Eastman-kodak Company

Ralph M Lyon

Joel S Lawther

Steven S Chapman

Alan V Vandemoere

Edward N Balling

William H Goddard

David C Smart

Bruce A Leonard

William L Burnham

Mark A Lamphron

Randy E Horning

Daniel C Jackson

Jerry L Hargrave

Michael J Poccia

A multi-lamp flash carrier comprises a plurality of flash lamps and a lamp support for arranging the individual lamps in a spatial succession. The lamp support includes respective lamp holders for the individual lamps, which have integral resilient couplers for connecting the lamp holders to one another and for permitting separation of the lamp holders from one another to selectively change the number of lamp holders for the lamp support and, thus, similarly change the number of flash lamps for the multi-lamp flash carrier. A camera to be used with the multi-lamp flash carrier has a drive for moving the multi-lamp flash carrier to advance the flash lamps successively to a use position for illuminating a subject being photographed. The drive is adjustable to accommodate changing the number of flash lamps for the multi-lamp flash carrier.

Variable number multi-lamp flash carrier and camera

A compact camera comprising a camera body, a multi-lamp flash unit supported for movement relative to the camera body to advance respective flash lamps successively to a flash illumination position for illuminating a subject being photographed, and a drive assembly actuated to move the flash unit to advance the flash lamps to the flash illumination position in coordination with film movement to advance respective unexposed film sections successively to an exposure position in the camera body, is characterized in that the flash unit is supported for movement to a folded position collapsed to the camera body for compactness, and separated from the drive assembly to prevent actuation of the drive assembly from moving the flash unit, and to an unfolded position extended from the camera body to be used, and engaged with the drive assembly to permit actuation of the drive assembly to move the flash unit.

Compact camera with flip-up multi-lamp flash wheel

Flash camera

Flash camera with partial-cover carton

A compact camera comprising a camera body, a multi-lamp flash unit supported for movement relative to the camera body to advance respective flash lamps successively to a flash illumination position for illuminating a subject being photographed, and a drive assembly actuated in engagement with the flash unit to move the flash unit to advance the flash lamps to the flash illumination position in coordination with film movement to advance respective unexposed film sections successively to an exposure position in the camera body, is characterized in that the flash unit is supported for movement to a folded position collapsed to the camera body for compactness and to an unfolded position extended from the camera body to be used, and the drive assembly remains in engagement with the flash unit during movement of the flash unit between its folded and extended positions.

A compact camera such as a one-time-use camera comprises a camera body and a throw-away carrier-with-battery unit. The throw-away carrier-with-battery unit is connected to the camera body to be supported for movement between one position, substantially against the camera body, and another position, extended from the camera body, and is disconnectable from the camera body to permit the throw-away carrier-with-battery unit to be replaced with a fresh one. Since, in the case of a one-time-use camera, the carrier-with-battery unit must be replaced with a fresh one for the camera electronics to be suitably powered, unauthorized recycling of the one-time-use camera is made difficult. Preferably, the camera body has a lens opening which contains a taking lens, and the throw-away carrier-with-battery unit is configured to cover the lens opening when the carrier-with-battery unit is moved to its one position and to uncover the lens opening when the carrier-with-battery unit is moved to its other position. Alternately, or in addition, the throw-away carrier-with-battery unit may include an integral throw-away flash illumination device.

One-time-use camera with throw-away foldable carrier for flat battery

A camera comprising a main body part having a film chamber, and a multi-lamp flash wheel supported for rotation to move successive flash lamps from a storage to a use position for illuminating a subject to be photographed. The multi-lamp flash wheel is rotatable about the film chamber to make the camera relatively compact.

Compact camera with multi-lamp flash wheel rotatable about film chamber

A camera has a chamber for holding a film cassette and a lid for closing the chamber. An ingress opening to the chamber is located to admit an insertion tool into the chamber to push the cassette against the lid to move the lid to open the chamber, to permit the cassette to be pushed out of the chamber. The chamber and the lid have respective peripheries with mutually engaging light-trapping portions which engage to secure the lid to light-tightly close the chamber, but which are separated when the lid is moved to open the chamber. The lid is flexible and has a fixed projection which protrudes into the chamber to be pushed by the cassette to flex the lid partially out of the chamber to make the engaging portion of the lid separate from the engaging portion of the chamber.

One-time-use camera with lid flexed to uncover chamber when cassette

A camera comprising an optical viewfinder with a pair of aligned front and rear lenses for viewing a subject to be photographed, and a multi-lamp flash wheel rotatable to move respective one-time-use flash lamps to a use position for illuminating the subject, is characterized in that the multi-lamp flash wheel has a lamp cover wheel which is transparent to transmit the illumination from each of the flash lamps in the use position, and the front lens is an integral centered portion of the lamp cover wheel.

Camera with multi-lamp flash wheel

A camera comprising a light sensitive film on which a certain number of exposures can be made, and a multi-lamp flash source having a plurality of one-time-use flash lamps equal in number to the total number of exposures to be made on the film, is characterized in that the multi-lamp flash source has consecutive indicators proximate the respective lamps for indicating the number of exposures available to be made and is supported for movement to move the respective lamps from a storage to a use position for illuminating a subject to be photographed and, substantially simultaneously, to move the respective indicators from a concealed to a visible position.

Camera with combination multi-lamp flash source and exposure counter

A camera comprising a viewfinder for defining a field of view provided with a given aspect ratio, and a pair of front and rear masks insertable in the field of view to position respective larger and smaller openings of the front and rear masks in the field of view to change the aspect ratio of the field of view, is characterized in that a differential gear mechanism connects the front and rear masks for moving the front mask a greater extent than the rear mask is moved, to position the larger and smaller openings in the field of view.

Differential viewfinder masks

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

Combined all-weather camera and a housing therefor

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.

An optical system including first and second lens groups disposed for relative movement along an optical axis and coupled together by a cam and follower mechanism for controlling such relative movement to change the focal length of the optical system. The system is characterized by a mechanism for offsetting relative movement between the lens groups along the optical axis caused by lateral movement of the lens groups essentially normal to the axis, thereby to maintain the focal length constant in the presence of the lateral movement.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Ralph M Lyon