Color developer scavenger layer for diffusion transfer dye image-receiving elements and systems

Claim 2

LINK is a connecting radical selected from the group consisting of an azo radical, a mercuri radical, an oxy radical, an alkylidene radical, a thio radical, a dithio radical and an azoxy radical;

Claim 3

COUP is a coupler radical selected from the group consisting of a 5-pyrazolone coupler radical, a pyrazolotriazole coupler radical, a phenolic coupler radical and an open-chain ketomethylene coupler radical, said COUP being substituted in the coupling position with said LINK;

Claim 4

The photographic film unit of claim 1 wherein said silver halide emulsion in said scavenger layer is panchromatically sensitized.

Claim 5

The photographic film unit of claim 3 wherein said light-reflective layer is titanium dioxide.

Claim 6

BALL is a photographically inert organic ballasting radical of such molecular size and configuration as to render said coupler non-diffusible during development in said alkaline processing composition;

Claim 7

The photographic film unit of claim 4 wherein said developer scavenger layer is developable only after substantial development of said photosensitive element.

Claim 8

SOL is selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom and an acidic solubilizing group when said color developing agent contains an acidic solubilizing group, and SOL is an acidic solubilizing group when said color developing agent is free of an acidic solubilizing group; and

Claim 9

n is an integer of 1 to 2 when said LINK is an alkylidene radical, and n is 1 when said LINK is a radical selected from the group consisting of an azo radical, a mercuri radical, an oxy radical, a thio radical, a dithio radical and an azoxy radical; II. a dye image-receiving layer coated on a support and adapted to be superposed over said blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer after exposure of said photosensitive element; and III. a rupturable container containing an alkaline processing composition and which is adapted to be positioned during processing of said film unit so that a compressive force applied to said container by said pressure-applying members will effect a discharge of the container''s contents between said dye image-receiving layer and said blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer of said photosensitive element; said film unit containing an aromatic primary amino color developing agent; the improvement comprising employing between said dye image-receiving layer and its said support a developing agent scavenger layer comprising a silver halide emulsion and an immobilizing coupler which is capable of reacting with oxidized aromatic primary amino color developing agent to form an immobile product, and employing a light-reflective layer between said dye image-receiving layer and said scavenger layer.

Claim 10

The photographic film unit of claim 1 wherein said silver halide emulsion in said scavenger layer is fogged.

Claim 11

The photographic film unit of claim 6 wherein said light-reflective layer is titanium dioxide.

Claim 12

The photographic film unit of claim 7 wherein said developer scavenger layer is developable only after substantial development of said photosensitive element.

Claim 13

The photographic film unit of claim 1 wherein said silver halide emulsion in said scavenger layer is spontaneously developable.

Claim 14

The photographic film unit of claim 9 wherein said light-reflective layer is titanium dioxide.

Claim 15

The photographic film unit of claim 10 wherein said developer scavenger layer is developable only after substantial development of said photosensitive element.

Claim 16

In a photographic film unit which is adapted to be processed by passing said unit between a pair of juxtaposed pressure-applying members comprising: I) a photosensitive element comprising a support having thereon the following layers in a sequence: a. a direct-positive, red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer containing a nondiffusible coupler capable of reacting with oxidized aromatic primary amino color developing agent to produce a diffusible cyan dye; B. an alkaline solution-permeable interlayer containing a compound capable of scavenging oxidized aromatic primary amino color developing agent; c. a direct-positive, green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer containing a nondiffusible coupler capable of reacting with oxidized aromatic primary amino color developing agent to produce a diffusible magenta dye; d. an alkaline solution-permeable interlayer containing a compound capable of scavenging oxidized aromatic primary amino color developing agent; and e. a direct-positive, blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer containing a nondiffusible coupler capable of reacting with oxidized aromatic primary amino color developing agent to produce a diffusible yellow dye; each said nondiffusible coupler having the formula: DYE - LINK -(COUP - BALL)n or BALL - LINK - (COUP - SOL)n wherein:

Claim 17

The photographic film unit of claim 12 wherein said silver halide emulsion in said scavenger layer is fogged.

Claim 18

The photographic film unit of claim 13 wherein said light-reflective layer is titanium dioxide.

Claim 19

The photographic film unit of claim 14 wherein said developer scavenger layer is developable only after substantial development of said photosensitive element.

Claim 20

The photographic film unit of claim 15 wherein each said direct-positive silver halide emulsion is an internal-image emulsion wherein the silver halide forms latent images predominAntly inside the silver halide grains.

Claim 21

The photographic film unit of claim 12 wherein said silver halide emulsion in said scavenger layer is spontaneously developable.

Claim 22

The photographic film unit of claim 17 wherein said light-reflective layer is titanium dioxide.

Claim 23

The photographic film unit of claim 18 wherein said developer scavenger layer is developable only after substantial development of said photosensitive element.

Claim 24

In a process of forming a transfer image comprising: a. imagewise exposing a photosensitive element comprising a support having thereon at least one photosensitive silver halide emulsion layer, each said silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith a nondiffusible coupler capable of reacting with oxidized aromatic primary amino color developing agent to produce a diffusible dye; b. treating the layer outermost from the support of said photosensitive element with an alkaline processing composition to effect development of each of said exposed silver halide emulsion layers with an aromatic primary amino color developing agent; c. forming an imagewise distribution of diffusible dye image-providing material as a function of said imagewise exposure of each said silver halide emulsion layer; and d. at least a portion of each said imagewise distribution of diffusible dye image-providing material diffusing to a dye image-receiving layer coated on a support; the improvement comprising employing between said dye image-receiving layer and its said support a developing agent scavenger layer comprising a silver halide emulsion and an immobilizing coupler which is capable of reacting with oxidized aromatic primary amino color developing agent to form an immobile product, and employing a light-reflective layer between said dye image-receiving layer and said scavenger layer.

Claim 25

The process of claim 20 wherein said treatment step b is effected by: a. superposing over the layer outermost from the support of said exposed photosensitive element said dye image-receiving layer coated on a support; b. positioning a rupturable container containing said alkaline processing composition between said exposed photosensitive element and said dye image-receiving layer; and c. applying a compressive force to said container to effect a discharge of the container''s contents between said outermost layer of said exposed photosensitive element and said dye image-receiving layer.

Claim 26

The process of claim 21 wherein said scavenger layer is operative only after substantial development of said photosensitive element.