Photographic camera with a mechanical switching system

Claim 1

In a camera of the type having a battery supplied exposure meter and having a cocking lever for film winding or shutter charging operation associated with a shutter release member, said cocking lever being displaceable through a certain idle angular distance between a retracted position and a starting position ready for cocking operation, a mechanical switching system cooperative with said cocking lever comprising: a first locking means for locking said cocking lever in the retracted position; a switch through which the battery circuit of an exposure meter is operated in response to an operation of said first locking means; manually switchable means cooperative with said first locking means for setting said switch; means for biasing said cocking lever toward said starting position; and second locking means for locking said shutter release member and being arranged to be moved into or away from the path of movement of output means connected to said shutter release member in response to an operation of said manually switchable means; whereby when said manually switchable means is operated to close said switch, said cocking lever is disengaged from said first locking means, and when said manually switchable means is operated to open said switch, said first locking means is set into a position ready for locking said cocking lever, and simultaneously said second locking means is caused to move into the path of movement of the output means to prevent shutter release operations.