Film cassette and projector having interdependent optical components

Claim 2

A motion-picture projector for use with a supplemental lightreflective element of a film-cassette mounted in said projector to provide a maximum illumination of the film carried by said cassette for projection purposes said projector comprising: A housing having a light-emitting aperture formed therein; a film-moving mechanism adapted to cooperate with film supply and takeup means of said cassette; gating means, a shutter, and an objective mounted adjacent to said aperture; means providing access to the interior of said housing for loading and removing said cassette; mounting and limit-stop means for releasably positioning said cassette at a correct functional location within said housing; a light source and condenser means so mounted as to direct convergent rays toward an aperture of said cassette and said light-reflective element angularly positioned therewithin; and light-reflective means so angularly mounted on an internal support of the projector as to abut an extremity of said lightreflective element which extends through an aperture of the cassette and, in effect, to provide an extension of the reflecting surface thereof, said light-reflective means being limited in one direction as to the extent of its functional reflective area by an abutting edge of said light-reflective element of the cassette and, accordingly, being capable of intercepting merely a portion of the light rays from said light source and directing said portion toward the film but, in conjunction with said light-reflective element of the cassette, constituting a composite reflective element adapted to intercept and direct substantially all of the light rays emanating from said light source.

Claim 3

A motion-picture projector, as defined in claim 1, wherein said access, mounting and limit-stop means include, respectively, an openable wall portion of the projector housing, channel means leading inwardly from said wall portion and adapted to slidably engage said cassette, and at least one angularly extending end-piece located at an extremity of said channel means for detErmining the maximum inward position of said cassette.

Claim 4

A motion-picture projector, as defined in claim 1, wherein said light source and condenser means is in the form of an integral unit including a filament and a spherical reflector providing, in conjunction with said reflective means and said reflective element of the cassette, an elliptical cone of light rays having a focal point adjacent to the entrance pupil of said objective.

Claim 5

A motion-picture projector, as defined in claim 3, wherein said objective has a relatively large aperture and wherein said cone of light is adapted to substantially fill the entrance pupil thereof.

Claim 6

A motion-picture projector, as defined in claim 4, wherein said light-reflective means thereof is positioned at an angle of approximately 45* to the plane of said film as it is advanced across said gating means, and wherein one end of said light-reflective means terminates at and is adapted to abut an end of said light-reflective element of said cassette when the latter is mounted in the projector, the functional reflective surfaces of said light-reflective means and element then lying in a single plane.

Claim 7

Interdependent motion-picture apparatus in part incorporated with a projector and in part with a relatively thin film-cassette carried by the projector to provide a maximum illumination of the film for projection purposes, said apparatus comprising: a projector including a housing having a light-emitting aperture formed therein; a film-cassette including a relatively thin housing having both light-admitting and light-emitting apertures formed therein at adjacent relatively right-angled wall portions; a film-moving mechanism including an intermittent movement mounted within said projector housing; gating means, a shutter, and an objective of relatively large aperture mounted adjacent to said projector aperture; means providing access to the interior of said projector housing; mounting and limit stop means of said projector adjacent to said access means for releasably positioning said film cassette at a correct functional location within said projector housing; a light source and condenser means so mounted in said projector housing as to face and direct convergent light rays toward said cassette light-admitting aperture; a first light-reflective element mounted at a given angle within a cavity of said cassette which is located directly inwardly of said light-admitting and emitting apertures; a second light-reflective element so mounted on said mounting means of the projector at an angle similar to that of said first light-reflective element as to abut an extremity of said first light-reflective element and to provide a functional extension thereof; said first and second reflective elements together providing a maximum gathering of light rays from said light source and redirection thereof to said film and thence to said gating means, shutter and objective with a complete coverage by said light rays of the image area of said film and the entrance pupil of said objective.

Claim 8

Interdependent motion-picture apparatus in part incorporated with a projector and in part with a relatively thin film-cassette carried by the projector to provide a maximum illumination of the film for projection purposes, said apparatus comprising: a projector including a housing having a light-emitting aperture formed therein; a film-cassette including a relatively thin housing having both light-admitting and light-emitting apertures formed therein at adjacent relatively right-angled wall portions; a film-moving mechanism including an intermittent movement mounted within said projector housing; gating means, a shutter, and an objective of relatively large aperture mounted adjacent to said projector aperture; means providing access to the interior of said projector housing; mounting and limit stop means of said projector adjacent to said access means for releasably positioning said film cassette at a correct functional location within said projector housing; a light source and condenser means so mounted in said projector housing as to face and direct convergent light rays toward said cassette light-admitting aperture; a first light-reflective element mounted at a given angle within a cavity of said cassette which is located directly inwardly of said light-admitting and emitting apertures; a second light-reflective element so mounted on said mounting means of the projector at an angle similar to that of said first light-reflective element as to abut an extremity of said first light-reflective element and to provide a functional extension thereof; said first and second reflective elements together providing a maximum gathering of light rays from said light source and redirection thereof to said film and thence to said gating means, shutter and objective with a complete coverage by said light rays of the image area of said film and the entrance pupil of said objective.

Claim 9

Apparatus facilitating the viewing of motion picture film housed within a cassette when such cassette is mounted in said apparatus, such cassette including a housing having an opening therethrough, a strip of motion picture film, means responsive to externally mounted drive means for progressively advancing such film strip across such opening, a light-reflective element disposed in operative relationship with such opening on the other side of such film strip therefrom, means defining an opening through which rays from an externally mounted light source may be introduced into such cassette and onto such light-reflective element, such light-reflective element being adapted to redirect such light rays outwardly of such cassette through the section of such film strip disposed across such opening and such opening, comprising: means for receiving and positioning such cassette within said apparatUs; means for selectively driving such film strip advancing means of such cassette when such cassette is mounted in said receiving and positioning means; a light source positioned with respect to said receiving and positioning means such that only a portion of its light rays will be directed onto such light-reflective element of such cassette when such cassette is mounted in said receiving and positioning means; and a light-reflective element disposed in operative relationship to said light source adapted to be positioned in complementary relationship with such light-reflective element of such cassette with at least a major portion thereof exterior of such cassette when such cassette is mounted in said receiving and positioning means so that substantially all of the remaining light rays from said light source are directed thereonto and reflected thereby through such section of such film strip and such opening, thereby effectively illuminating such section of such film strip with the energy emanating from said light source without requiring such cassette to be configured to accommodate a light-reflective element of sufficient size to intercept substantially all of the light source.

Claim 10

Apparatus facilitating the viewing of motion picture film housed within a cassette when such cassette is mounted in said apparatus, such cassette including a housing having an opening therethrough, a strip of motion picture film, means responsive to externally mounted drive means for progressively advancing such film strip across such opening, a light-reflective element disposed in operative relationship with such opening on the other side of such film strip therefrom, means defining an opening through which rays from an externally mounted light source may be introduced into such cassette and onto such light-reflective element, such light-reflective element being adapted to redirect such light rays outwardly of such cassette through the section of such film strip disposed across such opening and such opening, comprising: means for receiving and positioning such cassette within said apparatUs; means for selectively driving such film strip advancing means of such cassette when such cassette is mounted in said receiving and positioning means; a light source positioned with respect to said receiving and positioning means such that only a portion of its light rays will be directed onto such light-reflective element of such cassette when such cassette is mounted in said receiving and positioning means; and a light-reflective element disposed in operative relationship to said light source adapted to be positioned in complementary relationship with such light-reflective element of such cassette with at least a major portion thereof exterior of such cassette when such cassette is mounted in said receiving and positioning means so that substantially all of the remaining light rays from said light source are directed thereonto and reflected thereby through such section of such film strip and such opening, thereby effectively illuminating such section of such film strip with the energy emanating from said light source without requiring such cassette to be configured to accommodate a light-reflective element of sufficient size to intercept substantially all of the light source.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein such light-reflective element of such cassette and said light-reflective element of said apparatus comprise substantially flat mirrors.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein such light-reflective element of such cassette and said light-reflective element of said apparatus are positioned at an angle of approximately 45+ to the plane of such section of such film strip when such cassette is mounted in said receiving and positioning means.

Claim 13

A motion picture system comprising: a film handling cassette including: a housing having an opening therethrough; a strip of motion picture film; means responsive to externally mounted drive means for progressively advancing said film strip across said opening; a light-reflective element disposed in operable relationship with said opening on the other side of said film strip therefrom; and means defining an opening through which light rays from an externally mounted light source may be introduced into said cassette and onto said light-reflective element thereof, said light-reflective element of said cassette being adapted to redirect said light rays outwardly of said cassette through the section of said film strip disposed across said opening and said opening; and apparatus facilitating the viewing of said film strip when said cassette is mounted therein including: means for receiving and positioning said cassette within said apparatus; means for selectively driving said film strip advancing means of said cassette when said cassette is mounted in said receiving and positioning means; a light source positioned with respect to said receiving and positioning means such that only a portion of its light rays will be directed onto said light-reflective element of said cassette when said cassette is mounted in said receiving and positioning means; and a light-reflective element disposed in operative relationship to said light source and adapted to be positioned in complementary relationship to said light-reflective element of said cassette with at least a major portion thereof exterior of said cassette when said cassette is mounted in said receiving and positioning means so that substantially all of the remaining portion of the light rays emanating from said light source are directed thereonto and reflected thereby through said section of said film strip and said opening, thereby effectively illuminating said section of said film strip with the energy emanating from said light source without requiring said cassette to be configured to accommodate a light-reflective element of sufficient size to intercept substantially all of the light rays emanating from said light source.

Claim 14

A motion picture system comprising: a film handling cassette including: a housing having an opening therethrough; a strip of motion picture film; means responsive to externally mounted drive means for progressively advancing said film strip across said opening; a light-reflective element disposed in operable relationship with said opening on the other side of said film strip therefrom; and means defining an opening through which light rays from an externally mounted light source may be introduced into said cassette and onto said light-reflective element thereof, said light-reflective element of said cassette being adapted to redirect said light rays outwardly of said cassette through the section of said film strip disposed across said opening and said opening; and apparatus facilitating the viewing of said film strip when said cassette is mounted therein including: means for receiving and positioning said cassette within said apparatus; means for selectively driving said film strip advancing means of said cassette when said cassette is mounted in said receiving and positioning means; a light source positioned with respect to said receiving and positioning means such that only a portion of its light rays will be directed onto said light-reflective element of said cassette when said cassette is mounted in said receiving and positioning means; and a light-reflective element disposed in operative relationship to said light source and adapted to be positioned in complementary relationship to said light-reflective element of said cassette with at least a major portion thereof exterior of said cassette when said cassette is mounted in said receiving and positioning means so that substantially all of the remaining portion of the light rays emanating from said light source are directed thereonto and reflected thereby through said section of said film strip and said opening, thereby effectively illuminating said section of said film strip with the energy emanating from said light source without requiring said cassette to be configured to accommodate a light-reflective element of sufficient size to intercept substantially all of the light rays emanating from said light source.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said light-reflective element of said cassEtte and said light-reflective element of said apparatus comprise substantially flat mirrors.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said light-reflective element of said cassette and said light-reflective element of said apparatus are positioned at an angle of approximately 45* to the plane of said section of said film strip when said cassette is mounted in said receiving and positioning means.