Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Post imaging processing – Containing developer in element
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-02
2002-08-13
Le, Hoa Van (Department: 1752)
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Post imaging processing
Containing developer in element
C430S448000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06432624
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a novel method of processing a silver halide color photographic lightsensitive material for image recording (hereinafter may be referred to simply as “lightsensitive material”).
Rapid progress has been made in recent years with respect to the photographic lightsensitive material based on a silver halide, and now a high-quality color image reproduction can be obtained easily. For example, generally, in the system known as “color photography”, photographing is first performed with the use of a color negative film. Then, the color negative film is developed, and the image information recorded in the developed color negative film is optically printed on a color photographic paper. Thus, a color print is obtained. In recent years, this process has marked a high progress, and now everyone can readily enjoy color photographs by virtue of the spread of color laboratories which are large-scale centers where a large number of color prints can be produced with high efficiency, or so-called minilabos which are small simple printer processors installed at shops.
The currently spread color photograph, as its principle, employs the color reproduction according to the subtractive color process. The common color negative comprises a transparent support and lightsensitive layers each constituted of a silver halide emulsion, which are a lightsensitive elements furnished with light sensitivity in blue, green and red regions, on a support. In the lightsensitive layer, so-called color couplers capable of forming yellow, magenta and cyan dyes which are complementary hues are contained in combination. The color negative film having been subjected to imagewise exposure by photographing is developed in a color developer containing a developing agent of aromatic primary amine. At the development, the exposed silver halide grains are developed, namely reduced, by the developing agent. Coupling reactions occur between the simultaneously formed developing agent in an oxidized form and the above color couplers with the result that dyes are formed. Metallic silver formed by development (developed silver) and unreacted silver halide are removed by bleaching and fixing, respectively, to thereby obtain dye images. A color print composed of dye images, reproducing the original scene, can be obtained by subjecting a color photographic paper which is a color lightsensitive material comprising a reflective support furnished, by coating, with lightsensitive layers having a similar combination of lightsensitive wavelength region and colored hue to optical exposure through the developed color negative film and by further subjecting the resultant color photographic paper to similar color development, bleaching and fixing.
Although the above system is now widely spread, the demand for greater simplicity thereof is increasing. First, with respect to the processing baths for carrying out the above color development, bleaching and fixing, it is needed to accurately control the composition and the temperature thereof, so that expert knowledge and skilled operation are required. Secondly, the processing solutions contain color developing agents, iron chelate compounds as bleaching agents and other substances whose effluence must be regulated from the viewpoint of environment, so that it is often that exclusive equipment is needed at the installation of developing apparatus. Thirdly, the development requires an extensive time is needed, although shortened as a result of technical development of recent years, so that it should be admitted that meeting the demand for rapid reproduction of recorded image is still unsatisfactory.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. (hereinafter referred to as JP-A-) 10-39468 discloses a method of achieving a rapid processing without detriment to color reproduction and sharpness.
The method disclosed in this publication increases a processing speed but invites a side effect of graininess deterioration. Therefore, an improvement has been desired. With respect to the processing time as well, further shortening has been desired.
JP-A-10-301247 discloses a technology wherein, in a system comprising sticking a lightsensitive material and a processing material to each other in the presence of a small amount of water and thereafter carrying out heat development, use is made of an emulsion containing tabular grains wherein the average number of development initiating points per grain is 5 or more.
However, the technology disclosed in this publication has a drawback in that, in addition to the lightsensitive material, a waste material (processing material) is outputted. Therefore, a developing system not inviting the outputting of waste material has been desired.
Generally, although a lightsensitive material of excellent graininess can be obtained by increasing the silver coating amount (number of grains) with respect to a high-speed emulsion, there exists a limit in that the increase of silver coating amount invites an increase of radiation fog and a high cost.
On the other hand, it is possible to, for example, intensify a chemical sensitization to thereby form dispersive chemical sensitization nuclei with the result that the number of development initiating points per grain is increased.
However, as described in, for example, The Theory of The Photographic Process, pp. 177-178 (T. H. James), it is known in the art to which the invention pertains that, according to conventional knowledge, in such instances, the formation of silver nuclei starts at multiple points of each grain to thereby form multiple latent sub-images with the result that a drop of latent image forming efficiency and a sensitivity lowering are invited. Therefore, it has been believed that there is a limit in the reconciliation of speed increase and graininess improvement.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of processing a silver halide color photographic lightsensitive material, which realizes an excellent ratio of speed/graininess despite rapid processing. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of processing a silver halide color photographic lightsensitive material, wherein use is made of a simple development processing system free from the outputting of waste materials.
These objects have effectively been attained by the present invention described below. That is, the present invention provides the following methods of processing a silver halide color photographic lightsensitive material:
(I) A method of processing a silver halide color photographic lightsensitive material comprising a support and at least one lightsensitive silver halide emulsion layer containing a binder and lightsensitive silver halide grains comprising tabular silver halide grains on the support; wherein the lightsensitive material contains a developing agent or its precursor, and a compound capable of forming a dye by a coupling reaction with the developing agent in an oxidized form, wherein the method comprises:
exposing the silver halide color photographic lightsensitive material under the following conditions:
light source: natural light of 2000 to 9000 K color temperature or artificial light corresponding thereto,
exposure time: 1/10 to 1/1000 sec, and
exposure amount: such that 80 to 90% (numerical ratio) of the lightsensitive silver halide grains contained in the lightsensitive silver halide emulsion layer have at least one development initiating point; and
color developing the exposed silver halide color photographic lightsensitive material so that the tabular silver halide grains have an average number of development initiating points of 3.0 or more per grain at the time of completion of the color development.
(II) The method according to item (I) above, wherein the developing agent is selected from the group consisting of the compounds represented by the following general formulae (1) to (5):
wherein each of R
1
to R
4
independently represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group
Ishii Yoshio
Kawagishi Toshio
Kikuchi Makoto
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