Eastman-kodak Company

Robert J Stanchus

Thomas E Dussinger

Anna C Schelling

William F Dassero

William B Salvas

Anthony F DiGaetano

Anthony Dirisio

Joel S Lawther

Timothy J Fuss

Leonard R Richiuso

Robert L Kuhn

Michael L Wirt

Camera with integral flash feature

Camera covering

A shutter mechanism comprising a shutter that is operated to allow the passage of light, and a self-timer with a shaped memory alloy control that can be deformed and that when subjected to electrical current heats to recover from being deformed and after some delay during recovery initiates operation of the shutter, is characterized in that a manually set timer member is connected to the shaped memory alloy control and is supported to be manually moved to deform the shaped memory alloy control to set the self-timer and for the shaped memory alloy control to reverse-move the timer member during recovery of the shaped memory alloy control.

Shutter mechanism including self-timer with shaped memory alloy control for camera

A camera having a body, a sliding member, a shutter release, and a timer. The sliding member is mounted in the camera body. The sliding member has a shutter button arm and a shutter actuation arm. The sliding member is moveable from a first position to a second position by application of a force to the shutter button arm. The shutter release is disposed in the camera body and is movable from a stopped position to a released position. The shutter release is biased toward the released position. The timer has a delay counter and a linkage coupled to the delay counter for movement in synchronism with the delay counter, from a start configuration to an exposure configuration and to an end configuration. The linkage has a stop that engages the shutter release when the linkage is in the start configuration and the sliding member is in the second position. The stop is disengaged from the shutter release when the linkage is in the exposure configuration. The holdfast grips the sliding member when the sliding member is in the second position and the linkage is in one of the start and exposure configurations. The holdfast is released from the sliding member when the linkage is in the end configuration.

Camera having self timer dwell

A film door restraint and camera used with a film door having a tappet movable between latched and unlatched positions, a film cartridge having a filmstrip and an active light lock movable between open and closed states, and a cartridge spool driver movable in first and second directions of rotation to rotate a spool of said cartridge. The film door restraint has a toggle, a rotational member, and a follower. The toggle is coupled to the active light lock and is capable of tripping between an open position, in which the active light lock is open, and a closed position, in which the active light lock is closed. The toggle is tripped by the tappet when the toggle is in the open position and the tappet is moved from the latched position to the unlatched position. The rotational member is joined to the spool driver for rotation with the spool driver. The rotational member defines primary and secondary guideways. The follower has first and second ends and is disposed to travel along the guideways during the rotation of the rotational member. The second end traps the toggle in the open position when the first end is disposed in the primary guideway. The second end frees the toggle to trip when the first end is disposed in the secondary guideway.

Active light lock coupled restraint and camera

A camera for use with a film cartridge which camera automatically resets a camera operation upon unloading of the film cartridge, the camera includes a camera body for forming a protective enclosure. A retainer is disposed in the camera body that moves to a passive first position upon loading of the film cartridge for permitting the film cartridge to be loaded in the camera body, and that moves to a second active position for engaging the film cartridge upon unloading of the film cartridge that permits partial unloading and prevent full unloading. A logic element is received by the camera body and includes a first state that activates the camera operation and a second state that resets the camera operation. An activation operator is manually engaged for moving the logic element to the activation position, and that either engages or disengages the retainer upon unloading of the film cartridge, which engagement or disengagement consequently causes the operator to move the logic element to the reset position.

Photographic camera having automatic reset of an operation upon

A camera back comprising a light emitting device for recording information on a filmstrip in conjunction with picture-taking, and a film support for ensuring the shape of the filmstrip when information is recorded on the filmstrip, is characterized in that the film support has a plurality of parallel curved film ribs integral with the camera back for shaping the filmstrip in a curve, a recording opening is formed in the camera back adjacent one of the curved film ribs, and the light emitting device has a flat light emitting face positioned over the recording opening at an acute angle with respect to the one film rib.

Camera back

A combined fill-flash/flash-defeat switch of simple and inexpensive design does not require the use of mechanical fasteners. Specifically, a camera is provided that includes a camera body, a circuit board attached to the camera body, an electronic flash unit attached to the camera body; and a fill-flash/flash-defeat control switch assembly that is retained in position by the electronic flash unit. The fill-flash/flash-defeat control switch assembly includes an electrical contact mounted to a carrier assembly, and a fill-flash/flash-defeat switch element pivotally mounted to the camera body, wherein a top portion of the carrier assembly is retained by the electronic flash unit. Guide ribs are provided on the camera body that extend through guide openings in the carrier assembly. The carrier assembly includes a post that is captured by the fill-flash/flash-defeat switch, such that lateral movement of the fill-flash/flash-defeat switch applies a force to the post to cause a corresponding movement of the carrier assembly. The circuit board includes an electrical contact group, and the electric contact mounted to the carrier assembly selectively contacts left and right electrical contacts of the electrical contact group to provide a fill-flash signal and a flash-defeat signal to flash control circuitry of the camera. The flash unit is resiliently biased toward a front cover housing of the camera by an elastic band located between a reflector mounting structure of the electronic flash unit and the camera body. The elastic band is looped around both ends of the electronic flash unit's flash tube. The electronic flash unit also includes a transparent cover mechanically attached to the reflector mounting structure by L-shaped legs on a first side of the transparent cover and substantially straight legs on a second side of the transparent cover.

Fill-flash/flash-defeat switch retained by electronic flash unit

A camera back comprising a film support for ensuring the shape of a filmstrip, is characterized in that the film support has a plurality of parallel film shaping ribs integral with the camera back, an opening for a battery is formed in the camera back to be located across at least some of the film ribs, and a door for closing the opening has integral rib-extensions that are longitudinally aligned with the film ribs across which the opening is located.

Apparatus for automatically moving a film cartridge completely into a cartridge loading chamber includes means for automatically sensing that the cartridge has been partially inserted into the chamber and means for automatically moving the film cartridge fully into the cartridge chamber upon the sensing means sensing that the cartridge has been partially inserted into the chamber.

Automated camera loading chamber

An efficient camera structure permits electrical components to be incorporated within a minimum amount of space. Specifically, a camera is provided that includes a main camera body, a main circuit board attached to a front portion of the main camera body, a dual sided auxiliary circuit board attached to a top portion of the main camera body, a switch element located between the main camera body and the auxiliary circuit board, and at least one electrical component located on a top surface of the auxiliary circuit board. In operation, the switch element contacts an electrical contact located on a bottom surface of the auxiliary circuit board. Electrical components can be attached to the top surface of the auxiliary circuit board. In a preferred embodiment, battery leads are located in slots formed in the auxiliary circuit board. The slots can be sized to create a mechanical snap fit between the battery leads and the slots. The utilization of both sides of the auxiliary circuit board to provide mounting space for electrical components and space for switching contacts enables the overall structure of the camera to be reduced while incorporating many different electrical circuit elements.

Camera including dual sided auxiliary circuit board

A camera for use with a film cartridge having a retractable lip portion that is retracted upon exposure of film in the cartridge, and that is fully extended before exposure of the film, the camera comprises a camera body for forming a protective enclosure. A double exposure hook is disposed in the camera body that latches onto a recess in the retractable lip portion when the film is exposed upon insertion of the cartridge into the camera body for preventing double exposure of the film, and that is forced outwardly upon insertion of the film cartridge when the film is not exposed for permitting the cartridge to be fully inserted. A movable element includes a first position that obstructs viewing through a viewfinder when the cartridge is not inserted, and that is moved to a second position by the double exposure hook upon insertion of the cartridge for permitting viewing through a viewfinder.

Photographic camera having a double exposure protection device combined

A camera for use with a thrust type cartridge having a spool and a photographic filmstrip and method for transporting film in a camera. The camera has a body that defines cartridge and supply chambers and an exposure frame between the chambers. A spindle is disposed in the cartridge chamber to engage the cartridge spool. A supply spool is disposed in the supply chamber and is rotatable about an axis. A cincher is disposed in the supply chamber to cinch the filmstrip to the spool. A film drive is in engagement with the supply spool and the spindle to rotate the supply spool and spindle in opposed advance and rewind directions. A film winder is mounted to the body and is pivotable in first and second opposite directions relative to the body through an arc of less than a full circle. A ratchet and pawl mechanism connects the film winder to the film drive. The ratchet and pawl mechanism is mechanically engaged with the film drive in the first direction of pivoting of the film winder relative to the film drive. The ratchet and pawl mechanism is mechanically disengaged from the film drive in a second direction of pivoting. A crank is mounted to the body and is rotatable, relative to the body, through a full circle in forward and reverse directions of rotation. The crank is engageable with the film drive in both directions of rotation.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Robert J Stanchus