Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Post imaging processing – Developing
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-28
2003-05-27
Le, Hoa Van (Department: 1752)
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Post imaging processing
Developing
C430S486000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06569610
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a processing method of a silver halide photosensitive material (a silver halide photographic material). More particularly, it relates to a processing method which prevents cut edges of a polyethylene-laminated paper support from being stained.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In order to offer rapid development service to customers and to rationalize transport between photography shops and photofinishing laboratories, so-called minilabs having a compact automatic processor have been prevailing. Rapidness of service being of great concern for minilabs, further reduction of processing time has been desired.
If photographic processing is carried out with high concentrate processing solutions at high temperature, aiming to shorten the processing time, processing solutions penetrate from cut edges of a polyethylene-laminated paper support, which is usually used in color printing materials, of processed photographic materials to stain the edges in brown, considerably ruining the value of the prints. The higher the concentration under high temperature and/or high humidity conditions for a long time, the edge stain further propagates with time. It has therefore been a keen demand in the photofinishing market to establish a processing method which suppresses edge staining in consistency with rapid processing.
Use of highly sized paper as a support has been attempted to prevent edge staining. Sizing agents used in photographic paper include those of fatty acid soap type (see JP-B-47-26961) and alkyl ketene dimers (see JP-A-51-132822). However these sizing agents have their several drawbacks and are not satisfactory for use in paper supports for photography. That is, fatty acid soap type sizing agents have poor sizing effects against the alkali of a developing solution, involve appreciable reduction in paper strength with an increased amount added, and also cause reduction in paper stiffness. Alkyl ketene dimers, while having satisfactory sizing effects against neutral water, have low effects against alkaline water or water containing organic solvents such as alcohols, and require a relatively large quantity of polyamidepolyamine epichlorohydrin which is known as a fixing agent. It has therefore been desired to establish a technique which prevents edge stains while using a small amount of a sizing agent so as not to reduce paper strength or stiffness and using a small amount of polyamidepolyamine epichlorohydrin.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for processing a silver halide photosensitive material which prevents cut edge staining of a polyethylene-laminated paper support of a processed photographic material.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method for processing a silver halide photosensitive material which achieves a processing time reduction without being accompanied by the edge staining of a processed photographic material.
The above objects of the invention are accomplished by the following.
(1) A method for processing a silver halide color photosensitive material, which comprises developing the silver halide color photosensitive material with a color developer containing a compound represented by formula (I):
RSO
2
M (I)
wherein R represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aralkyl group or an aryl group; and M represents a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal atom, an ammoniumyl group or a quaternary amino group,
wherein the silver halide color photosensitive material is processed in an automatic processor having an air time ratio of 10 to 40% in the color development.
(2) The method for processing a silver halide color photosensitive material according to the item (1), wherein R in formula (I) represents an aryl group containing a carboxyl group.
(3) The method for processing a silver halide color photosensitive material according to the item (1), wherein the compound represented by formula (I) is a compound represented by formula (I-a):
wherein M represents a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal atom, an ammoniumyl group or a quaternary amino group; and n represents an integer of 1 to 5.
(4) The method for processing a silver halide color photosensitive material according to the item (1), wherein the compound represented by formula (I-a) is at least one of m-carboxybenzenesulfinic acid and a salt of m-carboxybenzenesulfinic acid.
(5) The method for processing a silver halide color photosensitive material according to the item (1), wherein the color developer contains the compound represented by formula (I) in an amount of 0.001 to 1 mol per liter of the color developer.
(6) The method for processing a silver halide color photosensitive material according to the item (1), wherein the air time ratio is 15 to 40%.
(7) The method for processing a silver halide color photosensitive material according to the item (1), wherein the air time ratio is 30 to 40%.
(8) The method of processing a silver halide color photosensitive material according to the item (1), wherein the air time ratio (%) in the color development is defined by formula: (T2/T1)·100, wherein T1 represents a time period from the immersion of the silver halide color photosensitive material in the color developer to the immersion of the silver halide color photosensitive material in a processing solution of the next processing step; T2 represents a time period from the time at which the silver halide color photosensitive material comes out of the color developer to the immersion of the silver halide color photosensitive material in a processing solution of the next processing step.
(9) The method for processing a silver halide color photosensitive material according to the item (1), wherein the automatic processor has a transport speed of 20 to 50 mm/sec.
(10) The method for processing a silver halide color photosensitive material according to the item (1), wherein the silver halide color photosensitive material comprises a paper support having a water-resistant resin layer.
(11) The method of processing a silver halide color photosensitive material according to the item (10), wherein the water-resistant resin layer is a polyethylene layer.
(12) The method for processing a silver halide color photosensitive material according to the item (1), wherein the silver halide color photosensitive material is a photosensitive material for a color printing paper.
To add the compound of formula (I) to a photographic processing solution is disclosed in JP-A-1-230039. An automatic processor capable of meeting the condition of an air time ratio of 10 to 40% is known as taught in JP-A-8-122989. Nevertheless, neither of these techniques alone offers accomplishment of the above objects. It is not until these techniques are combined that the objects of the present invention are fulfilled. That is, it has been found that edge staining is prevented, and speeding-up of processing is achieved by processing in an automatic processor at an air time ratio of 10 to 40% in the color development step and by using a color developer containing the compound of formula (I). A combination of the specific developing solution and the specific condition of an automatic processor is unknown, and it is findings first reached by the present inventors that the combination results in prevention of edge staining. The present invention has thus been completed based on the findings. Having succeeded in preventing edge staining, the present invention makes it possible to appreciably reduce a processing time without impairing a commercial value of photographic materials.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[I] Developing Solution
In formula (I), Rrepresents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aralkyl group or an aryl group. The alkyl group preferably has 1 to 10, particularly 1 to 3, carbon atoms. The cycloalkyl group preferably has 6 to 10, particularly 6, carbon atoms. The alkenyl group and the alkynyl group preferably have 3 to 10, particularly 3 to 6, carbon atoms
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Le Hoa Van
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