Camera having label mounted electrical component

• US 6,278,841 B1
• Filed: 07/26/1999
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Smith, Stephen J., Boyd, James D., Cramer, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US09/361,057
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 396/6, 396/535, 396/542
• US Class Current: 396/6
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 19/04 Roll-film cameras

Abstract

An improved camera has a label including an electrical component. The label is precisely placed and adhered to operatively and simply connect the component and a camera subsystem. The component can be a liquid crystal display. The electrical connection provided can be non-mating contact.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

a body having a casing and an electrical subsystem disposed within said casing, said electrical subsystem having first and second leads;

a label including an attachment portion adhered to said body and an electrical component joined to said attachment portion, said electrical component having first and second terminals, said attachment portion holding said terminals in non-mating contact with respective said leads.

2. The camera of claim 1 wherein said terminals and said leads each have a contact portion and said contact portions of respective said terminals and leads are butted together.

3. The camera of claim 2 wherein said contact portions of respective said terminals and leads are concentric to within ±

0.3 mm.

4. The camera of claim 2 wherein said contact portions of respective said terminals and leads are concentric to within ±

0.2 mm.

5. The camera of claim 2 wherein said contact portions of respective said terminals and leads are concentric to within ±

0.1 mm.

6. The camera of claim 1 wherein said first and second terminals are concentric and said first and second leads are concentric.

7. The camera of claim 6 wherein said first terminal and said first lead are each tubular and have the same radius and said second terminal and said second lead are each cylindrical and have a radial thickness equal to said radius.

8. The camera of claim 7 wherein said radius is less than 0.6 mm.

9. The camera of claim 7 wherein said radius is less than 0.4 mm.

10. The camera of claim 7 wherein said radius is less than 0.2 mm.

11. The camera of claim 1 wherein said label has an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface facing said casing, said outer surface being opposite said inner surface, said electrical component being interior to said outer surface.

12. The camera of claim 11 wherein said electrical component is a circuit trace.

13. The camera of claim 12 wherein said body includes a flash subsystem having a charging circuit and said circuit trace is part of said charging circuit.

14. The camera of claim 1 wherein said electrical component is a voltage indicator.

15. The camera of claim 14 wherein said voltage indicator is substantially planar.

16. The camera of claim 1 wherein said body includes an electrical subsystem and said electrical component is a liquid crystal display.

17. The camera of claim 16 wherein said liquid crystal display has a pair of opposed electrodes and an array of liquid crystal cells, said electrodes being electrically connected to said electrical subsystem through said terminals, said cells being subject to visible phase change responsive to a corresponding sequence of voltages across said electrodes.

18. The camera of claim 17 wherein said electrical subsystem is a flash subsystem.

19. The camera of claim 18 wherein said label has an array of indicia adjoining said liquid crystal cells, said indicia identifying a sequence of flash ranges corresponding to said voltages.

20. A camera comprising:

a body including an electrical subsystem, said body having a surface, said subsystem having first and second leads disposed at said surface, said subsystem supplying a voltage across said leads;

a label including an attachment portion adhered to said surface and a liquid crystal display joined to said attachment portion, said liquid crystal display having first and second terminals, a pair of opposed electrodes, and at least one liquid crystal cell, said terminals and respective said leads being in contact, said electrodes being electrically connected to said terminals, said cell being disposed between said electrodes, said cell exhibiting a visible phase change responsive to said supplying of said voltage.

21. The camera of claim 20 wherein said subsystem supplies a sequence of voltages across said leads and said liquid crystal display includes an array of said liquid crystal cells disposed between said electrodes, said cells each exhibiting said visible phase change at a different one of said voltages.

22. The camera of claim 21 wherein said subsystem includes a flash capacitor and a circuit for charging said flash capacitor and said subsystem supplies said voltages across said leads proportional to said charging.

23. The camera of claim 22 wherein said terminals and respective said leads contact in non-mating relation.

24. The camera of claim 20 wherein said terminals and said leads each have a contact portion and said contact portions of respective said terminals and leads are butted together.

25. The camera of claim 24 wherein said contact portions of respective said terminals and leads are concentric to within ±

0.3 mm.

26. The camera of claim 24 wherein said contact portions of respective said terminals and leads are concentric to within ±

0.2 mm.

27. The camera of claim 24 wherein said contact portions of respective said terminals and leads are concentric to within ±

0.1 mm.