Photography – Disposable or recyclable camera
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-26
2001-05-01
Gray, David M. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Disposable or recyclable camera
C396S411000, C396S538000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226457
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to photography and photographic equipment and more particularly relates to a one-time use camera loading method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Because one-time use cameras are manufactured in very large quantities, small changes in costs of individual components present major consequences in aggregation. Biasing elements, such as small metal springs are relatively costly items in one-time use cameras, particularly if the cost of assembly is considered. Resilient elements can be provided as portions of larger molded plastic components, but this can present problems in achieving accurate spring biasing and in detecting defects.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,543 discloses a method for accurately attaching compliant labels to camera bodies. Compliant labels are cut from larger sheets of material. It is ordinarily easier to provide uniform physical characteristics in conventionally manufactured shape material than in molded plastic components.
It is known to provide labels and other one-time use camera parts that are replaced when the camera is recycled. U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,542 discloses a one-time use camera in which a film door includes an anti-backup pawl that breaks when the film door is opened and must be replaced to recycle the camera. The shortcoming is that the film door must include the anti-backup pawl.
It is known to load film in a one-time use camera by installing a film cartridge, light-tightly closing the camera, disabling an anti-backup, and prewinding the film onto a second spool by rotating an exposed portion of the second spool. (See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,649 and Japanese Pat. Publication JP5-134361, published May 28, 1993) The anti-backup is reenabled after the film is prewound. The shortcoming is that the enabling and reenabling are additional steps and are not simple to perform using automated equipment.
JP7-114147 (published May 2, 1995) discloses an anti-bakup pawl that is biased by a projection of the back cover. The back cover is shown as closing the film chambers.
It would thus be desirable to provide a method for loading a one-time use camera in which an anti-backup system remains incomplete and nonfunctional until prewinding of a filmstrip is completed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is defined by the claims. The invention, in its broader aspects, provides a method for loading a film cartridge in a one-time use camera. The cartridge has a filmstrip. In the method, the film cartridge is placed in a film cartridge chamber of a camera frame assembly. An anti-backup subsystem is mounted on the camera frame assembly. The anti-backup subsystem has a first mechanical member biased into a disengaged position. Following the mounting, a main portion of the filmstrip is wound from the film cartridge to a film supply chamber of the camera frame assembly in a prewind direction. Following the winding, the first mechanical member is biased into an engaged position, in which the anti-backup system precludes winding of the filmstrip in the prewind direction. In a method for loading a film cartridge in a one-time use camera, the film cartridge is placed in a film cartridge chamber of a camera frame assembly. An anti-backup subsystem is mounted on the camera frame assembly. The anti-backup subsystem has a first mechanical member biased into a disengaged position. A main portion of the filmstrip is then wound, in a prewind direction, from the film cartridge to a film supply chamber of the camera frame assembly. Following the winding, the first mechanical member is biased into an engaged position, in which the anti-backup system precludes winding of the filmstrip in the prewind direction. The first mechanical member can be biased by applying a label to a casing of the camera.
It is an advantageous effect of at least some of the embodiments of the invention that a method for loading a one-time use camera is provided in which an anti-backup system remains incomplete and nonfunctional until prewinding of a filmstrip is completed.
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Boyd James D.
Cramer Michael P.
Smith Stephen J.
Eastman Kodak Company
Gray David M.
Walker Robert Luke
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