Eastman-kodak Company

Alan V Vandemoere

Ralph M Lyon

Edward N Balling

David A Hodder

William H Goddard

A unibody viewfinder for use in a single use camera includes a pair of optically aligned lenses integrally connected to a support structure which may, for instance, be at least a portion of the top surface of such a camera. A mold and method for making the viewfinder in a single molding process includes means for retracting the lens-forming elements to allow release of the viewfinder despite the presence of undercuts in the finished product. A process for recycling a single use camera having such a unibody viewfinder also is disclosed.

One piece viewfinder and fabrication process

A unibody viewfinder for use in a single use camera includes a pair of optically aligned lenses integrally connected to a support structure which may, for instance, be the top surface of such a camera. A mold and method for making the viewfinder in a single molding process includes means for retracting the lens-forming elements to allow release of the viewfinder despite the presence of undercuts in the finished product.

A method and an apparatus are disclosed for bringing a portrait camera having a fixed-focus taking lens into coincidence with an optimum camera-to-subject distance appropriate for the lens regardless of differences in the size of a person's head to be photographed. According to the invention, a finder frame through which a person's head may be viewed can be set to one of several alternative settings corresponding to respective head sizes, for example small, medium and large, to select the particular setting that best matches the size of a person's head to be photographed at the optimum camera-to-subject distance. Then, the specific distance between the portrait camera and the person's head to be photographed is adjusted until the person's head, when viewed through the finder frame, appears to fill the finder frame.

Camera-to subject distance determining apparatus and method

A photographic film package comprises a camera pre-loaded with a roll film and including a non-opaque body section having an integral front finder lens for viewing a subject to be photographed, and an outer opaque packaging tightly encasing the camera and having a front opening for the front finder lens. The outer packaging is coated with a light-absorbent substance at a location along its inside surface, which is sufficiently absorbent to prevent ambient light transmitted through the front finder lens to the location from being reflected off the inside surface at least to the front finder lens. Consequently, the peripheral edge of the front finder lens will not appear to have undesireable bright spots as in prior art cameras.

Photographic film package with anti-reflection substance for viewfinder

In a photographic camera, a neutral density or other light reducing filter in the viewfinder obscures details of a subject viewed through the viewfinder in low light to provide a warning that ambient light is insufficient for a proper daylight exposure. The filter has little or no light reducing capability at a central portion and along a peripheral portion to serve as aiming and framing features, respectively.

Camera viewfinder

A portrait camera is intended to be used for picture-taking in a horizontal orientation and in a vertical orientation. When the camera is oriented horizontally, two head-finder circles or the like are visible in the field of view of the viewfinder to frame the respective heads of two people. When the camera is oriented vertically, only one of the head-finder circles is visible in the field of view of the viewfinder to frame the head of one person. Thus, two people are to be photographed when the camera is oriented horizontally, but only one person is to be photographed when the camera is oriented vertically.

Portrait camera with horizontal/vertical mode viewfinder

A photographic camera comprising a camera housing which has an internal viewfinder tunnel with a frame finder opening in a front wall of the housing, and a taking lens extension projecting longitudinally from the front wall, is characterized in that the taking lens extension has a channel-like cut-out substantially along its length which converges rearwardly toward the frame finder opening to effectively extend the viewfinder tunnel to facilitate aiming the photographic camera.

In a disposable single-use camera comprising an inner camera shell pre-loaded with film and an outer paper pack which substantially encloses the camera shell, a lens shade connected to the shell overlies the paper pack at the perimeter of an opening in the pack for the taking lens. Thus, the paper pack is secured flatly in place between the camera shell and the lens shade to prevent the pack from shifting into the field of view of the taking lens or bowing away from the shell.

Disposable single-use camera with lens shade

A disposable single-use camera is generally of the type wherein an inner camera part is pre-loaded with film and includes a taking lens, and an outer sealed pack contains the camera part and has an opening for the taking lens. According to the invention, the inner camera part has flash synchronization access ports and the outer sealed pack is constructed of a perforable material which overlays the access ports. An accessory re-usable electronic flash unit intended for use with the disposable camera includes electrically conductive flash synchronization pins shaped to perforate the outer sealed pack to enter the access ports, whereby the flash unit is removably connected to the inner camera part.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Alan V Vandemoere