Gte Products Corporation

Gte Sylvania Incorporated

Donald W Hartman

Emery G Audesse

John W Shaffer

Donald E Armstrong

David W Mecone

Boyd G Brower

David R Broadt

Daniel W Bricker

William T Colville

Emergy G Audesse

A miniaturized multilamp photoflash includes a reflector member disposed within a plastic cover and having a plurality of cavities each containing a flashlamp and a pair of spaced leg members formed for engagement within a camera. A planar support platform is affixed to the reflector member and has a printed circuit on a surface adjacent the reflector member and a tab portion wider than the spaced leg members whereby insertion of the tab portion into a receiving socket is controlled by the width of the tab portion.

Photoflash array interface tab

A photoflash unit comprising a horizontal linear array of flashlamps enclosed within a one-piece housing member having a light-transmitting front portion folded over a back portion containing a plurality of lamp-receiving cavities in which respective lamps are disposed. The housing is a formed sheet of plastic film having a linear fold disposed horizontally along the top of the array of cavities, which are selectively aluminized to provide a reflective coating on the cavity surfaces. A pair of lead-in wires from each of the lamps are connected to conductive circuit patterns on one side of a printed circuit board sandwiched between a set of tabs which run along the bottom of the front and back portions of the housing and are secured together. The sides of the housing are also secured so that the lamps, lead-in wires and connections are disposed within a secured enclosure, with a plurality of conductive connector terminals being disposed on a tab which projects from the printed circuit board and extends exteriorly of the secured enclosure.

Multilamp photoflash unit

A photoflash unit comprising a linear array of flashlamps mounted on a printed circuit board disposed within the longitudinal channel of an elongated housing member having an enclosing cover panel of light-transmitting material. The lamp-firing circuitry includes a common circuit conductor run connected to one lead-in wire of each of the lamps. The housing member includes reflector cavities adjacent to the lamps, and a continuous coating of electrically conductive reflective material covers the surfaces of the channel and reflector cavities for providing both reflective surfaces for flashing lamps and, by virtue of a connection between the common run and conductive coating, a shield to reduce the likelihood of accidental flashing of lamps by electrostatic charges. Additional protection against electrostatic charges is provided by a plurality of tapered holes in the wall of the housing channel through which the continuous conductive coating extends to the exterior surface of the housing, thereby extending electrical ground to the exterior of the unit.

Multilamp photoflash unit with protection against electrostatic charges

A photoflash unit comprising a linear array of flashlamps mounted on a printed circuit strip disposed within the longitudinal channel of an elongated housing member. A light-transmitting cover panel is attached to the housing member for enclosing the flashlamps, and the circuit strip extends beyond the cover panel to expose connecting terminals. The lamps have tubular envelopes and are positioned with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the printed circuit strip and arranged in substantially coaxial alignment. The housing member includes ledges within the channel for spacing the printed circuit strip from the rear wall, and the sidewalls of the channel have guide ribs for engaging notches in the circuit strip for facilitating assembly and location and avoiding longitudinal shifting of the strip. The housing member further includes reflector cavities adjacent to the lamps, and a continuous coating of electrically conductive reflective material covers the surfaces of the channel and reflector cavities for providing both reflective surfaces for flashing lamps and a shield to reduce the likelihood of accidental flashing of lamps by electrostatic charges. In a preferred embodiment, the unit has connector terminals at opposite ends, and the linear array of flashlamps is divided into two groups disposed in opposite halves of the unit, each group of lamps being operated by the connector terminals at the remote end so as to reduce the red-eye photographic effect.

Linear multilamp photoflash unit

A photoflash unit comprising a linear array of photoflash lamps mounted on a printed circuit board disposed within the longitudinal channel of an elongated housing member having an enclosing cover panel of light-transmitting material. The housing channel has a semi-rectangular cross-section and reflective surfaces on the sidewalls adjacent the flashlamps. A flat sheet of material, such as white paper adhesively coated on one side, is secured to the circuit board and interposed between the lamps and the circuitry for reflecting heat and light away from the circuit board and insulating at least portions of the circuitry from the radiant output of the lamps.

Multilamp photoflash unit with reflective-protective circuit board

A multilamp photoflash unit which includes an elongated housing, a circuit board located within a longitudinal channel within the housing, and several (e.g. six) electrically-activated flashlamps. The flashlamps utilize preformed lead-in wires which are clamped to peripheral side walls of the circuit board's insulative strip members to both secure the lamps in a linear orientation and to electrically connect portions of the lead-in wires to selected areas of the board's lamp-firing circuitry.

Photoflash unit utilizing circuit board having flashlamps clamped thereto

A photoflash unit comprising a linear array of flashlamps mounted on a printed circuit strip disposed within the longitudinal channel of an elongated housing member. A light-transmitting cover panel is attached to the housing member for enclosing the flashlamps. To provide structural rigidity, the cover has rectangular corner posts at each end and a transverse web at the center which engage slots in the housing and are secured by ultrasonic welding. The longitudinal edges are secured by a plurality of cylindrical posts along each side of the cover which fit into matching holes in the housing and have rivet heads formed on the ends as provided by ultrasonic heating and pressure.

Multilamp photoflash unit construction

A photoflash unit comprising a linear array of flashlamps mounted on a printed circuit strip disposed within the longitudinal channel of an elongated housing member. A light-transmitting cover panel is attached to the housing member for enclosing the flashlamps. To prevent sympathetic ignition of adjacent lamps, the one-piece cover is molded to have integrally projecting transverse webs which function as light-attenuating partitions between respective pairs of lamps. In addition, the webs bridge the housing channel to provide structural rigidity.

Cover for multilamp photoflash unit

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. The circuit board has an integral connector tab with a pair of terminals on one side connected to the igniting circuitry. 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. The conductive shield is shaped with a portion thereof extending toward the end of the connector tab on the side opposite from the terminals to provide a discharge path for electrostatic charges in proximity to the tab. Preferably the shield extension is narrower than the tab and fits within a slotted recess therein between the tab and a back housing member.

Multilamp photoflash unit with electrostatic protection

A compact photoflash unit is provided for arranging more lamps in a given volume while maintaining performance requirements. Two parallel columns of horizontally disposed lamps are mounted in a planar array with the lamps of one column staggered with respect to the other with the bases interdigitated. A multiple reflector system for the lamps comprises a pair of adjacent strip-like reflector panels each having a column of side-by-side reflector cavities aligned with an associated column of lamps, the cavities of one panel being staggered with respect to the cavities of the other. Each panel is fore-shortened with respect to its associated lamps and covers the lead-in wires and bases of the lamps associated with the adjacent panel.

A photoflash lamp-reflector module for use in a photoflash unit having a plurality of such lamp-reflector modules arranged in a compact array. Each reflector has a substantially parabolic surface with a centrally disposed elongated cylindrical recess having a longitudinally extending central slot. The associated tubular lamp is nested within the recessed portion of the reflector, whereby an oversized lamp is accommodated by the reflector with little or no loss of light output.

Reflector-lamp module for photoflash array

A multilamp photoflash array with lamp-reflector units in linear rows facing in opposite directions and nested back-to-back. The rows of reflectors for both sides of the array are vacuum-formed from a single sheet web between the reflector rows for providing a spring-hinged center support. Each reflector has a parabolic surface with an elongated cylindrical recess behind its associated tubular lamp whereby an air space is provided between the reflector and lamp which functions as a thermal insulator for minimizing heat distortion of adjacent reflectors upon flashing of the lamp.

Growing community of inventors

Williamsport, PA, United States of America

Donald W Hartman