Camera having light-blocking label

• US 6,330,396 B1
• Filed: 07/26/1999
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Smith, Stephen J., Boyd, James D., Cramer, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Arthur A
• Application Number:
  US09/360,909
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 396/6, 396/535, 396/536, 396/537, 396/538
• US Class Current: 396/6
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 19/04 Roll-film cameras

Abstract

A camera has a casing enclosing a film area. The casing has a stray light path into the film area due to a light transmissive region, such as a region of translucent material. The light transmissive region can be bounded by an obstruction to label placement. A label is adhered to the casing. The label has an opaque portion covering the transmissive region. The label can be aligned with an obstruction boundary and spaced from the obstruction boundary by 0.8 mm or less.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

a casing enclosing a film area, said casing having a translucent region defining a stray light path into said film area;

a label adhered to said casing, said label having an opaque portion covering said translucent region.

2. The camera of claim 1 wherein said casing has an opaque region thicker than and continuous with said translucent region.

3. The camera of claim 2 wherein said translucent region is imperforate.

4. The camera of claim 2 wherein said opaque region includes an obstruction boundary and said label is in registration with and overlaps said obstruction boundary.

5. The camera of claim 4 wherein said obstruction boundary borders said translucent region on at least one side.

6. The camera of claim 4 wherein said obstruction boundary surrounds said translucent region.

7. The camera of claim 4 wherein said casing has a grip element bordered by said obstruction boundary.

8. The camera of claim 7 wherein said casing has a grip element surrounding said translucent region.

9. The camera of claim 4 wherein said camera further comprises a control feature encompassed by said obstruction boundary.

10. The camera of claim 4 wherein said label is spaced from said obstruction boundary by 0.6 mm or less.

11. The camera of claim 4 wherein said label is spaced from said obstruction boundary by 0.4 mm or less.

12. The camera of claim 4 wherein said label is spaced from said obstruction boundary by 0.2 mm or less.

13. The camera of claim 1 wherein said casing has a grip element surrounding said translucent region.

14. The camera of claim 1 wherein said label is compliant.

15. The camera of claim 1 wherein said casing has an outside surface and an inside surface and said label is adhered to said outside surface.

16. A camera comprising:

a frame defining a pair of opposed film chambers and an exposure chamber between said film chambers;

a rear cover closing said chambers, said rear cover having a translucent region defining a stray light path into at least one of said chambers; and

a label adhered to said rear cover, said label having an opaque portion covering said translucent region.

17. The camera of claim 16 wherein said rear cover has an opaque region thicker than and continuous with said translucent region.

18. The camera of claim 17 wherein said opaque region includes an obstruction boundary and said label is in registration with said obstruction boundary.

19. The camera of claim 18 wherein said obstruction boundary borders said translucent region.

20. A camera comprising:

a casing enclosing a film area, said casing having an obstruction boundary and a light transmissive region;

a label adhered to said casing, said label being spaced from said obstruction boundary by 0.6 mm or less, said label having an opaque portion covering said light transmissive region.

21. The camera of claim 20 wherein said label being spaced from said obstruction boundary by 0.4 mm or less.

22. The camera of claim 20 wherein said casing has an opaque region including said obstruction boundary and said light transmissive regions is continuous with and thinner than said opaque region.

23. A camera comprising:

a casing enclosing a film area, said casing having a light translucent region defining a stray light path into said film area; and

a label adhered to said casing, said label having an opaque portion covering said translucent region.

24. The camera of claim 23 wherein said casing has a label-placement obstruction having an obstruction boundary and said label is spaced from said obstruction boundary by a distance equal to or less than 0.6 mm.

25. A camera comprising:

a casing enclosing a film area, said casing having a translucent region defining a stray light path into said film area, said casing being imperforate at said translucent region;

a label adhered to said casing, said label having an opaque portion covering said translucent region.

26. A camera comprising:

a casing enclosing a film area, said casing having an opaque region and a translucent region of one-piece with said opaque region, said translucent region defining a stray light path into said film area;

a label adhered to said casing, said label having an opaque portion covering said translucent region.