Abstract:
A compact camera for producing images on self-developing film, said camera comprising an assembly including a light-tight main frame, a first housing member, and a second housing member; wherein said assembly is arranged to minimize the height of said camera.

Description:
[0001]    The present application claims the priority date benefit of the provisional case entitled “Compact Photographic Apparatus of the Self-Developing Type”, which has Ser. No. 60/233,003, and was filed on Sep. 15, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to compact photographic apparatus and, more particularly, to simplified compact cameras of the self-developing type.  
           [0003]    The prior art is characterized by numerous efforts to make photographic cameras of the self-developing type both simplified and compact. These efforts include photographic cameras, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,633 issued to Norris and U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,172 issued to Togashi et al; both of which are commonly-assigned to Polaroid Corporation. Both types of cameras relate to simplified mechanisms cooperating with a strip film assemblage of the self-developing type. The interconnected film frames are sequentially exposed, indexed, processed, and singulated as they are pulled from the camera. These cameras are compact in configuration, and simplified in construction and operation.  
           [0004]    Despite the existence of these known approaches, however, there is nevertheless a continuing desire to make improvements in the overall ease and reliability of their operation as well as simplification and compactness of the camera construction, while retaining optimal system performances.  
         OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
         [0005]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a camera of the self-developing type that is compact in its architecture and simplified in operation.  
           [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a camera of the self-developing type that has a compact architecture and yet is highly reliable in operation.  
           [0007]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a camera of the self-developing type that has a compact architecture and yet is highly reliable in operation without any loss in performance.  
           [0008]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a camera of the self-developing type that has a compact architecture and yet is relatively economical to manufacture and assemble.  
           [0009]    It is an object of the present invention to provide for a simplified camera that is user friendly and reliable in operation; particularly for young and inexperienced camera operators.  
           [0010]    Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent after reading a detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate like structure throughout the several views. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-developing camera embodying features of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the camera illustrating removable and decorative panels.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating several subassemblies of the camera.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a schematic elevation view illustrating several of the operating components in the interior of the camera.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a schematic elevation view illustrating several of the operating components of the interior of the camera.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a partial portion of the camera of the camera in the open film loading condition. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0017]    Reference is made to FIGS.  1 - 6  for illustrating one preferred embodiment of a compact camera  20  of the self-developing type that is made in accordance to the principles of the present invention. Included in the camera  20  is a housing assembly  22  that essentially comprises a light-tight main frame assembly  24 , an upper casing shell or member  26 , a lower casing shell or member  28 , and an electrical strobe board  30  that carries the electrical components for operation of the camera.  
         [0018]    The upper casing member  26  defines an elliptical recess  32  for accommodating in a generally flush relationship thereto a decorative and removable top panel  34  that a user can replace in order to change styling of the camera. The decorative top panel  34  is latched to the upper casing. The upper casing  26  has an opening for accommodating a shutter button  36  and an elongated slot  38  for an aperture selector tab  40 .  
         [0019]    The upper and lower casing members are suitably joined together to enclose the main frame assembly  24  and define an elliptical recess  41  in the front thereof for accommodating a decorative and replaceable front panel  42 . The front panel  42  is latched to the housing assembly  22  so as to fit generally flush within the recess  41 . The front panel  42  has a strobe opening  44 , a taking lens opening  46 , and a viewfinder opening  48 .  
         [0020]    The lower casing member  28  has an enlarged generally rectangular opening  50  sized for allowing a film loading door  52  to move pivotally between open and closed conditions. As a consequence, a film assembly is allowed to be inserted and removed.  
         [0021]    Provision is made for a generally rectangular retaining plate  56  that has a taking lens aperture  58  and a viewfinder aperture  60  that is mounted on the main frame assembly  24  and is enclosed within the casing members  26 ,  28 .  
         [0022]    Reference is made back to the main frame assembly  24 , wherein provision is made for a film box cavity  62  that is sized for removably receiving a film package (not shown) that stores the film assemblage  54 . The film assemblage  54  is, preferably, of the self-developing kind that is particularly adapted for use in a camera of the above type. The film assemblage is similar in construction to those described in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,838,999 and 5,888,693, and hence, the descriptions thereof are incorporated herein and made a part hereof. However, only those portions of the film assemblage  54  necessary to understand the present invention will be set forth herein. In this regard, the film assemblage is in the form of an elongated strip  64  with separable individual film frames  66  housed in a folded and stacked relationship within the film package or cassette. A leading tab  68  of each frame  66  is adapted to protrude from an exit slot  70  (FIG. 4) and a spring-biased film flap  72  is pivotally mounted adjacent one end of the camera housing, whereby an operator can grasp and pull the film assemblage for indexing the latter. The film flap does not, per se, form an aspect of the present invention. A detailed description thereof is described in the last noted patent application and is incorporated herein and made a part hereof. The film frames  66  are frangibly connected to each other, whereby they separate into individual frames when the film strip is pulled from the housing assembly. Thus, when an operator pulls on a leading tab  68  of an exposed film frame, the film is advanced thereby effecting processing of an exposed film unit as the latter is withdrawn from a focal plane  74  and passes through a nip defined by a pair of processing rollers  80   a,b  (FIG. 4). As a result, each of the emerging and distal end film frames separate from a successive film frame that has been simultaneously indexed from the film cavity which has its leading tab emerge.  
         [0023]    Continued reference is to FIGS.  4 - 6  wherein the film loading door  52  is pivotally mounted to one end of the main frame housing assembly  24  adjacent a film flap. The spread roller  80   a  is mounted for rotation on the door  52  adjacent a pre-spread feature  82  that is mounted on the door immediately prior to a nip defined by and between the rollers  80   a,b.  A latch  84  is located at one end of the film loading door  52  and cooperates with a complementary catch for releaseably securing the door in a closed and light-tight relationship with the main frame assembly. The camera may also be used as a one-time use camera, whereby the door would be locked against customer opening and the film preloaded prior to being locked.  
         [0024]    For defining the focal plane  74  there is provided a taking lens  86 , a mirror  88 , and a focal cone  90  defined by and at the bottom of the main housing assembly  24 . The taking lens  86  is mounted by the retaining plate and is generally positioned to reduce the height of camera relative to the camera described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,172. The taking lens  86  is positioned more laterally with respect to a longitudinal axis of the camera while retaining the same focal length as the taking lens in the noted patent. This relationship in turn lowers the mirror, thus reducing the height profile. The focal cone  90  is defined to accommodate the size format of the film. Adjacent the focal cone  90  is film path defining ramp  92  that serves to reduce the axial length, or height, of the camera. The spread roller  80   b  is spring biased and is mounted for rotation in the bottom wall of the main frame assembly  24 . The spread roller  80   b  defines a nip with roller  80   a  whenever the loading door is in the closed condition. The viewfinder assembly  96  can be anyone of several kinds.  
         [0025]    As illustrated, a pair of generally parallel battery receiving cavities  98   a,    98   b  are mounted in close proximity to the viewfinder assembly  90  and the shutter button  36 . The battery receiving cavities lie in a plane that includes the viewfinder assembly  90  for purposes of establishing a compact relationship. Batteries (not shown) engage with the battery contacts  99 . A battery compartment door  100  is provided.  
         [0026]    The horizontally mounted strobe board  30  has an aperture  101  that is configured to fit over and encompass a portion of the aperture selector mechanism  102 . The aperture selector mechanism  102  does not, per se, form an aspect of the present invention. For a more detailed description thereof reference is made to copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/223,958 which is incorporated herein and made a part hereof. Hence, only those components thereof necessary to understand the present invention will be described. The selector mechanism  102  includes an aperture selector slide  104  that is mounted for movement on the main frame assembly  24  and is manually displaced by an operator to one of several distinct aperture settings corresponding to, for example, iconographic information on the exterior of the housing. The selector slide  104  is housed and guided for movement by a retainer housing  106 ; both of which have their longitudinal axes generally parallel to the surface of the strobe board  30  and generally centrally disposed along the length of the camera so as to be above the taking lens. A shutter  108  is mounted on the main frame assembly and is interposed between the taking lens and an aperture  110  in the main frame assembly.  
         [0027]    A flash tube assembly  112  is mounted on the strobe board  30  for use in generating artificial illumination to be directed at the scene depends from one end of the board. A capacitor  114  for energizing the flash tube assembly  112  is mounted on an underside surface of the strobe board  30  and has its axial extent extending along a bottom surface of the strobe board and generally parallel to such bottom surface.