Eastman-kodak Company

Michael P Cramer

Stephen J Smith

James D Boyd

Roger A Fields

Craig A Baker

A camera mechanism comprises a shutter blade movable to uncover and cover an exposure aperture; a primary spring connected to the shutter blade to normally move the shutter blade to cover the exposure aperture, but susceptible of becoming disconnected from the shutter blade, and a substitute spring connected to the shutter blade to alternatively move the shutter blade to cover the exposure aperture when the primary spring becomes disconnected from the shutter blade.

Camera mechanism has substitute actuator to functionally replace failed primary actuator

An electronic flash unit has alternative (dual) capacitor switching to reduce flash ready time for flash firing.

Electronic flash unit with alternative capacitor switching

In a method for assembling, a component is critically positioned on a larger body, such as a camera. The component is joined to a predetermined attachment area of a support sheet. The support sheet is floated into alignment with a labeler head. The labeler head is positioned in alignment with a predetermined location on the body. The body is contacted with the support sheet and the component while maintaining the alignments. A camera can be maintained light-tight during the joining, floating, positioning, and contacting steps.

Method for assembling critically positioned camera component on camera body

A camera has a casing enclosing a film area. The casing has a stray light path into the film area due to a light transmissive region, such as a region of translucent material. The light transmissive region can be bounded by an obstruction to label placement. A label is adhered to the casing. The label has an opaque portion covering the transmissive region. The label can be aligned with an obstruction boundary and spaced from the obstruction boundary by 0.8 mm or less.

Camera having light-blocking label

A camera has a rear backframe (exposure) opening, including a pair of spaced opposite ends across which successive sections of a filmstrip are moved for each section of the filmstrip to be advanced over the backframe opening. A pair of parallel film rails have longitudinal film support surfaces that support each section of the filmstrip over the backframe opening. A pair of parallel film debris catching combs are positioned between the film rails, proximate respective ones of the opposite ends of the backframe opening, and inwardly of the longitudinal film support surfaces to remove any debris from each section of the filmstrip before that section is advanced over the backframe opening. One of the film debris catching combs preferably is positioned inwardly of the film support surfaces farther than the other comb.

Camera with film debris catching comb

A camera has a body and a label adhered to the body. The body has a lens assembly including a taking lens. The taking lens defines an optical axis. The taking lens has at least one optical element. The optical element has a central part and a peripheral part. The lens assembly has a label receiving surface. The label receiving surface has an outer perimeter. The label receiving surface is free of obstructions to label-placement. The label is adhered to the label receiving surface in spaced relation to the outer perimeter. The label has a hole disposed substantially concentric with the optical axis. The label includes an opaque blocking portion surrounding the hole and overlapping the peripheral part.

Camera having label-stopped optical system

A camera has a body having a functional subsystem and first and second cover parts. The second cover part moves relative to the first cover part from a closed position to an unclosed position to open the body. A label has an attachment portion that is adhered to at least one of the cover parts. The label has a breakable component joined to the attachment portion. The attachment portion supports the breakable component on the body in operative relation to the functional subsystem. The attachment portion disrupts from a use configuration to a replacement configuration responsive to the moving of the secondary cover part. Responsive to this disrupting of the attachment portion, the breakable component breaks irreparably. In a method for recycling the camera, the camera is opened, destroying the breakable component. The exposed film is removed. Unexposed film is loaded. The camera is light-tightly closed and following the closing, the original label is replaced by a label having an intact breakable component.

One-time use camera having breakable component and recycling method

An improved camera has a label including an electrical component. The label is precisely placed and adhered to operatively and simply connect the component and a camera subsystem. The component can be a liquid crystal display. The electrical connection provided can be non-mating contact.

Camera having label mounted electrical component

A camera has a casing and a subsystem having a first mechanical element and a second mechanical element. The first mechanical element is movable relative to the casing, between an engaged position and a disengaged position. The mechanical elements are engaged. The subsystem is operative in the engaged position. The subsystem is inoperative in the disengaged position. A label is attached to the casing. The label biases the first mechanical element toward the engaged position. In a method for rendering a one-time use camera operative, a camera frame assembly and a compliant label are aligned. The camera frame assembly has the subsystem having a first and second mechanical elements and an uncovered gap. The first mechanical element is movable relative to the gap, between the engaged and disengaged positions. The mechanical elements are engaged and the subsystem is operative in the engaged position and inoperative in the disengaged position. A label is attached to the camera frame assembly over the gap to bias the first mechanical element toward the engaged position.

Camera having resiliently biasing label and method

A camera has a body defining a passage. A label has an attachment portion adhered to the body and an optical component joined to the attachment portion. The optical component is optically aligned with the passage.

Camera having label including optical component

In a method for loading a film cartridge in a one-time use camera, the film cartridge is placed in a film cartridge chamber of a camera frame assembly. An anti-backup subsystem is mounted on the camera frame assembly. The anti-backup subsystem has a first mechanical member biased into a disengaged position. A main portion of the filmstrip is then wound, in a prewind direction, from the film cartridge to a film supply chamber of the camera frame assembly. Following the winding, the first mechanical member is biased into an engaged position, in which the anti-backup system precludes winding of the filmstrip in the prewind direction. The first mechanical member can be biased by applying a label to a casing of the camera.

One-time use camera loading method

A camera comprising a front taking lens, an exposure chamber centered about an optical axis of the taking lens and having a rear backframe opening for exposing successive sections of a filmstrip, and a circuit board located between the taking lens and the backframe opening and having an opening centered about the optical axis which is smaller the backframe opening, is characterized in that the opening in the circuit board is located within the exposure chamber to make a peripheral edge of the opening serve as a light baffle for the backframe opening.

Camera with circuit board having light baffle opening

A shutter mechanism comprising an aperture through which ambient light is passed to cause a film exposure, a pair of shutter blades supported for pivotal opening movement in opposite opening directions away from one another to uncover the aperture to permit ambient light to pass through the aperture and for pivotal closing movement in return closing directions towards one another to re-cover the aperture and supported to allow them to be pivoted simultaneously in the same direction to cause accidental shutter opening when a physical shock is applied to the shutter blades in the opening direction of one of the shutter blades, is characterized in that each one of the shutter blades completely covers the aperture in order that both of the shutter blades must be removed from the aperture to uncover the aperture to permit ambient light to pass through the aperture, and a single fixed stop is positioned between the shutter blades to prevent either one of the shutter blades from pivoting in the same direction as the other shutter blade to uncover the aperture when one of the shutter blades is pivoted in its opening direction, whereby when one of the shutter blades is pivoted in its opening direction because a physical shock is applied to the shutter blades in that direction the fixed stop prevents the other blade from pivoting in the same direction to cause accidental shutter opening.

Shutter mechanism prevents accidental shutter opening due to physical

A camera comprising an aperture through which ambient light is passed to cause a film exposure, at least one shutter blade supported for opening movement to uncover the aperture to permit ambient light to pass through the aperture and for closing movement to re-cover the aperture and susceptible of being moved open accidentally such as when the camera is dropped or jarred, and a shutter release button manually depressible to initiate opening movement of the shutter blade, is characterized in that an indicator is activatable to provide a warning the shutter blade has been moved open without the shutter release button having been manually depressed, whereby the warning indicates the shutter blade has been moved open accidentally such as when the camera is dropped or jarred.

Camera with indicator to warn of unintended shutter opening such as when

An underwater camera which comprises a shutter release button having an elastic construction that permits the shutter release button to be manually depressed to initiate shutter opening and to be increasingly depressed because of increases in the water pressure as the underwater depth of the camera is increased, and an underwater depth gauge that indicates increases in the underwater depth of the camera, is characterized in that the underwater depth gauge is coupled with the shutter release button for the underwater depth gauge to indicate increases in the underwater depth of the camera in accordance with increases in the depression of the shutter release button.

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Victor, NY, United States of America

Michael P Cramer