Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Picture frame – Film holder
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-13
2001-11-20
Silbermann, Joanne (Department: 3628)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Picture frame
Film holder
C040S707000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318012
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a slide mount for mounting film transparencies from a photographic film web to prepare a photographic slide. In particular the present invention allows for plastic lenses to be added to the photographic slide after it has been assembled.
Photographic film transparencies are generally severed from a photographic film web and mounted in individual slide mounts to prepare photographic slides. The photographic image of the prepared photographic slide is then viewed in cooperation with a slide projector or other visualizing means.
Plastic slide mounts, such as the Pakon slide mount sold by Pakon, Inc., are generally formed of first and second plastic frame portions connected along an outer border to form a pocket therebetween. The slide mount includes a central aperture defined by film windows formed in each of the first and second frame portions. Further, the slide mount includes a slit along the outer border which defines an insertion opening through which a photographic film transparency can be inserted into a pocket between the first and second frame portions, creating a photographic slide.
A photographic slide is susceptible to several events that can adversely affect its quality. Fingerprints or other debris can mark or scratch the film as a result of handling. In addition, when exposed to the heat of a slide projector, the film may expand and buckle, causing the projected image to go out of focus.
In response to the adverse conditions listed above, the slide mounting industry has come up with glass slide mounts. Such glass slide mounts protect the film from excessive heat and serve to keep the film flat and thus the projected image in focus. In addition, glass slide mounts protect the film from fingerprints or other debris that could mark or destroy the film. A major problem with glass film mounts, however, has been that they are expensive and very slow to assemble. At present, glass lenses are added to a slide mount by hand. Another problem is assuring the film and mount are cleaned before the glass lenses are added to the slide mount so that dust or other particles do not get trapped between the film and lenses.
Thus there has been a continuing need for a slide mount system that manifests the benefits of glass mounts, i.e., holding the film flat when exposed to heat and protecting the film from fingerprints and other debris, while at the same time allowing for assembly in an inexpensive, quick manner that allows for the film and slide mount to be cleaned before the lenses are added.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention offers an inexpensive and quick manner of adding slide mount lenses after a photographic slide has been assembled. The post plastic lens slide mount begins with a plastic slide mount in which the photographic film slide has been mounted. The plastic slide mount is made from plastic that is sufficiently flexible to allow the slide mount to be pried apart slightly so that a photographic film slide can then be introduced. This slide mount has a central aperture through which the mounted photographic film is then visible.
While there are many ways to hold the lenses in the slide mount, in one preferred embodiment, the central aperture has a shaped inner edge. This shaped inner edge allows for a plastic lens to be introduced and held in the slide mount. The plastic lens has a correspondingly shaped edge which allows it to mate with the inner edge of the central aperture of the slide mount, thus holding the plastic lens in place. In this manner, both a top lens and a bottom lens can be added to the slide mount, thus protecting the photographic film. In creating the post plastic lens slide mount, film is loaded into the slide mount to prepare a photographic film slide. The mount and the film are then cleaned using air pressure. Top and bottom plastic lenses are likewise cleaned using air pressure, and are then inserted into the plastic slide mount. It is possible to mount these plastic lenses at the same time the plastic slide mount is being assembled, or the plastic lenses can be mounted into the slide after the film has been inserted. In other words, a consumer can choose to have the plastic lenses added to the mounts when the consumer gets the slides made, or the consumer can wait and add the lenses at a later time.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3035364 (1962-05-01), Hoogesteger
patent: 3284939 (1966-11-01), Perrot
patent: 3949505 (1976-04-01), Kato
patent: 4249328 (1981-02-01), Plumadore
patent: 4451998 (1984-06-01), Philipp
patent: 4467541 (1984-08-01), Pettersson
patent: 4805068 (1989-02-01), Cumming et al.
patent: 5057407 (1991-10-01), Okamura et al.
patent: 5364487 (1994-11-01), Friske et al.
patent: 5392548 (1995-02-01), Truc et al.
patent: 5429700 (1995-07-01), Hudson
patent: 6205692 (2001-03-01), Kite
Eastman Kodak Company
Kinney & Lange
Silbermann Joanne
LandOfFree
Method for forming a plastic slide mount does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method for forming a plastic slide mount, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method for forming a plastic slide mount will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2572214