Dental film packet improvement and method for effecting same

Claim 1

A convenience-enhancing improvement upon an intraoral dental radiographic film packet (FP) of the type having a sensitized film sheet (10) including leading and trailing end portions thereof (10L and 10t) and an intermediate portion (10i) between said end portions (10L and 10t); a foldable opaque sheet (12) including a bottom section thereof (12b) underlying the film sheet (10), a top section thereof (12c) folded around said trailing end portion (10t) of the film sheet (10) and overlying substantially all of the film sheet (10), and a tab section thereof (12t) folded around said leading end portion (10L) of the film sheet (10) and overlying both said leading end portion (10L) and a forward part (12cf) of said top section (12c) of the opaque sheet (12); a reflective sheet (14) including main and front-end portions thereof (14m and 14f) overlying said top section (12c) of the opaque sheet (12), with said front-end portion thereof (14f) interposed between said forward part (12cf) of said top section (12c) and said tab section (12t) of the opaque sheet (12); and an opaque envelope (16) for protectively enclosing the film sheet (10), the opaque sheet (12), and the reflective sheet (14), the envelope (16) including a bottom wall (16b) underlying said bottom section (12b) of the opaque sheet (12), a top-wall cover section (16c) overlying said main portion (14m) of the reflective sheet (14) and including a forward portion thereof (16cf) extending forwardly toward said tab section (12t) of the opaque sheet (12), and a top-wall flap section (16f) overlying said tab section (12t) of the opaque sheet (12) and including a tab portion thereof (16ft) projecting rearwardly over said forward portion (16cf) of said top-wall cover section (16c), said bottom wall (16b) and said top-wall cover and flap sections (16c and 16f) of the envelope (16) being separably joined together along facing marginal portions thereof (16bm-16cm and 16bm-16fm) surrounding the sheets (10, 12, and 14) to make said envelope (16) light-tight, said top-wall flap section (16f) being readily separable from said top-wall cover section (16c) and said bottom wall (16b), by pulling upon said tab portion (16ft) of said flap section (16f), to open the envelope (16) for removal of the film sheet (10) after radiographic exposure thereof (10); said convenience-enhancing improvement comprising: a shortened top section (12c' or 12c") of the opaque sheet (12' or 12"), said top section (12c' or 12c") being so shortened as to overlie at least said trailing end portion (10t' or 10t") of the film sheet (10' or 10") but not more than said trailing end portion (10t' or 10t") plus said intermediate portion (10i' or 10i") of the film sheet (10' or 10"); a tab section (12t' or 12t") of the opaque sheet (12' or 12") of such length as to overlie at least said leading end portion (10L' or 10L") of the film sheet (10' or 10") but no part of said shortened top section (12c' or 12c"); and a reflective sheet (14' or 14") whose main portion (14m' or 14m") overlies said shortened top section (12c' or 12c") and whose front-end portion (14f' or 14f") is interposed between said tab section (12t' or 12t") of the opaque sheet (12' or 12") and said leading end portion (10L' or 10L") of the film sheet (10' or 10"); the opaque sheet (12' or 12") and the film sheet (10' or 10") together being freely slidable, relative to and outwardly away from both the reflective sheet (14' or 14") and the envelope (16' or 16"), in response to forward pulling upon said tab section (12t' or 12t") of the opaque sheet (12' or 12") after the envelope (16' or 16") has been opened; and said tab section (12t' or 12t") of the opaque sheet (12' or 12") being readily unfolded away from said leading end portion (10L' or 10L") of the film sheet thereunder (10' or 10"), in response to said forward pulling upon said tab section (12t' or 12t"), to uncover said leading end portion (10L' or 10L") and thus enable convenient grasping thereof (10L' or 10L") to remove the film sheet only (10' or 10") from the envelope (16' or 16") for processing.

Claim 7

A method for rendering an intraoral dental radiographic film packet (FP) more convenient to use, the packet (FP) having a sensitized film sheet (10) including leading and trailing end portions thereof (10L and 10t) and an intermediate portion (10i) between said end portions (10L and 10t); a foldable opaque sheet (12) including a bottom section thereof (12b) underlying the film sheet (10), a top section thereof (12c) folded around said trailing end portion (10t) of the film sheet (10) and overlying substantially all of the film sheet (10), and a tab section thereof (12t) folded around said leading end portion (10L) of the film sheet (10) and overlying both said leading end portion (10L) and a forward part (12cf) of said top section (12c) of the opaque sheet (12); a reflective sheet (14) including main and front-end portions thereof (14m and 14f) overlying said top section (12c) of the opaque sheet (12), with said front-end portion thereof (14f) interposed between said forward part (12cf) of said top section (12c) and said tab section (12t) of the opaque sheet (12); and an opaque envelope (16) for protectively enclosing the film sheet (10), the opaque sheet (12), and the reflective sheet (14), the envelope (16) including a bottom wall (16b) underlying said bottom section (12b) of the opaque sheet (12), a top-wall cover section (16c) overlying said main portion (14m) of the reflective sheet (14) and including a forward portion thereof (16cf) extending forwardly toward said tab section (12t) of the opaque sheet (12), and a top-wall flap section (16f) overlying said tab section (12t) of the opaque sheet (12) and including a tab portion thereof (16ft) projecting rearwardly over said forward portion (16cf) of said top-wall cover section (16c), said bottom wall (16b) and said top-wall cover and flap sections (16c and 16f) of the envelope (16) being separably joined together along facing marginal portions thereof (16bm-16cm and 16bm-16fm) surrounding the sheets (10, 12, and 14) to make said envelope (16) light-tight, said top-wall flap section (16f) being readily separable from said top-wall cover section (16c) and said bottom wall (16b), by pulling upon said tab portion (16ft) of said flap section (16f), to open the envelope (16) for removal of the film sheet (10) after radiographic exposure thereof (10); said method comprising: limiting said top section (12c' or 12c") of the opaque sheet (12' or 12") in length such that said top section (12c' or 12c") overlies at least said trailing end portion (10t' or 10t") of the film sheet (10' or 10") and at most said trailing end portion (10t' or 10t") plus said intermediate portion (10i' or 10i") of the film sheet (10' or 10"); limiting said tab section (12t' or 12t") of the opaque sheet (12' or 12") in length such that said tab section (12t' or 12t") overlies at least said leading end portion (10L' or 10L") of the film sheet (10' or 10") but no part of said top section (12c' or 12c"); arranging the reflective sheet (14' or 14") so that its main portion (14m' or 14m") overlies said top section (12c' or 12c") of the opaque sheet 12' or 12") while its front-end portion (14f' or 14f") is interposed between said tab section (12t' or 12t") of the opaque sheet (12' or 12") and said leading end portion (10L' or 10L") of the film sheet (10' or 10"); allowing the opaque sheet (12' or 12") and the film sheet (10' or 10") to be freely slidable together, relative to and outwardly away from both the reflective sheet (14' or 14") and the envelope (16' or 16"), in response to forward pulling upon said tab section (12t' or 12t") of the opaque sheet (12' or 12") after the envelope (16' or 16") has been opened; and allowing said tab section (12t' or 12t") of the opaque sheet (12' or 12") to be readily unfolded away from said leading end portion (10L' or 10L") of the film sheet thereunder (10' or 10"), in response to said forward pulling upon said tab section (12t' or 12t"), to uncover said leading end portion (10L' or 10L") and thus enable convenient grasping thereof (10L' or 10L") to remove the film sheet only (10' or 10") from the envelope (16' or 16") for processing.

Claim 8

A method for rendering an intraoral dental radiographic film packet (FP) more convenient to use, the packet (FP) having a sensitized film sheet (10) including leading and trailing end portions thereof (10L and 10t) and an intermediate portion (10i) between said end portions (10L and 10t); a foldable opaque sheet (12) including a bottom section thereof (12b) underlying the film sheet (10), a top section thereof (12c) folded around said trailing end portion (10t) of the film sheet (10) and overlying substantially all of the film sheet (10), and a tab section thereof (12t) folded around said leading end portion (10L) of the film sheet (10) and overlying both said leading end portion (10L) and a forward part (12cf) of said top section (12c) of the opaque sheet (12); a reflective sheet (14) including main and front-end portions thereof (14m and 14f) overlying said top section (12c) of the opaque sheet (12), with said front-end portion thereof (14f) interposed between said forward part (12cf) of said top section (12c) and said tab section (12t) of the opaque sheet (12); and an opaque envelope (16) for protectively enclosing the film sheet (10), the opaque sheet (12), and the reflective sheet (14), the envelope (16) including a bottom wall (16b) underlying said bottom section (12b) of the opaque sheet (12), a top-wall cover section (16c) overlying said main portion (14m) of the reflective sheet (14) and including a forward portion thereof (16cf) extending forwardly toward said tab section (12t) of the opaque sheet (12), and a top-wall flap section (16f) overlying said tab section (12t) of the opaque sheet (12) and including a tab portion thereof (16ft) projecting rearwardly over said forward portion (16cf) of said top-wall cover section (16c), said bottom wall (16b) and said top-wall cover and flap sections (16c and 16f) of the envelope (16) being separably joined together along facing marginal portions thereof (16bm-16cm and 16bm-16fm) surrounding the sheets (10, 12, and 14) to make said envelope (16) light-tight, said top-wall flap section (16f) being readily separable from said top-wall cover section (16c) and said bottom wall (16b), by pulling upon said tab portion (16ft) of said flap section (16f), to open the envelope (16) for removal of the film sheet (10) after radiographic exposure thereof (10); said method comprising: limiting said top section (12c' or 12c") of the opaque sheet (12' or 12") in length such that said top section (12c' or 12c") overlies at least said trailing end portion (10t' or 10t") of the film sheet (10' or 10") and at most said trailing end portion (10t' or 10t") plus said intermediate portion (10i' or 10i") of the film sheet (10' or 10"); limiting said tab section (12t' or 12t") of the opaque sheet (12' or 12") in length such that said tab section (12t' or 12t") overlies at least said leading end portion (10L' or 10L") of the film sheet (10' or 10") but no part of said top section (12c' or 12c"); arranging the reflective sheet (14' or 14") so that its main portion (14m' or 14m") overlies said top section (12c' or 12c") of the opaque sheet 12' or 12") while its front-end portion (14f' or 14f") is interposed between said tab section (12t' or 12t") of the opaque sheet (12' or 12") and said leading end portion (10L' or 10L") of the film sheet (10' or 10"); allowing the opaque sheet (12' or 12") and the film sheet (10' or 10") to be freely slidable together, relative to and outwardly away from both the reflective sheet (14' or 14") and the envelope (16' or 16"), in response to forward pulling upon said tab section (12t' or 12t") of the opaque sheet (12' or 12") after the envelope (16' or 16") has been opened; and allowing said tab section (12t' or 12t") of the opaque sheet (12' or 12") to be readily unfolded away from said leading end portion (10L' or 10L") of the film sheet thereunder (10' or 10"), in response to said forward pulling upon said tab section (12t' or 12t"), to uncover said leading end portion (10L' or 10L") and thus enable convenient grasping thereof (10L' or 10L") to remove the film sheet only (10' or 10") from the envelope (16' or 16") for processing.