Claims
- 1. A preloaded single-use instant camera comprising a housing providing a sealed light-tight enclosure and a user-inaccessible film holding compartment, a predetermined number of independent pressure-processable film units stacked directly in said compartment an exit slot in said housing having dimensions sufficient for the passage therethrough of one of said film units, an exposure system and means for initiating an exposure cycle to thereby effect exposure of the film unit at the foremost level of said stack, a pair of axially-rotatable pressure rollers abutting at a nip, and user-operated manual processing means for urging the rotation of said pressure rollers while simultaneously selecting and introducing the film unit at the foremost level of said stack into the nip between said rollers, and whereby the rotating pressure rollers grab, compress, and withdraw the selected film unit from said user-inaccessible film holding compartment and ultimately at least partially out of said housing through said exit slot; and said user operated manual processing means comprising a user withdrawable-insertable member capable of being withdrawn and inserted into and out of said housing, said user withdrawable-insertable member cooperating with at least one of said pressure rollers such that the withdrawal or insertion of said member effects the rotation of said pressure rollers, said user withdrawable-insertable member also having a pick for said selection and introduction of said film unit into said nip.
- 2. The preloaded single-use instant camera of claim 1, wherein at least one of said rollers is made of plastic.
- 3. The preloaded single-use instant camera of claim 2, wherein both of said pair of rollers are made of plastic.
- 4. The preloaded single-use instant camera of claim 2 or 3, wherein
- said rollers have a diameter in the range of from approximately greater than 1/4" (0.64 cm) to approximately 1/2" (1.25 cm).
- 5. The preloaded single-use instant camera of claim 1, further comprising
- resilient urging means within said user-inaccessible film holding compartment for resiliently urging film units of said stack toward said foremost level, said film holding compartment provided with structural restraining means for preventing the urging of the foremost film unit beyond said foremost level.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/826,237 filed Mar. 27, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,997, which claims the benefit of Provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/014,263, filed Mar. 28, 1996.
US Referenced Citations (35)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
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2654500 |
Jun 1978 |
DEX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
826237 |
Mar 1997 |
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