Magnet-actuable flash apparatus

Magnet-actuable flash apparatus comprising:

• a light-admission member having an aperture therein;
• a shutter member having an aperture therein and movable relative to said light-admission member for selective alignment of said apertures to permit the passage of light therethrough;
• means for actuating said shutter member between a first position in which said apertures are out of alignment and a second position in which they are in alignment;
• a normally open switch closable in response to the influence of a magnetic field and adapted to be series connected in an electrical circuit with a source of electrical energy and artificial light-producing means;
• and magnet means for providing a magnetic field in such proximity to said switch and in such timed relation to the movement of the shutter member relative to the light-admission member that said switch is caused to close and thereby activate said artificial light-producing means during at least a portion of the time when said apertures are in alignment, said magnet means being carried by said shutter member or said shutter member actuating means, said flash apparatus including a camera having a casing, said light-admission member comprising an end wall of said camera casing, a lens being mounted in the aperture of said end wall, said shutter member being pivotally mounted within said casing and said shutter member actuating means being movable along a portion of the periphery of said casing, at least a portion of said shutter member being a permanent magnet with one pole thereof adjacent the periphery of said casing and the other pole thereof remote from the periphery of the casing, said shutter member actuating means including a permanent magnet having one pole thereof maintained in proximity to the periphery of the casing and the other pole thereof remote from the casing periphery, said one pole of said shutter member magnet and said one pole of said shutter member actuating means being like poles, whereby the shutter member is actuated by magnetic repulsion forces between said like poles when the shutter member actuating means magnet is moved into proximity of the magnet of said shutter member and the apertures of said end wall and shutter member are caused to become aligned.