Film cartridge with visual indicator for verifying film loading in camera

Abstract

A film cartridge has a housing with a film exit slit, and a film roll support rotatable inside the housing to unwind a filmstrip beginning with a film leader outwardly through the slit to accomplish film loading in a camera. A visible film-loaded indicator is provided on the housing to be seen through a window in a camera. A flexible cover strip has a leading end portion secured to a forward end portion of the film leader which protrudes from the slit, an opaque trailing end portion extending over the film-loaded indicator to prevent the indicator from being seen through the window in the camera, and an intermediate folded portion interconnecting the leading and trailing end portions to unfold as the film leader is moved outwardly through the slit. The folded portion is of suitable length to draw the trailing end portion from over the film-loaded indicator to permit the indicator to be seen through the window in the camera when the film leader is moved substantially completely through the slit. An open pocket contains the cover strip and has an interior transparent shelf which supports the trailing end portion of the cover strip over the film-loaded indicator to permit the indicator to be seen when the trailing end portion is removed from the shelf and which separates the intermediate folded portion of the cover strip from the trailing end portion to permit the folded portion to unfold without moving in contact with the trailing end portion.