One-time-use camera with cartridge retainer to ensure film-on-sprocket retention during camera assembly

A partially assembled one-time-use camera comprising a film section that longitudinally extends from a rotatable film winding spool in a film cartridge to project from said film cartridge and that is engaged with a rotatable metering sprocket having respective sprocket teeth sized to project through successive perforations in said film section to engage said film section with said metering sprocket, and a separate rear cover part that is to be placed over said film section and said film cartridge and is constructed to prevent said film section from retracting out of engagement with said metering sprocket, is characterized in that:

• said film winding spool is rotatable in a film winding direction to wind said film section into said film cartridge, and said film section will retract out of engagement with said metering sprocket when said film cartridge is allowed to rotate in the film winding direction;
• and
• means prevents said film cartridge from being rotated in the film winding direction when said rear cover part is not placed over said film section and said film cartridge, for preventing said film section from retracting out of engagement with said metering sprocket before said rear cover part is in place.

A method of partially assembling a one-time-use camera, comprising:

• placing a cartridge retention piece on top of a film cartridge to position a depending tab of the cartridge retention piece against a film passage snout of the film cartridge;
• and
• engaging the cartridge retention piece with a main body part as the film cartridge is inserted into a chamber in the main body part, in order for the tab to prevent the film cartridge from being rotated within the chamber.