Eastman-kodak Company

Thomas E Dussinger

David C Smart

Edward N Balling

Dennis R Zander

Anna C Schelling

Jude A SanGregory

Robert J Stanchus

Anthony F DiGaetano

Anthony Dirisio

Joel S Lawther

Douglas H Pearson

Jeffrey R Stoneham

Gerald J Kosarko

John M Riley

A camera includes a main body part, a pair of front and rear cover parts that house the main body part between them, and a cover attachment to the front cover part. An operational device is mounted on the main body part to be included within the front and rear cover parts, and is depressible to be activated. The front cover part has a hole positioned over the operational device to permit the operational device to be accessed through the hole to be depressed. The cover attachment to the front cover part covers the hole in the front cover part to conceal the hole, and has an actuating member that is depressible through the hole to depress the operational device.

Camera with cover attachment movable to actuate operational device

Camera with integral flash feature

Camera covering

A camera comprising a chamber for a film cassette having a film spool inside the cassette that is windingly rotated to progressively wind an exposed filmstrip into the cassette and a light lock that is to be closed after the exposed filmstrip is completely wound into the cassette, a rotatable film winder for windingly rotating the film spool, a film sensor urged against the exposed filmstrip before the exposed filmstrip is completely wound into the cassette to sense the presence of the exposed filmstrip, and a closing mechanism movable to close the light lock when the exposed filmstrip is completely wound into the cassette, is characterized in that the film winder has an urging component that urges the film sensor against the exposed filmstrip only when the film winder is rotated, whereby the film sensor is not urged against the exposed filmstrip when the film winder is stationary. Thus, the film sensor will not distort the filmstrip during exposure.

Camera with film sensor to determine when to close cassette not urged

A one-time-use camera comprising a film cassette with a film spool that is rotated in an unwinding direction during camera manufacture to unwind a filmstrip from the cassette to form an unexposed film roll and in a winding direction during camera use to wind the filmstrip from the unexposed film roll into the cassette and with a light lock that is open when the filmstrip is unwound from the cassette or wound into the cassette and that is otherwise closed, a closing mechanism operable to close the light lock which includes a film sensor, and a film winder rotatable in the winding and unwinding directions when coaxially engaged with the film spool and engageable with the closing mechanism to operate the closing mechanism to close the light lock, is characterized in that the closing mechanism has an engageable portion that can be engaged with the film winder to cause rotation of the film winder in the winding direction to urge the film sensor against the filmstrip and a non-engageable portion that cannot be engaged with the film winder, and is supported for movement to position the non-engageable portion against the film winder to prevent the engageable portion from being engaged with the film winder when the film winder is rotated in the unwinding direction, whereby the engageable portion will be protected from becoming worn when the film winder is coaxially engaged with the film spool and rotated in the unwinding direction during camera manufacture.

One-time-use camera with closing mechanism to close cassette disabled

A one-time-use camera comprising a film cassette which has a filmstrip that is to be progressively wind into the cassette following each exposure and a light lock that is to be closed after the filmstrip is completely wound into the cassette, and a single-piece closing unit for closing the light lock which has a film sensing portion in contact with the filmstrip as the filmstrip is progressively wound into the cassette to determine when the filmstrip is completely wound into the cassette and a closing portion movable to close the light lock when the film sensing portion determines that the filmstrip is completely would into the cassette, is characterized in that a fixed stop is arranged opposite the cassette to form a capture space for the film sensing portion between the fixed stop and the cassette, the film sensing portion is connected to the closing portion at an intermediate weakened portion that is constructed to allow the film sensing portion to be folded towards the closing portion without becoming separated from the closing portion, and the single-piece closing unit is supported for pivotal movement to pivot the closing portion to close the light lock and to pivot the film sensing portion sequentially against the fixed stop and folded into the capture space, whereby the film sensing portion will be trapped in the capture space without being separated from the closing portion to secure the closing portion in place holding the light lock closed.

One-time-use camera with film sensor to determine when to close cassette

A camera comprising a slide manually movable in forward and reverse directions, and a spool drive device connectable with a film spool for rotation in a winding direction to similarly rotate the film spool, is characterized in that the slide and the spool drive device are engaged with each other at a first location, to rotate the spool drive device in the winding direction, and simultaneously slip in contact with each other at an opposite location, to not interfere with rotation of the spool drive device in the winding direction, when the slide is moved in the forward direction, and are engaged with each other at the opposite location, to rotate the spool drive device in the winding direction, and simultaneously slip in contact with each other at the first location, to not interfere with rotation of the spool drive device in the winding direction, when the slide is moved in the reverse direction, whereby a two-way drive coupling is created between the slide and the spool drive device.

Film advance mechanism for camera

A camera comprising a film winder rotatable in a film winding direction for winding an exposed filmstrip into a film cassette, and a closing mechanism movable to a final position to close a light lock of the film cassette and able to be reset to a starting position to be used again, is characterized in that the film winder is rotatable in a reverse direction which is opposite to the film winding direction, and a resetting device coupled with the film winder resets the closing mechanism from its final position to its starting position when the film winder is rotated in the reverse direction.

Camera with film winder that can reset closing mechanism for closing

A camera for use with a film cassette having a spool rotatable to wind an exposed filmstrip including a trailing film end portion into the cassette and a light lock movable to be closed after the trailing film end portion is wound into the cassette, comprising a film winder rotatable in engagement with the spool in a film winding direction to rotate the spool in the same direction to wind the exposed filmstrip including the trailing film end portion into the cassette, and a closing actuator movable in engagement with the light lock to close the light lock, is characterized in that a drive motor is drivingly connected with the film winder to rotate the film winder in the film winding direction, and a motor switch capable of changing state to turn off the drive motor is disposed to change state to turn off the drive motor when the closing actuator is moved to close the light lock.

Closing light lock of film cassette turns off film-wind-into-cassette

A camera comprises a slide manually movable in a forward direction and in a reverse direction; a spool drive member adapted to be connected to a film spool for driving rotation in a winding direction to windingly rotate the film spool to wind an exposed film onto the film spool; and a two-way coupling between the slide and the spool drive member to drivingly rotate the spool drive member in the winding direction in order to windingly rotate the film spool when the slide is manually moved in the forward and reverse directions.

A camera having a body portion with a cartridge chamber for retaining a film cartridge and a film chamber for retaining a filmstrip includes a cover coupled to the body portion and movable in opposite directions between an opened and a closed position having a gear rack having a set of linearly arranged engagement teeth. A drive gear having an engaging portion for engaging the film cartridge is moved into engagement with the gear rack to wind the filmstrip into the film cartridge when said cover is moved in one of the opposite directions, and is moved out of engagement with the gear rack when the cover is moved in the other direction to prevent film winding.

Film advance in a pump camera

A camera includes a body portion having a cartridge chamber for retaining a film cartridge and a film chamber for retaining a filmstrip a pump cover coupled to the body portion and movable in opposite directions between an opened and a closed position, as well as a rotatable film winding for engaging the film cartridge to wind filmstrip into the film cartridge as the gear is rotated. An engageable locking lever prevents the gear from being rotated until disengaged by movement of the cover in one of the opposite directions in which a movable gear rack having a set of engagement teeth engages the unlocked film winding gear and rotates the film winding gear when the cover is moved in one of the opposite directions to wind film into a film cartridge.

Pump camera

A camera includes a body portion having a cartridge chamber for a film cartridge and a film chamber for a filmstrip, a high energy lever returnable to a cocked position, and a film metering pawl movable in engagement with the filmstrip. The film metering pawl is placed in engagement with the filmstrip to prevent winding of the filmstrip into the cartridge, and released from engagement when the high energy lever is being returned to its cocked position to permit the filmstrip to be wound into the cartridge. The film metering pawl is movable to a film metered position where it is locked and the film advance is disabled.

Film metering mechanism

A camera includes a depressible shutter relase button; and a film metering mechanism for metering a filmstrip in the camera. The shutter release button is positioned on one side of a pivotable trigger which raises a release element when the shutter release button is depressed. The release element, coupled to the film metering mechanism, remains in a raised position until the film metering mechanism has metered the filmstrip. Preferably, the shutter release can be used in a pump-action camera, the shutter release remaining hidden until a succeeding exposure frame has been advanced and metered.

Growing community of inventors

Henrietta, NY, United States of America

Thomas E Dussinger