US4440478A — Slide tray position sensing arrangement for slide…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 245 words

In slide projector apparatus having a drive transport arrangement for carrying a rotary slide tray including a plurality of slide positions and for selectively moving the slide tray to present the slide positions to a slide change station, and a position detecting arrangement for detecting the position of said drive transport arrangement, the detecting arrangement including an array defining arrangement for defining a predetermined array of spaced apertures, the predetermined array including one aperture corresponding to each of the slide positions in a predetermined slide tray, the array defining arrangement being moved by the drive transport arrangement along with the slide tray, the detecting arrangement further including an illumination source positioned on one side of the aperture array defining arrangement and a photodetection arrangement arranged along the path of travel of the predetermined aperture array and on the side of the aperture array opposite the light source such that illumination from the illumination source impinges on the photodetection arrangement when an aperture is within a predetermined vicinity of a detection station defined by the detecting arrangement, wherein the improvement comprises the drive transport arrangement comprising a rotary turntable, and the aperture defining arrangement comprising a circumferential aperture ring having the predetermined aperture array formed therethrough as a circumferential array, said turntable comprising turntable accepting means for carrying said aperture ring, said ring turntable accepting means being formed as a portion of said turntable below the top surface of said turntable that carries the slide tray.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 245 words

In slide projector apparatus having a drive transport arrangement for carrying a rotary slide tray including a plurality of slide positions and for selectively moving the slide tray to present the slide positions to a slide change station, and a position detecting arrangement for detecting the position of said drive transport arrangement, the detecting arrangement including an array defining arrangement for defining a predetermined array of spaced apertures, the predetermined array including one aperture corresponding to each of the slide positions in a predetermined slide tray, the array defining arrangement being moved by the drive transport arrangement along with the slide tray, the detecting arrangement further including an illumination source positioned on one side of the aperture array defining arrangement and a photodetection arrangement arranged along the path of travel of the predetermined aperture array and on the side of the aperture array opposite the light source such that illumination from the illumination source impinges on the photodetection arrangement when an aperture is within a predetermined vicinity of a detection station defined by the detecting arrangement, wherein the improvement comprises the drive transport arrangement comprising a rotary turntable, and the aperture defining arrangement comprising a circumferential aperture ring having the predetermined aperture array formed therethrough as a circumferential array, said turntable comprising turntable accepting means for carrying said aperture ring, said ring turntable accepting means being formed as a portion of said turntable below the top surface of said turntable that carries the slide tray.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 37 words

The combination of claim 1 wherein said turntable accepting portion of said turntable includes a smaller diameter dimension relative to said top turntable surface defining a circumferential space between said aperture ring and said top turntable surface.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 50 words

The combination of claim 2 wherein said illumination source comprises illumination transmitting means and a light source proximate said illumination transmitting means, said illumination transmitting means being disposed in said circumferential space and said photodetection arrangement being disposed below said aperture ring and being aligned with said illumination transmitting means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 74 words

The combination of claim 1 wherein said aperture ring further comprises a second predetermined aperture array formed through said aperture ring as a circumferential array spaced apart from said predetermined aperture array, said second predetermined aperture array including an aperture corresponding to each of the slide positions of a second predetermined tray type, said second predetermined aperture array including a plurality of apertures different than the plurality of apertures in said predetermined aperture array.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 31 words

The combination of claim 4 further comprising selectively positionable means carrying said photodetection arrangement for selectively positioning said photodetection arrangement between respective aligned detection positions with each of said aperture arrays.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 188 words

A position sensing arrangement for sensing the position of a slide tray transport arrangement of a slide projector, the position sensing arrangement comprising: coded array means arranged for movement in a manner directly correlated to movement of the slide tray transport arrangement, said coded array means comprising two planar arrays of energy transmissive members arranged in respective predetermined patterns, a first one of said arrays corresponding to a first predetermined plurality of controlled positions of a first type of slide tray, said second of said arrays corresponding to a second predetermined plurality of controlled positions of a second type of slide tray; and position detection means for detecting the position of said coded array means, said position detection means comprising energy generating means and energy detection means, said energy generating means and said energy detection means being disposed in a generally aligned condition at a predetermined detection station and on opposite sides of said coded array means, said position detection means further comprising selectively positionable means for selectively positioning said position detection means between respective aligned detection positions with respect to each of said first and second arrays.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 188 words

A position sensing arrangement for sensing the position of a slide tray transport arrangement of a slide projector, the position sensing arrangement comprising: coded array means arranged for movement in a manner directly correlated to movement of the slide tray transport arrangement, said coded array means comprising two planar arrays of energy transmissive members arranged in respective predetermined patterns, a first one of said arrays corresponding to a first predetermined plurality of controlled positions of a first type of slide tray, said second of said arrays corresponding to a second predetermined plurality of controlled positions of a second type of slide tray; and position detection means for detecting the position of said coded array means, said position detection means comprising energy generating means and energy detection means, said energy generating means and said energy detection means being disposed in a generally aligned condition at a predetermined detection station and on opposite sides of said coded array means, said position detection means further comprising selectively positionable means for selectively positioning said position detection means between respective aligned detection positions with respect to each of said first and second arrays.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 33 words

The position sensing arrangement of claim 6 wherein said coded array means comprises a generally planar member and said energy transmissive members of said arrays are apertures formed through said coded array means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 25 words

The position sensing arrangement of claim 7 wherein said energy generating means comprises a light source and said energy detection means comprises a photodetector device.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 46 words

The position sensing arrangement of claim 6 wherein said coded array means is a generally planar member having a circular perimeter and each of said arrays forms a generally circumferential ring, said position detection means being movable generally parallel to the plane of said planar ring.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 27 words

The position sensing arrangement of claim 6 wherein said first tray type is an 80 slide tray and said second tray type is a 140 slide tray.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 35 words

The position sensing arrangement of claim 6 wherein said selectively positionable means comprises switch means for selecting either first tray type operation or second tray type operation and actuator means responsive to said switch means.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1987-04-03	1987-10-03	1988-04-03	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1991-04-03	1991-10-03	1992-04-03	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1995-04-03	1995-10-03	1996-04-03	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Slide tray position sensing arrangement for slide projector apparatus utilizing two slide tray types

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