US3779143A

US3779143A - Self-processing film unit incorporating an integral battery

Info

Publication number: US3779143A
Application number: US00239735A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Harvey
Original assignee: Eastman Kodak Co
Current assignee: Eastman Kodak Co
Priority date: 1972-03-30
Filing date: 1972-03-30
Publication date: 1973-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 1990-12-18

Abstract

A self-processing film unit incorporates a battery that uses the image developing fluid as an electrolyte after the fluid has been released from its storage container during the film processing operation. Various devices are also disclosed for utilizing the resulting electrical energy to operate instrumentalities of a cooperating camera.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Harvey Dec. 18, 1973 SELF-PROCESSING FILM UNIT 2.778.734 1/1957 Fairbank 95/13 x INCORPORATING AN INTEGRAL 3,584,563 6/1971 Chen 95/13 X 3,643,571 2/1972 Erlichman et a1. 95/19 BATTERY 2,735,335 2/1956 Shaw 95/14 x [75] Inventor: Donald M. Harvey, Webster, NY.

[73] Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company,

Rochester, NY.

[22] Filed: Mar. 30, 1972 [21] App]. No.: 239,735

[52] US. Cl 95/13, 95/11 R, 96/76 C [51] Int. Cl. G03b 17/50 [58] Field of Search 95/11 R, 13, 14, 95/19, 22, 11 L; 96/76 C [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,463,067 8/1969 Fauth et a1. 95/11 L Primary Examiner-Fred L. Braun Art0rne vW. H. .1. Kline et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A self-processing film unit incorporates a battery that uses the image developing fluid as an electrolyte after the fluid has been released from its storage container during the film processing operation. Various devices are also disclosed for utilizing the resulting electrical energy to operate instrumentalities of a cooperating camera.

14 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PAIENIED DEC 1 81975 SHEU u or 4 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to film units of the selfprocessing type and to cameras adapted for use with such film units, and more particularly to self-processing film units that are provided with integral, normally dormant batteries which are activated by the image developing fluid during the film processing operation to supply electrical energy for performing various film exposure and film processing functions.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art Although many cameras utilize replaceable batteries as sources of energy for powering a film advancing or film processing mechanism, for igniting flashbulbs, or for operating automatic exposure control systems, the use of such batteries is not entirely satisfactory because the photographer often forgets to replace the batteries or does not realize that they have deteriorated. To alleviate that problem, it has been proposed to incorporate batteries directly into film containers that are loaded into the camera. For example, it has been proposed to include a battery in the core of a roll-film spool or in a film pack containing a plurality of self-processing film units. That approach, however, is relatively expensive and also is not entirely satisfactory because the types of batteries appropriate for such applications gradually deteriorate even though they are not being used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of the present invention is to improve the reliability of cameras that use self-processing film units and that have electrically operated components by providing a dormant battery that is integral with each film unit, the battery being energized by the units image developing fluid after the fluid has been released from its storage container to initiate film processing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a selfprocessing film unit with the type of battery described above but without unduly complicating the structure or manner of fabricating the film unit itself.

Still another object of the invention is to provide novel means by which energy supplied by an integral film unit battery is stored and subsequently used to perform various camera functions.

Briefly, these and other objects are achieved in accordance with the present invention by providing a selfprocessing film unit with dormant positive and negative electrodes that are adapted to establish a primary battery upon their being exposed to alkaline film processing solution. The electrodes are located in a portion of the film unit beyond the pod or container in which the processing fluid is initially sealed so that no reaction takes place until the pod or container has been ruptured and the processing fluid has been brought into contact with the electrodes. Conductor strips connected to the electrodes are engaged by appropriate contacts or brushes in the camera, and the available electrical energy preferably is used to recharge asecondary battery or capacitor or to store energy in a spring motor or the like so that the power derived from each film unit will be available to perform functions required in connection with the exposure and/or processing of a succeeding film unit.

Various means for practicing the invention and other advantages and novel features thereof will be apparent from the detailed description of the preferred and alternative embodiments of the invention presented below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the detailed description of the preferred and alternative embodiments of the invention presented below, reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a selfprocessing film unit constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein a normally dormant battery is incorporated into the funnel portion of the processing fluid pod assembly;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional side view taken through the pod assembly portion of an assembled film unit of the type shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a somewhat schematic perspective view of a film pack loaded with film units of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, illustrating the operative relation of the film pack to processing rollers and electrically operated exposure control elements of a cooperating camera;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view corresponding generally to FIG. 3 but illustrating means for utilizing electrical energy supplied by each successive film unit to rewind a spring motor used to drive one of the processing rollers of the cooperating camera;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a selfprocessing film unit constructed in accordance with a first alternative embodiment of the present invention, wherein the dormant battery elements are located along the lateral margins of the image recording unit portion of the film unit;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional end view taken through the image recording unit portion of an assembled film unit of the type shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a selfprocessing film unit constructed in accordance with a second alternative embodiment of the present invention, wherein the dormant battery elements are located in the trap portion of the film unit that receives excess processing fluid from the trailing end of the image recording unit; and

FIG. 8 is a persepctive view of a film pack loaded with film units of the type shown in FIG. 7, corresponding generally to FIGS. 3 and 4 but illustrating the manner in which electrical energy is derived from each successive film unit after the processed image recording unit thereof has been separated from the other film unit components, which have then been directed to a storage chamber in the film pack.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS or described herein being selectable from those known in the art.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings is a film unit ll constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Film unit 11 includes a preregistered, integral image recording unit 12 comprising a photosensitive sheet 13 and a transparent cover or process sheet 14, which are permanently secured together along their lateral marginal edges 15. This particular type of image recording unit is disclosed in greater detail in commonly assigned US. Pat. Application Ser. No. 70,836, entitled FlLM UNIT, filed Sept. 9, 1970 in the name of Hubert Nerwin and now abandoned. The term preregistered" means that the photosensitive sheet and the process sheet are superposed or registered prior to exposure, preferably at some stage during manufacture of the film unit. The term integral means that the photosensitive sheet and the process sheet are permanently maintained in superposed or registered relation to each other. It should be understood that the present invention can also be used with film units having image recording units of a type other than the preregistered, integral type, e.g., film units wherein the photosensitive and process sheets are separated prior to and during exposure and are then superposed during the film processing operation.

lmage recording unit 12 is separably attached along its margins to a resilient carrier member or card 16. Between the leading end of the image recording unit and the leading end of the card, a processing fluid pod assembly 17 is permanently attached to the latter. Details of pod assembly 17 are described below, but regardless of the particular manner in which it is constructed, the processing fluid pod assembly basically comprises a sealed pod or container that initially stores a supply of processing fluid. When the pod is squeezed between a pair of processing members, the resulting internal hydraulic pressure causes it to rupture along a predetermined seal or joint separating the interior of the pod from a so-called funnel leading to the interfacial space between the two sheets of the image recording unit. Thus, movement of the film unit between the processing members causes the processing fluid to be squeezed out of the pod and directed to the image recording unit, where the processing fluid is distributed uniformly between the photosensitive sheet and the process sheet. The processing fluid, which is distributed between the two sheets of the image recording unit to effect development of the latent image, provides an opaque white background for the permanent visible image and prevents further exposure of the photosensitive emulsion from occurring after the film unit has been removed from the camera and before the processing fluid has had time to complete its processing functions.

The pod assembly, shown in FIGS. l-3, comprises a single sheet 18 of a tough, vapor-impervious material that is chemically inert to the alkaline processing fluid. The flap portion 19 at the leading end of sheet 18 is folded as shown at numeral 20 and is permanently sealed to itself along its lateral margins 21 by a permanent cement or adhesive or by means of an appropriate heat seal or the equivalent. A rupturable transverse joint or sea] 22 extends between the permanently sealed margins 21 of sheet 18, thus defining a rupturable separation between funnel 23 and the processing fluid container or pod 24 that initially contains the processing fluid 25, shown in FIG. 2.

Beyond the funnel 23 of the pod assembly, sheet 18 is bifurcated to provide two

narrow legs

26 and 27 that joined with a longitudinal conductor strip 32 extending along the other sheet leg 27. When the flap portion 19 of sheet 18 is folded over and sealed,

fingers

28 and 31 are traversed by the permanently sealed margins 21 so that those edges of the funnel prevent any escape of processing fluid therefrom. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art of manufacturing self-processing film units that sheet 18 can be made in a continuous process that includes applying the battery electrodes and conductor strips, and that the pod folding, sealing, and filling operations can be performed by automatic production equipment.

After the pod assembly 17 has been fabricated, it is permanently cemented to card 16, and the image recording unit 12 is separably attached to the card between

legs

26 and 27 of sheet 18, with the open trailing end of funnel 23 received between the two sheets of the image recording unit at the leading end thereof. At the trailing end of the card, the leading edge of a moistureimpermeable trap sheet 33 overlies the adjacent trailing end of the image recording unit. Narrow spacer strips 34 are bonded to the lateral edges of the trap sheet, and strips 34 and the trailing edge of the trap sheet are permanently attached to the card. Excess processing fluid extruded out of the trailing end of the image recording unit is therefore received and stored in the trap chamber or envelope defined by sheet 33, straps 34, and card 16.

The film units described above preferably are supplied in a film pack or magazine, which includes a plu rality of such film units stacked in a generally conventional, molded 3. casing 35, which is partially illustrated in FIG. 1. A pressure plate 36 inside casing 35 is urged forwardly by leaf springs 37 to hold the stack of film units against front wall lips 38 of the casing.

After the film pack has been loaded into a camera, an

opaque cover sheet, not shown, is withdrawn from the front of the pack so that the image recording unit of the forwardmost film unit is located at the front of the film pack in coincidence with a focal plane of the camera lens 39. After each successive film unit has been exposed, a supplemental feeder member, not shown, moves that unit endwise between two processing

rollers

41 and 42, one or both of which are rotatively driven by an appropriate drive mechanism. As rotation of the rollers moves the film unit through the roller nip, the processing fluid pod is ruptured and the fluid is distributed between the two sheets of the image recording unit, whereupon the image recording unit, which forms the finished print, can be separated from the card, pod assembly, and trap, which then comprise processing waste materials. Various devices can be employed to effect movement of successive film units into and through the nip of

rollers

41 and 42 and also to separate automatically the finished print from the processing waste materials. Detailed explanations of such devices have been omitted from this disclosure because such explanations are believed unnecessary to an understanding of the present invention. An illustrative example of such a device is disclosed in commonly assigned, U.S. Pat. Application Ser. No. l 1 1,467, entitled PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS FOR HANDLING FILM UNITS OF THE SELF-DEVELOPING TYPE, filed Feb. I, 1971 in the name of Donald M. Harvey and now abandoned.

As a film unit moves through the processing roller nip, the transverse seal 22 between the pod and the funnel is ruptured, as previously explained, and the fluid is squeezed out of the pod, through the funnel, and into the space between the two sheets of the image recording unit. The movement of the image recording unit between the rollers then causes the fluid to be distributed uniformly between the two sheets to develop the latent image, and any excess processing fluid is extruded into the trap defined in part by trap sheet 33. In accordance with the present invention, the alkaline processing fluid 25, typically a solution of sodium hydroxide, also serves as the energizing electrolyte of the normally latent or dormant battery comprising the interdigital

battery electrode fingers

28 and 31 located within funnel 23. Thus, whenever the processing fluid is present in the funnel, an electrical potential or voltage is developed between conductor strips 29 and 32, which then serve as the respective negative and positive terminals of the battery. Because

rollers

41 and 42 are inherently incapable of extruding all of the processing fluid out of the funnel, the voltage produced by the battery persists, even after the funnel has passed completely through the-roller nip, until the electrochemical reaction has exhausted the electrolyte in the funnel.

A pair of contact strips or brushes 43 and 44, shown in FIG. 3, are adapted to contact the

respective strips

29 and 32 of the forwardmost film unit as it passes through the roller nip, to incorporate the film unit battery into an electrical circuit in the camera. To prevent short-circuiting of

strips

29 and 32, the forward roller 41 can either be made of a nonconductive material or be shorter than the distance separating those strips. The electrical circuit can perform various camera functions but is illustrated as being employed for supplying electricity to an automatic exposure control device 45, shown schematically in FIG. 3, which controls the operation of a camera shutter or diaphragm, not shown, located in lens housing 46. Because the electrical energy supplied by each successive film unit is not available until after that film unit has been exposed, the circuit illustrated in FIG. 3 is not intended to utilize such energy to provide power for an operation associated with the exposure or processing of that particular film unit, but rather is used to store the energy from that unit for performing an operation associated with the exposure or processing of a succeeding film unit. Accordingly, the contact strips or brushes 43 and 44 incorporate the film unit battery into a closed series circuit with a capacitor or lower voltage rechargeable secondary battery 47 from which power is derived to perform a subsequent automatic exposure control function. A diode 48 is connected in series with secondary battery 47 to prevent the latter from discharging through the film unit battery if the voltage of the secondary battery diminishes to less than that of the primary battery before the film unit is removed from the circuit. Obviously, similar circuitry could be employed to charge a battery or capacitor used for other purposes, such as for igniting a flashbulb or for providing power to drive one of the processing rollers by means of an electric motor.

Instead of being stored by a secondary battery or capacitor, the electrical energy from each film unit could first be converted to mechanical energy by an energy converting means such as 'an electric motor, and the mechanical energy could then be stored by an energy storing means such as a spring motor, as illustrated somewhat schematically in FIG. 4, which shows a spring motor 49 adapted to drive processing roller 42. The spring motor comprises a barrel 51 attached directly to roller 42 and blocked from rotation by a releasable latch member 52 engaged with a pawl tooth 53 on the barrel. A spiral spring 54 is located within barrel 51, with its outer end attached to the barrel and its inner end connected to a rotatable winding shaft 55. The winding shaft, in turn, is provided with a gear 56 that is driven by a worm 57 carried by the armature shaft of an electric motor 58, which is connected to

brushes

43 and 44. Thus, whenever a film unit is processed, the resulting electrical energy causes motor 58 to rewind spring motor 49, thereby providing the driving power required to process the next film unit.

THE FIRST ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENT Illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings is a film unit 61 constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Film unit 61 comprises a carrier member or card 62, an image recording unit 63, a trap assembly 64, and a pod assembly 65. In this embodiment, the negative and

positive battery elements

66 and 67 comprise thin strips of paper or plastic that are coated, respectively, with zinc and manganese dioxide or equivalent electrode materials.

Strips

66 and 67 are sealed between the lateral margins of photosensitive and

process sheets

68 and 69, thus incorporating the film unit battery directly into the image recording unit. As best shown in FIG. 6, the inner edges of the battery strips extend inwardly beyond the lateral sealing regions 71 of

sheets

68 and 69 and are therefore accessible to the electrolytic processing solution introduced into the image recording unit from the funnel of pod assembly 65, which is similar to the pod assembly described above with reference to the preferred embodiment but is devoid of battery elements. The outer edges of the battery strips extend outwardly beyond the lateral margins of the image recording unit to provide the battery terminals to be engaged by

brushes

43 and 44 in the camera. The battery elements therefore provide an electrical potential as soon as the processing fluid is introduced into the image recording unit, and that potential is utilized by the cameras electrical circuit until movement of the film unit has carried the terminal portions of the battery elements beyond the brushes.

THE SECOND ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENT A disadvantage of locating the dormant battery elements in the pod assembly funnel or in the image recording unit is that the electrochemical reaction may be deleterious to the photochemical reaction that must also be produced by the processing fluid. To avoid that possibility, another alternative embodiment of the invention, illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, incorporates the battery elements into the processing fluid trap assembly 73 of film unit 74 by printing or cementing the interdigital negative and positive

battery element fingers

75 and 76 directly onto the trailing portion of carrier member or card 77 beyond the trailing end of image recording unit 78. The trap sheet 79 is bonded to the card along its trailing edge, and its lateral edges are sealed to the card by spacer strips 81 which traverse the corresponding

fingers

75 and 76. Conductive terminal strips 82 and 83 are connected to

fingers

75 and 76, respectively,, and extend along the lateral edges of card 77 in straddling relation to the trap and the image recording unit to provide the respective negative and positive terminals of the battery. As in the first alternative embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. and 6, the pod assembly 84 is of a conventional type comprising a fluid containing portion 85 and a funnel 86, which are defined by a folded moisture-impervious sheet or the equivalent. By eliminating all battery elements from the pod assembly and from the image recording unit, and by utilizing only the excess processing solution as an electrolyte, this embodiment ensures that the development of the latent photographic image cannot be prejudiced by the electrochemical reaction that takes place in the battery.

Because the battery of the film unit just described is located entirely within the processing fluid trap, the processing fluid does not reach the battery until the image recording unit has moved almost completely through the processing roller nip. Therefore, the processing mechanism used with this type of film unit could be adapted to retain the film unit temporarily in the camera after the image recording unit'has passed through the roller nip and while the contact brushes are still engaged with the battery terminal strips, thereby prolonging the time available for energizing the electrical circuit of the camera. Preferably, however, this type of film unit would be employed in a camera having a processing device similar to that disclosed in the aboveidentified US. Pat. Application Ser. No. l 1 1,467, filed Feb. I, 197i and now abandoned. As illustrated somewhat schematically in FIG. 8, such a camera is adapted to be loaded with a film pack 87 comprising a molded plastic casing 88 corresponding generally to casing 35 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. A pressure plate 89 divides the interior of the casing into a forward film compartment 91 and a rearward storage compartment 92, which is accessible through an opening 93 in the casing end wall 94. A plurality of film units 74 are initially stacked in forward compartment 91 and are urged forwardly by pressure plate 89 under the influence of four leaf springs 95 attached to the lateral margins of the rearward casing wall by rivets 96.

After each successive forwardmost film unit has been exposed, a supplemental feeder member, not shown, moves that film unit endwise into the nip of

processing rollers

97 and 98. The rearward processing roller 98 is directly connected to an appropriate driving mechanism, not shown, and preferably is provided with sprocket teeth 99 adapted to engage corresponding sprocket perforations 101 along the edges of card 77. After the card has entered the roller nip and has been engaged by sprocket teeth 99, roller 98 drives the card through the nip to perform the processing operation previously described.

As the leading end of card 77 emerges from the roller nip, its lateral corners engage a pair of molded plastic guide shoes 102, which guide the card rearwardly around roller 98 and maintain it in engagement with sprocket teeth 99. Since pod assembly 84 is permanently attached to card 77, the pod assembly also is drawn through the roller nip and carried rearwardly around roller 98. As previously described, the pod is ruptured by the rollers and the processing fluid is extruded through the funnel and between the two sheets of the image recording unit to effect the processing of that unit. Because of the inherent stiffness of image recording unit 78, which is located between guide shoes 102 and is separably attached to card 77, the image recording unit emerges from the roller nip and continues to move in a substantially flat plane as it progressively becomes separated from card 77 and moves out of the camera housing through an appropriate slot or opening. When the leading end of card 77 is driven beyond the arcuate faces of shoes 102 confronting roller 98, its inherent resiliency causes it to move tangentially away from roller 98 into end wall opening 93 of the film pack casing, whereupon continued rotation of the rollers pushes card 77 into rearward storage compartment92 between pressure plate 89 and springs 95. After the trailing edge of the image recording unit has passed through the roller nip, the processing fluid trap becomes separated from the image recording unit and is carried toward the rearward storage compartment by card 77. Upon completion of the processing cycle, the trailing end portion of card 77 has been driven beyond engagement with roller 98 and assumes a flat condition in which it protrudes slightly through opening 93 of the film pack casing. In this position, terminal strips 82 and 83 of the activated battery are engaged by the corresponding pair of leaf springs 95, which serve the same function as the previously described contact strips or brushes 43 and 44. The pair of leaf springs engaged with

strips

82 and 83 are electrically connected through their rivets 96 to corresponding resilient contact blades 103, which are supported by a back wall member 104 of the camera housing and are incorporated into the electrical circuit of the camera. Consequently, the film unit battery can supply electrical energy to the camera circuit until the battery becomes exhausted or until exposure and processing of the next succeeding film unit have caused the next unit to be moved into the storage compartment in the same manner.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to the illustrated preferred and alternative embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a selfprocessing film assemblage having:

a. an image recording unit including a photosensitive sheet and a process sheet coupled together in faceto-face relationship;

b. a processing fluid container including an initially sealed chamber processing fluid adapted to develop a latent photographic image on said photosensitive sheet, said container being rupturable to provide for discharging said processing fluid from said chamber; and

c. fluid delivery means defining a passageway for conducting processing fluid discharged from said chamber to said photosensitive sheet; an improvement comprising:

d. a normally dormant battery including first and second electrode elements disposed in spaced relation to each other in one of said image recording unit and said fluid delivery means and adapted to be electrochemically interconnected by said processing fluid when discharged from said chamber to establish an electrical potential between said elements and thereby activate said battery.

2. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said processing fluid is an alkaline solution.

3. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said elements include interdigital fingers of dissimilar electrode materials.

4. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said elements are located within said passageway.

5. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second elements include zinc and manganese dioxide respectively.

6. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said processing fluid includes a solution of sodium hydroxide.

7. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said image recording unit includes first and second lateral marginal portions, and wherein said first and second elements are located along said first and second lateral marginal portions respectively.

8. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said film assemblage is adapted for use in a camera having an electrically energizable instrumentality coupled to a pair of contact members, said elements including terminal means engageable by the contact members to interconnect electrically said battery and the instrumentality.

9. in a self-processing film assembly adapted for use in a camera having an electrically energizable instrumentality coupled to a pair of contact members, said film assembly comprising:

a. an image recording unit having first and second end portions and including a photosensitive sheet for recording a processable latent image and a process sheet disposed in superposed relation with said photosensitive sheet during processing of said unit;

b. a processing fluid container in communication with said first end portion and containing a processing fluid adapted to process the latent image, said container being rupturable to permit movement of said fluid from said container to said unit and between said sheets; and

c. a processing fluid trap in communication with said second end portion for receiving and retaining a portion of said fluid from between said sheets;

an improvement comprising:

d. a normally dormant battery including first and second electrode elements disposed within said trap in spaced relation to each other and adapted to be electrochemically interconnected by said portion of said fluid to establish an electrical potential between said elements and thereby activate said battery; and

e. means defining terminals coupled to said elements and engageable by the camera contact members to interconnect electrically said battery and the camera instrumentality.

10. The improvement claimed in claim 9 wherein said film assembly further comprises a carrier member having lateral marginal portions; and wherein said means defining terminals are disposed along said lateral marginal portions.

11. A camera adapted to effect an exposure and processing of a self-processing film unit received therein, the film unit including a first portion having means responsive to the exposure and processing for establishing a photographic image and a second portion having a normally dormant battery provided with a pair of terminals and adapted to be activated during the processing to provide electrical energy at the terminals, the second portion including a rupturable container of processing fluid and a pair of spaced electrode elements coupled to the terminals and disposed outside the container, the electrode elements being electrochemically interconnectable by the processing fluid upon rupture of the container to establish an electrical potential between the elements and thereby activate the normally dormant battery, said camera comprising:

a. a pair of contact members engageable by the terminals when the normally dormant battery is activated;

b. energy storage means coupled to said contact members for receiving and storing the energy provided at the terminals when the normally dormant battery is activated, said energy storage means including a secondary battery that is chargeable by the normally dormant battery when activated; and

c. a camera instrumentality coupled to and energizable by said energy storage means.

12. A camera adapted to effect an exposure and processing of a self-processing film unit received therein, the film unit including a first portion having means responsive to the exposure and processing for establishing a photographic image and a second portion having a normally dormant battery provided with a pair of terminals and adapted to be activated during the processing to provide electrical energy at the terminals, the second portion including a rupturable container of processing fluid and a pair of spaced electrode elements coupled to the terminals and disposed outside the container, the electrode elements being electrochemically interconnectable by the processing fluid upon rupture of the container to establish an electrical potential between the elements and thereby activate the battery, said camera comprising:

a. a pair of contact members engageable by the terminals when the battery is activated;

b. energy storage means coupled to said contact members for receiving and storing the energy provided at the terminals when the battery is activated, said energy storage means including converting means coupled to said contact members for converting the electrical energy to mechanical energy and storing means coupled to said converting means for storing the mechanical energy; and

c. a camera instrumentality coupled to and energizable by said storing means.

13. The camera claimed in claim 12 wherein said converting means includes an electric motor and said storing means includes a spring motor adapted to be wound by said electric motor.

14. A camera adapted to effect an exposure and processing of a self-processing film unit received therein, the film unit including separable first and second portions, the first portion having means responsive to the exposure and processing for establishing a photographic image, the second portion having a normally dormant battery provided with a pair of terminals and adapted to be activated during the processing to provide electrical energy at the terminals, the second portion including a rupturable container of processing fluid and a pair of spaced electrode elements coupled to the terminals and disposed outside the container, the c a camera instrumentality coupled to and energizelectrode elements being electrochemically interconable by said energy storage means; nectable by the processing fluid upon rupture of the d a storage compartment; and container to establish an electrical potential between e means operable during the processing for separatthe elements and thereby activate the battery, said 5 ing the first and second portions of the film unit camera comprising: and for moving the second portion into said storage a a pair of contact members engageable by the termicompartment;

nals when the battery is activated; f said contact members being engageable by the terb energy storage means coupled to said contact memminals after the second portion has been moved bers for receiving and storing the energy provided into said storage compartment.

at the terminals when the battery is activated;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,779,143 Dated December 18. 1973 Inventofls) Donald M. I-Iarvev It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

fin Col. 2, lines 31, 40, and 59, "s'elfprocessing" should read -self-processing--; line 47, "persepctive" should read -perspective. In Col. 4, line 37, "straps" should read -strips; line 41, "3." should read -plastic-; line 42, "FIG. 1" should read FIG. 3--. In Col. 5, line 3, the comma should not. appear after "assigned". In Col. 7, line 8, only one comma should appear after "respectively". In Col. 8-, line 55, --containingshould appear after "chamber".

Signed and sealed this 23rd day ofQJuly 197A.

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY GIBSQN, JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attestlng Offlcer Commissioner of Patents UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,779,143 Dated December lg, 122;}

Inventor(s) Donald M. Harvev It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

ln Col. 2, lines 31, 40, and 59, "selfprocessing" should read -self-processing-; line 47, "persepctive" should read -perspective-. In Col. 4, line 37, "straps" should read -strips-; line 41, "3." should read -plastic; line 42, "FIG. 1" should read FIG. 3-. In Col. 5, line 3, the comma should not appear after "assigned". In Col. 7, line 8, only one comma should appear after "respectively". In Col. 8, line 55, -containingshould appear after "chamber".

Signed and sealed this 23rd day of July l9'7L (SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY GIBSQN, JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attestlng Offlcer Commissioner of Patents

Claims

1. In a self-processing film assemblage having: a. an image recording unit including a photosensitive sheet and a process sheet coupled together in face-to-face relationship; b. a processing fluid container including an initially sealed chamber processing fluid adapted to develop a latent photographic image on said photosensitive sheet, said container being rupturable to provide for discharging said processing fluid from said chamber; and c. fluid delivery means defining a passageway for conducting processing fluid discharged from said chamber to said photosensitive sheet; an improvement comprising: d. a normally dormant battery including first and second electrode elements disposed in spaced relation to each other in one of said image recording unit and said fluid delivery means and adapted to be electrochemically interconnected by said processing fluid when discharged from said chamber to establish an electrical potential between said elements and thereby activate said battery.

9. In a self-processing film assembly adapted for use in a camera having an electrically energizable instrumentality coupled to a pair of contact members, said film assembly comprising: a. an image recording unit having first and second end portions and including a photosensitive sheet for recording a processable latent image and a process sheet disposed in superposed relation with said photosensitive sheet during processing of said unit; b. a processing fluid container in communication with said first end portion and containing a processing fluid adapted to process the latent image, said container being rupturable to permit movement of said fluid from said container to said unit and between said sheets; and c. a processing fluid trap in communication with said second end portion for receiving and retaining a portion of said fluid from between said sheets; an improvement comprising: d. a normally dormant battery including first and second electrode elements disposed within said trap in spaced relation to each other and adapted to be electrochemically interconnected by said portion of said fluid to establish an electrical potential between said elements and thereby activate said battery; and e. means defining terminals coupled to said elements and engageable by the camera contact members to interconnect electrically said battery and the camera instrumentality.

11. A camera adapted to effect an exposure and processing of a self-processing film unit received therein, the film unit including a first portion having means responsive to the exposure and processing for establishing a photographic image and a second portion having a normally dormant battery provided with a pair of terminals and adapted to be activated during the processing to provide electrical energy at the terminals, the second portion including a rupturable container of processing fluid and a pair of spaced electrode elements coupled to the terminals and disposed outside the container, the electrode elements being electrochemically interconnectable by the processing fluid upon rupture of The container to establish an electrical potential between the elements and thereby activate the normally dormant battery, said camera comprising: a. a pair of contact members engageable by the terminals when the normally dormant battery is activated; b. energy storage means coupled to said contact members for receiving and storing the energy provided at the terminals when the normally dormant battery is activated, said energy storage means including a secondary battery that is chargeable by the normally dormant battery when activated; and c. a camera instrumentality coupled to and energizable by said energy storage means.

12. A camera adapted to effect an exposure and processing of a self-processing film unit received therein, the film unit including a first portion having means responsive to the exposure and processing for establishing a photographic image and a second portion having a normally dormant battery provided with a pair of terminals and adapted to be activated during the processing to provide electrical energy at the terminals, the second portion including a rupturable container of processing fluid and a pair of spaced electrode elements coupled to the terminals and disposed outside the container, the electrode elements being electrochemically interconnectable by the processing fluid upon rupture of the container to establish an electrical potential between the elements and thereby activate the battery, said camera comprising: a. a pair of contact members engageable by the terminals when the battery is activated; b. energy storage means coupled to said contact members for receiving and storing the energy provided at the terminals when the battery is activated, said energy storage means including converting means coupled to said contact members for converting the electrical energy to mechanical energy and storing means coupled to said converting means for storing the mechanical energy; and c. a camera instrumentality coupled to and energizable by said storing means.

14. A camera adapted to effect an exposure and processing of a self-processing film unit received therein, the film unit including separable first and second portions, the first portion having means responsive to the exposure and processing for establishing a photographic image, the second portion having a normally dormant battery provided with a pair of terminals and adapted to be activated during the processing to provide electrical energy at the terminals, the second portion including a rupturable container of processing fluid and a pair of spaced electrode elements coupled to the terminals and disposed outside the container, the electrode elements being electrochemically interconnectable by the processing fluid upon rupture of the container to establish an electrical potential between the elements and thereby activate the battery, said camera comprising: a a pair of contact members engageable by the terminals when the battery is activated; b energy storage means coupled to said contact members for receiving and storing the energy provided at the terminals when the battery is activated; c a camera instrumentality coupled to and energizable by said energy storage means; d a storage compartment; and e means operable during the processing for separating the first and second portions of the film unit and for moving the second portion into said storage compartment; f said contact members being engageable by the terminals after the second portion has been moved into said storage compartment.