Abstract:
A camera has a plurality of taking lenses and an equal number of flash sources which are used in a 1:1 relationship that attempts to maximize the flash-to-lens distance in order to reduce red-eye.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to the field of photography, and in particular to cameras capable of making flash exposures. More specifically, the invention relates to a camera having a plurality of taking lenses and an equal number of flash sources which are used in a 1:1 relationship that attempts to maximize the flash-to-lens distance in order to reduce red-eye. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is typical for cameras to be used with a multiple flash bulb unit. The desire to make cameras relatively small, however, has tended to reduce the separation between the flash bulbs and the camera&#39;s taking lens to a few inches. Consequently, there is a tendency for an undesirable effect commonly known as &#34;red-eye&#34; to occur. 
     When using color print film and a multiple flash bulb unit, red-eye is typified by the pupils in the eyes of a person being photographed coming out red-tinted on a color print made from the exposed film. This occurs when the flash illumination enters the pupils in ones eyes, and illuminates the retinas in ones eyes at regions approximately in line with the camera&#39;s taking lens. The illuminated red coloring of the retinas causes the pupils to appear red-tinted, and is reflected into the taking lens. 
     Red-eye may be substantially avoided by increasing the separation between the flash unit and the camera&#39;s taking lens. As a result, the light emitted from the flash unit will reach the eyes of a person being photographed at too great an angle to be reflected by the retinas into the taking lens. 
     One way of increasing the separation between the flash unit and the camera&#39;s taking lens is to use a multiple flash bulb array commonly known as a &#34;flip-flash&#34;. The flip-flash is evenly divided into two similar-number groups of successively arranged flash bulbs, one group being located vertically above the other group when the flip-flash is connected to a flash socket on the camera. Only the group farthest from the taking lens of the camera is used, and the flash bulbs in that group are ignited in their successive order beginning with the top-most bulb. When each of the flash bulbs in that group has been ignited, the flap-flash is disconnected from the flash socket, inverted, and then re-connected to the flash socket. As a result, the unused bulbs are always farthest from the taking lens. However, the photographer must remember to invert the flip-flash when each of the flash bulbs in the group farthest from the camera&#39;s taking lens has been ignited. A failure to do this can result in underexposed pictures. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the invention, a camera intended to be used with a plurality of flash sources arranged as a group in a successive order, comprises: 
     a plurality of taking lenses equal in number to the group of flash sources, and arranged as a group in a successive order separate from the group of flash sources; and 
     control means for using only one of the group of taking lenses and the group of flash sources in their successive order and, simultaneously, for using the other one of the group of taking lenses and the group of flash sources in a predetermined non-successive order to attempt to maximize the flash-to-lens distance to reduce red-eye. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a method of reducing red-eye for a camera of the type having a plurality of taking lenses arranged as a group in a successive order, an equal number of flash sources arranged as a group in a successive order separate from the group of taking lenses, and operable means for using the taking lenses and the flash sources in a 1:1 relationship, comprises the steps: 
     using only one of the group of taking lenses and the group of flash sources in their successive order and, simultaneously, using the other one of the group of taking lenses and the group of flash sources in a predetermined non-successive order to attempt to maximize the flash-to-lens distance to reduce red-eye. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a camera with a multiple flash bulb array, which is a preferred embodiment of the invention; and 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of control means for operating the camera. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is disclosed as being embodied preferably in a camera with a multiple flash bulb array. Because the features of a camera with a multiple flash bulb array are generally known, the description which follows is directed in particular only to those elements forming part of or cooperating directly with the disclosed embodiment. It is to be understood, however, that other elements may take various forms known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. 
     Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a camera 10 having a housing 12 in which eight identical taking lenses 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28 are positioned at respective openings 30 in the housing 12. The taking lenses 14-28 are arranged as a group in a successive order, and are to be used in that order to make exposures on a stationary rectangular film sheet (not shown) in the housing 12. Numbers &#34;1&#34;, &#34;2&#34;, &#34;3&#34;, &#34;4&#34;, &#34;5&#34;, &#34;6&#34;, &#34;7&#34; and &#34;8&#34; are printed on the outside of the housing 12 proximate the respective openings 30 to indicate the successive order in which the taking lenses 14-28 are to be used. 
     A flip-up flash unit 32 pivotally connected to the housing 12 has eight identical flash bulbs 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 and 48 in front of individual flash reflectors 50. The flash bulbs 32-48 are arranged as a group in a successive order. However, unlike the taking lenses 14-28, the flash bulbs 32-48 are to be used in a non-successive order. The non-successive order in which the flash bulbs 32-48 are to be used is predetermined to attempt to maximize the flash-to-lens distance for each exposure on the rectangular film sheet to reduce red-eye. Numbers &#34;1&#34;, &#34;2&#34;, &#34;3&#34;, &#34;4&#34;, &#34;5&#34;, &#34;6&#34;, &#34;7&#34; and &#34;8&#34; are printed on the respective reflectors 22 to indicate the non-successive order in which the flash bulbs 34-48 are to be used. Thus, in sequence, the taking lens 14 and the flash bulb 40 are to be used in combination, the taking lens 16 and the flash bulb 34 are to be used in combination, the taking lens 18 and the flash bulb 36 are to be used in combination, the taking lens 20 and the flash bulb 48 are to be used in combination, the taking lens 22 and the flash bulb 46 are to be used in combination, the taking lens 24 and the flash bulb 38 are to be used in combination, the taking lens 26 and the flash bulb 44 are to be used in combination, and the taking lens 28 and the flash bulb 42 are to be used in combination. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of shutter blades 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64 and 66 originally covering the respective lenses 14-28 are supported for individual unidirectional movement to first uncover and then quickly re-cover the respective lenses to make exposures on the rectangular film sheet. The shutter blades 52-66 each have an opening 68 to momentarily uncover the respective lenses 14-28. 
     A triggering wheel 70 has a blade actuator tooth 72 for moving the respective blades 52-66 to uncover and re-cover the respective lenses 14-28 in the successive order of the taking lenses, when the triggering wheel is incrementally rotated counter-clockwise in FIG. 2. A torsion spring 74 incrementally rotates the triggering wheel 70 clockwise in FIG. 2. A centered conductive disk 76 on the triggering wheel 70 has an integral peripheral extension 78 for successively contacting individual conductive leads 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92 and 94 to the respective flash bulbs 40, 34, 36, 48, 46, 38, 44 and 42 to ignite the flash bulbs in the predetermined non-successive order as the respective blades 52-66 are moved to uncover and recover the respective lenses 14-28. A common lead 96 has one end in continuous brushing contact with the conductive disk 76 and another end connected to a battery in the flash unit 32. 
     A manually operable release 98 has a button portion 100 protruding through an opening 102 in the housing 12. When the button portion 100 is manually depressed, the release 98 is pivoted counter-clockwise in FIG. 3 contrary to the urging of a return spring 104, to remove a protuberance 106 of the release from engagement with any one of eight retention teeth 108 on the triggering wheel 70. This allows the torsion spring 74 to rotate the triggering wheel 70 clockwise in FIG. 3 until the protuberance 106 engages any one of eight stop teeth 110 on the triggering wheel 70. Thus, the triggering wheel 70 is rotated a single increment each time the button portion 100 is manually depressed to use only one of the taking lenses 14-28 in their successive order and, simultaneously, to use only one of the flash bulbs 34-48 in the predetermined non-successive order. 
     The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications can be effected by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the flash unit 32 can be either a permanent part of the camera 10 or it can be replaceable in a known manner. 
     PARTS LIST 
     10. camera 
     12. housing 
     14. taking lens 
     16. taking lens 
     18. taking lens 
     20. taking lens 
     22. taking lens 
     24. taking lens 
     26. taking lens 
     28. taking lens 
     30. openings 
     32. flip-up flash unit 
     34. flash bulb 
     36. flash bulb 
     38. flash bulb 
     40. flash bulb 
     42. flash bulb 
     44. flash bulb 
     46. flash bulb 
     48. flash bulb 
     50. flash reflector 
     52. shutter blade 
     54 shutter blade 
     56. shutter blade 
     58. shutter blade 
     60. shutter blade 
     62. shutter blade 
     64. shutter blade 
     66. shutter blade 
     68. opening 
     70. triggering wheel 
     72. blade actuator tooth 
     74. torsion spring 
     76. conductive disk 
     78. peripheral extension 
     80. conductive lead 
     82. conductive lead 
     84. conductive lead 
     86. conductive lead 
     88. conductive lead 
     90. conductive lead 
     92. conductive lead 
     94. conductive lead 
     96. common lead 
     98. manually operable release 
     100. button portion 
     102. opening 
     104. return spring 
     106. protuberance 
     108. retention teeth 
     110. stop teeth