Projector apparatus

Claim 1

A compact, portable photographic apparatus intended for mounting on a stand for use with a photographic film cassette for projection of images recorded on a film strip carried in such cassette for viewing of such images by both a seated and a standing audience, such cassette including a casing formed by a pair of substantially parallel side walls joined together at their edges by one or more edge walls, an opening located in a given edge wall for facilitating film projection operations, and means located in one of said side walls for progressively advancing such film strip across such opening responsive to actuation by external drive means, said apparatus comprising: a housing having a base defining a support surface, a front viewing face, and a top surface of generally planar configuration extending rearwardly from the top edge of said front face, in generally parallel relation to said support surface; means for receiving such cassette in an operative location rearwardly of said face, said receiving means including a slotlike opening in said top surface and a cassette-receiving well in communication with said slot-like opening, said well being configured for receiving such cassette with its such opening in a lowermost location; drive means disposed alongside said well and configured for cooperation with such advancing means of such cassette for advancing such film strip across such cassette opening when such cassette is received in its operative location in said well; and image projecting means mounted within said apparatus housing for projecting images of such film strip toward said front face, said image projecting means including lens means, disposed below said well in operative relation to such cassette opening when such cassette is received in its said operative location, for projecting images of such film downwardly along a first axis substantially normal to said support surface, and a single reflective element located in adjoining relation to said base and configured for redirecting such images along an upwardly inclined axis toward said front face, said front face including a viewing screen inclined rearwardly over said base and substantially normal to said upwardly inclined axis so as to minimize pictorial distortion, the top edge of said screen being in close relationship to said top surface, said screen serving to define substantially the entire front face of said housing, said screen including means for directing such projected images forwardly over a restricted viewing zone whose bisecting axis is rotated downwardly with respect to said upwardly inclined axis in at least partial compensation for the upward inclination thereof such that said viewing zone includes an audience located forwardly of said apparatus in a plane passing through the center of said screen and in substantially parallel relation to said base thereby permitting viewing by both a seated and standing audience.