Abstract: A rotary securing lens and mount assemblage has a lens and a mount for the lens which are secured to one another when the lens is rotated relative to the mount. The lens includes at least one cutting edge which is shaped to cut into the mount in order for the lens and the mount to become mutually engaged to be secured to one another when the lens is rotated.

Abstract: A camera includes an exposure counter wheel that has a series of exposure count indicia and is incrementally rotated in a count direction to successively view the exposure count indicia, and an anti-backup pawl that engages with the exposure counter wheel to prevent rotation of the exposure counter wheel in a reverse direction which is the opposite of the count direction. The anti-backup pawl is a combination single-piece unit having a stationary rigid transparent portion fixed in place above the exposure counter wheel to permit the exposure count indicia to be successively seen through the transparent portion when the exposure counter wheel is incrementally rotated in the count direction, and having a resilient flexible pawl portion positioned in engagement with the exposure counter wheel to prevent rotation of the exposure counter wheel in the reverse direction but to allow rotation of the exposure count wheel in the count direction.

Abstract: A camera housing comprises an exterior longitudinal edge that is curved widthwise; a single opening through the exterior longitudinal edge that interrupts the exterior longitudinal edge to create a gap in the exterior longitudinal edge; and an insert having a longitudinal edge that is curved widthwise the same as the exterior longitudinal edge and configured to fit in the opening to align the longitudinal edge of the insert with the exterior longitudinal edge in order that the longitudinal edge of the insert is positioned within the gap to appear to be a continuation of the exterior longitudinal edge, and including a viewfinder window with an exterior flat face that is inclined into the longitudinal edge of the insert to at least partially interrupt the longitudinal edge of the insert in order to prevent the occurrence of image distortion when looking though the viewfinder window in the vicinity of the longitudinal edge of the insert.

Abstract: A film support and circuit board assemblage for a camera includes a film support which has a group of film supporting projections that each project an identical height from a film facing side of the film support, and a circuit board which has a raised part. The film support has a film supporting projection that projects from the film facing side the same height as the group of film supporting projections and that is hollow to form an open cavity in an opposite side of the film support. The circuit board is arranged next to the opposite side of the film support, with the raised part protruding into the cavity to make the camera compact.

Abstract: A camera comprising a main body part with spaced film supply and film take-up chambers and an exposure opening located between the film supply and take-up chambers and configured for exposing an unexposed film frame, a metering pawl for engaging a film perforation during exposure of the film frame at the exposure opening, and a film winding take-up for moving an exposed frame in a film take-up direction from the exposure opening to the film take-up chamber, is characterized in that the metering pawl is supported to engage a film perforation between the exposure opening and the film supply chamber during exposure of a film frame at the exposure opening, and a tensioning spring urges the metering pawl substantially opposite to the film take-up direction in order to tension a film frame at the exposure opening. Since the film length between the metering pawl and the film winding take-up is longitudinally tensioned, the film frame is similarly tensioned at the exposure opening.

Abstract: A camera comprising a film winder manually rotatable in a film winding direction about an axis and having a continuous alternating series of teeth and spaces concentric about the axis, and an anti-backup device having a tooth that can be received in any one of the spaces to bottom out in the space in order to prevent reverse rotation of the film winder in a film unwinding direction, is characterized in that the film winder is constructed to be tilted from being perpendicular to the axis in order to only partially retract any one of the spaces that has received the tooth from the tooth, when one manually rotates the film winder in the film winding direction, whereby as long as the film winder is tilted the tooth cannot bottom out in any one of the spaces that has received the tooth. This results in a film winder and anti-backup device that are quietly operating.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprising a film cartridge with a light lock that is to be moved closed after a filmstrip exposed in the camera is completely wound into the film cartridge, and a closing device movable in engagement with the light lock to move the light lock closed, is characterized in that a retainer support for the closing device is adapted to hold the closing device in the camera and is resilient to permit the retainer support to be deformed temporarily to make room for the closing device to be assembled in the camera and to release the closing device to permit it to be removed from the camera.

Abstract: A tamper resistant electronic flash unit comprising a pair of first and second flash circuit boards arranged parallel to one another in order to have respective inner sides that face towards each other and respective outer sides that face away from each other, an electrical component positioned on the outer side of the first flash circuit board, conductive connections connecting the electrical component to the first flash circuit board and having respective portions exposed on the inner side of the first flash circuit board, and a plurality of spacers holding the first and second flash circuit boards spaced from one another to maintain a narrow gap between the inner sides of the flash circuit boards that is narrow enough to discourage access to the portions of the conductive connections exposed on the inner side of the first flash circuit board, whereby it is difficult to reach the portions of the conductive connection in an attempt to short-circuit the electrical component.

Abstract: An opaque rear cover part for a one-time-use camera comprising a door cover portion and a remaining cover portion arranged to permit the door cover portion to be pivoted open relative to the remaining cover portion about a pivot axis, and a fracture line of weakness formed between the door cover portion and the remaining cover portion to create a break along the fracture line of weakness which permits the door cover portion to be separated from the remaining cover portion when the door cover portion is pivoted open, is characterized in that the fracture line of weakness is entirely not coincident with the pivot axis and is angled with respect to the pivot axis in order to effect a shearing stress in addition to a bending stress at the fracture line of weakness which causes the door cover portion to separate from the remaining cover portion when the door cover portion is pivoted open.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera provided with a taking lens, and a front cover part that includes a lens surround having a lens opening for the taking lens, is characterized in that an outer cover part is positioned over the front cover part and includes a lens surround shaped distinctively different than the lens surround of the front cover part, has an open-air lens opening, and is fitted over the lens surround of the front cover part in a way that the lens opening in the lens surround of the outer cover part is optically aligned with the lens opening in the lens surround of the front cover part, in order to recase the one-time-use camera.

Abstract: A camera housing includes a front cover part and a rear cover part which have two adjacent end portions provided with respective concavities that similarly extend inward to define adjacent concave surfaces of the two end portions. The two end portions continue over the concavities to form adjacent ribs spaced from the concave surfaces to permit an accessory for the camera housing to fit between the ribs and the concave surfaces. The accessory has at least one fastener that fits between the ribs and the concave surfaces and engages the ribs to hold the ribs together in order to prevent the front and rear cover parts from separating at the two end portions.

Abstract: A camera comprising an aperture through which ambient light is passed to cause a film exposure, a shutter blade movable open to uncover the aperture and movable closed to re-cover the aperture and susceptible of being moved accidentally due to mechanical shock such as when the camera is dropped or jarred, and a shutter release button manually depressible for the shutter blade to be moved open to uncover the aperture, is characterized in that a blocking device is positioned adjacent or adjoining the shutter blade to prevent the shutter blade from being moved open to uncover the aperture due to mechanical shock, and is movable away from the shutter blade to permit the shutter blade to be moved open to uncover the aperture, and the shutter release button is connected with a driver that moves the blocking device away from the shutter blade to permit the shutter blade to be moved open to uncover the aperture only when the shutter release button is manually depressed.

Abstract: A camera is assembled according to the following method. A one-piece shock-dampening elastomeric member is placed over the front, top and rear of an inner housing. Respective openings in the elastomeric member are aligned with openings in the inner housing for a taking lens and a pair of front and rear viewfinder lenses. A protective outer housing is placed over the inner housing and the elastomeric member. Respective openings in the outer housing are aligned with the openings in the elastomeric member.

Abstract: A shutter device comprises a single piece having a blade portion that includes an impact receiving member which when impacted in an opening direction with a shutter actuator moves the blade portion to uncover an aperture, a first resilient portion bendable about a first pivot point to allow movement of the blade portion to uncover the aperture and reversible about the first pivot point to move the blade portion to recover the aperture, and a second resilient portion bendable about a second pivot point to allow movement of the blade portion without uncovering the aperture, in order to permit the shutter actuator to move the impact receiving member out of its way when the shutter actuator is returned in a reverse direction.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera capable of being disassembled and comprising a main body part, a lens secured releasably to the main body part to permit the lens to be released from the main body part during camera disassembly, and a cover part separable from the main body part during camera disassembly, is characterized in that the lens is connected with the cover part to cause the lens to be released from the main body part when the cover part is separated from the main body part during camera disassembly. This facilitates camera disassembly.

Abstract: A frame counter comprising a counter wheel rotatable in a count related direction to change a frame count, and an anti-backup pawl for engaging the counter wheel to prevent reverse rotation of the counter wheel, is characterized in that a fixed bearing constructed to support the counter wheel for rotation at a first location, and the anti-backup pawl has an integral bearing constructed to support the counter wheel for rotation at a second location which is spaced from the first location, and is supported to be retracted from a ready position for engagement with the counter wheel to retract the integral bearing from the second location, whereby the counter wheel can be placed between the fixed bearing and the retracted pawl and integral bearing during assembly of the frame counter.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprising a main body part, a cover part that can be separated at least partially from the main body part, and a viewfinder having a pair of front and rear viewing lenses optically aligned for viewing a subject to be photographed, is characterized in that the cover part is connected to one of the front and rear viewing lenses to move the one viewing lens out of optical alignment with the other viewing lens when the cover part is separated at least partially from the main body part, whereby the one viewing lens can be readily identified to prevent the viewfinder from being erroneously reused. Preferably, the one viewing lens is connected to the main body part in addition to being connected to the cover part in order to hold the cover part to the main body part. A fracture line of weakness exists between the one viewing lens and the main body part which is broken when the one viewing lens is moved out of optical alignment with the other viewing lens.

Abstract: An opaque rear cover part for a one-time-use camera comprising a door cover portion and a remaining cover portion arranged to permit the door cover portion to be pivoted open relative to the remaining cover portion about a pivot axis, and a fracture line of weakness formed between the door cover portion and the remaining cover portion to create a break along the fracture line of weakness which permits the door cover portion to be separated from the remaining cover portion when the door cover portion is pivoted open, is characterized in that the fracture line of weakness is not coincident with the pivot axis in order to effect a shearing stress in addition to a bending stress at the fracture line of weakness, which causes the door cover portion to separate from the remaining cover portion when the door cover portion is pivoted open.