Diffusion transfer film units containing polyethylene glycol, their manufacture and use

Claim 2

A photographic film unit as defined in claim 1 wherein one of said predetermined layers is a layer comprising gelatin.

Claim 3

A photographic film unit as defined in claim 3 wherein the other of said predetermined layers includes a polymer dyeable by an alkali-soluble dye.

Claim 4

A photographic film unit as defined in claim 4 wherein said other layer comprises polyvinyl alcohol.

Claim 5

A photographic film unit as defined in claim 5 wherein said polyethylene glycol has a molecular weight range of about 6,000 to 7,500.

Claim 6

A photographic film unit as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said predetermined layers contains a water-soluble polymer, the other of said predetermined layers contains a polymer that is at least water-permeable and said polyethylene glycol contains water.

Claim 7

A photographic film unit as defined in claim 7 wherein said other predetermined layer contains a water-soluble polymer.

Claim 8

A photographic film unit as defined in claim 1, and including a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion having associated therewith a cyan dye developer, a green-sensitive silver halide emulsion having associated therewith a magenta dye developer, and a blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion having associated therewith a yellow dye developer.

Claim 9

A photographic film unit as defined in claim 9 wherein said processing composition includes a polyethylene glycol.

Claim 10

A photographic film unit as defined in clAim 9 wherein said polyethylene glycol in said processing composition and said polyethylene glycol in said laminate each have a molecular weight range of about 6,000 to 7,500.

Claim 11

In the formation of a photographic film unit for producing a color diffusion transfer image, and comprising forming a laminate including at least one transparent dimensionally stable layer, a plurality of layers including a photosensitive layer containing a plurality of strata comprising selectively sensitive silver halide emulsions each having associated therewith a diffusion transfer process dye image-forming material; and a layer of a dyeable polymer; the steps of: advancing a pair of sheets each comprising a dimensionally stable base layer, at least one of said base layers being transparent, along convergent paths into face-to-face relation, one of said sheets including said photosensitive layer, said dyeable polymeric layer being carried by said transparent dimensionally stable layer, the facing surface of one of said sheets being formed by a layer containing a water-soluble polymer and the facing surface of the other of said sheets being formed by a layer containing a polymer that is at least water permeable; distributing an aqueous solution of a relatively high molecular weight polyethylene glycol between and in contact with said facing surfaces of said sheets as said sheets are moved into superposition; and applying compressive pressure to the superposed sheets sufficient to laminate said sheets to one another with said base layers as outer layers of said laminate.

Claim 12

A method of forming a laminate as described in claim 12 wherein said polyethylene glycol has a molecular weight range of about 6,000 to 7,500.

Claim 13

A method of forming a laminate as described in claim 12 wherein both of said facing surfaces are formed by layers including water-soluble polymers.

Claim 14

A method of forming a laminate as described in claim 14 wherein one of said water-soluble polymers is gelatin and the other is polyvinyl alcohol.

Claim 15

A method of forming a laminate as described in claim 15 wherein said polyethylene glycol has a molecular weight range of about 6,000 to 7,500.

Claim 16

A method of forming a laminate as described in claim 16 wherein said aqueous solution comprises 5 parts of water to 1 part by weight of polyethylene glycol.

Claim 17

A method of forming a laminate as described in claim 17 wherein said aqueous solution of polyethylene glycol is distributed between said facing surfaces at the rate of approximately 80 to 200 mg./ft.2.

Claim 18

A photographic process comprising exposing a photosensitive element including at least one photosensitive silver halide emulsion, each said silver halide emulsion having associated therewith a dye developer, developing said exposed photosensitive element and forming an imagewise distribution of diffusible dye developer, and transferring at least a portion of said imagewise distribution of diffusible dye developer to an image-receiving layer to form a dye transfer image, said process being performed in the presence of a polyethylene glycol included in the processing composition applied to said photosensitive element to initiate said development.

Claim 19

A process as defined in claim 19 wherein said polyethylene glycol has a molecular weight of about 6,000 to 7,500.

Claim 20

A process as defined in claim 19 wherein said photosensitive element and said image-receiving layer are laminated to each other prior to photoexposure to provide a unitary film unit, said lamination being effected by a layer containing polyethylene glycol.

Claim 21

A process as defined in claim 19 wherein said photosensitive element includes a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion having associated therewith a cyan dye developer, a green-sensitive silver halide emulsion having associated therewith a magenta dye developer, and a blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion having associated therewith a yellow dye developer.

Claim 22

A photographic product comprising a first support and a second support; one of said supports carrying a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion; a green-sensitive silver halide emulsion; and a blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion; said silver halide emulsions having associated therewith, respectively, a cyan dye developer, a magenta dye developer and a yellow dye developer; one of said supports being transparent and carrying an image-receiving layer for receiving image dyes transferred thereto by diffusion as a function of exposure and development of said silver halide emulsion layers; a rupturable container releasably holding a processing composition including a film-forming, viscosity-providing polymer and adapted, upon distribution between said silver halide emulsions and the other of said supports to develop said silver halide emulsions and to effect the formation of a transfer image in dye in said image-receiving layer, said processing composition also being adapted to provide a permanent laminate including said developed silver halide emulsion and said image-receiving layer; and means providing a light-reflecting layer between said image-receiving layer and said silver halide emulsions effective to provide a white background for viewing said transfer image through said transparent support and for masking said developed silver halide emulsions; said product including a polyethylene glycol positioned in at least one of (a) said processing composition and (b) a layer between said blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion and said image-receiving layer.

Claim 23

A photographic product as defined in claim 23 wherein said means for providing a light-reflecting layer comprises a preformed layer of a white pigment.

Claim 24

A photographic product as defined in claim 23 wherein said means for providing a light-reflecting layer comprises a white pigment dispersed in said processing composition.

Claim 25

A photographic product as defined in claim 25 wherein said processing composition includes a polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of about 6,000 to 7,500.

Claim 26

A photographic product as defined in claim 23 wherein said first support is opaque.

Claim 27

A photographic product as defined in claim 23 wherein said transparent support is a polyester.

Claim 28

A photographic product as defined in claim 23 wherein said transparent support is cellulose acetate.

Claim 29

A photographic product as defined in claim 23 wherein said processing composition includes a polyethylene gylcol having a molecular weight of about 6,000 to 7,500.

Claim 30

A photographic product as defined in claim 23 wherein said processing composition includes an optical filter agent which is colored at the pH of said processing composition, said optical filter agent being adapted to be rendered colorless by reducing said pH.