Shield connection in photoflash array

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Objects of the invention are to provide an improved flash lamp array, and to provide improved and economical means for preventing accidental electrostatic flashing of lamps in such an array.
The invention comprises, briefly and in a preferred embodiment, a multiple flash lamp array which comprises a lamp flashing circuit in the form of a printed circuit on a surface of a circuit board.
An electrically conductive sheet-like shield is provided adjacent and parallel to the other surface of the circuit board to reduce the possibility of accidental flashing of lamps by electrostatic voltage, which flashing tends to occur particularly when high voltage, low energy types of lamps are used in the array.
A plurality of electrical terminals are provided on the array for connecting it to a socket of a camera or flash adapter, one of which terminals is shaped and arranged to be relatively more touchable than the others and is electrically connected to the common "ground" of the circuit and to the shield.
The common "ground" of the circuit also is connected to a lead-in wire of each lamp, and to a conductive reflector member, in addition to the shield, these members and connections constituting part of the common electrical portion of the circuit and having a relatively large stray capacitance to ground.
By thus making one terminal more readily touchable and providing it with a relatively large stray capacitance to ground, an electrostatic charge applied to this terminal will be principally diverted through the larger stray capacitance to ground instead of passing through flash lamps in the array.
Also, the shield on the one side and the conductive reflector on the other side of the circuit board shield the lamps from electrostatic charges.
The shield preferably is spaced from the rear side of the circuit board to reduce the capacitance between the shield and the non-common electrical portions of the circuit on the front side of the circuit board.
The flash lamp lead-in wires are connected to the circuit board by bending and embedding them sideways into the plastic material of the board so that they contact against various appropriate circuit runs, this being accomplished by ultrasonic or other suitable means, as disclosed in U