Camera interlocks that ensure proper movement of film

A camera of the type that has a film cassette compartment for receiving a film cassette, a film spool around which film can be wound and a film exposing area disposed between the film cassette compartment and the film spool, comprising:

• a film rewind wheel that is rotatable in a first and a second direction and that has a serrated inner ring and a notch;
• a first lever that is engageble with the film wheel serrations to prevent movement of the rewind wheel in the first direction;
• and
• a second lever that is mechanically coupled to the first lever and that is engageable by the notch when the inner ring rotates so that when the rewind wheel is rotated in the second direction the notch engages and moves the second lever, the movement of the second lever moving the first lever into engagement with the film wheel serrations to thereby prevent movement of the film wheel in the first direction.

A camera of the type that has a film cassette compartment for receiving a film cassette, a film spool around which film can be wound and a film exposing area disposed between the film cassette compartment and the film spool, comprising:

• a film rewind wheel that is rotatable in a first and a second direction and that has a serrated inner ring and a notch, the notch traveling in a path when the rewind wheel rotates;
• an interlock lever that is rotatably mounted to the camera and that is engageable with the notch to prevent rotation of the film rewind wheel in the second direction;
• and
• a back cover that has a protrusion extending therefrom, the back cover protrusion causing the interlock lever to move into the path of the notch when the back cover is closed and thereby preventing movement of the rewind wheel in the rewind direction.

A method of operating a camera of the type that has a film cassette compartment for receiving a film cassette, a film spool and a film exposing area disposed between the film cassette compartment and the film spool, comprising:

• preloading the camera with film by winding the film around the film spool;
• taking a picture with the camera by exposing a frame of film in the film exposing area;
• and
• rotating a film rewind wheel that is coupled to a spindle of a film cassette disposed in the film cassette compartment in a rewind direction to move the frame of film into the film cassette, the film rewind wheel contacting a first lever as the wheel rotates to push the first lever, the movement of the first lever moving a second lever into engagement with serrations of the film rewind wheel to prevent rotating the film rewind wheel in a direction that opposes the rewind direction and thereby preventing a camera user from rotating the film rewind wheel in the direction that opposes the rewind direction and moving film out of the film cassette.