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US 6,816,677 B2Granted
Film counter wheel and method for presetting the film counter wheel during film pre-loading
AssigneeConcord Camera Corp.
InventorKai Chung Franco Yik
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for pre-setting the counter wheel orientation in a camera pre-loaded with film is provided. Alignment indicia on the counter wheel are arranged during assembly to determine at various positions relative to the camera metering system whether the counter silk screen has been properly aligned and the counter properly preset.
Claims20
A method of setting a counter wheel in a camera, comprising:
- (a) providing a camera body, including,
- a film cassette chamber,
- a film roll chamber, and
- a sprocket assembly, at least a portion of which is mounted to said camera body between said film cassette chamber and said film roll chamber, said sprocket assembly including a sprocket wheel and a locking member, wherein said locking member periodically locks to prevent rotation of said sprocket wheel, said locking member including a mating portion;
- (b) locking said sprocket wheel with said locking member;
- (c) providing a counter wheel including counting indicia and a complementary portion for mating with said mating portion;
- (d) placing said counter wheel in rotational engagement with said camera body;
- (e) after step (b), rotating said counter wheel in a first direction until said complementary portion locks with said mating portion to prevent further rotation of said counter wheel in said first direction;
- (f) placing a plate over said counter wheel to lock said counter wheel to said camera body;
- (g) loading a web of film across a portion of said film sprocket, from said film cassette chamber to said film roll chamber;
- (h) providing a front camera cover and a rear camera cover;
- and
- (i) matingly engaging said front camera cover and said rear camera cover to form a camera housing including said camera body, said plate and said web of film located therein.
10 more elements
A camera, comprising:
- a camera body, including,
- a film cassette chamber,
- a film roll chamber, and
- a sprocket assembly, at least a portion of which is mounted to said camera body between said film cassette chamber and said film roll chamber, said sprocket assembly including a sprocket wheel and a locking member, wherein said locking member periodically locks to prevent rotation of said sprocket wheel, said locking member including a mating portion;
- a counter wheel including counting indicia and a complementary portion for initially mating with said mating portion at a time when said locking member is locked;
- a plate located over said counter wheel to lock said counter wheel to said camera body;
- a web of film loaded across a portion of said film sprocket, from said film cassette chamber to said film roll chamber;
- and
- a front camera cover and a rear camera cover engaged to form a camera housing including said camera body, said plate and said web of film located therein;
- and
- wherein said counter wheel additionally includes a plurality of teeth spaced around the periphery thereof, and wherein said sprocket assembly includes a single tooth thereon, said single tooth being engaged with said counter wheel such that one full rotation of said film sprocket results in the rotation of said counter wheel in a second direction by one of said plurality of teeth.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.