Gte Sylvania Incorporated

Gte Products Corporation

William T Colville

David W Mecone

John W Shaffer

Emery G Audesse

Donald W Hartman

A photoflash unit comprising a linear array of flashlamps mounted on a printed circuit strip disposed within the longitudinal channel of an elongated housing member having an enclosing cover panel of light-transmitting material. The unit has connector terminals at opposite ends, and the linear array of flashlamps is divided into two groups disposed in opposite halves of the unit, each group of lamps being operated by the connector terminals at the remote end so as to reduce the red-eye photographic effect. The lamp-firing circuitry includes a pair of common circuit conductor runs respectively located on opposite halves of the printed circuit strip and on opposite sides of a common surface. An interconnecting jumper, or crossover, between the common circuit runs is provided through continuous conductive reflector surfaces on the housing channel which make contact with conductive deposits extending from the respective common circuit runs to the edge of the printed circuit strip.

Multilamp photoflash unit with circuit crossover

A multilamp photoflash unit which includes an elongated housing, a circuit board located within a longitudinal channel within the housing, and several (e.g. six) electrically-activated flashlamps. The flashlamps utilize preformed lead-in wires which are clamped to peripheral side walls of the circuit board's insulative strip members to both secure the lamps in a linear orientation and to electrically connect portions of the lead-in wires to selected areas of the board's lamp-firing circuitry.

Photoflash unit utilizing circuit board having flashlamps clamped thereto

A multilamp photoflash assembly comprising a housing defining two adjacent regions therein, a plurality of flashlamps within one of said regions having at least one pre-energized striking mechanism associated with each of said lamps, and a rotatable actuating member for sequentially actuating each of the striking mechanisms and thus cause firing of the lamps. In another embodiment, there is disclosed a photoflash assembly wherein a plurality of flashlamps are located within both of said regions and a single actuator is used. In still another embodiment, both regions of the support member are occupied with flashlamps and a pair of rotatable actuators are employed.

Multilamp photoflash assembly with rotatable actuator

A photoflash lamp array comprising a plurality of low voltage filament-type flashlamps mounted on a printed circuit board containing circuitry for sequentially igniting the flashlamps in response to successive low voltage firing pulses applied thereto. A plurality of reflectors respectively associated with the flashlamps are disposed between the lamps and the circuit board, with each reflector having an aperture in alignment with a corresponding aperture in the circuit board. The lamps are divided into upper and lower groups, with the circuit board having an upper connector coupled to the lower group of lamps and a lower connector coupled to the upper group of lamps, whereby one group of lamps functions as an extender for the other group to reduce the 'red-eye' photographic effect. Connected in series with each but the first lamp of each group is a radiant-energy-activated quick-connect switch comprising a patch of heat shrinkable polymeric material attached to the circuit board and extending across a respective one of the apertures therein, a fixed contact attached to a first portion of the circuitry, and a resilient movable contact, such as a segment of spring wire, connected at one end to a second portion of the circuitry and having a bent segment at the other end which contacts the polymeric material in alignment with the respective aperture. The movable contact overlies the fixed contact and is held in a preenergized spaced apart relationship therefrom by the bent segment bearing against the polymeric material. Upon ignition of a flashlamp aligned with the respective aperture, the resulting radiant output rapidly melts away the heat shrinkable material from the aperture and thereby releases the movable contact to resiliently engage the fixed contact as the bent segment enters the circuit board aperture.

Multilamp photoflash unit having radiant-energy-activated quick-connect

A photoflash lamp array comprising a plurality of high voltage type flashlamps mounted on a printed circuit board containing circuitry for sequentially igniting the flashlamps in response to successive high voltage firing pulses applied thereto. A plurality of reflectors respectively associated with the flashlamps are disposed between the lamps and circuit board, with each reflector having an aperture in alignment with a corresponding aperture in the circuit board. Connected in series with each but the last lamp of the array is a radiant-energy-activated quick-disconnect switch comprising a strip of electrically conductive heat shrinkable, polymeric material which is attached at both ends to the circuit board so as to bridge a respective one of the apertures therein. Upon ignition of its associated flashlamp, each disconnect switch is operative in response to the resulting radiation through the aperture aligned therewith to rapidly provide a reliable open circuit to high voltages, thereby permitting reliable flashing of the lamps in rapid succession.

Growing community of inventors

Williamsport, PA, United States of America

William T Colville