Eastman-Kodak Company

Richard A Gates

Robert P Cloutier

Dana W Wolcott

Jeffrey R Stoneham

William L Burnham

Andrew T Cooper

Myron E Fox

An improvement is provided in a camera having a movable lens mount for supporting a taking lens. The improvement includes at least one light blocking shield which is movable between (1) a panoramic position in which light passing through the taking lens is partially blocked from reaching a photographic film such that a vertically reduced panoramic image can be recorded on the photographic film and (2) a normal position in which light passing through the taking lens is not blocked by the light blocking shield such that a normal image can be recorded on the film. The light blocking shield is automatically moved towards the normal position as the movable lens mount is being retracted into a storage position such that the movable lens mount can be fully retracted into the storage position without interference from the light blocking shield.

Camera in which a light blocking shield is automatically moved towards a

A camera which comprises a camera housing, containing a viewfinder system and a back wall. The camera further comprises a deployable objective lens, having an optical axis that is substantially normal to the back wall of the camera housing throughout lens deployment. The objective lens is spaced apart from the viewfinder system in at least a lateral dimension and from the back wall in at least a forward dimension. A deployment assembly, supported by the camera housing, deploys the objective lens between a compact storage position and a range of operational focus positions. The deployment assembly is positioned, configured and dimensioned to produce an arcuate deployment path that approximates a theoretical lens path, for simultaneous parallax correction and focus adjustment, between an infinity focus position and a near focus position. The deployment assembly includes a carriage, to whcih the objective lens is mounted. The carriage has a first side and an opposite side separated by a transverse dimension. The carriage is supported by the camera housing by means of front and rear support links, having equal lengths. Each support link is pivotally connected to the camera housing at a proximal end, and to the front side of the carriage at a distal end. The rear support link is spaced apart from the front support link by a predetermined bearing distance in the forward dimension. The arcuate deployment path, produced by the deployment assembly, has a radius of curavature equal to the length of the support links.

Automatic parallax correction in deploying lens camera

A plurality of pivotally mounted lens frames are positioned by cam means and gear means to produce normal, tele, and pan viewing.

Viewfinder

A disposable single-use camera is generally of the type wherein an inner camera part is pre-loaded with film and includes a taking lens, and an outer sealed pack contains the inner camera part and has an opening for the taking lens. The inner camera part has flash synchronization access ports and the outer sealed pack is constructed of a perforable material which overlays the access ports. An accessory re-usable electronic flash unit intended for use with the disposable camera has electrically conductive flash synchronization pins shaped to perforate the outer sealed pack to enter the access ports to connect the flash unit to the disposable camera. According to the invention, the inner camera part includes engageable locator means fixed with respect to the acccess ports, and the flash unit includes positioning means adapted to perforate the outer sealed pack before the flash synchronization pins can perforate the pack for engaging the locator means to properly position the pins for entry into the access ports.

Disposable single-use camera and accessory re-usable electronic flash

A camera view finder comprises three separate lenses for producing images corresponding to desired pseudo effects. The lenses are mounted in parallel frames which are supported for rectilinear movement. A cam means is provided to selectively position the frames into a viewing position.

Camera view finder

A view finder comprises three lenses which are mounted for pivotal movement about three separate axis. Cam means are provided for moving the lenses between a viewing position and folded positions. The cam means includes a single plate movable along a rectilinear path to effect position of the lenses.

A control mechanism for a motorized disk film camera which is of simple, compact and inexpensive construction and yet provides one-button operation to expose the film and actuate a motor which disengages the film and cocks the shutter, then advances and locates the film. The camera requires no expensive control components or switching mechanisms to synchronize the operation of the camera or to initialize a cartridge when it is loaded into the camera.

Motor-driven camera control mechanism

A motorized disk film camera which is of simple, compact and inexpensive construction and yet provides one-button operation to expose the film and actuate a motor which disengages the film and cocks the shutter, then advances the locates the film. The camera requires no separate operation to initialize a cartridge when it is loaded into the camera. The shutter actuation does not require a long button stroke and the motor drive and control is simple and inexpensive.

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Hilton, NY, United States of America

Richard A Gates