Abstract: A protective cover (13) for a taking lens is provided in the front of a lens-fitted photo film unit. The protective cover cooperates with a shutter locking mechanism which locks a shutter button (4) when the protective cover is in a closed position in front of the taking lens. The protective cover also cooperates with a flash prevention mechanism which turns off a flash charge switch off when the protective cover moves in the closed position, prevents the flash charge switch from being moved to its ON position so long as the protective cover is in the closed position, and allows the flash charge switch to be moved to the ON position when the protective cover is moved away from the taking lens. The protective cover is slidable in a horizontal direction on a front surface portion of the film unit, and the front surface portion is straight in the horizontal direction.

Abstract: A first stop plate with a small stop opening is disposed behind a taking lens, and a second stop plate with a middle stop opening is disposed between a first and second lens, which comprise the taking lens. Upon moving a changeover knob to an ON position, a flash unit and the second stop plate are actuated such that the middle stop opening is retracted from an photographic light path PL. The small stop opening is retracted from the photographic light path PL when subject luminance is less than a predetermined value. In high-luminance condition, the small stop opening and the middle stop opening are set on the photographic light path PL, and in middle-luminance condition, the small stop opening is retracted. In low-luminance condition, the middle stop opening is retracted by operation of the changeover knob, so only a large stop opening is set on the photographic light path PL.

Abstract: A first lens element and a second lens element for comprising a photographic lens, and a stop opening are arranged on an optical axis in this order. A stop plate has a stop-down opening. The stop plate is movable between a first position where the stop-down opening is inserted on an optical axis between the first and the second lens elements for making an f-number of the photographic lens f1, and a second position where the stop-down opening is retracted from the optical axis for making the f-number f2. The photographic lens is constructed to satisfy the following conditions: |log2(L/100)|<1.9 0<E≦2−0.91×|log2(L/100)| wherein L(%) represents a proportion of brightness in a marginal portion of a frame to brightness in a central portion of the frame at the time when the stop-down opening is inserted, and E(EV) represents the difference between the maximum exposure amount and the minimum exposure amount in the marginal portion of the frame.

Abstract: A protective cover (13) for a taking lens is provided in the front of a lens-fitted photo film unit. The protective cover cooperates with a shutter locking mechanism which locks a shutter button (4) when the protective cover is in a closed position in front of the taking lens. The protective cover also cooperates with a flash prevention mechanism which turns off a flash charge switch off when the protective cover moves in the closed position, prevents the flash charge switch from being moved to its ON position so long as the protective cover is in the closed position, and allows the flash charge switch to be moved to the ON position when the protective cover is moved away from the taking lens. The protective cover is slidable in a horizontal direction on a front surface portion of the film unit, and the front surface portion is straight in the horizontal direction.

Abstract: A camera includes a preset open aperture for introducing object light to photo film. A taking lens is disposed in a light path of the object light, and has two lens elements. In the camera, an aperture stop changing device is provided. An aperture changing plate includes a stop-down opening having a small diameter, is disposed close to the taking lens, is movable between a small diameter position and a large diameter position. The stop-down opening, when the aperture changing plate is in the small diameter position, is set in the light path for stopping down the preset open aperture, and when the aperture changing plate is in the large diameter position, is set away from the light path. A spacer is secured to a partial section of a peripheral portion of the taking lens, for defining a passage gap or cutout at a remaining partial section of the peripheral portion of the taking lens. The passage cutout allows passage of the aperture changing plate moving between the small and large diameter positions.

Abstract: A carboxylic acid ester is prepared by a process comprising: reacting an aldehyde and an alcohol in a liquid phase in the presence of molecular oxygen as indicated by the following reaction: RCHO+R′OH+O2→RCOOR′+H2O in the presence of a catalyst comprising at least palladium and an element X, wherein X is bismuth, lead or a combination thereof, supported on a carrier, wherein the catalyst has an acid strength, pKa, of more than 4.8 and shows an ammonia chemical adsorption amount at 0° C. of 0-150 &mgr;mol/g-catalyst.

Abstract: A first stop plate with a small stop opening is disposed behind a taking lens, and a second stop plate with a middle stop opening is disposed between a first and second lens, which comprise the taking lens. Upon moving a changeover knob to an ON position, a flash unit and the second stop plate are actuated such that the middle stop opening is retracted from an photographic light path PL. The small stop opening is retracted from the photographic light path PL when subject luminance is less than a predetermined value. In high-luminance condition, the small stop opening and the middle stop opening are set on the photographic light path PL, and in middle-luminance condition, the small stop opening is retracted. In low-luminance condition, the middle stop opening is retracted by operation of the changeover knob, so only a large stop opening is set on the photographic light path PL.

Abstract: In a film unit, a charge operation member is held on a fron side of a guide member to be slidable between an ON position to turn on a flash charge switch of a built-in flash device and an OFF position to turn off the flash charge switch. The guide member is mounted stationarily to a front side of a flash circuit board of the flash device. Joints between front and rear cover of the film unit are set away from those circuit portions of the flash device where high voltage current flows. The flash charge switch is constituted of a metal contact blade and contact chips provided on the flash circuit board. The metal contact blade is bent roundly at a base portion of a pair of resilient arms. The charge operation member keeps on pressing the arms onto the contact chips in the ON position. The flash device charges a main capacitor while the flash charge switch is on, and automatically stops charging when the charge voltage goes above a predetermined voltage.

Abstract: In a film unit, a charge operation member is held on a fron side of a guide member to be slidable between an ON position to turn on a flash charge switch of a built-in flash device and an OFF position to turn off the flash charge switch. The guide member is mounted stationarily to a front side of a flash circuit board of the flash device. Joints between front and rear cover of the film unit are set away from those circuit portions of the flash device where high voltage current flows. The flash charge switch is constituted of a metal contact blade and contact chips provided on the flash circuit board. The metal contact blade is bent roundly at a base portion of a pair of resilient arms. The charge operation member keeps on pressing the arms onto the contact chips in the ON position. The flash device charges a main capacitor while the flash charge switch is on, and automatically stops charging when the charge voltage goes above a predetermined voltage.

Abstract: A protective cover has an arm extending toward a flash switch operation member, and a cam follower pin is formed on a free end of the arm. A flash switch knob, a shifting cam groove and a locking cam groove are formed integrally on a switch plate. When the protective cover is opened, the cam follower pin slides along the shifting cam groove, causing the flash switch knob to move to an ON position, turning on a flash switch of a flash device. In the open position of the protective cover, the cam follower pin is disengaged from the shifting cam groove, allowing the flash switch knob to move to an OFF position. When the protective cover is closed while the flash operation member is in the ON position, the cam follower pin slides along the shifting cam groove into a locking cam groove, causing the flash switch knob to move to the OFF position. While the cam follower pin is in the locking cam groove, the flash switch knob is locked in the OFF position.

Abstract: A shutter blade is rotatably attached between a base member and a cover member which constitute an exposure unit. An engaging shaft of the shutter blade emerges from a hole formed in the cover member. The cover member is integrally formed with a covering part for covering a gap formed between the base member and the cover member. A key projects on a surface of the engaging shaft emerging from the hole of the cover member. A kicked member is fixed to the key. The kicked member is kicked by a kicking lever in association with a shutter release operation. Thus, the shutter blade is integrally rotated with the kicked member. The covering part covers the gap in which the shutter blade is disposed so that fine sand or the like is prevented from entering the gap.

Abstract: A catalyst for the production of carboxylic acid esters for use in reacting an aldehyde with an alcohol in a liquid phase in the presence of molecular oxygen, comprising calcium carbonate and palladium, bismuth and at least one element selected from the group consisting of barium, iron, zinc and germanium, these elements being supported on said calcium carbonate.

Abstract: A lens-fitted photo film unit is pre-loaded with a photo film of a predetermined length. The photo film is retained on a spool. A winder wheel is connected to the spool. After each frame is exposed on the photo film, the winder wheel is manually rotated to wind the photo film into a cassette shell about the spool. In the lens-fitted photo film unit, a combination of a detector cutout and a protruded portion detects that the winder wheel has made a predetermined number of rotations, which depends upon the predetermined length of the photo film. A combination of a recess and a protruded portion locks rotation of the winder wheel in response to rotation of the winder wheel to a predetermined rotational position after the predetermined number of the rotations of the winder wheel. The winder wheel is inhibited from being rotated after the photo film is entirely wound into the cassette shell.

Abstract: A lens-fitted photo film unit has photo film pre-contained in a photo film containing section (14, 70). An exposure is taken on the photo film via a photographic light path (20). An electronic flash device (16) is secured in front of the photo film containing section. The electronic flash device includes a circuit board (27, 69) having a flash circuit, a flash-emitting section, and a charge switch for charging the flash circuit. The charge switch includes two contact points (32a, 32b, 69a, 69b) and a movable switch segment (33, 68a) for contact with the contact point to switch on charging of the flash circuit. A front cover (18, 60, 91) is secured to cover a front of the circuit board. The switch segment is depressible for coming in contact with the contact point. An operable lever (12, 63, 94) is associated with the front cover in rotatable fashion between an erected position and a folded position relative to the front cover.

Abstract: A consecutive taking camera is adapted to taking eight exposures time-sequentially in a single frame on photo film. Four shutter disks are provided with a shutter slit and rotated from an initial position upon a single releasing operation. Each shutter slit is moved past two stationary openings. A shutter-driving slide plate with a spring is moved in a releasing direction upon the releasing operation, and rotates the shutter disks. A governor mechanism is disposed in fashion couplable with the slide plate, and reduces speed of rotation of the shutter disks. The governor mechanism is coupled with, and uncoupled from, the slide plate by an intermittent toothed wheel. The intermittent toothed wheel sets the coupled state when the shutter slit is away from the stationary openings.

Abstract: A sequential taking camera has four taking lenses. A stationary plate is disposed behind the lenses. Four stationary openings are formed in the stationary plate, each behind a respective one of the lenses. Two rotary disks are disposed behind the lenses, and rotated in response to a single operation of a shutter release button, so as to render the four stationary openings effective sequentially. A shutter plate is disposed behind the lenses in slidable fashion. Four shutter slits are formed in the shutter plate and each is associated with a respective one of the four stationary openings. When the shutter plate is slid, the slits move past the stationary openings respectively associated therewith, and open and then close the stationary openings thus rendered effective. Thus four imaging sub-frames are created consecutively on a photographic film. In a preferred embodiment, a pin is disposed on either disk.