Photosensitive element and photographic process

Claim 2

A photosensitive element comprising a support carrying, in sequence, a layer of a silver halide emulsion, a spacer layer, and a layer of an image-providing material, said spacer layer comprising a light-reflecting pigment dispersed in inert polymeric particles which are substantially ' non-swelling in alkali and substantially non-film forming.

Claim 3

A photosensitive element as defined in claim 1 wherein said support is opaque and said layer of image-providing material is nearest to said support.

Claim 4

A photosensitive element as defined in claim 1 wherein said support is transparent and said silver halide emulsion layer is nearest to said support.

Claim 5

A photosensitive element as defined in claim 1 wherein said image-providing material is an image dye or an image dye intermediate.

Claim 6

A photosensitive element as defined in claim 4 wherein said image-providing material is a dye developer.

Claim 7

A photosensitive element as defined in claim 4 wherein said image-providing material is colored.

Claim 8

A photosensitive element as defined in claim 1 wherein said light-reflecting pigment is titanium dioxide.

Claim 9

A photosensitive element as defined in claim 1 wherein said inert polymeric particles are derived from a polymer latex.

Claim 10

A photosensitive element as defined in claim 8 wherein said polymer is polymethylmethacrylate.

Claim 11

A photosensitive element as defined in claim 8 wherein said polymer is polystyrene.

Claim 12

A photosensitive element as defined in claim 8 wherein said latex particles have a diameter of about 0 . 1 µm.

Claim 13

A photosensitive element as defined in claim 1 wherein said spacer layer includes a minor proportion by weight of a film-forming polymer.

Claim 14

A photosensitive element as defined in claim 1 wherein said light-reflecting polymer in said spacer layer is present in a quantity by weight which is greater than said inert polymer particles.

Claim 15

A multicolor photosensitive element comprising a support carrying, in sequence, a layer of a cyan image dye-providing material, a layer of a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion, an interlayer, a layer of a magenta image dye-providing material, a layer of a green-sensitive silver halide emulsion, an interlayer, a layer of a yellow image dye-providing material and a layer of a blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion, at least one of said silver halide emulsion layers and its associated layer of image dye-providing material being separated by a spacer layer comprising a light-reflecting pigment dispersed in inert polymeric particles which are substantially non-swelling in alkali and substantially non-film forming.

Claim 16

A multicolor photosensitive element comprising a support carrying, in sequence, a layer of a cyan image dye-providing material, a layer of a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion, an interlayer, a layer of a magenta image dye-providing material, a layer of a green-sensitive silver halide emulsion, an interlayer, a layer of a yellow image dye-providing material and a layer of a blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion, at least one of said silver halide emulsion layers and its associated layer of image dye-providing material being separated by a spacer layer comprising a light-reflecting pigment dispersed in inert polymeric particles which are substantially non-swelling in alkali and substantially non-film forming.

Claim 17

A multicolor photosensitive element as defined in claim 14 wherein said spacer layer is positioned between said layer of cyan image dye-providing material and said red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer.

Claim 18

A multicolor photosensitive element as defined in claim 14 wherein said spacer layer is positioned between said layer of magenta image dye-providing material and said green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer.

Claim 19

A multicolor photosensitive element as defined in claim 14 wherein said spacer layer is positioned between said layer of yellow image dye-providing material and said blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer.

Claim 20

A multicolor photosensitive element as defined in claim 14 wherein each said image dye-providing material is a dye developer.

Claim 21

A multicolor photosensitive element as defined in claim 14 wherein said light-reflecting pigment is titanium dioxide.

Claim 22

A photographic process comprising providing a layer of a viscous aqueous alkaline processing composition between a first sheet-like element and a second sheet-like element; said first sheet-like element comprising a support carrying an exposed silver halide emulsion having an image-providing material in a layer behind said silver halide emulsion; said second sheet-like element comprising a transparent support; an image-receiving layer in one of said sheet-like elements, said application of said processing composition being effective to develop said exposed silver halide emulsion and to form a visible image in said image-receiving layer; said silver halide emulsion layer being separated from said layer of image-providing material by a spacer layer comprising a light-reflecting pigment dispersed in inert polymeric particles which are substantially non-swelling in alkali and substantially non-film forming.

Claim 23

A photographic process comprising providing a layer of a viscous aqueous alkaline processing composition between a first sheet-like element and a second sheet-like element; said first sheet-like element comprising a support carrying an exposed silver halide emulsion having an image-providing material in a layer behind said silver halide emulsion; said second sheet-like element comprising a transparent support; an image-receiving layer in one of said sheet-like elements, said application of said processing composition being effective to develop said exposed silver halide emulsion and to form a visible image in said image-receiving layer; said silver halide emulsion layer being separated from said layer of image-providing material by a spacer layer comprising a light-reflecting pigment dispersed in inert polymeric particles which are substantially non-swelling in alkali and substantially non-film forming.

Claim 24

A photographic process as defined in claim 20 wherein said first sheet-like element is a multicolor photosensitive element comprising a support carrying, in sequence, a layer of a cyan image dye-providing material, a layer of a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion, an interlayer, a layer of a magenta image dye-providing material, a layer of a green-sensitive silver halide emulsion, an interlayer, a layer of a yellow image dye-providing material and a layer of a blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion, at least one of said silver halide emulsion 'layers and its associated layer of image dye-providing material being separated by a spacer layer comprising a light-reflecting pigment dispersed in inert polymeric particles which are substantially non-swelling in alkali and substantially non-film forming.

Claim 25

A photographic process as defined in claim 20 wherein said light-reflecting pigment is titanium dioxide.

Claim 26

A photographic process as defined in claim 21 wherein said spacer layer is positioned between said layer of red-sensitive silver halide and said layer of cyan image dye-providing material.

Claim 27

A photographic process as defined in claim 20 wherein said image-providing material is a dye developer.

Claim 28

A photographic process as defined in claim 20 wherein said polymer is polymethylmethacrylate.

Claim 29

A photographic process as defined in claim 20 wherein said first sheet-like element includes a blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion, a green-sensitive silver halide emulsion, and a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion, said silver halide emulsions having associated therewith, respectively, a yellow dye developer, a magenta dye developer and a cyan dye developer.

Claim 30

A photographic process as defined in claim 20 wherein said image-receiving layer is positioned in said second sheet-like element.

Claim 31

A diffusion transfer process film unit including a first sheet-like element and a second sheet-like element, said first sheet-like element comprising a support carrying a silver halide emulsion layer; said second sheet-like element comprising at least a support; an image-receiving layer carried on one of said sheet-like elements; a viscous aqueous alkaline processing composition releasably contained in a rupturable container positioned to release said composition for distribution between said first and second sheet-like elements with said supports outermost; said first sheet-like element including a spacer layer between said silver halide emulsion layer and a layer of an image-providing material associated with said silver halide, said spacer layer comprising a light-reflecting pigment dispersed in inert polymeric particles which are substantially non-swelling in alkali and substantially non-film forming.

Claim 32

A diffusion transfer process film unit including a first sheet-like element and a second sheet-like element, said first sheet-like element comprising a support carrying a silver halide emulsion layer; said second sheet-like element comprising at least a support; an image-receiving layer carried on one of said sheet-like elements; a viscous aqueous alkaline processing composition releasably contained in a rupturable container positioned to release said composition for distribution between said first and second sheet-like elements with said supports outermost; said first sheet-like element including a spacer layer between said silver halide emulsion layer and a layer of an image-providing material associated with said silver halide, said spacer layer comprising a light-reflecting pigment dispersed in inert polymeric particles which are substantially non-swelling in alkali and substantially non-film forming.

Claim 33

A film unit as defined in claim 28 wherein said second sheet-like element is transparent.

Claim 34

A film unit as defined in claim 29 wherein said image-receiving layer is positioned in said second sheet-like element.

Claim 35

A film unit as defined in claim 28 wherein said image-receiving layer is positioned in said first sheet-like element.

Claim 36

A film unit as defined in claim 28 wherein said light-reflecting pigment is titanium dioxide.

Claim 37

A film unit as defined in claim 28 wherein said first sheet-like element includes a blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion, a green-sensitive silver halide emulsion, and a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion, said silver halide emulsions having associated therewith, respectively, a yellow dye developer, a magenta dye developer and a cyan dye developer.

Claim 38

A film unit as defined in claim 33 wherein said spacer layer is positioned between said red-sensitive silver halide emulsion and said cyan dye developer.

Claim 39

A film unit as defined in claim 33 wherein said spacer layer is positioned between said blue-sensitive silver halide: and said yellow dye developer.

Claim 40

A film unit as defined in claim 28 wherein said image-providing material is an initially diffusible image dye or image dye intermediate.

Claim 41

A film unit as defined in claim 28 wherein said image-providing material is an initially non-diffusible image dye or image dye intermediate.

Claim 42

A film unit as defined in claim 32 wherein said polymer is polymethylmethacrylate.