Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Radiation sensitive product – Identified backing or protective layer containing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-21
2001-09-18
Baxter, Janet (Department: 1752)
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Radiation sensitive product
Identified backing or protective layer containing
C430S525000, C430S526000, C430S536000, C430S538000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06291150
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the formation of a laminated substrate containing metallic reflective layers for photographic materials. It particularly relates to improved substrates for photographic imaging.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the formation of color paper it is known that the base paper has applied thereto a layer of polymer, typically polyethylene. This layer serves to provide waterproofing to the paper, as well as providing a smooth surface on which the photosensitive layers are formed. Photographic print papers traditionally require materials such as a white pigmented polymer layer attached to a cellulose paper support. These materials provide a white appearing surface and spectrally diffuse layer that provides a pleasing surface for viewing. The polymer layer under the photographic layer also contains TiO2 to provide enhanced sharpness, opacity and whiteness. When images are displayed for advertising and other commercial uses, it is very important to have a print display that is very unique and eye catching.
While conventional photographic images on resin coated paper are high in quality for some attributes, they are very flat appearing and lack depth of image. It is very desirable to have objects within an image to appear as though they have depth of image. That is, they appear as though they are higher than the background. This appearance provides a very pleasing appearance to the image and significant commercial value. With conventional resin coated photographic paper, the customer or photofinisher will often write or record information on the backside of a photographic print. The opacity of current photographic paper provides only a limited amount of shielding to prevent show through when viewing prints. Usually the density of anything on the backside must be very light in color to prevent the viewer it through the print.
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
There remains a need to provide an imaging support with highly reflective surfaces under the image to create greater depth of image when reviewing an image.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide improved imaging materials.
It is another object to provide opaque imaging support.
It is a further object to provide imaging supports that have added depth of image.
It is an additional object to provide imaging supports that have a unique appearance.
These and other objects of the invention generally are accomplished by a photographic element comprising at least one metallic layer.
ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECT OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides an improved base for photosensitive layers and other image receiving layers. It particularly provides an improved base for color photographic materials that require high depth of image for viewing. The advantage of this invention is that by providing a highly reflective layer under the image and also providing a clear space or separation between the image and highly reflective surface, there is a tremendous depth of image that is created. The image that is created provides a near three dimensional effect and very eye catching appeal It various display applications or advertising, this type of image attracts a lot of attention which is necessary to sell the products being advertised. The effect provides a very unique imaging element that has applications in sport cards, post cards, reflective or mirror like sticker prints, large advertising displays as well as consumer prints. In addition, the higher opacity that is achieved will allow much higher density backprinting without show through when viewing the image.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention has numerous advantages over prior practices in the art. Enhancements and commercial value are realized by providing photographic supports that have highly reflective surfaces under the image layer. By placing a highly reflective metallic layer under a photographic image and separating it by a clear polymer layer, there is added depth to the image. In some cases this creates a near three dimensional effect. This type of image has significant commercial value. Even the uniqueness of a highly reflective layer in an imaging element, provides economic value to the print material When an image is created or placed on a substantially clear substrate and the image is then placed a short distance from a highly reflective surface such as a high gloss metallic layer, a secondary image is generated. When an observer views such an image from an angle, a perception of depth of image is generated. Such an image is very eye catching and has significant value when compared to conventional two dimensional images. The present invention consists of a multilayer film of biaxially oriented polymer and in particular polyolefin. Other polymers such as polyester, polyamides with a highly reflective metallic layer may be used. In this invention the photographic element comprises at least one metallic layer and further comprises a support substrate. Since the invention incorporates a highly reflective mirror like surface, it is important to have a substrate that is very flat and planar below the reflective layer. To achieve the desired appearance it is desirable to have a substrate that comprises a polymer sheet. Polymer sheets that have been cast on a smooth surface and then oriented in general provides a much smoother surface and when viewed creates an unique appearance to the print. Traditional cellulose paper substrates that are manufactured on a paper machine tend to have various roughness patterns associated with their formation. These non-uniformities can create stray light reflections when associated with high reflective materials. This creates an undesirable appearance to the image. In is known in the art that coated papers may provide smoother appearance that will help reduce the paper non uniformity's. These are generally pigments that have been mixed with a binder and then applied to the paper base stock. The application of these and other materials may be by any techniques known in the art of coated substrates. These include blade, rod, roller, cast, air knife, spray, vacuum or plasma deposition or even lamination of layers to paper, or combination of these and other techniques. Such preparation of paper does eliminate many of the objectionable non-uniformity. Even coating the paper with a melt extruable layer of sufficient coverage may also be used to improve the nonuniforimites of the paper. In the case when it is desirable to have a highly reflective image with some depth associated to it the reflective metallic layer is located between the support and the image forming layer. By placing a clear polymer layer between the image and the reflective layer, even greater depth of reflection is achieved. In the case when the need is to improve the opacity of the imaging substrate, the metallic layer may have less gloss and an intermediate layer of white opaque material is placed between the metallic layer and the image. While this technique will reduce the metallic appearance of the print, it may be more desirable to place the opaque layer on the bottom side of the base substrate. This method takes advantage of the added opacity of the raw stock to minimize the dark color associated with many metallic layers. It is know in the art of foil and metallic layers that a white foil or over coat of a white pigment coating or ink, will further minimize the gray show through of a metallic layer. The biaxially oriented films that have been used in this invention contain a plurality of layers in which at least one of the layers contains voids of sufficient thickness to minimize the dark color appearance imparted by the metallic layer. The voided layer may be further enhanced by the addition of an opacifing pigment, tint or optical brightener that is added to the voided layer or in a separate layer of a multi layer structure. The metallic layer may be vacuum deposited onto a polymer sheet or comprise of a metal foil These materials may further comprise cellulose paper. The paper adds stre
Aylward Peter T.
Bourdelais Robert P.
Camp Alphonse D.
Baxter Janet
Eastman Kodak Company
Leipold Paul A.
Walke Amanda C.
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