Film advance mechanism

In a self-developing photographic camera for use with a film cassette of the type including

• a casing having
• i. an exposure window through which a foremost film unit therein can be exposed,
• ii. an exit in a frontal end through which a film unit can be moved subsequent to exposure,
• iii. an access opening proximal to a back end and communicating with the exposure window and having a fixed length in a first direction longitudinal to the movement of a film unit through the exit, and
• iv. a flange member extending in the longitudinal direction of the access opening and defining at least a portion of the edge of the exposure window intermediate the access opening and exit slot, and
• at least a foremost film unit within the casing and having a photosensitive area openly in register with the exposure window and a frontal edge in alignment with the exit and a back edge in selective alignment with the access opening,
• said camera having a housing and having frame means for receiving and positioning such a film cassette within the housing for exposure of the foremost film unit through the exposure window and oriented with said first direction aligned along a film advance direction, and
• improved film advancing means comprising
• A. a slide carriage supported on said frame means for movement longitudinal to said film advance direction, said movement extending for a distance between a return position and a forward position by a length greater than said fixed length of the cassette access opening,
• B. an arm member arranged to extend into the cassette access opening and drivingly engage a back end of the foremost film unit for moving it along said film advance direction, and
• C. connector means connecting said arm member to said slide carriage and arranged to be received in said cassette casing, for disposing said arm member therein, under the casing flange during at least part of the motion of said slide carriage between said return and forward positions.

In a self-developing photographic camera for use with a film cassette of the type including

• a casing having
• i. an exposure window through which a foremost film unit therein can be exposed,
• ii. an exit in a frontal end through which a film unit can be moved subsequent to exposure,
• iii. an access opening proximal to a back end and communicating with the exposure window and having a fixed length in a first direction longitudinal to the movement of a film unit through the exit, and
• iv. a flange member extending in the longitudinal direction of the access opening and defining at least a portion of the edge of the exposure window intermediate the access opening and the exit slot, and
• at least a foremost film unit within the casing and having a photosensitive area openly in register with the exposure window and a frontal edge in alignment with the exit and a back edge in selective alignment with the access opening,
• said camera having a housing and having frame means for positioning such a film cassette within the housing for exposure of the foremost film unit through the exposure window and oriented with said first direction aligned along a film advancing direction, and
• improved film advancing means comprising
• A. a first slide carriage supported on said frame means for movement longitudinal to said film advance direction between a return position and a forward position,
• B an arm member movable with said first slide carriage and arranged to extend into the cassette access opening and drivingly engage a back end of the foremost film unit for moving it by a first distance along said film advance direction, and upon movement of said carriage from said return to said forward position,
• C. film unit griping means supported on said frame means for movement longitudinal to said film advance direction and coupled with said slide carriage for movement simultaneously therewith and oppositely directed therefrom, said film unit gripping means being so arranged that movement of said first slide carriage from said return position to said forward position causes said gripping means receivingly to engage, outside the cassette casing, the film unit advanced out of the casing exit by said arm member, and further such that subsequent movement of said first slide carriage back to said return position causes said gripping means to move the film unit receivingly engaged therein an additional distance along said film advance direction.

In a photographic camera of the self-developing type for use with, and adapted to seatingly receive, a film assemblage having a casing that contains at least one self-developing film unit, said film unit having a photosensitive surface and being disposed within said casing with said surface located for photographic exposure through a casing exposure opening, the casing further having (i) a frontal film unit exit passage, (ii) a wall portion extending between a frontal location and a back location and contiguous with said exposure aperture, and (iii) an access opening in said wall portion in communication with said exposure aperture and extending for a limited selected length in front to back direction, said access opening being located for providing access from outside said cassette to engage the trailing edge of said one film unit therein to advance it out of said casing in a back to front direction through the casing exit opening, the improvement comprising

• A. processing means for applying a compressive force to said one film unit as it is advanced therepast, said processing means being located a distance in front of said frontal film unit exit substantially greater than said limited selected length of said access opening, and
• B. means for advancing said one film unit from said casing with its leading edge passing through said frontal film unit exit passage and into operative relationship with said processing means, said advancing means including a slide member mounted for reciprocal movement in a back to front direction and a pick arm located to at least initially extend along and into said access opening to engage with the trailing edge of said one film unit, said pick arm being responsive to the actuation of said slide member to exert a force on the trailing edge of said one film unit at a point in alignment with the lengthwise extension of said access opening to initiate the movement of the leading edge of said one film unit through said frontal film unit exit passage.