Abstract: A flash attachment for a hand held camera having a flash head pivotally mounted on an extendable member. A main unit together with a plurality of modular auxiliary units which may be used to construct the attachment are shown. One embodiment shows a plurality of flash heads and means for firing them rapidly and sequentially while recharging in the same sequence.

Abstract: In a photographic exposure device of the type comprising a flash section comprising a flash tube which flashes by the energy charged on a main discharge capacitor and a reflector, and a flash light emission angle variable mechanism capable of varying the flash light emission angle by changing the position from said flash section, an exposure data section on which are displayed an aperture, a film sensitivity or speed, a distance to a subject and other useful data for photography is connected to said flash light emission angle variable mechanism by a connecting mechanism in such a way that when the flash light emission angle is made variable by said flash light emission angle variable mechanism the exposure data displays may be changed.

Abstract: An improved electronic flash is provided having a selectively energizable source of illumination, control circuits for controlling the source of illumination according to a plurality of operational modes which include an automatic control mode and a manual control mode and a housing enclosing the source of illumination and the control circuits. According to a preferred embodiment of the instant invention, a frame is mounted upon an outer surface of the housing and an indicator panel may be removably mounted within the frame. The indicator panel is provided with front and rear surfaces and may be selectively mounted within the frame to externally expose either the front or rear surface thereof. One of the front or rear surfaces is provided with indicia for calculating a diaphragm value.

Abstract: In a light angle indicator of photographic flash having a main part containing at least a flash lamp and a front lens part slidably coupled to said main part, the improvement is thatthe light angle indicator comprisesa first indicator panel fixed to said main part and having obliquely disposed transparent regions or windows anda second indicator panel fixed to said front lens part and having obliquely disposed bright marked regionseither of said windows or said bright marked regions having marks or numerals to indicate light coverage angles.

Abstract: A photoflash lamp array comprising a plurality of high-voltage type flashlamps mounted on a printed circuit board containing circuitry for sequentially igniting the flashlamps in response to successive high-voltage firing pulses applied thereto. Each of the flashlamps has a pair of lead-in wires connected to the circuit board by eyelets which project through to the opposite side of the board, one lead of each lamp being connected via its respective eyelet to a common circuit conductor. Electrostatic protection is provided by a conductive shield of planar configuration disposed parallel to the circuit board and spaced therefrom on the side opposite that on which the lamps are disposed. Selected ones of the common circuit connected eyelets project from the back of the circuit board in a manner which maintains the spacing between the shield and circuit board, to prevent short circuiting of leads, and facilitates electrical connection of the planar shield to the common circuit conductor.

Abstract: A photoflash unit having a flashed lamp indicator comprising two layers of film having different colors, one of the layers being a heat-shrinkable material and the other layer being translucent and substantially unaffected by the heat of lamp flashing. An adjacent indicia sheet provides an aperture through which one of the indicator colors is visible. Upon flashing of an associated lamp, the heat shrinkable layer shrivels from view and the color of the other layer becomes visible through the aperture to clearly identify which lamp was flashed. In one embodiment, the two-color indicator is used to identify the last lamp flashed in a sequence, while each of the preceding lamps in the sequence has a respectively associated single-layer color indicator which shrinks away to leave a void upon flashing of the lamp.

Abstract: A photoflash unit comprising two parallel columns of horizontally disposed lamps mounted in a planar array with flash indicators aligned behind each lamp. The lamps of one column are staggered with respect to the other, and the two columns are located on opposite sides of the vertical centerline of the unit. The lamps are connected to switching circuitry for sequentially flashing the lamps in response to firing pulses applied to a connector at one end of the unit. The two columns of staggered lamps are positioned so that the lowest lamp is located on the side of the unit centerline opposite that on which the lens axis is located when the unit is connected to a camera, thereby farther removing the closest lamp from the lens axis to minimize the "red-eye" effect. The switching circuitry is connected to provide an order of flashing that proceeds alternately between the two columns from the lowest to the highest lamp of the array, thereby providing a more readily interpretable flash indicator pattern.

Abstract: A flash array has at least two combustion flash lamps and an indicator which indicates whether a lamp has or has not flashed. The indicator consists mainly of a melting strip which is constructed as a radiation-sensitive switch contact and which is part of the electric circuit of the flash array.

Abstract: A flash lamp array having a plurality of flash lamps positioned over a side of a circuit board having thereon circuitry for sequentially flashing the lamps. A metal shield, in the form of a sheet of metal foil or foil-covered paper, is positioned adjacent to the other side of the circuit board and is in contact with a common electrical run on the circuit board by means of a staple through the circuit board. Strips of radiation-sensitive plastic are positioned between the shield and the circuit board to function as electrical insulation, and also function as flash indicators by distorting due to radiation from an adjacent flashing lamp.

Abstract: An apparatus is described for effecting scene-brightness-dependent control of the duration of the flash produced by a flashbulb flash unit having at least one flashbulb. The apparatus includes a housing so configured and dimensioned that it can be pushed over and onto the flashbulb flash unit. The housing is provided with at least one controllable-transparency optical unit located to occupy the position in front of the flashbulb of the flash unit when the housing has been pushed into place over the flash unit. The housing furthermore contains an automatic scene-brightness-dependent flash-duration control circuit connected to the optical unit and operative for controlling the duration of the flash produced by the flashbulb by keeping the optical unit transparent for a scene-brightness-dependent exposure interval and then automatically rendering the optical unit non-transparent.

Abstract: A multiple flash lamp array having an electrically conductive reflector unit positioned between the flash lamps and a circuit board. A radiation-actuated last-flash indicator switch is positioned on the circuit board behind the last lamp to be flashed and is connected between an electrical ground circuit run and another circuit run. An opening is provided through the reflector at the last-to-flash lamp, in alignment with the last-flash indicator switch, and the rear edge of the opening is shaped to contact the electrical ground circuit run adjacent to the last-flash indicator switch for electrically grounding the reflector.