Imaging medium with low refractive index layer

Claim 2

An imaging medium comprising: means for providing a light-reflecting layer; an image-receiving layer for receiving image-forming components; a transparent layer superposed over the image-receiving layer on the opposed side thereof from the means for providing a light-reflecting layer such that an image in the image-receiving layer can be viewed through the transparent layer against the light-reflecting layer provided by said means; and an image enhancement layer disposed between the image-receiving layer and the transparent layer, the image enhancement layer having a refractive index less than the refractive indices of the image-receiving layer and the transparent layer, and not greater than about 1.43.

Claim 3

A medium according to claim 1 wherein the refractive index of the image enhancement layer is not greater than about 1.40.

Claim 4

A medium according to claim 2 wherein the refractive index of the image enhancement layer is not greater than about 1.38.

Claim 5

A medium according to claim 3 wherein the refractive index of the image enhancement layer is in the range of from about 1.29 to about 1.38.

Claim 7

A medium according to claim 5 wherein the image enhancement layer comprises a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene, a terpolymer of vinylidene fluoride, hexafluoropropylene and tetrafluoroethylene, or a blend of such a copolymer or terpolymer with polytetrafluoroethylene.

Claim 8

A medium according to claim 1 wherein the image enhancement layer has a thickness in the range of about 0.5 to 5 μ.

Claim 9

A medium according to claim 7 wherein the image enhancement layer has a thickness in the range of about 0.8 to about 2 μ.

Claim 11

An imaging medium according to 1 wherein the image-receiving layer includes an image.

Claim 12

An imaging medium according to 1 wherein the image-receiving layer includes an image.

Claim 13

An imaging medium comprising: means for providing a light-reflecting layer; an image-receiving layer for receiving image-forming components, the image-receiving layer having a refractive index of at least about 1.45 a transparent layer superposed over the image-receiving layer on the opposed side thereof from the means for providing a light-reflecting layer such that an image in the image-receiving layer can be viewed through the transparent layer against the light-reflecting layer provided by said means, the transparent layer having a refractive index of at least about 1.50; and an image enhancement layer disposed between the image-receiving layer and the transparent layer, the image enhancement layer having a refractive index not greater than about 1.43.

Claim 14

An imaging medium comprising: means for providing a light-reflecting layer; an image-receiving layer for receiving image-forming components, the image-receiving layer having a refractive index of at least about 1.45 a transparent layer superposed over the image-receiving layer on the opposed side thereof from the means for providing a light-reflecting layer such that an image in the image-receiving layer can be viewed through the transparent layer against the light-reflecting layer provided by said means, the transparent layer having a refractive index of at least about 1.50; and an image enhancement layer disposed between the image-receiving layer and the transparent layer, the image enhancement layer having a refractive index not greater than about 1.43.

Claim 15

A medium according to claim 11 wherein the refractive index of the image enhancement layer is in the range of from about 1.29 to about 1.38.

Claim 16

A medium according to claim 11 wherein the image enhancement layer comprises a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene, a terpolymer of vinylidene fluoride, hexafluoropropylene and tetrafluoroethylene, or a blend of such a copolymer or terpolymer with polytetrafluoroethylene.

Claim 17

A medium according to claim 11 wherein the image enhancement layer has a thickness in the range of about 0.8 to about 2 μ.

Claim 18

A diffusion transfer process film unit comprising first and second sheet-like elements and a rupturable pod of processing composition, the film unit having means for providing a light-reflecting layer; the first sheet-like element comprising photosensitive and image-forming components; the rupturable pod of processing composition being positioned to release the processing composition across the film unit between the first and second sheet-like elements and in contact with the photosensitive and image-forming components upon rupture of the pod, thereby releasing image-forming components from the first sheet-like element; the second sheet-like element comprising an image-receiving layer for receiving image-forming components; a transparent layer superposed over the image-receiving layer on the opposed side thereof from the means for providing a light-reflecting layer such that an image in the image-receiving layer can be viewed through the transparent layer against the light-reflecting layer provided by said means; and an image enhancement layer disposed between the image-receiving layer and the transparent layer, the image enhancement layer having a refractive index less than the refractive indices of the image-receiving layer and the transparent layer, and not greater than about 1.43.

Claim 19

A diffusion transfer process film unit comprising first and second sheet-like elements and a rupturable pod of processing composition, the film unit having means for providing a light-reflecting layer; the first sheet-like element comprising photosensitive and image-forming components; the rupturable pod of processing composition being positioned to release the processing composition across the film unit between the first and second sheet-like elements and in contact with the photosensitive and image-forming components upon rupture of the pod, thereby releasing image-forming components from the first sheet-like element; the second sheet-like element comprising an image-receiving layer for receiving image-forming components; a transparent layer superposed over the image-receiving layer on the opposed side thereof from the means for providing a light-reflecting layer such that an image in the image-receiving layer can be viewed through the transparent layer against the light-reflecting layer provided by said means; and an image enhancement layer disposed between the image-receiving layer and the transparent layer, the image enhancement layer having a refractive index less than the refractive indices of the image-receiving layer and the transparent layer, and not greater than about 1.43.

Claim 20

A medium according to claim 15 wherein the refractive index of the image enhancement layer is not greater than about 1.40.

Claim 21

A medium according to claim 16 wherein the refractive index of the image enhancement layer is not greater than about 1.38.

Claim 22

A medium according to claim 17 wherein the refractive index of the image enhancement layer is in the range of from about 1.29 to about 1.38.

Claim 23

A medium according to claim 15 wherein the image enhancement layer comprises a fluoroolefin polymer.

Claim 24

A medium according to claim 19 wherein the image enhancement layer comprises a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene, a terpolymer of vinylidene fluoride, hexafluoropropylene and tetrafluoroethylene, or a blend of such a copolymer or terpolymer with polytetrafluoroethylene.

Claim 25

A medium according to claim 15 wherein the image enhancement layer has a thickness in the range of about 0.5 to 5 μ.

Claim 26

A medium according to claim 21 wherein the image enhancement layer has a thickness in the range of about 0.8 to about 2 μ.

Claim 27

A medium according to claim 15 wherein the image-receiving layer has a refractive index in the range of about 1.5 to about 1.6 and the transparent layer has a refractive index greater than about 1.60.

Claim 28

An imaging medium according to claim 15 wherein the image-receiving layer comprises an image.

Claim 29

An imaging medium according to claim 15 wherein the means for providing a light-reflecting layer comprises light scattering pigments in the processing composition such that, after rupture of the pod and development of the image on the image-receiving layer, the light scattering pigments provide a diffuse reflector against which the image can be viewed through the transparent layer.

Claim 30

A diffusion transfer process film unit comprising first and second sheet-like elements and a rupturable pod of processing composition, the film unit having means for providing a light-reflecting layer; the first sheet-like element comprising photosensitive and image-forming components; the rupturable pod of processing composition being positioned to release the processing composition across the film unit between the first and second sheet-like elements and in contact with the photosensitive and image-forming components upon rupture of the pod, thereby releasing image-forming components from the first sheet-like element; the second sheet-like element comprising an image-receiving layer for receiving image-forming components released from the first sheet-like element, the image-receiving layer having a refractive index of at least about 1.45; a transparent layer superposed over the image-receiving layer on the opposed side thereof from the means for providing a light-reflecting layer such that an image in the image-receiving layer can be viewed through the transparent layer against the light-reflecting layer provided by said means, the transparent layer having a refractive index of at least about 1.50; and an image enhancement layer disposed between the image-receiving layer and the transparent layer, the image enhancement layer having a refractive index not greater than about 1.43.

Claim 31

A diffusion transfer process film unit comprising first and second sheet-like elements and a rupturable pod of processing composition, the film unit having means for providing a light-reflecting layer; the first sheet-like element comprising photosensitive and image-forming components; the rupturable pod of processing composition being positioned to release the processing composition across the film unit between the first and second sheet-like elements and in contact with the photosensitive and image-forming components upon rupture of the pod, thereby releasing image-forming components from the first sheet-like element; the second sheet-like element comprising an image-receiving layer for receiving image-forming components released from the first sheet-like element, the image-receiving layer having a refractive index of at least about 1.45; a transparent layer superposed over the image-receiving layer on the opposed side thereof from the means for providing a light-reflecting layer such that an image in the image-receiving layer can be viewed through the transparent layer against the light-reflecting layer provided by said means, the transparent layer having a refractive index of at least about 1.50; and an image enhancement layer disposed between the image-receiving layer and the transparent layer, the image enhancement layer having a refractive index not greater than about 1.43.

Claim 32

A medium according to claim 26 wherein the refractive index of the image enhancement layer is in the range of from about 1.29 to about 1.38.

Claim 33

A medium according to claim 26 wherein the image enhancement layer comprises a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene, a terpolymer of vinylidene fluoride, hexafluoropropylene and tetrafluoroethylene, or a blend of such a copolymer or terpolymer with polytetrafluoroethylene.

Claim 34

A medium according to claim 26 wherein the image enhancement layer has a thickness in the range of about 0.8 to about 2 μ.