US 4,629,675 AGranted

Process for thermal development and transfer

AssigneeFuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.

InventorsNobumitsu Takehara, Kazuhiko Yanagihara, Masahiro Ohnishi, Isamu Hatanaka, Shigeo Harada

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Abstract

A photosensitive material containing a hydrophilic pigment is exposed to light to form a pigment pattern defining a particular image. The photosensitive material is brought into intimate contact with an image receiving material having a pigment fixing layer. The mutually contacting materials are heated so that the pigment may be transferred from the photosensitive material to the pigment fixing layer. A pigment diffusion assistant, is supplied to an area between the mutually contacting materials before they are heated for pigment transfer. The diffusion assistant spreads along a line along which the two materials are in contact with each other and promotes the transfer of the pigment.

Claims4

Dependent claims

In a process for thermal development and transfer comprising steps of exposing to light a photosensitive material containing silver halide layers and a hydrophilic dye to form a pigment pattern defining a particular image, said pigment being transferable when heated;

bringing said material into intimate contact with an image receiving material having a pigment fixing layer;
and heating said photosensitive and image receiving materials to transfer said pigment of said pigment fixing layer, the improvement which comprises;
supplying an aqueous pigment diffusion assistant to an area between said photsensitive and image receiving materials in such a manner that it can spread along a line along which said materials contact one another, and can assist the transfer of said pigment;
and
wherein said aqueous diffusion assistant is supplied through a pipe disposed between said materials and extending transversely thereof, said pipe having a single outlet opening located at a point approximately in the middle of its length such that said aqueous diffusion assistant is supplied from said opening one drop at a time to a point approximately in the middle of the width of said materials, each said drop spreading to form a bead between said materials.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.