Camera

Claim 2

A camera of the type having (1) a housing defining a space for receiving a cartridge containing roll film, (2) transport means for advancing the film of a received cartridge along an exposure plane in said camera, (3) metering means having an active condition for disabling said transport means and an inactive condition, (4) a shutter mechanism operable to effect exposure of a frame of film at said exposure plane, and (5) a shutter release member movable through a path for operating said shutter mechanism; said camera further comprising: a blocking member movable between (1) a first position in said path for preventing movement of said shutter release member through Said path to operate shutter mechanism and (2) a second position remote from said path whereby said shutter release member may be moved through said path; first spring means for urging said blocking member toward its second position; second spring means for moving said blocking member to its first position, said second spring means having (1) a first state in which the force of said second spring means on said blocking member is insufficient to move said blocking member to its first position against the force of said first spring means and (2) a second state in which the force of said second spring means on said blocking member is sufficient to move said blocking member to its first position against the force of said first spring means; and means associated with said second spring means and said metering means for (1) placing said second spring means in its first state when said metering means is in its active condition and (2) placing said second spring means in its second state when said metering means is in its inactive condition.

Claim 3

A camera of the type having (1) a housing defining a space for receiving a cartridge containing roll film, (2) transport means for advancing the film of a received cartridge along an exposure plane in said camera, (3) metering means having an active condition for disabling said transport means and an inactive condition, (4) a shutter mechanism operable to effect exposure of a frame of film at said exposure plane, and (5) a shutter release member movable through a path for operating said shutter mechanism; said camera further comprising: a blocking member movable between (1) a first position in said path for preventing movement of said shutter release member through said path to operate said shutter mechanism and (2) a second position remote from said path whereby said shutter release member may be moved through said path; first spring means for urging said blocking member toward its second position; second spring means for moving said blocking member to its first position, said second spring means having (1) a first state in which the force of said second spring means on said blocking member is insufficient to move said blocking member to its first position against the force of said first spring means and (2) a second state in which the force of said second spring means on said blocking member is sufficient to move said blocking member to its first position against the force of said first spring means; means associated with said second spring means and said metering means for (1) placing said second spring means in its first state when said metering means is in its active condition and (2) placing said second spring means in its second state when said metering means is in its inactive condition; and means for moving said blocking member to its second position whenever no cartridge is received in said space.

Claim 4

A camera of the type having (1) a housing defining a space for receiving a cartridge containing roll film, (2) transport means for advancing the film of a received cartridge along an exposure plane in said camera, (3) metering means having an active condition for disabling said transport means and an inactive condition, (4) a shutter mechanism operable to effect exposure of a frame of film at said exposure plane, and (5) a shutter release member movable through a path for operating said shutter mechanism; said camera further comprising: a blocking member movable between (1) a first position in said path for preventing movement of said shutter release member through said path to operate said shutter mechanism and (2) a second position remote from said path whereby said shutter release member may be moved through said path; first spring means for urging said blocking member toward its second position; second spring means for moving said blocking member to its first position, said second spring means having (1) a first state in which the force of said second spring means on said blocking member is insufficient to move said blocking member to its first position against the force of said first spring means and (2) a second state in which the force of said second spring means on said blocking member is sufficient to move said blocking member to its first position against the force of said first spring means; means associated with said second spring means and said metering means for (1) placing said second spring means in its first state when said metering means is in its active condition and (2) placing said second spring means in its second state when said metering means is in its inactive condition; and means for moving said blocking member to its second position whenever no cartridge is received in said space.

Claim 5

A camera of the type having (1) a housing defining a space for receiving a cartridge containing roll film, (2) transport means for advancing the film of a received cartridge along an exposure plane in said camera, (3) metering means having an active condition for disabling said transport means and an inactive condition, (4) a shutter mechanism operable to effect exposure of a frame of film at said exposure plane, and (5) a shutter release member movable through a path for operating said shutter mechanism; said camera further comprising: a blocking member movable between (1) a first position in said path for preventing movement of said shutter release member through said path to operate said shutter mechanism and (2) a second position remote from said path whereby said shutter release member may be moved through said path; first spring means for urging said blocking member toward its second position; second spring means for moving said blocking membEr to its first position, said second spring means having (1) a first state in which the force of said second spring means on said blocking member is insufficient to move said blocking member to its first position against the force of said first spring means and (2) a second state in which the force of said second spring means on said blocking member is sufficient to move said blocking member to its first position against the force of said first spring means; means associated with said second spring means and said metering means for (1) placing said second spring means in its first state when said metering means is in its active condition and (2) placing said second spring means in its second state when said metering means is in its inactive condition; sensing means for detecting the presence and absence of a film cartridge in said space; and means responsive to said sensing means for moving said blocking member to its second position when no cartridge is received in said space.

Claim 6

A camera of the type having (1) a housing defining a space for receiving a cartridge containing roll film, (2) transport means for advancing the film of a received cartridge along an exposure plane in said camera, (3) metering means having an active condition for disabling said transport means and an inactive condition, (4) a shutter mechanism operable to effect exposure of a frame of film at said exposure plane, and (5) a shutter release member movable through a path for operating said shutter mechanism; said camera further comprising: a blocking member movable between (1) a first position in said path for preventing movement of said shutter release member through said path to operate said shutter mechanism and (2) a second position remote from said path whereby said shutter release member may be moved through said path; first spring means for urging said blocking member toward its second position; second spring means for moving said blocking membEr to its first position, said second spring means having (1) a first state in which the force of said second spring means on said blocking member is insufficient to move said blocking member to its first position against the force of said first spring means and (2) a second state in which the force of said second spring means on said blocking member is sufficient to move said blocking member to its first position against the force of said first spring means; means associated with said second spring means and said metering means for (1) placing said second spring means in its first state when said metering means is in its active condition and (2) placing said second spring means in its second state when said metering means is in its inactive condition; sensing means for detecting the presence and absence of a film cartridge in said space; and means responsive to said sensing means for moving said blocking member to its second position when no cartridge is received in said space.

Claim 7

A camera of the type having (1) a housing defining a space for receiving a cartridge containing roll film perforated at predetermined metering intervals, (2) transport means for advancing the film of a received cartridge along an exposure plane in said camera, (3) metering means having an active condition for disabling said transport means and an inactive condition, (4) a film sensing pawl for detecting the arrival of a film perforation at a predetermined location along the exposure plane, (5) means associated with said metering means and said film sensing pawl for placing said metering means in its active condition upon detection of a film perforation at said predetermined position by said film sensing pawl, (6) a shutter mechanism operable to effect exposure of a frame of film at said exposure plane, and (7 ) a shutter release member movable through a path for operating said shutter mechanism; said camera further comprising: a blocking member movable between (1) a first position in said path for preventing movement of said shutter release member through said path to operate said shutter mechanism and (2) a second position remote from said path thereby said shutter release member may be moved through said path; first spring means for urging said blocking member toward its second position; second spring means for moving said blocking member to its first position, said second spring means having (1) a first state in which the force of said second spring means on said blocking member is insufficient to move said blocking member to its first position against the force of said first spring means and (2) a second state in which the force of said second spring means on said blocking member is sufficient to move said blocking member to its first position against the force of said first spring means; and means associated with said second spring means and said metering means for (1) placing said second spring means in its first state when said metering means is in its active condition and (2) placing said second spring means in its second state when said metering means is in its inactive condition.

Claim 8

A camera of the type having (1) a housing defining a space for receiving a cartridge containing roll film perforated at predetermined metering intervals, (2) transport means for advancing the film of a received cartridge along an exposure plane in said camera, (3) metering means having an active condition for disabling said transport means and an inactive condition, (4) a film sensing pawl for detecting the arrival of a film perforation at a predetermined location along the exposure plane, (5) means associated with said metering means and said film sensing pawl for placing said metering means in its active condition upon detection of a film perforation at said predetermined position by said film sensing pawl, (6) a shutter mechanism operable to effect exposure of a frame of film at said exposure plane, and (7 ) a shutter release member movable through a path for operating said shutter mechanism; said camera further comprising: a blocking member movable between (1) a first position in said path for preventing movement of said shutter release member through said path to operate said shutter mechanism and (2) a second position remote from said path thereby said shutter release member may be moved through said path; first spring means for urging said blocking member toward its second position; second spring means for moving said blocking member to its first position, said second spring means having (1) a first state in which the force of said second spring means on said blocking member is insufficient to move said blocking member to its first position against the force of said first spring means and (2) a second state in which the force of said second spring means on said blocking member is sufficient to move said blocking member to its first position against the force of said first spring means; and means associated with said second spring means and said metering means for (1) placing said second spring means in its first state when said metering means is in its active condition and (2) placing said second spring means in its second state when said metering means is in its inactive condition.

Claim 9

A camera as defined in claim 4 further comprising means for moving said blocking member to its second position when no cartridge is received in said space.

Claim 10

A camera as defined in claim 4 further comprising: sensing means for detecting the presence and absence of a film cartridge in said space; and means responsive to said sensing means for moving said blocking member to its second position when no cartridge is received in said space.