Loyalty camera and a system and method for promoting consumer loyalty
AssigneeConcord Camera Corp.
InventorYik Franco Kai Chung
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A camera and method for promoting consumer loyalty for film developing services is provided. A loyalty camera is provided wherein a particular tool is required to rewind the exposed film and assist in manipulating the film door latch. In one embodiment, the tool is inserted into a combined film advance/rewind mechanism to move a lever arm against a portion of the anti-reversal pawl to bias the pawl out of contact with the film advance wheel and permit film rewinding. Additionally, in some embodiments the particular tool is additionally used to move the door lever to open the film door.
Claims26
A loyalty camera system mechanism, comprising:
- a loyalty camera, including:
- a camera body;
- an outer casing surrounding said camera body;
- a film advance wheel rotatably attached to said camera body, said film advance wheel including a toothed gear portion and a spindle portion;
- an anti-reversal pawl mounted to said camera body, said anti reversal pawl;
- a spring in communication with said anti-reversal pawl to spring bias said anti-reversal pawl into engagement with said toothed gear portion, permitting only unidirectional rotation of said film advance wheel to advance film when said anti-reversal pawl is engaged therewith,
- a lever arm mounted to said camera body, said lever arm biased into contact with a portion of said anti reversal pawl, said lever arm being bounded on one side by a circumferential surface initially in contact with said spindle portion when said anti-reversal pawl is engaged with said toothed gear portion;
- a winding tool including a film advance wheel engaging portion which engages said film advance wheel to push said lever arm out of contact with said spindle and bias said anti-reversal pawl out of engagement with said toothed gear portion, permitting rotation of said film advance wheel in both directions.
8 The loyalty camera system of claim 7, wherein said end cap portion includes a plurality of holes and said film wheel engaging portion includes a plurality of prongs sized to pass through said plurality of holes, said prongs being arranged on said tool to align with said holes, such that said prongs pass through said holes to surround said shaft and push the circumferential surface of said lever arm away from the surface of said shaft.
The loyalty camera systemof claim 8, wherein said tool is additionally used to rewind the film after exposures have been made.
The loyalty camera system of claim 8, wherein said outer casing includes a film door and a film door lever rotatable to open said film door.
A winding tool for use with a loyalty camera in a camera loyalty system, comprising:
- an upper surface;
- a lower surface;
- a circumferential edge, perpendicular to and bounded between said upper surface and said lower surface;
- a plurality of winding prongs extending perpendicular from said lower surface and arranged to engage mating holes in the loyalty camera;
- a winding handle extending perpendicular from said upper surface;
- a key portion extending from said winding tool to engage a film door lever of the loyalty camera.
A method of using a loyalty camera system, comprising the steps of:
- providing a loyalty camera to a consumer, wherein said loyalty camera comprises:
- a camera body;
- an outer casing surrounding said camera body;
- a film advance wheel rotatably attached to said camera body, said film advance wheel including a toothed gear portion and a spindle portion;
- an anti-reversal pawl mounted to said camera body, said anti reversal pawl;
- a spring in communication with said anti-reversal pawl to spring bias said anti-reversal pawl into engagement with said toothed gear portion, permitting only unidirectional rotation of said film advance wheel to advance film when said anti-reversal pawl is engaged therewith,
- a lever arm mounted to said camera body, said lever arm biased into contact with a portion of said anti reversal pawl, said lever arm being bounded on one side by a circumferential surface initially in contact with said spindle portion when said anti-reversal pawl is engaged with said toothed gear portion;
- and
- providing a winding tool to a non-consumer affiliate of the loyalty camera system;
- said winding tool including a film advance wheel engaging portion which engages said film advance wheel to push said lever arm out of contact with said spindle and bias said anti-reversal pawl out of engagement with said toothed gear portion, permitting rotation of said film advance wheel in both directions;
- winding the film with said winding tool, wherein said winding step is performed by said non-consumer affiliate;
- replacing a new canister of film into said loyalty camera on behalf of said consumer, wherein said replacing step is performed by said non-consumer affiliate;
- and
- returning said loyalty camera to said consumer after said replacing step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.