Miniature camera with front wall cover

Claim 1

In a miniature camera, a housing of relatively thin, flat configuration having a front wall of at least substantially rectangular, narrow, strip-shaped configuration provided with opposed relatively long top and bottom edges and opposed relatively short end edges extending between said top and bottom edges and having a length substantially less than one-half the leNgth of said top and bottom edges, said housing having top and bottom walls extending rearwardly from said top and bottom edges and spaced from each other by the same distance as said top and bottom edges and opposed end walls extending rearwardly from said end edges and spaced from each other by the same distance as said end edges, the said front wall being formed with openings through which light has access to an objective and viewfinder situated in said housing behind said openings, and the latter openings being distributed longitudinally of said front wall with each opening situated between the other opening and one of said end edges, and at least one cover plate situated at all times between a pair of planes which contain said end walls, said cover plate being pivotally connected to said housing for swinging movement about an axis substantially parallel to and situated closely adjacent and extending along said top edge of said front wall between a closed position in front of said front wall covering said front wall openings and an open position uncovering said openings to an extent sufficient to permit light to reach said opening from a location situated forwardly of said front wall, a pair of said cover plates are pivotally connected to said housing for swinging movement about a pair of axes, respectively, which are substantially parallel to and located closely adjacent and extending along said top and bottom edges of said front wall in a manner similar to swingable visors between a closed position covering said openings of said front wall and an open position uncovering said openings, said cover plates having elongated free edges distant from and substantially parallel to said axes, and said free edges engaging each other in the closed position of said cover plates so that the latter do not overlap each other in the closed position thereof.