W. Haking Enterprises, Ltd.

W. Haking Industries, Ltd.

Kwok Yan Chan

Norman Wah Ko

A zoom lens assembly for a camera includes front and rear lens assemblies and a cam assembly mounted in a cylindrical lens barrel. Rotation of the cam assembly results in axial movement of the lens assemblies and change of the focal length. The cam assembly includes discrete front and rear sections respectively defining front lens and rear lens cam surfaces. The sections are attached together with the lens assemblies captured internally. Integral projections on the front lens assembly engage the front lens cam surface and axial grooves in the barrel. Integral projections on the rear lens assembly engage the rear lens cam surface and axial grooves in the front lens assembly. A coil spring urges the lens assemblies apart and against the cam surfaces.

Zoom lens assembly

Miniature camera

Combined camera and film cartridge

A substantially shortened camera for use with the 110 cassette is achieved by removing the customary dispensing spool chamber from the camera entirely, and by configuring the outer surface of the imaging station wall to closely correspond to the confronting wall of the dispensing chamber of the cassette. The rear portion of the camera is completely open to allow direct insertion of a cassette, and the customary loading door is completely eliminated. A storable slide is insertable to be captively retained by slide-engaging grooves so that the slide when inserted covers the otherwise open back of the camera. The slide retaining grooves are configured to lie in the film plane of an inserted cassette so that an inserted slide will strike a film-engaging cocking lever to actuate it to a cocking position. Insertion of the slide thus cocks the system for testing shutter operation with the cassette removed. Loading instructions are presented in diagramatic form on the slide, which is retained by slide-in grooves on the bottom of the camera when the cassette is in place.

Miniature 110 camera

A simplified miniature camera features a spring-actuated shutter-striking slider member having a film-engaging finger integral therewith for engaging a film during film advance to move the striker member to an energized position. The slider member energizing spring is disposed to provide not only translational urging to the slider member, but also rotational urging to provide such film engagement. The film engaging member, as well as an arresting pawl configured to arresting engage the takeup spool gearing drive are all integral in a one-piece slider member slidably mounted to a post in the camera body. Exposure is initiated by operator actuation of a rotatable control member rotating the sliding member to disengage the film-engaging finger from its captured state in a film perforation, thereby releasing the slide to strike an impulse shutter. Subsequent rotation of the slider member of the slider energizing spring not only rotates the slider and the film-engaging finger into engagement with a film perforation, but also returns the shutter control system to its dormant state without the necessity for an additional return spring. In one embodiment, a pair of sear portions are formed, one on the camera body, and the other integral with the slider member, and may form either an auxiliary cocking latch for testing the camera with no film in place, or in the alternative, as the normal shutter release latch.

Miniature camera shutter mechanism

A completely mechanical disc film camera features film advance and shutter actuation by direct mechanical coupling to an external shutter release button. Shutter button actuation is automatically blocked after the fifteenth frame so as to prevent double exposure and film tearing. Selective film-flattening back pressure is applied to the disc film cassette during the terminal phase of the shutter depression stroke immediately prior to shutter tripping so as to hold the film in the proper imaging plane. Back pressure is released during the film advancing phase to as to relieve system loads and avoid film scratching. The film advance is secured by the oscillatory movement of a film notch engaging pawl carried by a claw driven into oscillatory motion by operation of the shutter button. Means are provided for coupling additional mass to the claw during the terminal phase of the film advancing stroke to reduce the speed of film advance, thereby providing protection against film overtravel. To provide for proper initial film advance when a fresh cassette is inserted an automatic film advancing operation is carried out responsive to closure of the door loading system.

Automatic film-transport mechanism for a disc camera

A camera including a housing having a film compartment adapted to receive a film cartridge with a closure adapted to hold the film cartridge within the film compartment. The closure has a resilient finger movable therewith which is adapted to engage a projection on the surface of the film cartridge during movement of the closure to a closed position so that subsequent movement to an open position will initiate movement of the film cartridge out of the film compartment.

Pocket camera

A preferably pocket-sized camera has its horizontal dimension parallel to its front lens window-containing wall minimized by constructing the camera housing in two sections which are relatively movable in a direction parallel to the front wall between relatively retracted positions where all lens windows are covered and extended picture-taking positions which preferably effects film winding and shutter cocking. One of the housing sections includes most of the components of a still camera except for the flash lamp portion thereof, and the other housing section carries an electronic flash lamp associated with a lamp energizing circuit with a capacitor charging portion preferably contained in the main housing section, except for the battery for energizing this circuit which is preferably carried by the flash lamp carrying housing section. The charging of a capacitor in the capacitor charging portion takes place when the two housing sections are moved to their relatively extended positions and a flash on-off switch is in the 'on' position, and the charging circuit is deenergized automatically when the housing sections are in their relatively retracted positions even when this switch is left in its 'on' position. A cartridge-receiving compartment is preferably located at the bottom portion of the main housing section, and at least part of the flash lamp on the other housing section overlies a part of this compartment when the camera sections are in their relative retracted positions, and is moved well beyond this compartment when the housing sections are in their extended positions.

Retractable camera

A preferably pocket-sized camera adapted for underwater as well as above water use, comprises a one-piece outer housing formd of a transparent synthetic plastic material having most areas thereof coated with an opaque material except for areas forming objective lens and viewfinder window means, and, when used, electronic flash light diffusing window means, to eliminate the need for waterproofing these areas of the camera. The housing has an opening at the rear thereof providing an entry into a compartment for receiving a camera mechanism support frame on which are mounted substantially all of the functional components of the camera. Openings formed in the housing receive in watertight relation shutter, film advancing means, and, when used, electronic flash setting means. A closure member, having means thereon which cooperates with releasable closure sealing and locking means on the main housing, is provided for the opening in the rear of the housng.

Camera for underwater and above water use

A preferably pocket-sized camera having an overall shape which is thin in its vertical dimension has its horizontal longitudinal dimension shortened by constructing the camera in two relatively horizontally telescoping sections. One of the camera sections is a main camera section including substantially all of the components of a still camera except for the viewfinder portion thereof. The other section of the camera has a housing which interfits with the housing of the main camera sections so in its retracted position the front and rear viewfinding lens elements thereof interleave with elements of the main camera housing. When the viewfinder section is in its extended position, the front and rear viewfinder lens elements are unobstructed. In the retracted position of the viewfinder section, a part thereof covers the objective lens and shutter release member in the main section of the camera, and wall elements of the main camera section cover over the viewfinder lens elements. The movable viewfinder carrying section is provided with means for cocking the shutter operating mechanism of the camera and removing a film perforation sensing finger as it is moved to its retracted position and means for effecting a film advancing operation when the viewfinder section is moved to its extended position.

A unique percussive flash unit includes an initially cocked striker and flash unit rotating assembly, which includes a main member with an inclined laterally projecting cam-forming wall having an inclined cam face which engages and cams outwardly a lateral extension of an actuator and striker holding member to operate a percussive flash unit when the cocked striker and flash unit rotating assembly is released by operation of a shutter release member. The actuator and striker holding member then returns to its initial position, and when the striker and flash unit rotating assembly is cocked during a shutter resetting operation, the lateral extension of the actuator and striker holding member is moved out of the way of the cam-forming wall by the engagement with the member of a portion of the flash unit socket as it is rotated by a portion of the striker and flash unit rotating assembly so the cam-forming wall will not strike the lateral extension. The actuator and striker holding member includes a shoulder which prevents the movement of the striker and flash unit rotating assembly from its cocked to its uncocked position when a flash unit is not mounted upon the camera.

Growing community of inventors

Hong Kong, China

Kwok Yan Chan