US 5,476,232 A · Photo film cassette having a shell half retaining device

Abstract

A photo film cassette contains a spool in rotatable fashion, with a photo film wound thereabout as a roll. Rotation of the spool in an unwinding direction causes the photo film to exit through a passage port. Upper and lower shell halves constitute a cassette shell. Two combinations of a retaining hook and a receiving portion are disposed on the cassette shell and respectively beside the passage port. Both hooks are formed on the lower shell half. Both receiving portions are formed on the upper shell half, are engaged with the hook, and fixedly secure the shell halves. The hooks and the receiving portions are shaped straight along a width of the photo film. A pair of second receiving portions are formed on the upper shell half, and are engaged with the hooks prior to engagement of the first receiving portions with the hooks. The second receiving portions keep the upper shell half partially separate from the lower shell half, and retain the shell halves in preliminary fashion, before the shell halves are joined up. In a preferred embodiment, a hinge section is disposed in the cassette shell in opposition to the passage port, and connects the shell halves in swingable fashion. Two access openings are formed in the cassette shell for rendering the hooks respectively accessible externally, to allow external disengagement of the hooks.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A photo film cassette in which a cassette shell contains a spool in rotatable fashion with a photo film wound thereabout to be a roll, and in which rotation of said spool in an unwinding direction causes said photo film to advance to an outside through a passage port, said photo film cassette comprising:

first and second shell halves constituting said cassette shell, a front edge of said first shell half and a front edge of said second shell half defining an opening of said passage port;
hinge means for connecting said shell halves in swingable fashion, said passage port located in said cassette shell in opposition to said hinge means;
two retaining means, disposed on said cassette shell and respectively beside said passage port, for fixedly securing said shell halves, each of said retaining means constituted of a retaining claw disposed on said front edge of said first shell half, and a receiving portion formed on said front edge of said second shell half and engaged with said retaining claw for retaining said retaining claw, said receiving portions each defining elongated surfaces which lie in planes that extend parallel to a widthwise direction of the photo film;
and
two access openings formed in said cassette shell for rendering said retaining means respectively accessible externally, to allow external disengagement of said retaining means.

2 more elements

first and second shell halves constituting said cassette shell, a front edge of said first shell half and a front edge of said second shell half defining an opening of said passage port;
and
two retaining means, disposed on said cassette shell and respectively beside said passage port, for fixedly securing said shell halves, each of said retaining means constituted of a retaining claw disposed on said front edge of said first shell half, and a first receiving portion formed on said front edge of said second shell half and engaged with said retaining claw for retaining said retaining claw, said first receiving portion defining elongated surfaces which lie in planes that extend parallel to a widthwise direction of said photo film.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Photo film cassette having a shell half retaining device

Life of this patent

Photo film cassette having a shell half retaining device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21