Photography – Self-developing camera
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-29
2001-02-20
Rutledge, D. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Self-developing camera
C396S032000, C396S034000, C396S036000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192197
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an instant photo film pack. More particularly, the present invention relates to an instant photo film pack which includes plastic parts with minimized use of other materials, so as to facilitate abandonment after being used.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
A self-developing photo film unit is known, examples of which are a mono-sheet type and a peel-apart type. U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,703 (corresponding to JP-Y (Japanese Utility Model Publication No.) 5-62725) discloses the peel-apart type, which includes a photosensitive sheet and an image receiving sheet contained in a pack case in a manner spaced from one another. After the photosensitive sheet is exposed, the photo film unit is advanced by a pair of spreader rollers between them by pulling out of a withdrawing sheet. The photosensitive sheet and an image receiving sheet are laid on one another by the advancing operation. Furthermore a developing solution pod is squeezed to spread the developing solution between the photosensitive sheet and an image receiving sheet.
In
FIG. 5
, an instant photo film pack for containing self-developing photo film units of the peel-apart type is illustrated. A pack case
2
is constituted by a pack body
4
and a bottom cover member
6
. The pack body
4
is an upper component and has a box shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The bottom cover
6
is a bottom component closing a bottom opening of the pack body
4
. A pressure plate
5
is contained between the pack body
4
and the bottom cover
6
. There is an exposure opening
3
formed in the pack body
4
. The pack body
4
is a plastic molded piece molded by injection molding, which is advantageous in that ambient light can be effectively shielded at corners of the pack body
4
, and that the pack body
4
can be produced at a low cost. A bottom edge of an end wall
7
with a passage opening is in such a position that its level is higher than a bottom edge of an end wall or lateral side walls, so that the passage opening for advance of the photo film units is defined under the end wall
7
when the bottom cover
6
is secured to the pack body
4
.
Ridges
8
are formed with respectively lateral walls of the pack body
4
. Cutouts
9
are formed in the bottoms of the lateral walls of the pack body
4
and located under the ridges
8
. The pressure plate
5
is produced according to pressing from a thin plate of metal. A front edge of a flat middle wall
11
is provided with a retaining portion
12
for photo film units. A curved portion
13
is disposed on a rear edge of the flat middle wall
11
. First and second lateral walls
14
are disposed on lateral sides of the flat middle wall
11
and oriented vertically downwards by bending. There are a pair of retaining holes
12
a
formed in the end of the retaining portion
12
, for the purpose of retention of ends of the photo film units.
The bottom cover
6
is formed according to pressing from a thin plate of metal. A middle wall
15
of the bottom cover
6
is provided with lateral walls
16
disposed along its lateral sides. Top edges of the lateral walls
16
are bent in inward directions. When the bottom cover
6
is mounted on the pack body
4
by sliding the bottom cover
6
along bottom edges of the pack body
4
, the ridges
8
on lateral walls of the pack body
4
are covered by the lateral walls
16
before the bottom cover
6
is connected with the pack body
4
.
Spring portions
18
are formed by bending, and disposed on the lateral sides of the middle wall
15
. When the pressure plate
5
is contained in the pack body
4
and the bottom cover
6
is secured to the pack body
4
, the spring portions
18
push up bottom edges of the first and second lateral walls
14
, and bias the pressure plate
5
toward the exposure opening
3
. A recess
19
is formed in a front edge of the middle wall
15
. A sponge pad
20
is secured to the inside of the recess
19
and protrudes in a withdrawing direction.
The sponge pad
20
is constituted by a paper base member and a part of sponge or polyurethane foam attached to a top face of the paper base member. As will be described later, the sponge pad
20
keeps an image receiving sheet from moving before a photosensitive sheet moves to a predetermined position in the course of withdrawal of each exposed photo film unit.
An instant photo film pack
21
is constituted by the pack case
2
and the photo film units contained in the pack case
2
. In
FIG. 6
, the instant photo film pack
21
, when used, is loaded in a pack holder
24
. The pack holder
24
is also referred to as a camera back, and includes a first plate
30
and a second plate
27
of a holder body. The second plate
27
is provided with a roller assembly
26
including a pair of spreader rollers
25
. The first plate
30
is connected with the second plate
27
in a manner rotatable about a pivot
28
. A holder opening
30
a
is formed in the first plate
30
, which is used in such a state that a surface of the first plate
30
is tightly contacted by a back surface of an instant camera. Also there is a ridge
30
b
adapted to positioning of the pack holder
24
on the back of the instant camera.
In
FIG. 6
, first and second spring portions
35
of a spring plate push the bottom cover
6
of the instant photo film pack
21
, and keep the instant photo film pack
21
pushed upwards. Thus a top face of the pack case
2
is pressed against an upper inside face of a pack support frame
32
, so as to position the instant photo film pack
21
suitably in a direction parallel to an optical axis of a photographic light path.
As is well-known in the art, a self-developing photo film unit includes a photosensitive sheet
40
and an image receiving sheet
41
, which are contained respectively above and below the pressure plate
5
inside the pack case
2
. When all of the stacked photo film units are unused, the exposure opening
3
is closed by a light-shielding sheet
42
. There are 10 photo film units contained in the pack case
2
. But only one photo film unit is depicted in
FIG. 6
with the light-shielding sheet
42
for the purpose of simplification of the depiction. A withdrawing sheet
43
is connected with the photosensitive sheet
40
and the image receiving sheet
41
. The photosensitive sheet
40
is located between the exposure opening
3
and the pressure plate
5
. The image receiving sheet
41
is disposed under the pressure plate
5
and oriented downwards.
There is a tab exit slot
44
, which is defined between the second plate
27
and the first plate
30
, and through which a distal end of the light-shielding sheet
42
is protruded when the instant photo film pack
21
is contained in the pack holder
24
. A remaining end of the light-shielding sheet
42
is fastened to the pressure plate
5
together with the photo film units by staples or wire chips used with a stapler. When the protruding distal end at the tab exit slot
44
is manually drawn out, the remaining end of the light-shielding sheet
42
is torn away from the staple-fastened portion by means of a perforation line or notches, so that the light-shielding sheet
42
is separated and withdrawn out of the tab exit slot
44
as one sheet. Thus a first one of the photosensitive sheets
40
comes to lie on the exposure opening
3
and becomes ready for being exposed. The distal end of the light-shielding sheet
42
is provided with a tab
45
of the first photo film unit. The tab
45
has one end attached to one end of the withdrawing sheet
43
of the photo film unit. When the light-shielding sheet
42
is removed, the end of the tab
45
comes to protrude from the tab exit slot
44
.
The spring portions
18
on the middle wall
15
of the pack case
2
contact bottom edges of the first and second lateral walls
14
of the pressure plate
5
, which is kept pushed up by the spring portions
18
. Thus the photosensitive sheet
40
is moved up with the pressure plate
5
, and pressed against an upper ins
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Rutledge D.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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