Abstract: A camera comprises a shutter-flash synchronization contact, a pair of battery contacts, a flash capacitor, and a flash circuit board conductively connected to the shutter-flash synchronization contact, the pair of battery contacts and the flash capacitor. A holder which holds the flash capacitor is conductively connected to the flash circuit board and is integrally united with the shutter-flash synchronization contact and the pair of battery contacts to conductively connect the shutter-flash synchronization contact and the battery contacts to the flash circuit board. As a result, the camera can be made relatively compact.

Abstract: A camera intended to be used with a multiple flash bulb unit selects an unused flash bulb farthest from the taking lens to reduce a red-eye effect when a near range camera-to-subject distance is chosen and selects an unused flash bulb closest to the taking lens when a far range camera-to-subject distance is selected.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprising a filmstrip to be successively exposed in the camera is characterized in that frangible members in the camera operate in conjunction with successive exposure of the filmstrip and are capable of being incrementally destroyed after each exposure of the filmstrip to prevent reuse of the frangible members, when the filmstrip is completely exposed, and a breaking device independent of the frangible members incrementally destroys the frangible members after each exposure of the filmstrip.

Abstract: The photographic camera has a watertight housing (11, 12) in which a film transport and guide mechanism, a taking lens (15), a viewfinder (16), as well as a flash unit are accommodated. The novel and inventive step consists in that an integral support member (14) is provided which is connected with housing (11, 12) in a watertight manner and into which the taking lens (15), the viewfinder lens (16) as well as the diffusion screen (17) of the flash unit are all integrated.

Abstract: A film cartridge comprising a cartridge housing, a film spool rotatable inside the cartridge housing, and a film exposure status indicator capable of changing state to provide a visual indication of the exposure status of a filmstrip for the film cartridge, is characterized in that a ring having a radial slit coaxially engages the film spool to be rotated concurrently with the film spool, and the indicator is a flexible helix coiled around the film spool and extending through the slit, with one end portion of the helix fixed in place beneath the ring to be concealed from view and to prevent rotation of the helix when the ring is rotated with the film spool, and a further portion of the helix initially located above the ring to be visible but which is adapted to be compressed beneath the ring to disappear from view responsive to movement of the slit along the further portion when the ring is rotated with the film spool, to provide a change of state of the helix from being visible above the ring to being concea

Abstract: A rental camera is to be used by a customer for picture-taking and is intended to be returned to a lender to unload exposed film and replace with fresh film.

Abstract: A camera for use with a film cassette having a movable light lock supported within a film egress/ingress slot to be moved closed after a filmtrip is wound into the cassette, comprises a cassette-receiving chamber, and a movable driver to be moved to close the light lock before the cassette is removed from the chamber. An exterior ingress opening to the chamber is provided to admit an insertion tool into the chamber to push the cassette out of the chamber. The driver is located for the tool to push the driver out of the chamber with the cassette, whereby the camera will be disabled.

Abstract: A foldable film winding crank for a camera comprising a rotary base, and a two-part handle having a first handle part pivotably connected to the base and a second handle part pivotably connected to the first handle part to permit the two-part handle to be folded lengthwise into a cavity in the base for storage and to be unfolded lengthwise from the cavity to be manually grasped in order to rotate the base for film winding, is characterized in that a pivotable connection between the first handle part and the base and a pivotable connection between the second handle part and the first handle part are located at respective sides of an axis of rotation of the base to initially allow the second handle part to be foldingly pivoted in one direction to the first handle part and then allow the first handle part to be foldingly pivoted together with the second handle part in an opposite direction into the cavity and, conversely, to initially allow the second handle part to be unfoldingly pivoted from the first handle p

Abstract: A camera comprising a light sensitive film on which a certain number of exposures can be made, and a multi-lamp flash source having a plurality of one-time-use flash lamps equal in number to the total number of exposures to be made on the film, is characterized in that the multi-lamp flash source has consecutive indicators proximate the respective lamps for indicating the number of exposures available to be made and is supported for movement to move the respective lamps from a storage to a use position for illuminating a subject to be photographed and, substantially simultaneously, to move the respective indicators from a concealed to a visible position.

Abstract: An underwater camera comprising a water-resistant casing, a camera housing contained in the water-resistant casing, a manually rotatable thumbwheel positioned outside the water-resistant casing, and coupling means for rotationally coupling the thumbwheel to a film spool rotatably supported in the camera housing to permit the thumbwheel to be manually rotated to similarly rotate the film spool, is characterized in that the coupling means is a magnetic torque coupling including a driving ring of magnets fixed to the thumbwheel for rotation with the thumbwheel and a driven ring of magnets rotationally engaged with the film spool. The magnets of the driving ring and the magnets of the driven ring are magnetically coupled for synchronous rotation of the driving and driven rings to rotate the film spool when the thumbwheel is rotated.

Abstract: A camera comprising a viewfinder for defining a field of view provided with a given aspect ratio, and a pair of front and rear masks insertable in the field of view to position respective larger and smaller openings of the front and rear masks in the field of view to change the aspect ratio of the field of view, is characterized in that a differential gear mechanism connects the front and rear masks for moving the front mask a greater extent than the rear mask is moved, to position the larger and smaller openings in the field of view.

Abstract: A water-resistant camera comprising a main body part having a rear back frame opening across which successive sections of a filmstrip are moved to be exposed, a rear cover part lighttightly covering the backframe opening, and a water-resistant casing part spaced opposite the rear cover part, is characterized in that the main body part has spacer projections separate from the backframe opening for abutting one side of the rear cover part which faces the backframe opening, to maintain a film clearance space between the backframe opening and the one cover part side for movement of successive sections of the filmstrip across the backframe opening, and the rear cover part has support projections aligned with the spacer projections, on another side of the rear cover part which faces the water-resistant casing part, whereby when water pressure tends to press the water-resistant casing part inwardly toward the rear cover part the support projections will cooperate with the spacer projections to prevent the water-resi

Abstract: A camera has a plurality of taking lenses and an equal number of flash sources which are used in a 1:1 relationship that attempts to maximize the flash-to-lens distance in order to reduce red-eye.

Abstract: A camera for use with a first group of successive flash lamps and with a second group of successive flash lamps, comprises a flash emission window and means for moving the first lamp group relative to the second lamp group to move the respective lamps of the first lamp group to a use position at the flash emission window and for moving the first and second lamp groups in unison after the respective lamps of the first lamp group have been used in order to move the respective lamps of the second lamp group to a use position at the flash emission window.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprises a resistive heating element positioned to apply sufficient heat to a critical component of the camera, such as a plastic taking lens, to permanently damage the component when a battery in the camera is connected to the heating element, and a normally open switch which is closed to connect the battery and the heating element after the last available frame of a filmstrip in the camera has been exposed.

Abstract: A film cartridge has a housing with a film exit slit, and a film roll support rotatable inside the housing to unwind a filmstrip beginning with a film leader outwardly through the slit to accomplish film loading in a camera. A visible film-loaded indicator is provided on the housing to be seen through a window in a camera. A flexible cover strip has a leading end portion secured to a forward end portion of the film leader which protrudes from the slit, an opaque trailing end portion extending over the film-loaded indicator to prevent the indicator from being seen through the window in the camera, and an intermediate folded portion interconnecting the leading and trailing end portions to unfold as the film leader is moved outwardly through the slit. The folded portion is of suitable length to draw the trailing end portion from over the film-loaded indicator to permit the indicator to be seen through the window in the camera when the film leader is moved substantially completely through the slit.

Abstract: A camera comprising a film winder rotatable to wind individual frames of a filmstrip into a take-up chamber after each frame is exposed, and a frame counter rotatable to indicate how many frames are left to be exposed, is characterized in that a locking device is movable to secure the film winder and the frame counter in place to prevent their further rotation responsive to the frame counter being rotated to indicate there are no frames left to be exposed.

Abstract: Apparatus comprising a chamber for receiving a film cartridge, a rotatable driver engageable coaxially with rotatable film moving means in a housing of the film cartridge for rotating the film moving means to advance a filmstrip from the housing when the film cartridge is received in the chamber, and locking means for preventing rotation of the driver, is characterized in that the driver is engageable with the locking means to prevent rotation of the driver only when the film cartridge is removed from the chamber.