Pull strip guide for multipurpose film cassettes

Claim 2

A film cassette containing a strip of photographic film to be exposed and processed without removal from the cassette, comprising: a housing; means contained within said housing for processing the exposed film strip, said processing means including a processing fluid reservoir initially sealed by a tear tab closure to be removed by advancement of the tear tab upon completion of film exposure to release reservoir contained processing fluid for deposit on the film strip; a pull strip joined at one end to said tear tab; and means for guiding said pull strip along a predetermined path to advance said tear tab and release the processing fluid from said reservoir, said guiding means including at least one turning point and means for supporting the inner surface of said pull strip at said turning point, said supporting means comprising a cylindrical element having a first arcuate portion of its outer surface in contact with said inner surface of said pull strip and means for contacting and supporting at least the arcuate portion of said outer surface of said cylindrical element diametrically opposed from said first arcuate portion for rotational movement of said cylindrical element relative thereto as said pull strip is advanced thereby.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cylindrical element is hollow and has an inside diameter and an outside diameter, said contacting and supporting means comprising a structural portion of said cassette defining an arcuate surface having a radius of curvature substantially equal to the curvature of said outside diameter.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 further including means for locating said cylindrical element within said housing comprising an upstanding pin structurally attached to said housing and extending into said hollow cylindrical element and sized such that said pin does not contact the inner surface of said cylindrical element when said outer surface is in engagement with said means for contacting and supporting.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cylindrical element is hollow and has an inner surface and including means for locating said cylindrical element comprising an upstanding pin structurally formed with said housing and extending into said hollow cylindrical element and sized such that said pin does not contact said inner surface when said outer surface is in engagement with said means for contacting and supporting.

Claim 6

A film handling cassette comprising: a housing; an elongated film strip disposed within said housing; means for defining a predetermined path along which said film strip may be progressively advanced; means responsive to externally mounted actuating means for advancing said film strip along said predetermined path; a fluid applicator disposed within said housing, said fluid applicator including wall portions defining a concavity and a tear tab disposed generally vertically, when said cassette is located in its operative processing position, over said concavity to seal processing fluid in said concavity; a flexible pull strip having one end attached to the lower end of said tear tab and its other end being initially in uncoupled disposition and arranged to be subsequently coupled to a section of said film strip as said film strip is progressively advanced along said predetermined path; and means for disposing said pull strip along a folded path intermediate its two said ends, a section of said pull strip immediately adjacent its said one end being attached to said tear tab to exert an upward force on said tear tab when said other end of said pull strip is advanced along said predetermined path, said pull strip disposing means including a first generally vertically extending wall section spaced from said tear tab and terminating adjacent the upper end of said tear tab in a first means for supporting and guiding said upwardly extending pull strip in a downwardly directed turn, and a second generally vertically extending wall section spaced from said first wall section and extending downwardly from above the point of said pull strip's downward turn and terminating in a second means for supporting and guiding said downwardly extending pull strip in a generally upwardly directed turn, each of said first and second guide and support means comprising a cylindrical element having a first arcuate portion of its outer surface adapted to engage the innner surface of said pull strip at each of said pull strip's turning points and a structural portion of said housing defining an arcuate surface for engaging and supporting at least the arcuate portion of said outer surface of said cylindrical element diametrically opposed from said first arcuate portion for rotational movement of said cylindrical elements relative thereto as said pull strip is advanced thereby.

Claim 7

A film handling cassette comprising: a housing; an elongated film strip disposed within said housing; means for defining a predetermined path along which said film strip may be progressively advanced; means responsive to externally mounted actuating means for advancing said film strip along said predetermined path; a fluid applicator disposed within said housing, said fluid applicator including wall portions defining a concavity and a tear tab disposed generally vertically, when said cassette is located in its operative processing position, over said concavity to seal processing fluid in said concavity; a flexible pull strip having one end attached to the lower end of said tear tab and its other end being initially in uncoupled disposition and arranged to be subsequently coupled to a section of said film strip as said film strip is progressively advanced along said predetermined path; and means for disposing said pull strip along a folded path intermediate its two said ends, a section of said pull strip immediately adjacent its said one end being attached to said tear tab to exert an upward force on said tear tab when said other end of said pull strip is advanced along said predetermined path, said pull strip disposing means including a first generally vertically extending wall section spaced from said tear tab and terminating adjacent the upper end of said tear tab in a first means for supporting and guiding said upwardly extending pull strip in a downwardly directed turn, and a second generally vertically extending wall section spaced from said first wall section and extending downwardly from above the point of said pull strip's downward turn and terminating in a second means for supporting and guiding said downwardly extending pull strip in a generally upwardly directed turn, each of said first and second guide and support means comprising a cylindrical element having a first arcuate portion of its outer surface adapted to engage the innner surface of said pull strip at each of said pull strip's turning points and a structural portion of said housing defining an arcuate surface for engaging and supporting at least the arcuate portion of said outer surface of said cylindrical element diametrically opposed from said first arcuate portion for rotational movement of said cylindrical elements relative thereto as said pull strip is advanced thereby.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said structural portion of said housing defining an arcuate surface for said first guide means and said second guide means comprise, respectively, an integrally formed portion of the upper end of said first wall section, and an integrally formed portion of the lower end of said second wall section.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein each of said cylindrical elements is hollow and has an inside diameter and an outside diameter, and each of said arcuate surfaces has a curvature substantially equal to the curvature of said outside diameter.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 further including means for locating each of said cylindrical elements within said housing, comprising an upstanding pin for each of said elements structurally attached to said housing and extending into said hollow cylindrical element and sized such that said pins do not contact the inner surfaces of said cylindrical elements when said outer surfaces are in engagement with said arcuate surfaces.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cylindrical element has a pin receiving opening therein, said opening defining an inner surface, and including means for locating said cylindrical element comprising an upstanding pin structurally formed with said housing and extending into said pin receiving opening of said cylindrical element and sized such that said pin does not contact said inner surface when said outer surface is in engagement with said means for contacting and supporting.

Claim 12

A film cassette containing a strip of photographic film to be exposed and processed without removal from the cassette, comprising: a housing; means contained within said housing for processing the exposed film strip, said processing means including a processing fluid reservoir initially sealed by one end of an elongated strip closure to be removed by advancement of the strip closure upon completion of film exposure to release reservoir contained processing fluid for deposit on the film strip; and means for guiding said elongated strip closure along a predetermined path to advance said strip and effect removal of said initially sealed one end of said strip from said fluid reservoir to thereby release the processing fluid from said reservoir, said guiding means including at least one turning point and means for supporting the inner surface of said strip at said turning point, said supporting means comprising a cylindrical element having a first arcuate portion of its outer surface in contact with said inner surface of said elongated strip closure and means for contacting and supporting at least the arcuate portion of said outer surface of said cylindrical element diametrically opposed from said first arcuate portion for rotational movement of said cylindrical element relative thereto as said elongated strip is advanced thereby.

Claim 13

A film cassette containing a strip of photographic film to be exposed and processed without removal from the cassette, comprising: a housing; means contained within said housing for processing the exposed film strip, said processing means including a processing fluid reservoir initially sealed by one end of an elongated strip closure to be removed by advancement of the strip closure upon completion of film exposure to release reservoir contained processing fluid for deposit on the film strip; and means for guiding said elongated strip closure along a predetermined path to advance said strip and effect removal of said initially sealed one end of said strip from said fluid reservoir to thereby release the processing fluid from said reservoir, said guiding means including at least one turning point and means for supporting the inner surface of said strip at said turning point, said supporting means comprising a cylindrical element having a first arcuate portion of its outer surface in contact with said inner surface of said elongated strip closure and means for contacting and supporting at least the arcuate portion of said outer surface of said cylindrical element diametrically opposed from said first arcuate portion for rotational movement of said cylindrical element relative thereto as said elongated strip is advanced thereby.