Abstract: A one-time-use camera having a film take-up chamber, a film spool rotatable in the film take-up chamber, a film winding thumbwheel supported for winding rotation in coaxial engagement with the film spool to similarly rotate the film spool to take up an exposed filmstrip, and an anti-backup pawl for preventing unwinding rotation of the thumbwheel, is characterized in that the anti-backup pawl engages said film spool to prevent unwinding rotation of the film spool, in order to prevent unwinding rotation of the thumbwheel. Preferably, a film door closes the film take-up chamber, and the anti-backup pawl is supported on the film door to engage the film spool.

Abstract: A subassembly for a one-time-use camera includes a main body part that has a film take-up chamber adapted to receive a film spool and a film supply chamber for an unexposed film roll, a film winding thumbwheel supported for winding rotation in engagement with the film spool to similarly rotate the film spool to take up an exposed filmstrip, and an anti-backup pawl engageable with the thumbwheel to prevent unwinding rotation of the thumbwheel and disengageable from the thumbwheel to allow unwinding rotation of the thumbwheel to permit the film spool to be similarly rotated to unwind a fresh exposed filmstrip from the film spool to form the unexposed film roll. The film take-up chamber is configured to allow the film spool to be received in the film take-up chamber in a film unwinding position for unwinding rotation of the film spool and a different film winding position for winding rotation of the film spool.

Abstract: An underwater camera which comprises a shutter release button having an elastic construction that permits the shutter release button to be manually depressed to initiate shutter opening and to be increasingly depressed because of increases in the water pressure as the underwater depth of the camera is increased, and an underwater depth gauge that indicates increases in the underwater depth of the camera, is characterized in that the underwater depth gauge is coupled with the shutter release button for the underwater depth gauge to indicate increases in the underwater depth of the camera in accordance with increases in the depression of the shutter release button.

Abstract: A film leader comprising a main leader portion having a pair of parallel straight edges between which the main leader portion has a constant width, an extreme end portion extending from the main leader portion and having a pair of longitudinal edges between which the extreme end portion only has a width that is smaller than the width of the main leader portion; and a weakened fold-line, is characterized in that the weakened fold-line completely divides the main leader portion and the extreme end portion and is uniformly inclined from one of the parallel straight edges of the main leader portion to the other parallel straight edge of the main leader portion to thus form a forward-most inclined straight edge of the main leader portion when the extreme end portion is folded totally onto the main leader portion along the fold-line.

Abstract: A camera comprising an electronic flash unit capable of providing a pre-flash light emission for reducing a common phenomenon known as the red-eye effect and a main flash light emission for illuminating a subject during a flash assisted exposure, and a control connected to the electronic flash unit for making a judgement based on the subject brightness and the camera-to-subject distance to cause the electronic flash unit to omit the pre-flash light emission when a flash assisted exposure is to be made, is characterized in that the control is adapted to cause the electronic flash unit to omit the pre-flash light emission when the subject brightness is low enough for the red-eye effect to occur, but the camera-to-subject distance is greater than a maximum distance beyond which the pre-flash light emission is inadequate to reduce the red-eye effect.

Abstract: A camera including a housing, a dual position flash pivotable between a folded position against the housing and an unfolded position extending from the housing, a taking lens, a shutter blade movable to momentarily uncover the taking lens in order to take a picture, and a shutter actuator manually depressible to initiate movement of the shutter blade, is characterized in that the shutter actuator is located on the flash to be pivoted with the flash and is manually depressible in the folded and unfolded positions of the flash to initiate movement of the shutter blade in each one of the positions.

Abstract: A method of disengaging an anti-backup pawl from a film winding thumbwheel to permit an unexposed filmstrip to be prewound from a film cartridge during original manufacture or recycling of a one-time-use camera has the steps of: depressing a movable free end of the anti-backup pawl to pivot the anti-backup pawl at a fulcrum support between the free end and a movable opposite end of the anti-backup pawl that engages the film winding thumbwheel, in order to disengage the opposite end from the film winding thumbwheel; and holding the free end depressed to maintain the opposite end disengaged from the film winding thumbwheel, in order to permit the film winding thumbwheel to be rotated in engagement with a film spool in the film cartridge when the unexposed filmstrip is prewound from the film cartridge.

Abstract: A camera comprising a manually actuatable operating button, an activatable light source located at the operating button to illuminate the operating button when the light source is activated, and a hand-pressure-responsive switch connected to the light source to be closed to activate the light source when one holds the camera, whereby the operating button can be seen in a darkened surrounding.

Abstract: An optical film encoder for recording discrete data bits on a length of film, includes a single light source capable of receiving electrical current to produce artificial light; at least two light emission openings positioned to individually emit artificial light produced by the light source, to record respective data bits on the length of film; a light intensity-reducing filter positioned to reduce the intensity of artificial light that can be emitted from one of the openings, but not from the other opening; and a current limiting device capable of reducing the intensity of artificial light produced by the light source to allow the filter to reduce the intensity of artificial light that can be emitted from the one opening at least sufficiently to prevent the light from recording a data bit on the length of film, whereby only the light to be emitted from the other opening will record a data bit on the length of film.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprising a main body part, and a pair of front and rear cover parts that house the main body part between them, is characterized in that the front and rear cover parts have integral hinge portions with aligned openings, and a hinge pin is positioned in the openings to permit the front and rear cover parts to be pivoted away from one another to access the main body part, and is constructed of the same material as the front and rear cover parts to permit the hinge pin to be ground up together with the front and rear cover parts, without removing the hinge pin from the openings, to form a common substance that can be molded into new cover parts.

Abstract: A camera comprising a plurality of taking lenses, respective exposure apertures behind the taking lenses, and a shutter disk rotatable for moving various holes in the shutter disk to uncover and recover the exposure apertures, is characterized in that a restraining mechanism for engaging the shutter disk to prevent rotation of the shutter disk is movable out of engagement with the shutter disk to permit rotation of the shutter disk and into position for re-engagement with the shutter disk to stop rotation of the shutter disk, and a front cover part is movable in an exposure initiating direction to uncover the taking lenses and move the restraining mechanism out of engagement with the shutter disk and in an opposite resetting direction to recover the taking lenses and move the restraining mechanism into position for re-engagement with the shutter disk.

Abstract: A shutter and flash synchronization assemblage comprising a flash circuit board having a shutter-flash synchronization contact, a shutter blade supported for movement between a lens covering position and a lens uncovering position, and an electrically conductive return spring urging the shutter blade to be returned to the lens covering position and connected with the flash circuit board to permit flash illumination to be triggered when the shutter blade is moved to the lens uncovering position, is characterized in that the shutter blade is electrically non-conductive, and the return spring has a synchronization portion arranged for the shutter blade to move the synchronization portion against the shutter-flash synchronization contact to trigger flash illumination when the shutter blade is moved to the lens uncovering position.

Abstract: A subassembly for a one-time-use camera comprises a main body part that has a film take-up chamber adapted to receive a film spool and a film supply chamber for an unexposed film roll, a film winding thumbwheel supported for winding rotation in engagement with the film spool to similarly rotate the film spool to take up an exposed filmstrip, and an anti-backup pawl normally engaging the thumbwheel to prevent unwinding rotation of the thumbwheel and disengageable from the thumbwheel to allow unwinding rotation of the thumbwheel to permit the film spool to be similarly rotated to unwind a fresh unexposed filmstrip from the film spool to form the unexposed film roll. The film take-up chamber is configured to allow the film spool to be received in the film take-up chamber in a film unwinding position for unwinding rotation of the film spool and to be in a different film winding position for winding rotation of the film spool.

Abstract: A camera comprising a manually depressible release button for a shutter, and a frame counter for indicating the number of exposures remaining to be made on a filmstrip, is characterized in that the release button is at least partially transparent and the frame counter is beneath the release button to permit the frame counter to be seen through the release button, whereby there is no need for a separate window for viewing the frame counter.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprising a film cassette with a film spool that is rotated in an unwinding direction during camera manufacture to unwind a filmstrip from the cassette to form an unexposed film roll and in a winding direction during camera use to wind the filmstrip from the unexposed film roll into the cassette and with a light lock that is open when the filmstrip is unwound from the cassette or wound into the cassette and that is otherwise closed, a closing mechanism operable to close the light lock which includes a film sensor, and a film winder rotatable in the winding and unwinding directions when coaxially engaged with the film spool and engageable with the closing mechanism to operate the closing mechanism to close the light lock, is characterized in that the closing mechanism has an engageable portion that can be engaged with the film winder to cause rotation of the film winder in the winding direction to urge the film sensor against the filmstrip and a non-engageable portion that cannot be enga

Abstract: A camera comprising a chamber for a film cassette having a light lock that is to be closed when an exposed filmstrip is completely moved into the cassette, and a movable closing mechanism for closing the light lock, is characterized in that the closing mechanism has a closing lever with a pivot support configured on the closing lever to engage the film cassette separate from the light lock in order to support the closing lever on the film cassette for pivotal movement to close the light lock.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprising a film cassette which has a filmstrip that is to be progressively wind into the cassette following each exposure and a light lock that is to be closed after the filmstrip is completely wound into the cassette, and a single-piece closing unit for closing the light lock which has a film sensing portion in contact with the filmstrip as the filmstrip is progressively wound into the cassette to determine when the filmstrip is completely wound into the cassette and a closing portion movable to close the light lock when the film sensing portion determines that the filmstrip is completely would into the cassette, is characterized in that a fixed stop is arranged opposite the cassette to form a capture space for the film sensing portion between the fixed stop and the cassette, the film sensing portion is connected to the closing portion at an intermediate weakened portion that is constructed to allow the film sensing portion to be folded towards the closing portion without becoming sep

Abstract: A protective housing for a camera comprising a pouch for containing the camera which is constructed of flexible material having sufficient flexibility to allow the camera to be operated through the material when the camera is contained in the pouch, is characterized by a holder for partially enclosing the pouch which is constructed of flexible material that is less flexible than the material the pouch is constructed of in order to provide a relatively firm hand-held support for the pouch.

Abstract: A camera comprising a chamber for a film cassette having a film spool inside the cassette that is windingly rotated to progressively wind an exposed filmstrip into the cassette and a light lock that is to be closed after the exposed filmstrip is completely wound into the cassette, a rotatable film winder for windingly rotating the film spool, a film sensor urged against the exposed filmstrip before the exposed filmstrip is completely wound into the cassette to sense the presence of the exposed filmstrip, and a closing mechanism movable to close the light lock when the exposed filmstrip is completely wound into the cassette, is characterized in that the film winder has an urging component that urges the film sensor against the exposed filmstrip only when the film winder is rotated, whereby the film sensor is not urged against the exposed filmstrip when the film winder is stationary. Thus, the film sensor will not distort the filmstrip during exposure.