Miniature photoflash unit with encapsulated flash lamps

A miniature photoflash unit for being electrically activated when electrically connected to a power source associated with a camera, said photoflash unit comprising;

• a small substantially planar housing including an electrically insulative base and light-transmitting cover means secured to or forming part of said base;
• an electrically insulative cover member including a substantially planar surface, said insulative cover member secured to an external surface of said base;
• lamp-firing circuitry located on said substantially planar surface of said insulative cover member, said circuitry not including a metal eyelet or the like as part thereof;
• a plurality of subminiature electrically-activated flash lamps secured to said base and located within said housing in a substantially planar array adjacent an internal surface of said base, each of said flash lamps including a light-transmitting envelope and a pair of lead-in wires projecting therefrom, each of said lead-in wires including an end portion which passes through said base and penetrates said lamp-firing circuitry on said insulative cover member to be directly electrically connected to said lamp-firing circuitry, said flash lamps occupying first and second separate regions within said housing, said lamp-firing circuitry selectively igniting said flash lamps in both of said regions;
• and
• a singular mounting device for electrically connecting said photoflash unit to said power source associated with said camera when said mounting device is connected to said power source, said device including first and second conductive terminals positioned on a surface thereof and electrically joined to said lamp-firing circuitry on said insulative member for supplying ignition pulses to said circuitry to effect said selective ignition of said flash lamps in response to receipt of said pulses from said power source.