Automatic return mechanism for an exposure trim assembly

Claim 2

Photographic apparatus for exposing photosensitive material, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of housing members interconnected for movement between an erected configuration for forming an exposure chamber, and a folded configuration; control means, disposed within at least one of said housing members, for regulating the exposure of said photosensitive material, said control means including manually adjustable trim means bidirectionally movable from a predetermined normal position for selectively varying the responsiveness of said control means; and trim reset means for returning said trim means to its said predetermined normal position in response to movement of said housing members from one of said configurations to the other of said configurations, said trim reset means including reset actuator means coupled in mutual movable relationship with a portion of said manually adjustable trim means, said reset actuator means being unidirectionally movable in response to said bidirectional movement of said manually adjustable trim means.

Claim 3

The photographic apparatus of claim 1 in which said reset actuator means is provided with a predetermined amount of overtravel for insuring the return of said manually adjustable trim means to its predetermined normal position in response to said movement of said housing members from one of said configurations to the other of said configurations.

Claim 4

The photographic apparatus of claim 1 in which said reset actuator means is provided with a predetermined amount of overtravel for insuring the return of said manually adjustable trim means to its predetermined normal position in response to said movement of said housing members from said erected configuration toward said folded configuration.

Claim 5

Photographic apparatus for exposing photosensitive material, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of housing members interconnected for mutual movement between an erected configuration for forming an exposure chamber, and a folded configuration; movable light shielding means for preventing actinic light from impinging on said photosensitive material during the movement of said photosensitive material from within said photographic apparatus to without said photographic apparatus, said light shielding means being pivotally coupled to one of said housing members; control means, disposed within at least one of said housing members, for regulating the exposure of said photosensitive material, said control means including manually adjustable trim means bidirectionally movable from a predetermined normal position for selectively varying the responsiveness of said control means; and trim reset means for returning said trim means to its said predetermined normal position in response to movement of said housing members from one of said configurations to the other of said configurations, said trim reset means including reset actuator means coupled in mutual movable relationship with a portion of said manually adjustable trim means, said reset actuator means being unidirectionally movable in response to said bidirectional movement of said manually adjustable trim means.

Claim 6

Photographic apparatus for exposing photosensitive material, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of housing members interconnected for mutual movement between an erected configuration for forming an exposure chamber, and a folded configuration; movable light shielding means for preventing actinic light from impinging on said photosensitive material during the movement of said photosensitive material from within said photographic apparatus to without said photographic apparatus, said light shielding means being pivotally coupled to one of said housing members; control means, disposed within at least one of said housing members, for regulating the exposure of said photosensitive material, said control means including manually adjustable trim means bidirectionally movable from a predetermined normal position for selectively varying the responsiveness of said control means; and trim reset means for returning said trim means to its said predetermined normal position in response to movement of said housing members from one of said configurations to the other of said configurations, said trim reset means including reset actuator means coupled in mutual movable relationship with a portion of said manually adjustable trim means, said reset actuator means being unidirectionally movable in response to said bidirectional movement of said manually adjustable trim means.

Claim 7

The photographic apparatus of claim 4 in which said light shielding means is pivotally foldable from an erected configuration to a folded configuration in response to movement of said housing members from said erected configuration to said folded configuration.

Claim 8

The photographic apparatus of claim 5 in which said housing members include an exposure control housing member movable from an erected position to a folded position for establishing said folded configuration; and said trim reset actuator means is configured and arranged within said exposure control housing member so that a portioN of said trim reset actuator means is driveably contactable with a portion of said light shielding means when said exposure control housing member is moved to establish said folded configuration.

Claim 9

The photographic apparatus of claim 6 in which said portion of said light shielding means contactable with said portion of said trim reset actuator means is an extension formed on a select portion of said light shielding means.

Claim 10

The photographic apparatus of claim 7 in which said exposure control housing member includes slot means located therein for permitting said driveable contact between said portion of said trim reset actuator means and said extension of said light shielding means.

Claim 11

The photographic apparatus of claim 8 in which said portion of said trim reset actuator means is movable into said slot means when said reset actuator means is unidirectionally moved in response to said bidirectional movement of said manually adjustable trim means.

Claim 12

The photographic apparatus of claim 9 in which said extension of said light shielding means is movable into said slot means for driveably contacting said portion of said trim reset actuator means to return said trim reset actuator means to its predetermined normal position in a direction opposite said unidirectional movement of said trim reset actuator means for moving said manually adjustable trim means to its said predetermined normal position through said portion of said manually adjustable trim means in response to said folding of said light shielding means when said housing members are moved from said erected configuration to said folded configuration.

Claim 13

The photographic apparatus of claim 10 in which said extension of said light shielding means is moved into said slot means and provides a predetermined amount of overtravel movement to said portion of said trim reset actuator means and said trim reset actuator means for insuring said return of said trim reset actuator means to its predetermined normal position and for insuring the return of said manually adjustable trim means to its said predetermined normal position in response to said movement of said light shielding means and housing members from said erected configuration to said folded configuration.

Claim 14

The photographic apparatus of claim 11 in which said trim reset means includes spring means, engageable with a second portion of said trim reset actuator means, for absorbing a select amount of energy from said overtravel movement of said trim reset actuator means when said extension of said light shielding means is moved into said slot, said spring means being operative to move said trim reset actuator means an amount equal to and opposite said predetermined amount of overtravel for permitting actuation of said manually adjustable trim means when said housing members are again moved to said erected position.

Claim 15

The photographic apparatus of claim 12 in which said manually adjustable trim means includes a trim wheel pivotally mounted within said exposure control housing member, having a manually contactable first radial periphery and a second drive periphery pivotal in correspondence therewith; a trim component movable correspondence with said second periphery for selectively affecting the responsiveness of said control means; and said trim reset actuator means associated in mutually driven relationship with said trim wheel at said second periphery and with said trim component.

Claim 16

The photographic apparatus of claim 13 wherein said trim component is mounted for pivotal movement within said exposure control housing member and is driveably connected with said trim wheel second periphery and with said trim reset actuator means.

Claim 17

Photographic apparatus for exposing photosensitive material, said apparatus comprising: means defining housing members interconnected for movement between an erected configuration for forming an exposure chamber, and a folded configuration; control means, disposed within at least one of said housing members, for regulating the exposure of said photosensitive material, said control means including manually adjustable trim means movable from a predetermined position for selectively varying the responsiveness of said control means; and trim reset means for returning said manually adjustable trim means to said predetermined normal position in response to the movement of said housing members from one of said configurations to the other of said configurations, said trim reset means being provided with an amount of overtravel sufficient to insure the return of said manually adjustable trim means to its said predetermined normal position, said trim reset means including spring means for counteracting said overtravel to said manually adjustable trim means when said housing members are moved from said folded configuration to said erected configuration.

Claim 18

Photographic apparatus for exposing photosensitive material, said apparatus comprising: means defining housing members interconnected for movement between an erected configuration for forming an exposure chamber, and a folded configuration; control means, disposed within at least one of said housing members, for regulating the exposure of said photosensitive material, said control means including manually adjustable trim means movable from a predetermined position for selectively varying the responsiveness of said control means; and trim reset means for returning said manually adjustable trim means to said predetermined normal position in response to the movement of said housing members from one of said configurations to the other of said configurations, said trim reset means being provided with an amount of overtravel sufficient to insure the return of said manually adjustable trim means to its said predetermined normal position, said trim reset means including spring means for counteracting said overtravel to said manually adjustable trim means when said housing members are moved from said folded configuration to said erected configuration.