Abstract: A stabilized platform system for isolating a payload from angular motion and translational and angular vibration of a supporting structure, has an inner gimbal for carrying the payload, a sprung shell containing and carrying the inner gimbal in a manner permitting the inner gimbal a limited amount of angular movement relative thereto about pitch, roll and yaw axes, and an outer gimbal containing the sprung shell and inner gimbal. A passive vibration isolator is connected between the sprung shell and the outer gimbal and has two symmetrical arrays of dampened coil springs located on opposite sides of the sprung shell.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assembling a photographic camera having a cartridge chamber and a film chamber. In the method, a film cartridge is positioned in the cartridge chamber. The film cartridge includes a spool and a filmstrip. A leading portion of the filmstrip is curled about a curling axis internal to the supply chamber. During the curling, deflection of the leading portion in directions radial to the axis beyond a predetermined preliminary radius is limited. A main portion of the filmstrip is wound around the leading portion to form a film roll. The film roll has an outermost turn defining a first film roll radius larger than the preliminary radius. Following the winding, the film roll is allowed to expand to a second film roll radius larger than the first film roll radius. Outward telescoping of the film roll is limited.

Abstract: A switch of simple and compact design has a current capability sufficient to enable use in a flash control circuit of a camera. In a preferred embodiment, a camera is provided that includes a camera body, a circuit board attached to the camera body, and a switch attached to the circuit board. The switch includes a leaf spring switch element having a first end coupled to the circuit board and a second end shaped to form a first electrical contact point and a second electrical contact point. A bridge contact is also provided that includes first and second ends attached to the circuit board, wherein the bridge contact extends over the second end of the switch such that the second end is located between the bridge contact and an electrical contact pad located on a surface of the main circuit board. The leaf spring switch element is biased so that the first electrical contact point comes into contact with the bridge contact.

Abstract: A motorized camera comprising a bi-directional film drive motor having respective direction modes for film advance and for film rewind, and a movable door latch, is characterized in that the door latch is coupled with the motor to change the direction mode of the motor only when the door latch is moved.

Abstract: Because the keys located on the first rotating barrel have essentially the same inner diameter as the second rotating barrel, no unnecessary space is formed inside the first rotating barrel and the second rotating barrel. In addition, although the inner diameter of the keys of the first rotating barrel and the inner diameter of the second rotating barrel are essentially the same, because the keys engage with the straight advancement grooves on the second rotating barrel, the first rotating barrel and the second rotating barrel do not interfere with each other. Moreover, because the keys that are thinner than the second rotating barrel overlap with the second rotating barrel, said the keys being inside the second rotating barrel, the thickness of the keys does not affect the outer diameter of the lens barrel at all.

Abstract: A photographic lens consists of a first meniscus lens element having a concave surface directed to the image, and a second meniscus lens element having a concave surface directed to the object, arranged in this order from the object side. Both surfaces of the first lens element are spherical, and at least one surface of the second lens element is aspherical. The absolute value of the focal length of the first lens is smaller than the absolute value of the focal length of the second lens.

Abstract: A film cassette having perforated film for permitting automated extension of the film, the film cassette comprises a core having the film convolutedly wound on the core. A rotatable drum receives the core, and includes a recessed slot and a projection which engages a perforation of the film for permitting motion of the film as the drum is rotated. A shell receives the drum, and includes an opening and a finger that matingly engages the recessed slot of the drum for forcing the film through the opening of the shell and, consequently, out of the film cassette.

Abstract: A lens supporting mechanism for a lens shutter camera includes a front lens group, a lens supporting barrel, a movable barrel, a rear lens group, and a shutter mounting barrel which includes a shutter with an AE function. The front lens group is fixed to the lens supporting barrel. Both the lens supporting barrel and the shutter mounting barrel are fixed to the movable barrel. The rear lens group is attached to either the movable barrel or the shutter mounting barrel such that the rear lens group is movable along the optical axis relative to the moveable barrel. During operation of the zoom lens, the movable barrel advances and retreats along the optical axis.

Abstract: A stereo camera has an automatic collimation correcting function and excellent operability of observing right and left pictures by one finder. Right and left photographing lenses 4R and 4L are linearly obliquely moved by an inter-optical axis distance/focus adjusting mechanism, and corrected to an inter-optical distance adapted to a focal distance. A composite prism 5 for synthesizing one picture by inverting the outer one-half portions of the photographing fields of the right and left photographing lenses is interlocked to the focal adjustment by a prism moving cam 16 to be moved back and forth, and the focal distance point on the central extension line of the stereo camera is disposed at the center between the right and left finder pictures irrespective of the inter-optical axes distance. The lateral width of the subject image is changed in response to a focal adjustment, and an accurate focus can be adjusted by varying the shape of the image.

Abstract: A metering apparatus for metering a strip of film along a film transport path in a camera. The apparatus provides for the initial positioning, metering, and rewinding of the filmstrip. A movable metering member has at least one tooth adapted to engage a perforation disposed on the strip of film. A first and second tracking pin disposed on the metering member engages a first and second track, respectively, for slidable and pivotable movement therealong. A resilient member biases the metering member toward the film transport path.

Abstract: A camera is locked in either a multiple-exposure photography state or a normal photography state in association with the initial movement of charge of a shutter to prevent overlapping of frames. When a multiple-exposure/normal photography changeover mechanism (50) is in a normal photography state, a film-advance drive system (20) and a shutter charge drive system (30) are actuated in association with the actuation of a film-advance lever (10). When the multiple-exposure/normal photography changeover mechanism (50) is in a multiple-exposure photography state, a film-overadvancing prevention mechanism (40) is actuated so as to operate only the shutter charge drive system (30) in association with the actuation of the film-advance lever (10).

Abstract: Printing plates are formed from a layer of photopolymerizable resin by a process and assembly which involves moving a resin layer past a variable intensity light source so as to sequentially and selectively cross-link the resin layer as the resin layer moves past the light source.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, a camera has a magnetic head and a pad that is replaceable without removing additional pieces of the device. The device includes film path forming members that form a film path where the film moves in a horizontal direction, a magnetic head that records data in magnetic recording areas on the film surface and/or reads data from the magnetic recording areas and a pad adjacent and facing the magnetic head across the film path. The pad presses the magnetic recording areas of the film against the magnetic head. A holding mechanism holds either the magnetic head or the pad, which is forced by an elastic body to the other of the magnetic head and the pad. The holding mechanism has an insertion unit to hold either the forced magnetic head or the forced pad. The pad can be inserted from the film path into the insertion unit. The holding mechanism further has a receiver that receives an end of the elastic body.

Abstract: A lens-fitted photo film unit is pre-loaded with unexposed photo film, and includes a taking lens. A shutter device is disposed between the taking lens and the photo film, and cocked in response to a winding operation of the photo film. The shutter device has a shutter blade for opening/closing a photographic light path in response to an external releasing operation. A flash device has a flash emitter window, and emits flash light in response to operation of the shutter device. Before inspection of the lens-fitted photo film unit, a front of the flash emitter window or a periphery of a front of the light path is covered by use of a light-shielding member. The light-shielding member avoids entry of flash light emitted from the flash emitter window into the light path. The flash device is charged. The shutter mechanism is cocked. The shutter mechanism is released while the light-shielding member covers the front.

Abstract: A camera comprising a backframe opening for exposing successive sections of a filmstrip, a rigid deflector pivotally supported at one end of the backframe opening to permit a leading edge of the filmstrip which is advanced against the deflector to pivot the deflector away from the backframe opening to allow the leading edge to be advanced over the deflector rather than become trapped in the backframe opening, and a return spring which is weaker than the force of the leading edge against the deflector for returning the deflector to an original position, is characterized in that the deflector and the return spring are an integrally formed single piece.

Abstract: A camera film-loading door interlock mechanism includes a film-loading door movable between a closed position and an open position to provide access to a film compartment in the camera. A door latch has an active state retaining the film-loading door in its closed position and an inactive state permitting movement of the film-loading door to its open position. A door un-latching mechanism is movable along a predetermined path to set the door latch in its inactive state, and a locking lever is selectively movable into the path of the door un-latching mechanism to prevent the door un-latching mechanism from setting the door latch in its inactive state. A bi-stable structure selectively moves the locking lever into the path of the door un-latching mechanism. The door un-latching mechanism includes a slide lever, slidably movable along the predetermined path to set the door latch in its inactive state, and a slide lever stop movable with the slide lever.

Abstract: A one-time-use flash camera comprising a camera housing that contains a cartridge chamber holding a film cartridge and a film roll chamber holding an unexposed film roll on which a predetermined maximum number of exposures can be made, and a flash device, is characterized in that the flash device has a total number of flash lamps that is equal to the predetermined maximum number of exposures that can be made on the unexposed film roll, and is connected non-removably to the camera housing in order that the flash device must be broken off the camera housing to separate the flash device from the camera housing, whereby once each one of the flash lamps is used there will not be any exposures that can be made and the one-time-use flash camera must be discarded.

Abstract: A method of pre-loading a camera with film, and specifically a single use camera, is disclosed. According to the disclosed method, the camera is pre-loaded in non-darkroom conditions with the back cover assembled to the camera without exposing any substantial portion of the film to any substantial amounts of light. According to the disclosed embodiment, the camera has a film advance mechanism that employs a manual advance wheel, and the manual advance wheel is rotated in opposing directions to pre-load film from a film cassette in the camera to a film spool compartment and to wind film back into the film cassette from the film spool compartment as exposures are taken. In the disclosed embodiment, the camera is an APS camera, and rotation of the manual advance wheel also opens and closes the APS film cassette's light lock door. In a final assembly step and if the camera employs a battery, the battery is inserted inside the film spool compartment.

Abstract: A dual-lens camera which can be used to take single-frame images for 2D photography or dual-frame images for 3D photography. The camera has two taking lenses and two independently operable shutters. The unique feature of this dual-lens camera is that the camera comprises two shutter release buttons. On release button activates only the shutter associated with one taking lens to take a single-frame image. The other button activates both shutters to take a stereo image pair. A film advance mechanism is used to advance the film in accordance with the operating mode of the camera.

Abstract: A housing for a surveillance camera is generally dome shaped, the camera being movable therein, and the interior of the housing is under pressure to exclude contaminants. The housing is made up of an assembly plate having a central opening to receive a lower dome therethrough, with an upper enclosure placed on top of the assembly plate. The lower dome and upper enclosure are sealed to the assembly plate to retain gas under pressure within the interior. An accessory bracket is carried by the assembly plate within the upper enclosure, and a surveillance camera is mounted from the accessory bracket. An upper dome may be placed over the upper enclosure as a sun shield. In installing the housing, a mounting bracket is first installed, then the assembly plate is carried by the mounting bracket. The lower dome is put into place, followed by the accessory bracket, the upper enclosure, and finally the upper dome. Subsequently, the interior can be pressurized by the introducing gas through the valve.