Abstract: An opening/closing mechanism for a lid designed to be operated when it is desired to load or unload a cartridge or the like carrying a roll of film therein into or from a photographic camera of such a type that the cartridge or the like is loaded into or unloaded from the camera in a direction corresponding to an axis of the cartridge or the like or a spool thereof. This novel mechanism is constructed so that a lid locking member is kept in unmovable engagement with an opening/closing control member which is rotated under it's own gravity and thereby said lid locking member cannot be rotated without being disengaged from the opening/ closing control member and the lid being in engagement therewith is reliably prevented from being unintentionally opened unless the camera is turned upside down. In this manner, this opening/closing mechanism reliably prevents the cartridge or the like from unexpectedly falling out from the camera during operation of film exchange.

Abstract: A camera has a chamber for holding a film cassette and a lid for closing the chamber. An ingress opening to the chamber is located to admit an insertion tool into the chamber to push the cassette against the lid to move the lid to open the chamber, to permit the cassette to be pushed out of the chamber. The chamber and the lid have respective peripheries with mutually engaging light-trapping portions which engage to secure the lid to light-tightly close the chamber, but which are separated when the lid is moved to open the chamber. The lid is flexible and has a fixed projection which protrudes into the chamber to be pushed by the cassette to flex the lid partially out of the chamber to make the engaging portion of the lid separate from the engaging portion of the chamber.

Abstract: A camera includes a chamber for receiving a film cartridge having a light-lock movable between open and closed positions, a chamber cover movable between a closed position covering the chamber and an open position uncovering the chamber, and manually operable means for releasing the chamber cover to move from its closed position to its open position. An ejector is provided for ejecting the film cartridge at least part way out of the chamber An actuating member is sized and positioned such that it can be moved by the releasing means to both actuate the ejector to eject the cartridge from the chamber, and move the light-lock from its open to closed position.

Abstract: A mounting mechanism of a camera having a film take-up spool is provided for mounting a film pressing roller on a camera body. The mounting mechanism includes a back cover, a roller supporting arm, an elastic member and a pressing device. The back cover is rotatably supported by the camera body. One end of the roller supporting arm is rotatably mounted to the camera body, and another end of the roller supporting arm is provided with the film pressing roller. The elastic member is provided on the camera body and engages with the roller supporting arm to hold the film pressing roller at a predetermined position spaced from the film take-up spool when the back cover is opened. The pressing device is provided on the back cover for pressing the elastic member toward the film take-up spool when the back cover is closed, so that the roller supporting arm is biased toward the film take-up spool by the biasing force of the elastic member to thereby press the film pressing roller toward the film take-up spool.

Abstract: A photographic camera has a cartridge chamber in which is loaded a film cartridge having a roll film entirely rolled to its leading end around a spool in a cartridge body and a light-shielding shutter member for opening and shutting a film exit slit formed in the cartridge body, an entrance opening to the cartridge chamber, and a chamber lid which is mounted on the camera to be moved between an opening position where it opens the entrance opening and a closed position where it closes the entrance opening. A shutter lock member moves to a shutter locking position, where it prevents release of the shutter of the camera, in response to operation of a rewind button. A holding member holds the shutter lock member in the shutter locking position, and a release member causes the holding member to release the shutter lock member after closure of the light-shielding shutter member of the film cartridge in response to opening of the chamber lid.

Abstract: A password protected camera system, comprising a camera incorporating, means for receiving user entered passwords for controlling access to the camera's features and to the film cartridge is disclosed. The camera incorporates circuitry for writing and reading password data to and from the camera film to control access to the film when it is in the camera and when it is removed from the camera. Different levels of access are provided either by multiple passwords, one for each level, or by single passwords, where multilevel access is granted with one password while another password may limit access to just one level.

Abstract: A rental camera is to be used by a customer for picture-taking and is intended to be returned to a lender to unload exposed film and replace with fresh film.

Abstract: A camera is provided that includes a door which is selectively movable between an open position and a closed position and a release which is movable between a home position and an away position for selectively retaining said door in said closed position. Door position, release position and film sensors each have at least two states for determining the position of the door and release and for determining presence of film in the camera. The sensors are disposed within an electric circuit for allowing operation of the camera as a function of the states of the sensors.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided which comprises a cartridge chamber into which a film cartridge is loaded in the direction of its longitudinal axis, an eject member that can move between a housing position, at which the film cartridge loaded in the film cartridge chamber is held inside the film cartridge chamber, and a take-out position, at which the film cartridge that is loaded is projected out through an insertion opening of the cartridge chamber, a connecting member than can move between a connecting position at which the eject member located at the housing position is prevented from moving to the take-out position and a connection release position at which the eject member is allowed to move to the take-out position, and an indicating mechanism that indicates whether or not the film cartridge is loaded inside the cartridge chamber with the movement of the connecting member.

Abstract: A film cartridge loading mechanism includes a cartridge chamber into which a film cartridge is loaded, an eject member capable of traveling between a housing position at which the loaded film cartridge is held inside the cartridge chamber, and a take-out position at which a portion of the film cartridge projects out of the cartridge chamber, that travels to the housing position as the film cartridge is loaded and travels to the take-out position by an eject operation, a pressure applying member which presses the film cartridge which has been completely loaded in the cartridge chamber, in the direction of the longitudinal axis, to regulate a movement of the film cartridge, and a toggling force applying mechanism that applies a force to the eject member.

Abstract: A camera loading chamber into which a film cartridge is loaded by dropping the cartridge into an opening of the camera against the urging force of an urging member. The film cartridge is held within the loading chamber by a trapdoor which is closed over the loaded cartridge and held in its closed position by a locking mechanism. Upon releasing the locking mechanism, the cartridge is urged toward the exterior of the camera and causes the trapdoor to open under the urging force of the urging member. A stopping member causes the trapdoor to stop at a position between its closed position and its fully open position so that the cartridge is prevented from jumping out of the cartridge loading chamber.

Abstract: A cartridge holder engages with a cartridge holder driving gear driven by a driving force of an ejecting motor. The ejecting motor is controlled by a microcomputer so that ejecting is performed in succession to the completion of the rewinding of the film.

Abstract: Apparatus (610) is disclosed for opening and closing a photographic camera (426) of a type including an external housing (428, 478) having a slidable closure (484) giving access to a film guide track (566) within the camera, the closure including an externally accessible slot (636), the guide track extending between an unexposed film chamber (562) and an exposed film chamber (564). The apparatus may include a frame (12); a nest (74) supported on the frame for receiving a camera; and a door opening mechanism (612-646) supported by the frame, the mechanism including a member (632, 634) for engaging the slot and an actuator (616, 628) for moving the member to open the closure.

Abstract: A camera includes a lighttight body portion and a cover having an interior recess sized for receiving an end of said body portion. The cover is coupled to the body portion and is movable in opposing directions between an opened position and a closed position. A portion of the body or the cover includes stop surfaces for preventing the cover from opening beyond the opening position which are deformable or detachable to allow the cover to be released from the body portion of the camera. Alternately, the cover can be part of a two part releasable assembly which can be separated either destructively or non-destructively from the camera.

Abstract: A camera is of a type using the 120 size of roll film or the 220 size of roll film, which is so arranged that the height of a pressure plate on a back lid is changed over depending upon a type of a used film. A reflection-type photosensor is provided in the camera body, whereby a state of a lock mechanism of the back lid is detected. A second reflective plate is mounted on the pressure plate, and the second reflective plate reflects light from the photosensor when the back lid is in a lock state. A reflecting position where the light from the photosensor impinges is changed between reflective portions depending upon the height of the pressure plate. Since reflectivities of these reflective portions are different from each other, the height of the pressure plate, that is, the type of the used film can be determined by analyzing an output from the photosensor receiving the reflected light from the second reflective plate.

Abstract: A camera to be used with a cartridge enclosing a spool mounting a filmstrip having an access door for opening and closing the camera includes an interlock mechanism connected to the access door and engageable with the spool for preventing the access door from being opened when the spool indicates an unexposed position of the filmstrip.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a camera which is capable of easily performing the film replacement even if it is in a dark place. This camera is equipped with an illuminating lamp in a patrone compartment within the camera or at the vicinity of the patrone compartment so as to lighten at least the patrone compartment with the lamp. In addition, this lamp turns on in response to a detection of a rear cover being opened, and turns off in response to a detection of the rear cover being closed. Moreover, a detector to detect an outside brightness is provided such that the lamp can be turned on when it has detected that the outside brightness is below a predetermined brightness. Thus, it is possible to offer a convenient camera.

Abstract: A back cover lock mechanism of a camera. The camera has a camera body that includes side walls, a front surface arranged to incorporate a photographing lens, and a back cover that is pivoted to the camera body. The back cover lock mechanism has a first hook member provided at a predetermined portion of the back cover, and a second hook member provided inside one of the walls of the camera body. The second hook member is arranged to detachably engage the first hook member. A covering member for movably supporting the second hook member is provided inside one of the side walls of the camera body. A supporting member supports the covering member, the supporting member being provided inside one of the side walls of the camera body so that the second hook member is placed between the covering member and one of the side walls, whereby the second hook member is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position.