Patent ID: 7404266

Claim:
A film viewer comprising: a portable housing formed with a base and a viewing window for receiving films to be viewed; a handle formed in the base of said housing for facilitating handling of said portable housing, said housing being configured so that said handle is concealed when said film viewer is resting on a flat surface; a film grip assembly mounted on said portable housing adjacent said viewing window for holding films, wherein said film grip assembly includes a top plate is pivotally connected to the housing in a cantilever configuration defining a film receiving slot, said film grip assembly further including a biasing spring for biasing said top plate toward said housing, said film grip assembly including an actuator in communication with said film receiving slot and responsive to films placed within the film grip assembly, said actuator having a first position when no film is in said film receiving slot and a second position when a film is in said film receiving slot; a lamp disposed beneath said viewing window for illuminating said viewing window; an electrical power source for providing electrical power to said lamp; and an automatic control circuit which includes a microswitch, said microswitch being responsive to said actuator, said microswitch having a first position when there no films in the film grip assembly and a second position when a film is disposed in said film grip assembly, said automatic control circuit causing said electrical power source to automatically turn on said electrical power source when said microswitch is in a first position, and automatically turn off said electrical power source when said microswitch is in said second position, wherein said housing and said clipboard are configured as a clipboard.