Flash socket assembly

Claim 2

A photographic camera including a flash socket assembly for receiving a multilamp flash assembly having an array of lamps of common orientation and a support structure from which extends a connector blade carrying a set of electrical terminals for the lamps, said camera comprising: means defining an entrance slot in said socket assembly for receiving the connector blade of a flash assembly; fulcrum means establishing a fulcrum axis oriented parallel to said entrance slot and adapted to engage the support structure of the flash assembly intermediate an edge thereof and the connector blade, said fulcrum axis located sufficiently close to said entrance slot such that upon receiving an applied force in a direction toward said fulcrum axis, the flash assembly and its connector blade will pivot about said fulcrum axis to minimize the dislodging effect of the blow upon the connector blade; blade support means for guiding the blade of a flash assembly from said entrance slot into an operative position within said socket assembly and for supporting the blade in said operative position; and contact means for making electrical contact with the terminals on a connector blade inserted into said socket assembly.

Claim 3

The apparatus defined by claim 1 wherein said distance is substantially less than the depth to which the connector blade of the flash assembly penetrates said socket assembly when fully inserted.

Claim 4

A photographic camera having housing means including a predetermined surface portion, a flash socket assembly for receiving a multilamp flash assembly having an array of lamps of common orientation and support structure of width B from which extends a centrally located connector blade carrying a set of electrical terminals for the lamps, said camera comprising: means defining an entrance slot in said socket assembly adjacent said surface portion of said housing for receiving the connector blade of the flash assembly; fulcrum means establishing a fulcrum axis parallel to said entrance slot and located between said entrance slot and said surface portion and adapted to engage the support structure of the flash assembly intermediate an edge thereof and the connector blade, said fulcrum axis being above said surface portion and spaced from said entrance slot a distance F which is less than one-half the width B of the support structure of the flash assembly such that upon receiving an applied force in a direction toward said fulcrum axis, the flash assembly and its connector blade will pivot about said fulcrum axis rather than about the edge of the support structure of the flash assembly, thereby minimizing the dislodging effect of the blow upon the connector blade; blade support means for guiding the blade of the flash assembly from said entrance slot into an operative position within said socket assembly and for supporting the blade in said operative position; and contact means for making electrical contact with the terminals on the connector blade received in said socket assembly.

Claim 5

A photographic camera having housing means including a predetermined surface portion, a flash socket assembly for receiving a multilamp flash assembly having an array of lamps of common orientation and support structure of width B from which extends a centrally located connector blade carrying a set of electrical terminals for the lamps, said camera comprising: means defining an entrance slot in said socket assembly adjacent said surface portion of said housing for receiving the connector blade of the flash assembly; fulcrum means establishing a fulcrum axis parallel to said entrance slot and located between said entrance slot and said surface portion and adapted to engage the support structure of the flash assembly intermediate an edge thereof and the connector blade, said fulcrum axis being above said surface portion and spaced from said entrance slot a distance F which is less than one-half the width B of the support structure of the flash assembly such that upon receiving an applied force in a direction toward said fulcrum axis, the flash assembly and its connector blade will pivot about said fulcrum axis rather than about the edge of the support structure of the flash assembly, thereby minimizing the dislodging effect of the blow upon the connector blade; blade support means for guiding the blade of the flash assembly from said entrance slot into an operative position within said socket assembly and for supporting the blade in said operative position; and contact means for making electrical contact with the terminals on the connector blade received in said socket assembly.

Claim 6

The apparatus defined by claim 3 wherein said distance F is substantially less than the depth to which the connector blade of the flash assembly penetrates said socket assembly when fully inserted.

Claim 7

The apparatus defined by claim 3 including a boss having a top surface which is raised above said surface portion of said housing and which has said entrance slot formed therein, said boss defining an edge located said distance F from said entrance slot which establishes said fulcrum axis.

Claim 8

The apparatus defined by claim 5 wherein said socket assembly includes a molded body composed of an electrically insulative plastic material and having formed integrally therein said boss and said blade support means, said body defining an outwardly beveled mouth surrounding said entrance slot for guiding the connector blade of a flash assembly into said entrance slot.

Claim 9

The apparatus defined by claim 6 wherein said contact means comprises a plurality of resilient contact members which exert a predetermined loading on the blade producing frictional forces which are effective to retain the flash assembly securely in said socket assembly.

Claim 10

The apparatus defined by claim 5 wherein said distance F is substantially less than the depth to which the connector blade of the flash assembly penetrates said socket assembly when fully inserted.

Claim 11

A photographic camera having a front assembly, a socket assembly in said front assembly for receiving a multilamp flash assembly having an array of lamps of common orientation and a support structure from the center of which extends a connector blade carrying a set of electrical terminal strips for the lamps in the flash assembly, comprising: a molded socket body comprising: means defining a boss having a top surface which is raised above and generally parallel with a predetermined surface portion of a housing for said front assembly, said top surface having formed centrally therein an entrance slot for receiving the connector blade of the flash assembly and forward and rear edges which are substantially parallel with said entrance slot, said top surface being substantially less in its front edge-to-rear edge dimension than the corresponding dimension of the base of the flash assembly, such that upon receiving an inadvertent forward or rearward impulse or force, the flash assembly and its connector blade will pivot about the forward or rear edge of said top surface rather than about a forward or rear edge of the base of the flash assembly, thereby minimizing the dislodging effect of such impulse or force on the connector blade; blade support means for guiding the blade from said entrance slot into an operative position within said socket assembly and for supporting the blade in said operativE position; and contact means for making electrical contact with said terminal strips of a connector blade received in said socket assembly.

Claim 12

A photographic camera having a front assembly, a socket assembly in said front assembly for receiving a multilamp flash assembly having an array of lamps of common orientation and a support structure from the center of which extends a connector blade carrying a set of electrical terminal strips for the lamps in the flash assembly, comprising: a molded socket body comprising: means defining a boss having a top surface which is raised above and generally parallel with a predetermined surface portion of a housing for said front assembly, said top surface having formed centrally therein an entrance slot for receiving the connector blade of the flash assembly and forward and rear edges which are substantially parallel with said entrance slot, said top surface being substantially less in its front edge-to-rear edge dimension than the corresponding dimension of the base of the flash assembly, such that upon receiving an inadvertent forward or rearward impulse or force, the flash assembly and its connector blade will pivot about the forward or rear edge of said top surface rather than about a forward or rear edge of the base of the flash assembly, thereby minimizing the dislodging effect of such impulse or force on the connector blade; blade support means for guiding the blade from said entrance slot into an operative position within said socket assembly and for supporting the blade in said operativE position; and contact means for making electrical contact with said terminal strips of a connector blade received in said socket assembly.

Claim 13

The apparatus defined by claim 9 wherein said contact means comprises a plurality of resilient, rearwardly facing contact members which exert a predetermined loading on the blade producing frictional forces which are effective to retain the flash assembly securely in said socket assembly.

Claim 14

The apparatus defined by claim 10 wherein the distance from said entrance slot to at least one of said forward and rear edges of said top surface of said boss is substantially less than the depth to which the connector blade of the flash assembly penetrates said socket assembly when fully inserted.