Abstract: A camera comprising a shutter blade supported to move open to expose a frame on a filmstrip, a shutter actuator supported for movement to move the shutter blade open and for movement to be re-cocked, an actuating spring for urging the shutter actuator to move the shutter blade open, and a metering/re-cocking member having a metering pawl for engaging the filmstrip at a perforation during exposure of the frame, is characterized in that the metering/re-cocking member has a re-cocking portion and is supported for movement to move the re-cocking portion against the shutter actuator to move the shutter actuator to be re-cocked, a film tensioning spring urges the metering/re-cocking member, when the metering pawl engages the filmstrip at a perforation, to prevent the frame being exposed from shifting during exposure, and the shutter actuator is supported for movement to be spaced from the metering/re-cocking member, when the shutter actuator is re-cocked, to prevent the actuating spring from exerting any influence

Abstract: A film cartridge comprising a housing having an outer array of electrically sensible areas which can be sensed by a similar array of electrical probes in a camera, is characterized in that a masking slide is supported on the housing for movement between a non-masking position not covering the outer array of electrically sensible areas on the housing, to permit the electrical probes to sense the respective areas, and a masking position covering at least a portion of the outer array of electrically sensible areas, to prevent the electrical probes from sensing the covered areas. Optionally, the housing has an outer exposed film indicator, and the masking slide covers the exposed film indicator when the masking slide is in its non-masking position and uncovers the exposed film indicator when the masking slide is in its masking position.

Abstract: A film cartridge having a housing, a spool rotatable in film winding and unwinding directions within the housing, a film roll wound onto the spool and having a clock-springing tendency to urge the spool in the film unwinding direction, and an anti-backup pawl and cooperating ratchet teeth arranged on the housing and the spool for the pawl to engage any one of the ratchet teeth to prevent the clock-springing tendency of the film roll from urging the spool in the film unwinding direction and for the pawl to be disengaged from successive ones of the ratchet teeth when the spool is rotated in the film winding direction to wind the film roll onto the spool, is characterized in: that the housing includes a sheath that partially covers the film roll, that has a film passage opening, and that is resilient to permit the sheath to be flexed; and the pawl and the ratchet teeth are rigid and one of them is arranged on the sheath to allow the pawl and successive ones of the ratchet teeth to flex the sheath in order to dis

Abstract: A shutter mechanism comprising a shutter blade supported to move open and closed, a shutter actuator having an actuating striker and supported for movement to cause the actuating striker to strike the shutter blade to move the shutter blade open and for movement to be re-cocked, and a closing spring for moving the shutter blade closed, is characterized in that the shutter actuator is supported for unidirectional movement to cause the actuating striker to strike the shutter blade to move the shutter blade open and is supported to undergo a different direction of movement to move the actuating striker out of the way of the shutter blade to permit the shutter blade to be moved closed and to prevent the shutter blade from obstructing the actuating striker when the shutter actuator is re-cocked, and a guide device controls movement of the shutter actuator to effect the unidirectional movement and the different direction of movement of the shutter actuator.

Abstract: A method of recycling a spent one-time-use camera that originally includes a pair of front and rear cover parts and a main body part having a chamber for a film cartridge, and which has had corresponding bottom portions of the front and rear cover parts and the main body part cut off to provide an opening for removing the film cartridge from the chamber, comprises the steps:cutting off a further portion of the main body part in the vicinity of the first cut that was made to provide the opening for removing the film cartridge from the chamber, in order to provide an attachment edge along the main body part;assembling a sacrificial bottom portion to the main body part at the attachment edge to replace the bottom and further portions that were cut off the main body part;loading a fresh cartridge in the chamber; andassembling new front and rear cover parts without corresponding bottom portions being cut off to the main body part, in order to complete a recycled camera,whereby after the recycled camera is used the

Abstract: A method of unloading a film cartridge with exposed film from a spent one-time-use camera that has a main body part with a chamber for the film cartridge and a pair of front and rear cover parts which house the main body part between them, comprises the steps:cutting off light lock engaging corresponding bottom portions of the front and rear cover parts to provide an exterior cut bottom opening in the front and rear cover parts, without cutting the main body part, in order to leave an interior original bottom opening in the main body part in tact; andremoving the film cartridge from the chamber through the interior original bottom opening and the exterior cut bottom opening,whereby the main body part may be recycled.

Abstract: A camera having a viewfinder for viewing a subject to be photographed, and a flash unit for illuminating the subject which is supported for movement between an operative position in which the flash unit faces the subject and a storage position in which the flash unit does not face the subject, is characterized in that the viewfinder has an image-reflecting mirror that is arranged on the flash unit for movement with the flash unit to reflect an image of the subject when said flash unit is moved from the storage position to the operative position.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprises a main body part having a cartridge receiving chamber, a film cartridge in the chamber, a rear inner cover part having a door cover portion closing the chamber and supported to be pivoted open to permit the film cartridge to be removed from the chamber, a front inner cover part that together with the rear inner cover part house the main body part between them, and a pair of front and rear outer covers connected to one another over the front and rear inner cover parts. The rear outer cover is engaged releasably with the front outer cover to permit the rear outer cover to be disengaged from the front outer cover and is connected with the door cover portion to pivot the door cover portion open when the rear outer cover is disengaged from the front outer cover.

Abstract: A combined frame counter and viewfinder unit comprising a pair of front and rear viewfinder lenses, a support piece having respective spaced slots that support the front and rear viewfinder lenses parallel to one another, and a counter wheel rotatable to provide a visible frame count, is characterized in that a top piece supports the counter wheel to be rotated immediately over the front and rear viewfinder lenses. This allows the counter wheel to hold the front and rear viewfinder lenses in the slots.

Abstract: A camera comprising an aperture through which ambient light is passed to cause a film exposure, a shutter blade pivotable open to uncover the aperture to permit ambient light to pass through the aperture and pivotable 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 actuator movable to pivot the shutter blade open to uncover the aperture, is characterized in that a blocking device is positioned within a blocking range of the shutter blade to block the shutter blade from being pivoted open to uncover the aperture when the shutter blade is moved accidentally due to mechanical shock, and the shutter blade is supported to be moved out of the blocking range of the blocking device when the shutter actuator is moved to pivot the shutter blade open to uncover the aperture.

Abstract: A flash circuit board has a resilient integral portion that urges a flash reflector against a flash tube and urges a triggering electrode against the flash reflector in order to enable the flash tube to be fired. Also, the resilient integral portion of the flash circuit board urges the flash reflector against a flash cover-lens in order to properly seat the flash reflector relative to the flash cover-lens.

Abstract: A one-time-use camera comprises an opaque main body part; a flash device on the main body part that provides flash illumination; a taking lens on the main body part; a light-transmitting outer cover having an opening for the flash device and an opening for the taking lens; and an opaque inner cover part, behind the light-transmitting outer cover, having an opening for the flash device that is aligned with the opening for the flash device in the light-transmitting outer cover, and including an opaque lens baffle for the taking lens that projects from the opaque inner cover part, through the opening for the taking lens in the light-transmitting outer cover, and protrudes from the light-transmitting outer cover to prevent the light-transmitting outer cover from transmitting flash illumination to the taking lens.

Abstract: A camera comprising a front taking lens, an exposure chamber centered about an optical axis of the taking lens and having a rear backframe opening for exposing successive sections of a filmstrip, and a circuit board located between the taking lens and the backframe opening and having an opening centered about the optical axis which is smaller the backframe opening, is characterized in that the opening in the circuit board is located within the exposure chamber to make a peripheral edge of the opening serve as a light baffle for the backframe opening.

Abstract: A camera comprising a rotatably supported film winding wheel that has a series of teeth and is manually rotated in a film winding direction, and an anti-backup pawl that is resiliently supported for successive ones of the teeth to deflect the anti-backup pawl out of engagement with the respective teeth when the film winding wheel is manually rotated in the film winding direction and that continuously engages any one of the teeth to substantially prevent rotation of the film winding wheel in a reverse direction when it is attempted to manually rotate the film winding wheel in the reverse direction, is characterized in that the anti-backup pawl is connected with a catch and is resiliently supported for any one tooth that is engaging the anti-back up pawl to push the anti-backup pawl when it is attempted to manually rotate the film winding wheel in the reverse direction, and a fixed reinforcing stop is spaced from the catch to allow the anti-backup pawl to be deflected out of engagement with the respective teeth

Abstract: A shutter mechanism comprising an aperture through which ambient light is passed to cause a film exposure, a pair of shutter blades supported for pivotal opening movement in opposite opening directions away from one another to uncover the aperture to permit ambient light to pass through the aperture and for pivotal closing movement in return closing directions towards one another to re-cover the aperture and supported to allow them to be pivoted simultaneously in the same direction to cause accidental shutter opening when a physical shock is applied to the shutter blades in the opening direction of one of the shutter blades, is characterized in that each one of the shutter blades completely covers the aperture in order that both of the shutter blades must be removed from the aperture to uncover the aperture to permit ambient light to pass through the aperture, and a single fixed stop is positioned between the shutter blades to prevent either one of the shutter blades from pivoting in the same direction as the

Abstract: A camera comprising an aperture through which ambient light is passed to cause a film exposure, at least one shutter blade supported for opening movement to uncover the aperture to permit ambient light to pass through the aperture and for closing movement to re-cover the aperture and susceptible of being moved open accidentally such as when the camera is dropped or jarred, and a shutter release button manually depressible to initiate opening movement of the shutter blade, is characterized in that an indicator is activatable to provide a warning the shutter blade has been moved open without the shutter release button having been manually depressed, whereby the warning indicates the shutter blade has been moved open accidentally such as when the camera is dropped or jarred.

Abstract: A camera housing comprising a front cover part and a rear cover part, is characterized in that the front cover part and the rear cover part have respective similar ends that are uniformly curved to be contoured in similar non-varying curves and have respective concavities that extend inward at the similar ends to define a concave surface common to the ends, and the end of at least one of the front and rear cover parts continues over the concavity at that end, in contour with the non-varying curves, to form a carry strap retainer which, with the single concave surface, defines a pass-through opening for an elongate carry strap.

Abstract: A frame counter comprising a counter wheel rotatable about an axis to change a frame count, and a counter actuator supported for movement in engagement with the counter wheel to rotate the counter wheel in a predetermined direction to change the frame count, is characterized in that the counter actuator is supported to be returned each time it rotates the counter wheel in the predetermined direction to change the frame count, and the counter wheel is supported to be non-rotationally displaced with respect to its axis to permit the counter actuator to be returned without reverse rotating the counter wheel to allow the frame count to remain unchanged. Preferably, the counter actuator when returned displaces the counter wheel off its axis to avoid reverse rotating the counter wheel. An anti-backup pawl engages the counter wheel to prevent reverse rotation of said counter wheel and is resilient to urge the counter wheel towards its axis.