Firing spring cocking mechanism

Photographic apparatus comprising:

• means, including a piezoelectric crystal, for generating electrical energy;
• a hammer;
• a firing spring operatively engaged with said hammer and movable from a latched position to a striking position in which said hammer strikes said generating means;
• a latch including a latch surface, a cam surface and an unlatching surface, said latch being mounted for movement between a latch position in which said latch surface is in engagement with and retains said firing spring in said latched position and an unlatched position in which said cam surface is engageable by said firing spring;
• a body release lever including a flash actuating surface, said body release lever being movable to bring said flash actuating surface into engagement with said unlatching surface of said latch and further being movable while said flash actuating surface is in engagement with said unlatching surface to move said latch to said unlatched position;
• and
• a film advance slide having a surface, said film advance slide being mounted for movement to advance film within, the photographic apparatus, said film advance slide further being adapted during such movement to advance film to bring said surface into engagement with said firing spring, to move said firing spring to said latched position by engagement of said surface with said firing spring and thereby to move said latch to said latch position by engagement of said firing spring with said cam surface on said latch.