Abstract: A film cassette comprises a pair of housing parts, and a flexibly movable latching hook located on one of the housing parts and a rigid latching catch located on the other housing part which can engage to secure the two housing parts together. According to the invention, a backer projects from one of the housing parts into abutment with the latching hook, when the latching hook and the latching catch are engaged, to prevent the latching hook from moving out of engagement with the latching catch in response to a mechanical shock being applied to the film cassette.

Abstract: A composite image camera comprises a transparency with indicia or the like supported in registry with a defined section of a film frame to enable an image of the indicia to be exposed onto the defined film section, and a taking lens for exposing onto a remaining section of the film frame an image of a subject being photographed. According to the invention, a flash device is oriented with respect to the taking lens to center flash illumination reflected off the subject on the remaining section of the film frame rather than on the whole of the defined and remaining sections of the film frame.

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 camera comprises a cassette-receiving chamber for holding a film cassette provided with a light lock which is to be completely closed before removing the cassette from the chamber, closing apparatus movable to completely close the light lock, and a tear away strip for opening the camera to permit the cassette to be removed the chamber. The tear away strip has a pull tab which can be manually grasped to be moved to begin to open the camera. The closing apparatus has a shield at least partially covering the pull tab to prevent the pull tab from being manually grasped to be moved to begin to open the camera, but is moved to uncover the pull tab sufficiently to permit it to be manually grasped to be moved to begin to open the camera when the closing apparatus is moved to completely close the light lock.

Abstract: A film cartridge has a folded-over tab protruding from a film egress slot, which is unfolded by a film leader moving outwardly through the slot. The unfolded tab provides a visible indication of film use. In an alternate embodiment, the tab is an integral extension of a light-trapping plush that lines the film egress slot.

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, and fitting a rear cover part of the camera to the main body part to make the camera light-tight, is characterized in that the rear cover part is fitted initially to the main body part with some separation between the two, and with a center portion of the rear cover part bowed in close proximity to the one tooth to prevent the metering sprocket from substantially rotating, and the rear cover part is fitted finally to the main body part with no separation between the two to make the main body part light-tight, and with the center portion of the rear cover part retracted from the one tooth to permit the metering sprocket to rotate.

Abstract: A water-resistant camera housing comprises a pair of housing sections, and a waterproof sealing band covering a seam between the housing sections to provide a water-resistant seal for the seam. The pair of housing sections are joined at an integral flexible hinge in line with the seam to constitute a single-piece housing. The sealing band has a pair of opposite end portions that are located adjacent one another over the flexible hinge.

Abstract: To prevent photographs from being blurred by film creep, a camera having a spring-loaded shutter driver member that is movable from a cocked position to an uncooked position to operate the camera shutter and then to deactivate a film metering mechanism, is provided with a blocking member that is movable temporarily into the path of the shutter driver to stop the driver at an intermediate position after it has operated the shutter but before it deactivates the metering mechanism.

Abstract: An underwater camera unit comprises a camera body provided with a depressible shutter release button, and a water-resistant housing enclosing the camera body and provided with manually actuated means including a flexible housing section located over the shutter release button to be deflected to depress the shutter release button. According to the invention, the manually actuated means includes a substantially rigid cantilevered beam having a fixed end portion connected to the flexible housing section and a free end portion spaced from the flexible housing section, to permit the free end portion to be manually depressed towards the flexible housing section to create a torque at the fixed end portion which will deflect the flexible housing section to depress the shutter release button.

Abstract: A film transport mechanism for a camera comprises drive means for advancing a filmstrip beginning with a leading end portion from a film cartridge, and a perforation sensor for detecting a turn-around perforation in a trailing end portion of the filmstrip to initiate return of the filmstrip to the film cartridge. The perforation sensor is movable to a sensing position against the filmstrip to be able to drop into the turn-around perforation when the turn-around perforation is advanced to the perforation sensor. A film presence sensor is located to be actuated by a forward edge of the leading end portion of the filmstrip as the filmstrip is advanced from the film cartridge, to move the perforation sensor to its sensing position before the turn-around perforation can be advanced to the perforation sensor.

Abstract: A method of forming a reverse curl or similar crimp in a leading film end of a filmstrip to facilitate extraction of the leading film end from a film cartridge, comprises several steps. First, the leading film end is secured to a film take-up spool in a reverse curl or similar crimp which is opposite to an inherent curl of the filmstrip, to cause the leading film end to be set in the reverse curl. Then, the filmstrip is wound in conformity with its inherent curl into a film roll on the film take-up spool. And finally, the filmstrip is wound in conformity with its inherent curl into a film roll on a cartridge spool inside the film cartridge. As a result, the leading film end will be situated inside the film cartridge in the reverse curl to cause the leading film end to separate from the film roll inside the film cartridge in order to facilitate extraction of the leading film end from the film cartridge.

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 film spool comprises a spool core having first and second external core portions movable away from each other to further open a film receiving slot between them to facilitate insertion of a film end into the slot and removal of the film end from the slot, a film engagement protrusion projecting from the first core portion into the slot to engage a film end within the slot and secure the film end to the spool core, and a film stripper protrusion projecting from the second core portion into the slot to disengage a film end from the film engagement protrusion when the core portions are moved away from each other to further open the slot.

Abstract: A camera comprises a film cartridge receiving chamber for receiving a film cartridge with a filmstrip having a film leader, a film passageway for the filmstrip, and a sprocket movable from outside to inside the film passageway to engage the filmstrip. A film slit is formed between the cartridge receiving chamber and the film passageway to permit the film leader to be longitudinally inserted through the film slit into the film passageway when the sprocket is outside the film passageway. A rear cover is located over the film passageway. A rear door independent of the rear cover is supported for closing to cover the cartridge receiving chamber and to move the sprocket from outside to inside the film passageway to engage the filmstrip, after the film leader is longitudinally inserted through the film slit into the film passageway.

Abstract: A compact camera comprises a flip-up flash unit which has a viewfinder opening for viewing a subject to be photographed when the flash unit is flipped up from a camera body to a use position, and a a pair of front and rear viewfinder lenses adapted to be raised from the camera body to viewing positions in optical alignment with the viewfinder opening when the flash unit is flipped up to its use position. According to the invention, a light source indicator is connected to the flash unit to point to the front viewfinder lens when the flash unit is flipped up to its use position and the pair of viewfinder lenses are raised to their viewing positions. The light source indicator provides a visible warning indication of some significant event or condition, such as flash ready, low battery, or inadequate prevailing light for a proper exposure.