Photo film cassette having a shell half retaining device

Abstract

A photo film cassette contains a spool in rotatable fashion, with a photo film wound thereabout as a roll. Rotation of the spool in an unwinding direction causes the photo film to exit through a passage port. Upper and lower shell halves constitute a cassette shell. Two combinations of a retaining hook and a receiving portion are disposed on the cassette shell and respectively beside the passage port. Both hooks are formed on the lower shell half. Both receiving portions are formed on the upper shell half, are engaged with the hook, and fixedly secure the shell halves. The hooks and the receiving portions are shaped straight along a width of the photo film. A pair of second receiving portions are formed on the upper shell half, and are engaged with the hooks prior to engagement of the first receiving portions with the hooks. The second receiving portions keep the upper shell half partially separate from the lower shell half, and retain the shell halves in preliminary fashion, before the shell halves are joined up. In a preferred embodiment, a hinge section is disposed in the cassette shell in opposition to the passage port, and connects the shell halves in swingable fashion. Two access openings are formed in the cassette shell for rendering the hooks respectively accessible externally, to allow external disengagement of the hooks.