a first direction relative to the backframe opening to move the film support to its leader supporting position and for

Abstract: A mount for adjusting an optical component, comprises a support for the optical component that is pivotable only about a single axis and which is resiliently urged in one direction about the single axis, and a pair of adjusting cams movable towards and away from each other in contact with the support alternatively to pivot the support about the single axis in a reverse direction which is opposite to the one direction and to allow the support to be return-urged in the one direction.

Abstract: A protective housing for a camera comprising a pouch adapted to contain the camera, is characterized in that the pouch has at least one pivotable portion that can be pivoted about a pivot axis to open the pouch in order to allow the camera to be inserted into the pouch, and a manually depressible actuating button is supported on the pouch at the pivot axis to be able to be depressed along the pivot axis to similarly depress a shutter release button of the camera in order to initiate picture-taking.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprising a main body part, and a cover part connected to the main body part which at least partially covers the main body part, is characterized in that a continuous line of weakness circumscribes a predetermined portion of the main body part or cover part to permit the predetermined portion to be broken away from the main body part or cover part along the continuous line of weakness and leave a hole in the main body part or cover part in the place of the predetermined portion, and the cover part is connected to the main body part at the predetermined portion to cause the predetermined portion to be broken away from the main body part or cover part when the main body part and the cover part are forcibly pulled apart.

Abstract: A window-mounted camera mount and bird feeder comprises a camera mount having a plurality of spaced suction cups for adhering the camera mount to an inner side of a window unit, and a bird feeder having a plurality of spaced suction cups similar in number and in individual locations on the bird feeder to the number and individual locations of the plurality of suction cups on the camera mount, for adhering the bird feeder to an outer side of the window unit with the respective suction cups on the bird feeder aligned with the corresponding suction cups on the camera mount to achieve picture-taking alignment of the camera mount and the bird feeder.

Abstract: A camera including a normally closed door moveable to be opened, and a sprocket wheel retractable from a film engageable position, is characterized in that an actuator is moveable simultaneously to move the door open and to retract the sprocket wheel from its film engageable position.

Abstract: A camera comprising a film winder rotatable in a film winding direction for winding an exposed filmstrip into a film cassette, and a closing mechanism movable to a final position to close a light lock of the film cassette and able to be reset to a starting position to be used again, is characterized in that the film winder is rotatable in a reverse direction which is opposite to the film winding direction, and a resetting device coupled with the film winder resets the closing mechanism from its final position to its starting position when the film winder is rotated in the reverse direction.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprising a film cartridge, a filmstrip that has been prewound from the film cartridge into an unexposed film roll, and a film winding device rotatable to wind successive exposed sections of the filmstrip into the film cartridge, is characterized in that a film winding motor is supported for movement to have respective separate positions in the camera not engaged with the film winding device, to permit the filmstrip to be prewound from the film cartridge into the unexposed film roll, and engaged with the film winding device, for rotating the film winding device to wind each exposed section of the filmstrip into the film cartridge.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprising a main body part having a viewfinder chamber with opposite front and rear open ends, and a pair of front and rear viewfinder lens elements that are positioned at the front and rear open ends of the chamber in a spaced optically aligned relation, is characterized in that the front and rear viewfinder lens elements have respective integral extensions that together with the front and rear viewfinder lens elements constitute separate individual L-shaped one-piece lens components which connect to one another to form a rigid rectangular-shaped unit that can be inserted into the chamber through at least one of the front and rear open ends of the chamber to position the front and rear viewfinder lens elements at the front and rear open ends.

Abstract: A camera comprising a film winder rotatable in engagement with a film spool inside a cartridge to wind an exposed filmstrip into the cartridge, a frame counter rotatable to indicate the number of exposures remaining for picture-taking and having a circular array of teeth that are successively engaged to rotate the frame counter, a metering sprocket engaged intermittently with successive perforations in the filmstrip to rotate the metering sprocket as the filmstrip is wound into the cartridge, an actuator coaxially connected to the metering sprocket for rotation in engagement with the respective teeth to rotate the frame counter, and a disabling mechanism for preventing rotation of the frame counter after the last exposure is made and keeping the metering sprocket disengaged from anyone of the film perforations to permit rotation of the film winder to complete film winding into the cartridge without rotating the frame counter and the metering sprocket, is characterized in that the disabling mechanism is coaxia