Concord Camera Corp.

Franco Yik Kai Chung

Arthur Zawodny

Eli Shoer

Bill Yung Wai Lam

Wilfried Bittner

Camera

An APS camera having various mechanical features that simplify film pre-loading, especially in single use APS cameras, is disclosed. The disclosed camera employs the film advance mechanism to open and close the APS film cassette's light lock door, and also employs a film sensor to disable the film advance mechanism from operating the light lock door when film is present in a film path of the camera. Camera size is kept to a minimum by a feature that defines a battery compartment within a film spool of the camera.

APS camera structure for film preloading

A camera having means for pre-winding unexposed film, in non-darkroom conditions from a film cartridge to a take up spool and limiting removal and replacement of the film cartridge to those designated to do. A latching member includes a pair of slots structured to slidingly engage a pair of guide pins disposed on the main body side wall and a pair of hooks structured to matingly engage a pair of hooks extending out from the rear door to prevent the camera door from being opened. A pair of outwardly biased locking pins, extending out from the main body side wall, are structured for movement from a first extended position, wherein the pins extend through a pair of corresponding holes in the latching member, thereby retaining the latching member in a first upper, locking position, to a second depressed position, wherein the latching member may be slid downward to a second lower, unlocking position, thereby permitting the rear door to be opened. An external tool includes a pair of pins structured to depress the locking pins into the second depressed position so that the latching member may be slid into the lower position, and a generally circular-shaped rim, with at least one inwardly disposed tab, extending out from its bottom face, structured to mate with a corresponding shaped structure on the outer end of the take-up spool to facilitate the pre-winding of the unexposed film.

Camera with external combined crank and key for film pre-winding and limiting removal and reloading of film and method of accomplishing same

The camera of this invention includes a parking mechanism that ensures a visual exposure indicator of an APS film cassette is in the parked position prior to removing the film cassette from the camera. The camera may include a rotatable wheel that rotates in order to move the film between a film cassette compartment, a film exposing area and a film spool. In a preferred embodiment, the parking mechanism includes a pin that engages the rotatable wheel after the film has been rewound into the film cassette and the wheel has been rotated sufficient distance to ensure that the visual exposure indicator moves to the parked position. When the pin engages the rotatable wheel, the pin prevents further rotation of the rotatable wheel. This indicates to the camera user that the visual exposure indicator is in the park position. The wheel may include a cam slot into which the pin travels as the film is being rewound into the film cassette. The cam slot may include an end that contacts the pin to prevent further rotation of the wheel when the visual exposure indicator is in the park position.

APS camera for ensuring the cassett indicator is in the parked position

A flash camera has an extendable arm mechanically coupled to a flash on/off switch. The arm extends from the camera body when the switch is on the &ldquo;on&rdquo; position, and automatically retracts and returns the switch to the &ldquo;off&rdquo; position if the extended arm is bumped or touched. The arm also serves to provide a visual indication that the flash switch is in the &ldquo;on&rdquo; position.

Flash camera with extendable arm for disabling the flash unit

A method of pre-loading a camera with film, and specifically a single use camera, is disclosed. According to the disclosed method, the camera is pre-loaded in non-darkroom conditions with the back cover assembled to the camera without exposing any substantial portion of the film to any substantial amounts of light. According to the disclosed embodiment, the camera has a film advance mechanism that employs a manual advance wheel, and the manual advance wheel is rotated in opposing directions to pre-load film from a film cassette in the camera to a film spool compartment and to wind film back into the film cassette from the film spool compartment as exposures are taken. In the disclosed embodiment, the camera is an APS camera, and rotation of the manual advance wheel also opens and closes the APS film cassette's light lock door. In a final assembly step and if the camera employs a battery, the battery is inserted inside the film spool compartment.

Growing community of inventors

Hong Kong, China

Franco Yik Kai Chung