Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FILM RETENTION IN CARTRIDGE ASSEMBLY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cross-Reference to Related Applications
Reference is hereby made to
5 commonly-assigned, copending U.S. Patent Applications
Serial No. 931,053 entitled PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM
CARTRIDGE ASSEMBLY AND CAMERA filed in the name of
G. S. Sethi on August 4, 1978, now U.S. Patent No.
4,194,822; Serial No. 031,266 entitled PRESSURE MEMBER
10 URGING MECHANISM filed in the names of N. D. Hozman,
R. L. Reynolds, and T. G. Kirn on April 18, 1979, and
which is the parent application of U.S. Patent No.
4,290,676; and Canadian Serial No. 364,~17 entitled
FILM CARTRIDGE ASSEMBLY WITH PRESSURE PLATE flled in
15 the name of G. S. Sethi on November 17, 1980.
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to film
cartridge assemblies for use with cameras and, more
specifically, to means in such cartridge assemblies
20 for inhibiting undesired movement of the film in the
cartridge casing.
Description of the Prior Art
It is commonplace to enclose photographic
film in fl cartridge, cassette, magazine, or the like,
25 designed to afford convenient loading of a camera.
Such enclosures typically have been configured to
accommodate an elongated strip of roll film. It is
also known to provide a plurality of exposure areas in
a generally circular array on a disk-shaped sheet of
30 film and to rotate such film disk incrementally to
bring successive exposUre areas into alignment with
the camera's optical axis for exposure. An
e
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illustrative example of a film disk arrangement is
shown in commonly-assigned, copending U.S. Patent
Application Serial No. 931,053 entitled PHOTOGRAPHIC
FILM CARTRIDGE ASSEMBLY AND CAMERA filed on August 4,
5 1978, in the name of G. S. Sethi, now U.S. Patent No.
4,194,822.
In that patent, a film disk is mounted on a
central core to form a film unit adapted to be
rotatably supported within a protective casing for
10 insertion into a camera. The film disk has a
plurality of image areas along a generally circular
exposure region extending substantially around the
core so that individual image areas are brought into
alignment with an exposure window in the casing as the
15 disk is rotated. The cartridge assembly also includes
a cover member having an opaque leaf portion which is
rotatable independently of the film unit. When the
cartridge is not in a camera, the leaf portion
underlies the casing's exposure window to prevent film
20 fogging.
In the Sethi patent, the film unit is
prevented from rotation in a reverse direction by a
ratchet mechanism. However, when the cartridge
assembly is not in a camera, it is possible to rotate
25 the film unit in a film advancing direction by manual
manipulation. Although such manipulation would, of
course, be operator misuse, the resulting loss of
image area availability and waste of film may lead to
user dissatisfaction with the product. In cartridge
30 assemblies in accordance with the present invention,
inadvertent film unit advancement when the cartridge
assembly is not in a camera is inhibited.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a
35 photographic cartridge assembly includes (1) an opaque
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casing with an exposure window in its front wall and
(2) a film unit mounted in the casing for movement in
a film advancing direction such that successive
portions of the film unit align with the exposure
5 window. A cover member is mounted in the casing
between the front wall and the film unit for movement,
independent of the film unit, to selec~ively align an
opaque region with ~he exposure window. Means,
associated with the film unit and the cover member,
10 are provided for inhibiting movement of the film unit
in the film advancing direction when the opaque region
is in alignment with the exposure window. The
movement inhibiting means is disabled when the opaque
region is out of alignment with the exposure window.
In a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the film is disk-shaped. The movement
inhibiting means includes (1) a discontinuity
associated with each image area and (2) a tooth on the
cover member for engaging the discontinuities. When
20 the cover member is moved from alignment with the
~ exposure window, a separator layer between the cover
i member and the film inhibits connection between the
,; tooth and the discontinuities. The discontinuities
may also be used in conjunction with a camera's film -
25 metering mechanism to locate associated image areas
along the camera's optical axis.
The invention, and its objects and
advantages, will become more apparent in the detailed
description of the preferred embodiment presented
30 below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the detailed description of the preferred
embodiment of the invention presented below, reference
is made to the accompanying drawings in which:
!`1 35 Fig. 1 is a view in exploded perspective of
~~ an open film cartridge assembly in accordance with the
;~ present invention;
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Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the closed
cartridge assembly of Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a front perspective view of the
central core portion of the cartridge assembly of Fig.
5 1;
Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view of the
central core portion of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective view of a
portion of the cartridge assembly of Fig. l;
Fig. 6 is a front perspective view of the
cover member portion of the cartridge assembly of Fig.
l;
Fig. 7 is a front perspective view of the
film cartridge assembly of Fig. l;
Fig. 8 is a front perspective view of a still
picture camera which is suitable for use with the
cartridge assembly of Fig. l; and
Fig. 9 is a rear perspective view of the
still picture camera of Fig. 8 and of a film cartridge
20 assembly showing the camera opened for receiving the
cartridge assembly.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Various terms s~ch dS "cartridge,"
"cassette," and "magazine'l have been used to refer to
25 film containers. Such a container, when loaded with
film, is herein referred to as a "cartridge
assembly." Because cartridges, cartridge assemblies,
and photographic cameras for use therewith are well
known, the present description is directed in
30 particular to elements forming part of or cooperating
more directly with cartridge assembly elements to
which the present invention is specifically directed.
The present invention is an improvement of
the cartridge assembly described in aforementioned
35U.S. Patent No. 4,194,822. Any structure not shown
herein may take the form shown in that patent, and the
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disclosure of such patent is hereby specifically
incorporated into the present description. Apparatus
that is not specifically shown or decribed herein or
in the incorporated patent is understood to be
5 selectable from apparatus known in the art.
A cartridge assembly, shown in exploded
perspective in Fig. l and in sectioned elevation in
Fig. 2, includes a film unit lO, a separator layer 12,
a cover member 14, and a casing 16 with front and rear
lO parts 18 and 20, respectively. The terms "front" and
"rear" are used herein with reference to the
orientation of the cartridge assembly during actual
use of the apparatus described. That is, the front of
the cartridge would face along the camera's optical
15 axis in a direction toward the taking lens.
Film unit lO, includes a central core 22
(shown enlarged front and rear in Figs. 3 and 4,
respectively), a film disk 24, and a mounting ring 26
which is bonded to core 22 to secure film disk 24.
20 The film disk is illustrated as having a generally
circular outer perimeter, but other non-circular
(e.g., polygonal) film shapes may be visualized for
use in accordance with the present invention.
Accordingly, the term "disk" as herein used is
25 intended to include non-circular as well as the
illustrated circular configuration.
Film disk 24 comprises a moderately flexible
~; but self-supporting base sheet formed of, for example,
cellulose acetate or poly(ethylene terephthalate).
The base sheet carries photosensitive elements on one
face thereof, thus providing a photographic imaging
surface on wbich a latent photographic image can be
~, recorded and subsequently photographically developed.
Film disk 24 is arranged to record
`~ 35 photographic images in a circular exposure region
concentric witb the film unit axis.
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Referring to Fig. 3, central core 22 includes
an inner raised ring 28, about a central opening, and
an outer raised ring 30. A projection 32 extends
inwardly from ring 30 to form, with a projection 34 on
5 front casing part 18, part of an initial and final
locking system explained in detail in aforementioned
U.S. Patent No. 4,194,822.
The inner surface 36 of inner ring 28 has
splines for driving engagement with camera structure.
10 The perimeter of film disk 24 is notched as at 38 (two
notches being shown in Fig. 1) to provide
discontinuity means for cooperation with a camera's
metering pawl to locate successive portions of the
film disk in alignment with exposure window 44.
Rear casing part 20 of the cartridge assembly
has a circular opening 42, aligned with an exposure
window 44 in front casing part 18. An opaque, rigid
pressure plate 46 is received in the rear casing part
behind the film disk 24 and is movable toward and away
20 from the front casing part to selectively be brought
to bear against the rear surface of tbe film disk.
The pressure plate, in bearing against the film disk,
presses the film disk into contact with a camera's
film support surface extending into exposure window
25 44. Details of the pressure plate and the camera
mechanism which cooperates therewith are disclosed in
commonly-assigned, copending Canadian Patent
; Application Serial No. 364,817 entitled FILM CARTRIDGE
ASSEMBLY WITH PRESSURE PLATE filed in the name of G.
30 S. Sethi on November 17, 1980.
Cover member 14 has a central opening 48
sized to receive an annular wall 50 of casing top part
; 18 so that the cover member can rotatably move about
the axis of the annular wall. The cover member is
35formed of suitably thin but relatively stiff, sheet
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material and includes a generally fan-shaped leaf
portion 52 so sized as to cover exposure window 44.
At least leaf portion 52 of the cover member is opaque.
A locking mechanism for preventing
5 inadvertent rotation of the cover member before the
cartridge assembly is loaded into a camera includes a
tab 54 on cover member 14. The tab is aligned with an
aperture 56 in front casing part 18, and as shown in
Fig. 5 engages tooth 58 of the casing top part when
lO leaf portion 52 is aligned with exposure window 44.
Tab 54 is depressed by a camera pin 60 (shown in Fig.
9 and detailed in Fig. 5) to disable the locking
mechanism when the cartridge assembly is received in a
camera. Cover member 14 also includes a pair of lugs
15 62 and 64, shown in Fig. 6, and a ramped tooth 66
shown in Fig. l. The functions of the lugs and the
tooth will be explained hereinafter.
Still referring to Fig. 1, separator layer 12
is formed of an opaque sheet material and has a
20 central aperture 90 sized to receive annular wall 50
of the casing front part. A framing window 68 in the
separator layer is aligned with exposure window 44. A
hole 70 in the separator layer is aligned with a
ramped tooth 72 on top casing part 18 so that the
25 tooth 72 may pass through hole 70 and enter notches 38
on the periphery of film disk 24 to inhibit reverse
rotation of film unit lO after the cartridge assembly
is removed from a camera.
Another hole 74 in the separator layer is
30 radially aligned with notches 38. Before the
cartridge assembly is loaded into a camera, cover
member leaf portion 52 aligns with exposure window 44
and ramped tooth 66 passes through hole 74 and enters
a notch 38. Tooth 66 and the notch cooperate to
35 inhibit rotation of disk assembly 10 in a forward
direction.
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In this configuration, leaf portion 52 of
cover member 14 is in light blocking relationship with
exposure window 44 and separator layer window 68.
Inasmuch as leaf portion 52 is larger than the aligned
5 windows 44 and 68 between which it is interposed, a
labyrinth light baffling arrangement is created to
restrict the access of actinic light rays to film disk
24 through the windows.
The cartridge assembly is adapted to be
10 received in a camera such as shown schematically in
Figs. 8 and 9 and referred to by numeral lOQ. The
camera is similar in certain respects to the camera
disclosed in commonly-assigned copending U.S. Patent
Application Serial No. 031,266 entitled PRESSURE
15 MEMBER URGING MECHANISM filed in the names of N. D.
Hozman, R. L. Reynolds, and T. G. Kirn on April 18,
1979, and which is the parent application of U.S.
Patent No. 4,290,676. The camera front shown in Fig.
8 includes a picture-taking lens 102, a viewfinder
20 104, a shutter release button 106 movable along a slot
108, and a tab 110 movable along an arcuate slot 112.
A locking tab 114 at one side of camera 100 is movable
along a slot 116 to disengage from an internal latch
118 (Fig. 9) located on a rear door 120 of the camera,
25 whereupon the rear door may be opened for loading a
film cartridge assembly into a receiving chamber 122
of the c&mera.
Wben the cartridge assembly is received in
chamber 122, a pin 124, coupled to film advance tab
30 110 and extending from an arcuate slot 126, engages
film drive lugs 62 and 64 (Fig. 6) on cover member
14. A splined rotatable post 128, projecting into
camera chamber 122, extends through the center opening
in core 22 of the received cartridge assembly. When
loading door 120 is closed, post 128 extends into a
recess 130 in the door.
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When the film cartridge assembly is loaded
into camera chamber 122, pin 60 enters the cartridge
assembly through an opening 56 to move tab 54 from
alignment with tooth 58. Now cover member 14 can be
5 rotated by pin 124 from its exposure window closing
position. As the cover member turns, ramped tooth 66
is moved from the region of hole 74 in separator layer
12 and rides up on the surface of the separator
layer. Now the tooth can no longer enter film disk
10 notches 38, and the film unit can be turned by
incremental rotation of splined post 128. This moves
successive exposure areas of film disk 24 across
exposure window 44.
When the operator desires to remove the
15 cartridge assembly from the camera, either when all
frames have been exposed or temporarily to load the
camera with a cartridge containing a different type of
film (i.e., slide vs. print film, color vs. black and
white, or one A.S.A. value vs. another), the operator
20 rotates tab 110 from its Fig. 8 position in a
counterclockwise direction until cover member 14
returns to its exposure window closing position. Only
then can door 120 be opened and the cartridge assembly
removed from the camera.
The mechanism shown at 132 in Fig. 9 is for
urging pressure plate 46 against film disk 24. Its
structure and operation are clearly described in
aforementioned Sethi patent application Serial No.
364,817 filed concurrently herewith.
This invention has been described in detail
with particular reference to the preferred embodiment
thereof, but it will be understood that variations and
modifications can be effected within the spirit and
scope of the invention.
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