Film-loaded disposable camera

• US 5,239,326 A
• Filed: 08/07/1991
• Issued: 08/24/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Senshukai
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Senshukai
• Inventors: Takai, Tsunemasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Gellner, Michael L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLANKENSHIP, HOWARD BENNETT
• Application Number:
  US07/741,618
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 354/286, 354/295, 354/296
• US Class Current: 396/529
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 19/04 Roll-film cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2219/045 adapted for unloading the film in the processing laboratory, e.g. disposable, reusable or recyclable cameras

Abstract

The present invention provides a film-loaded disposable camera so structured that a lens frame with an auxiliary lens is detachably mounted on the camera body to enable the lens frame to be exchanged or interchanged with other lens frames with different types of lenses as desired, such as a normal lens, a wide-angle lens, a telephoto lens, a fish-eye lens, and a contact-photo lens. Thus, different kinds of photographs may be taken as desired by using the desired types of lenses with a single camera body.

Claims

1. A film-loaded disposable camera comprising:

an auxiliary lens unit including an auxiliary lens frame and an auxiliary lens fixed in said lens frame;

a disposable camera unit including a camera body having a photo opening formed in a front face thereof, a master lens mounted in said camera body in alignment with said photo opening, and a mounting means fixed to said front face of said camera body about a periphery of said photo opening for detachably mounting said auxiliary lens unit to said camera body in alignment with said master lens; and

wherein said mounting means comprises a plurality of projections fixed to said front face of said camera body about the periphery of said photo opening and projecting forwardly from said front face.

2. A film-loaded disposable camera as recited in claim 1, wherein

said plurality of projections comprises a plurality of latch pins, said auxiliary lens frame of said auxiliary lens unit being elastically and detachably engageable about said plurality of latch pins.

3. A film-loaded disposable camera as recited in claim 1, wherein

said plurality of projections comprises a pair of vertically elongated protuberances fixed to said front face on opposing sides of said photo opening, said auxiliary lens frame of said auxiliary lens unit being tightly engageable between said vertically elongated protuberances.

4. A film-loaded disposable camera as recited in claim 3, wherein

said plurality of projections further comprises a laterally elongated latch protuberance fixed to said front face below said photo opening.

5. A film-loaded disposable camera for use with exchangeable auxiliary lens units respectively having auxiliary lens frames and auxiliary lenses fixed in said lens frames, said camera comprising:

a camera body having a photo opening formed in a front face thereof;

a master lens mounted in said camera body in alignment with said photo opening;

a mounting means for detachably mounting one of the exchangeable auxiliary lens to said camera body in alignment with said master lens; and

wherein said mounting means comprises a plurality of projections fixed to said front face of said camera body about a periphery of said photo opening and projecting forwardly from said front face.

6. A film-loaded disposable camera as recited in claim 5, wherein

said plurality of projections comprises a plurality of latch pins.

7. A film-loaded disposable camera as recited in claim 5, wherein

said plurality of projections comprises a pair of vertically elongated protuberances fixed to said front face on opposing sides of said photo opening.

8. A film-loaded disposable camera as recited in claim 7, wherein

said plurality of projections further comprises a laterally elongated latch protuberance fixed to said front face below said photo opening.