APS camera for ensuring the cassett indicator is in the parked position

A camera of the type that employs a film cassette that has a light lock door and a visual exposure indicator, the visual exposure indicator having a parked position that indicates the film within the film cassette has been exposed, the camera comprising a film cassette compartment, disposed on a first end of the camera, that can receive the film cassette, a film spool, disposed on a second end of the camera that opposes the first end of the camera, around which film can be wound, a film path, disposed between the film cassette compartment and the film spool, in which film is exposed and along which the film travels as the film moves between the film cassette compartment and the film spool, and a film advancing mechanism, mounted to the camera and coupled to a spindle of the film cassette when the film cassette is inserted into the film cassette compartment, the camera comprising:

• a rotatable wheel mounted to the camera above the film cassette compartment, the wheel having an inner periphery, that defines a cavity, and a cam slot, disposed in a wall of the wheel, the cam slot having an entrance along the inner periphery and a pocket disposed at an end of the cam slot;
• a parking mechanism, mounted to the camera, and having a pin which rests within the cavity while film is being exposed;
• and
• a film sensor, rotatably mounted to the camera and disposed within the film path, the film sensor being contacted by film within the film path to cause the film sensor to rotate and hold the parking mechanism, so that the pin is disposed within the cavity and being released by the film as a trailing edge of the film passes the film sensor and enters the film cassette to cause the film sensor to rotate and thereby release the parking mechanism and cause the pin to move through the entrance of the cam slot and into the cam slot, further rotation of the wheel moving the cam slot until the pocket contacts the pin, the contact of the pocket preventing further rotation of the advance wheel and indicating that the film cassette is in the parked position.

A camera of the type that employs a film cassette that has a light lock door and a visual exposure indicator, the visual exposure indicator having a parked position that indicates that all of the film within the film cassette has been exposed, the camera comprising a film cassette compartment, disposed on a first end of the camera, that can receive the film cassette, a film spool, disposed on a second end of the camera that opposes the first end of the camera, around which film can be wound, a film path, disposed between the film cassette compartment and the film spool, in which film is exposed and along which the film travels as the film moves between the film cassette compartment and the film spool, and a film advancing mechanism, mounted to the camera and coupled to a spindle of the film cassette when the film cassette is inserted into the film cassette compartment, the camera comprising:

• a rotatable wheel mounted to the camera above the film cassette compartment, the wheel having an inner periphery, that defines a cavity, and a cam slot, disposed in a wall of the wheel, the cam slot having an entrance along the inner periphery and a pocket disposed at an end of the cam slot;
• a parking lever, rotatably mounted to the camera, and having a parking pin disposed on a first end, the parking pin resting within the cavity while film is being thrust from the cassette and traveling into the cam slot while film is being rewound into the film cassette and being disposed in the pocket after the film has been rewound into the film cassette, to prevent further rotation of the rotatable wheel and indicate that the film cassette is in the parked position.

A method of ensuring that a visual exposure indicator of a film cassette of the type that has a light lock door moves to the parked position after the film has been exposed within a camera and the film is rewound into the film cassette, comprising:

• passing a trailing edge of the film past a film sensor as the film is being rewound into the film cassette and thereby releasing the film sensor and an attached linkage to release a parking lever to rotate toward an interior surface of an advance wheel;
• rotating the advance wheel to rewind all of the film into the film cassette and thereby moving a parking pin coupled to the film sensor into a cam slot of the advance wheel;
• and
• preventing further rotation of the advance wheel when an end of the cam slot contacts the parking pin and thereby indicating that the visual exposure indicator is in the parked position.

A camera of the type that employs a film cassette that has a light lock door and a visual exposure indicator, the visual exposure indicator having a parked position that indicates the film within the film cassette has been exposed, the camera comprising a film cassette compartment, disposed on a first end of the camera, that can receive the film cassette, a film spool, disposed on a second end of the camera that opposes the first end of the camera, around which film can be wound, a film path, disposed between the film cassette compartment and the film spool, in which film is exposed and along which the film travels as the film moves between the film cassette compartment and the film spool, the camera comprising:

• a manual film advancing mechanism, mounted to the camera, and coupled to a spindle of the film cassette when the film cassette is inserted into the film cassette compartment, the film advancing mechanism moving film along the film path when the film advancing mechanism is manipulated and the film advancing mechanism comprising a rotatable wheel gear comprising an inner periphery, that defines a cavity, and a cam slot, disposed in a wall of the wheel, the cam slot having an entrance along the inner periphery and a pocket disposed at an end of the cam slot;
• and
• a parking mechanism, mounted to the camera, and engaging the film advancing mechanism after the film advancing mechanism has been rotated a sufficient angular distance and after all of the film has been rewound into the film cassette to thereby prevent further rotation of the film advancing mechanism and indicate that the visual exposure indicator has moved to the parked position.