Patents by Inventor David C. Smart

David C. Smart has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5270760
    Abstract: A film cassette comprises a spool core supported for rotation in an unwinding direction about an axis, a filmstrip coiled about the spool core to form a film roll, and annular constraining means supported for rotation about the axis of the spool core but inclined with respect to the axis to position the constraining means partially encircling an outermost convolution of the film roll to confine the outermost convolution and partially not encircling the outermost convolution to allow a leading end of the film roll to escape confinement of the outermost convolution when the spool core is rotated in the unwinding direction. The spool core and the annular constraining means include respective engagement means for engaging when the spool core is rotated in the unwinding direction, to make the constraining means rotate with the spool core in the same direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1993
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Dennis R. Zander, David C. Smart
  • Patent number: 5262811
    Abstract: A photographic film cassette comprising a housing with a hinged lid thrusts film therefrom during the film threading process. The cassette comprises a rotatable film spool concentrically positioned in a housing, within and adjacent to a rotatable, outwardly convex panel member having end plates with camming structure thereon. Corresponding cam followers are located on the interior of the lid, and when the panel member is rotated by a drive spindle accessible to the member through an opening in an end of the housing, the member rotates, camming the lid onto an open position. Film engaged to the member's outer surface by a detent projecting from the surface through a perforation in the film is thrust out of the cassette into engagement with the camera's film transport mechanism. During rewinding, a drive spindle accessible to the spool through the housing's end opening rewinds the film until the perforation is sensed by camera sensing means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1993
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Dennis R. Zander, David C. Smart, Joel S. Lawther, Eugene Sisto
  • Patent number: 5231438
    Abstract: In a camera to be used with a self-opening cassette, an interlock for a cover piece of the camera and a light valve of the cassette prevents the cover piece from being opened when the light valve cannot be closed because a filmstrip is protruding out of the cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1993
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: David C. Smart
  • Patent number: 5166587
    Abstract: A vehicle windshield wiper control system has an electrically driven wiper motor, a wiper control switch coupled to the motor and having a delay position wherein the motor operates intermittently, a vehicle speed sensor, and a control unit coupled to the control switch, the motor, and to the speed sensor. The control operation of the motor, the control unit periodically executes a method or algorithm which causes the system to vary the dwell time between motor operations as a function of sensed vehicle speed, and optionally as a function of an operator adjustable dwell time control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1992
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: David C. Smart
  • Patent number: 5122823
    Abstract: In a photographic camera, a cassette carrier having a chamber for receiving a film cassette is movable outwardly from the camera body to permit one to insert and remove the film cassette. A drive spindle for the film cassette and a coaxial gear are rotatably mounted on a spring-urged slider supported on the carrier. Datum projections extend from the camera body to enter the chamber when the carrier is moved to return the chamber to inside the camera body, to shift the cassette from a centered position in engagement with the drive spindle to a datum position in the chamber. Simultaneously, a datum stop located in the camera body abuts the slider to shift the slider with the cassette and to limit the extent to which the coaxial gear will mesh with a driving gear rotatably supported in the camera body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1992
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Dennis E. Baxter, David C. Smart
  • Patent number: 5113208
    Abstract: An electrical drive motor system for a camera having a read head for reading magnetically encoded data from a filmstrip during a reel-to-reel transport of the film, includes a mechanism for storing energy in a mechanical motor spring. The energy stored in the spring is used to temporarily continue or complete the advance of the film with the electric motor shut off, to allow the read head to operate without electromagnetic interference from the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1992
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey R. Stoneham, David C. Smart
  • Patent number: 5040739
    Abstract: A film cassette comprises a spool rotatable in an unwinding direction to thrust a leader section of a film roll coiled about the spool out of the cassette and in a winding direction to rewind the leader into the cassette; a pair of flanges coaxially arranged along the spool to normally permit each of the flanges to be independently rotated relative to the spool in the unwinding and winding directions and to radially confine the film roll within skirted peripheries of the flanges; and a film stripper received between the leader and the next-inward convolution of the film roll to free the leader from the flanges by inducing the leader to flex the flanges slightly away from one another at their skirted peripheries responsive to rotation of the spool in the unwinding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Michael T. Wolf, David C. Smart
  • Patent number: 5032854
    Abstract: A radial bar code providing DX film information is disposed on a disc mounted at an axial end of a film cassette, the disc being rotatable with rotation of the film spool during film extraction and rewind. Film exposure status visual indicators are disposed on the disc and the cassette housing. A stationary optical reader in the camera in association with a logic and control circuit is provided to read the DX information from the rotating disc during film extraction for suitable control of exposure conditions in the camera. During film rewind the angular positioning of the disc can be measured from the bar code to cause the disc to be stopped at the end of rewind with appropriate ones of the status indicators aligned to provide a visual indication of the film exposure status to the camera user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: David C. Smart, J. David Cocca
  • Patent number: 5017910
    Abstract: A monitoring or control system includes a plurality of senders or sensors which are coupled to a central control unit by separate cables. The control unit includes a microprocessor which executes an intermittent fault detection algorithm while an operator manually flexes each cable in turn. When a cable with a fault is manipulated the algorithm responds by energizing a horn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1991
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Arnold S. Farber, Stephen P. Lang, David C. Smart
  • Patent number: 5008692
    Abstract: A film metering mechanism has parallel pawl and blade elements with apertures that align in the beam of an infrared detector to slow down a camera drive motor when a pawl tooth senses a perforation during film advance, prior to reaching a drive motor stopping point. The pawl has a cutout with upper longitudinal and ramp surfaces that engage a fixed pin. The blade has a stepped surface that shifts contact between two pawl pins in correspondence with the relative location of the cutout surfaces and the fixed pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Conrad Diehl, David C. Smart, Wayne E. Stiehler
  • Patent number: 4998123
    Abstract: A film cassette capable of advancing a filmstrip automatically from a light-tight cassette shell whether the filmstrip is generally unexposed, partly exposed or substantially completely exposed, is characterized in that a film-exposure status indicator can be disposed in any one of three corresponding positions comprising unexposed, partly exposed and exposed positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: David C. Smart
  • Patent number: 4994828
    Abstract: In a camera to be used with a light-tight cassette which in inherently capable of automatically advancing a filmstrip from the cassette shell whether the filmstrip is generally unexposed, partly exposed or substantially completely exposed, and which has a status indicator for providing a visible indication of the exposure status of the filmstrip, a sensing/blocking member is included to cooperate with the status indicator to prevent cassette loading into the camera in one embodiment only when the status indicator indicates that the filmstrip is completely exposed and in another embodiment either when the status indicator indicates that the filmstrip is partly exposed or it indicates that the filmstrip is completely exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: David C. Smart
  • Patent number: 4992812
    Abstract: In a camera adapted for use with a film cassette containing a non-protruding film leader which can be automatically propelled out of the cassette, a plurality of film guide members are located along opposite sides of a film advance path leading from a receiving chamber for the cassette to a film take-up means. The guide members are movable closer together to transversely bow the film leader to thereby increase the longitudinal stiffness of the leader to facilitate its being propelled along the film advance path without being snagged. When the film leader is secured to the film take-up means, the guide members are moved slightly apart to permit a film pressure plate to flatten successive imaging areas of the filmstrip over an exposure opening in the film advance path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: David C. Smart
  • Patent number: 4991786
    Abstract: In a film cassette, a film spool is rotatable inside a cassette shell in an unwinding direction to thrust a leader section of a filmstrip coiled about the spool from within a light-tight film passageway to the exterior of the shell and in a winding direction to return the leader to the interior of the shell. A unidirectional arresting device is movable into engagement with the spool to prevent rotation of the spool in only the winding direction. The filmstrip includes an inclined edge for moving the arresting device out of engagement with the spool responsive to thrusting the leader substantially to the exterior of the shell, to allow the spool to be rotated in the winding direction in order to return the leader to the interior of the shell, and for permitting the arresting device to move into engagement with the spool responsive to return of the leader to within the passageway, to prevent the spool from being rotated further in the winding direction to thereby retain the leader in the passageway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert P. Cloutier, David C. Smart, Roger G. Covington
  • Patent number: 4978985
    Abstract: A film cassette is disclosed wherein a filmstrip is advanced to the outside of a light-tight cassette shell in order to expose successive imaging areas of the filmstrip and can be returned to the inside of the cassette shell before all of the imaging areas have been exposed or after the filmstrip has been substantially completely exposed. According to the invention, a film-exposure status indicator is supported on the cassette shell for movement relative to the shell from a normal first position to successive second and third positions for providing respective visible indications that the filmstrip is generally unexposed, the filmstrip has been returned to the inside of the shell before all of its imaging areas have been exposed, and the filmstrip is substantially completely exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: David C. Smart, Robert P. Cloutier, Daniel M. Pagano, Duane B. Kirk
  • Patent number: 4965600
    Abstract: A photographic camera is intended for use with a film cassette having a film-exposure status indicator movable from an unexposed position for providing a visible indication that a filmstrip within the cassette is generally unexposed, to a partly exposed position for providing a visible indication that the filmstrip is only partly exposed, and to an exposed position for providing a visible indication that exposure of the filmstrip is complete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: David C. Smart, Dennis E. Baxter
  • Patent number: 4956658
    Abstract: In a photographic camera adapted for use with a film cassette containing a non-protruding film leader which can be automatically propelled out of the cassette, a pair of film guide members are fixed along opposite sides of a film threading path leading from a receiving chamber for the cassette. The film leader is wider than the substantial remainder of the filmstrip, and the film guide members are spaced apart a predetermined distance which is slightly less than the leader and slightly greater than the remaining length of the filmstrip, to cause the leader to be transversely bowed as it is propelled between the fixed guide members. When the film leader is transversely bowed, it becomes longitudinally stiffened to prevent it from being snagged along the film threading path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: David C. Smart
  • Patent number: 4947197
    Abstract: A simple inexpensive camera to be used with a film cassette having a film-exposure status indicator movable from an unexposed position for providing a visible indication that a filmstrip within the cassette is generally unexposed, to a partly exposed position for providing a visible indication that the filmstrip is only partly exposed, and to an exposed position for providing a visible indication that exposure of the filmstrip is completed, is adapted to move the status indicator from its unexposed position to its exposed position, without stopping at its partly exposed position, substantially when film drive means of the camera changes the state of the filmstrip relative to the cassette. The change of state of the filmstrip relative to the cassette may be accomplished in the camera either by advancing the filmstrip from the cassette to expose the filmstrip or by returning the filmstrip to the cassette to safeguard the filmstrip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: David C. Smart, Dennis E. Baxter
  • Patent number: 4930712
    Abstract: A take-up spool in a camera comprises a cylindrically-shaped major core portion having an outer peripheral surface for supporting a filmstrip, a minor core portion arranged coaxially with respect to the major core portion and having an outer peripheral surface located radially inward of the outer peripheral surface of the major core portion, and a plurality of film catching members projecting from the outer peripheral surface of the minor core portion. A series of film guiding surfaces equal in number to the number of film catching members extend radially between the respective peripheral surfaces of the major and minor core portions. Each of the film guiding surfaces is inclined at substantially the same angle as a tapered leading end of the filmstrip to guide the filmstrip toward one of the film catching members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: David C. Smart
  • Patent number: 4893141
    Abstract: An open frame sight viewfinder for a photographic camera is disclosed wherein an aiming or target ring of aiming the camera at a subject to be photographed is positioned forward of a correspondingly shaped viewing aperture to view the subject simultaneously through the ring and the aperture. The aiming ring is dimensioned to approximately encircle the extreme rays of ambient light permitted to pass through the viewing aperture. As as a result, when the camera is correctly aimed at the subject, the aiming ring substantially cannot be seen in the viewing aperture. However, when the camera is incorrectly tilted relative to the subject, the aiming ring partially occludes the viewing aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: David C. Smart