Compact camera with flash unit

• US 4,796,034 A
• Filed: 03/16/1988
• Issued: 01/03/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Leonard, Bruce A., Couch, James S., Mervar, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mathews, A. A.
• Application Number:
  US07/168,813
• Time in Patent Office: 293 Days
• Field of Search: 354/126, 354/145.1, 354/149.1, 354/149.11, 354/219, 354/288
• US Class Current: 396/178
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0507 Pop-up mechanisms

Abstract

A compact camera includes an elongate electronic flash unit that is mounted at the rear of the camera body, proximate a rear viewfinder window, for rotation generally about the viewfinder window. The flash unit is rotatable between a folded inoperative position within a recessed area of the camera body and an erect operative position sufficiently higher than the camera lens to substantially prevent red-eye druing a flash exposure.

Claims

1. An improved photographic camera including a built-in electronic flash unit, wherein (a) a rear viewfinder window is provided on the camera body for viewing a subject to be photographed and (b) mounting means supports said flash unit for movement relative to said camera body between a folded inoperative position against the camera body and an erect operative position elevated higher than said viewfinder window, and wherein the improvement comprises:

said mounting means supports said flash unit for enabling the flash unit to be swung between its folded and erect positions about a pivot axis which extends through said rear viewfinder window.

2. The improvement as recited in claim 1, wherein said mounting means supports said flash unit to locate its pivot axis in coaxial relation with a viewing axis through said rear viewfinder window.

3. The improvement as recited in claim 1, wherein said mounting means supports said flash unit proximate said rear viewfinder window for enabling the flash unit to be swung generally about the viewfinder window.

4. The improvement as recited in claims 2 or 3, wherein said photographic camera includes a taking lens having an optical axis, and wherein said camera body supports said rear viewfinder window to locate its viewing axis substantially parallel to and directly above the optical axis of said taking lens.

5. The improvement as recited in claim 2, wherein said camera body includes a rear face provided with a recessed area having a concave-shaped edge evenly spaced from the pivot axis of said flash unit, said mounting means supports said flash unit to be swung within said recessed area from and to its folded position generally in a plane substantially parallel to said rear face, and said flash unit has a convex-shaped edge arranged in contiguous relation with said concave-shaped edge of the recessed area as the flash unit is swung within the recessed area.