Abstract: A camera comprising a cassette-receiving chamber for holding a film cassette provided with a light lock which is pivoted closed before removing the cassette from the chamber, is characterized in that an exterior opening to the chamber is positioned to longitudinally admit an implement into the chamber for rotation to pivot the light lock closed and to further admit the implement into the chamber to push the cassette out of the chamber.

Abstract: A camera comprises a cartridge receiving chamber for receiving a film cartridge with a filmstrip having a protruding film leader, a film take-up chamber, and a backframe opening between the cartridge receiving chamber and the film take-up chamber at which the filmstrip except for the protruding film leader is to be substantially exposed. A film support is movable to a leader supporting position within the backframe opening to substantially bridge the backframe opening in order prevent a forward-most reduced width portion of the film leader from falling into and becoming jammed in the backframe opening when the forward-most reduced width portion of the film leader is initially advanced over the backframe opening to the film take-up chamber, and to a retracted position substantially removed from the backframe opening to permit the filmstrip to be exposed.

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: An electronic flash assemblage comprising a circuit board having an exposed electrically conductive patch, and an electrically conductive flash reflector adapted to be attached to the circuit board, is characterized in that the flash reflector has a resilient electrically conductive extension which protrudes from the flash reflector to cause it to be deformed against the conductive patch when the flash reflector is attached to the circuit board, whereby the resilient extension will be inherently biased against the conductive patch to make an electrical connection between the conductive patch and the flash reflector.

Abstract: A method of assembling a flash unit to a camera, comprises the steps of pivotally connecting the flash unit to a main body part of the camera, positioning a front cover part of the camera in engagement with the flash unit, and moving the front cover part toward the main body part to pivot the flash unit toward the main body part and to capture the flash unit in place between the front cover part and the main body part.

Abstract: A camera includes a film metering mechanism that controls longitudinal movement of the film for half-frame exposures. Film movement alternates between a first distance and a second distance greater than the first distance. The first distance defines abutting pairs of exposure frames and the second distance defines a space between adjacent frame pairs. According to more specific features, film movement is controlled by a cam that includes a first section defining the first distance and a second longer section defining the second distance. Still more specifically, the cam is circular, is driven by the film movement, and includes opposed asymmetric lobes, one for the first distance and the other for the second distance. Each frame pair defines a size equal to a standard 35 mm exposure, and the space between pairs also equals the 35 mm standard. The paired frames can be printed in standard equipment without special handling or procedures.

Abstract: A water-resistant camera housing comprises a pair of separable housing sections, and a waterproof sealing band covering a separation seam between the housing sections to provide a water-resistant seal for the seam. The sealing band has a pair of opposite end portions one of which overlaps the other but leaves a slight gap between them adjacent the seam. A waterproof filler occupies the gap to provide a water-resistant seal in the gap for the seam.

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: A method of assembling a one-time-use camera comprising the steps of placing one of a longitudinal series of edge perforations in a film leader of a filmstrip to be exposed in the camera onto one of an annular series of peripheral teeth of a metering sprocket rotatably supported on a main body part of the camera in order to secure the film leader to the metering sprocket, and fitting a rear cover part of the camera to the main body part to make the camera light-tight, is characterized in that an edge perforation that is smaller than the others is forced onto the one tooth to prevent the film leader from becoming separated from the metering sprocket, before the rear cover part is fitted to the main body part.

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: A viewfinder masking assembly having three different aspect ratio masks comprises a single piece three-mask unit with the respective masks connected via living hinges. A mask selector has a camming device for folding one mask behind another in various ways to place a selected mask in a viewing field.

Abstract: A camera comprises a see-through viewfinder for viewing a subject to be photographed, and a leveling indicator visible in the viewfinder for indicating whether or not the camera is oriented level relative to the subject. The leveling indicator is an optical prism with two similarly-angled front faces which crest at a common boundary to deviate individual light rays reflected from the subject onto the respective front faces towards each other as they emerge at a rear face of the optical prism. Consequently, two images of the subject will be seen through the optical prism which appear to be at the same elevation when the camera is oriented level relative to the subject and appear to be at different elevations when the camera is not oriented level relative to the subject.

Abstract: A single-use camera comprises a supply spool having a pair of axially spaced flanges, a take-up spool having a pair of axially spaced flanges, and a filmstrip adapted to be wound off the supply spool from between its flanges and onto the take-up spool between its flanges. According to the invention, the filmstrip includes a wider, opaque, trailing end strip. The flanges of the supply spool are spaced from each other more than the width of the trailing end strip to permit the trailing end strip to be stored on the supply spool beneath the filmstrip without being deformed by the flanges. The flanges of the take-up spool are spaced from each other more than the width of the filmstrip but less than the width of the trailing end strip to crimp the trailing end strip to light tightly shield the filmstrip when the trailing end strip is wound onto the take-up spool over the filmstrip. Thus. the need for a film cassette in the single-use camera is eliminated.

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.