Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Margaret A. Burke
  • Patent number: 7238466
    Abstract: A photothermographic material having, on at least one side of a support, an image forming layer containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder, and at least one non-photosensitive layer which is disposed on the same side as the image forming layer and farther from the support than the image forming layer, wherein (1) 50% by weight or more of the binder is a polymer latex having a monomer component having an acid group, and (2) the polymer latex has a core/shell structure having a core part and a shell part, and the monomer component having an acid group in the core part is 2 mol % to 20 mol % of a total amount of the monomer component having an acid group in the polymer latex. The invention provides a photothermographic material which exhibits excellent image uniformity with low fog.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Nakagawa, Yoshihisa Tsukada
  • Patent number: 7235352
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photothermographic material including a support having disposed on one surface thereof at least one image-forming layer containing a binder, an organic silver salt, a reducing agent for reducing silver ions, an organic polyhalogen compound and a photosensitive silver halide, wherein the photosensitive silver halide has a silver iodide content ranging from 10 mol % to 100 mol %. The silver halide further contains at least one metal selected from a first metal group and one metal selected from a second metal group, with a proviso that none of the at least one metal selected from the first metal group and the at least one metal selected from the second metal group are the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Oka, Seiichi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7232652
    Abstract: A photothermographic material including, on at least one side of a support, an image forming layer including at least a photosensitive silver halide, a first organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder, and at least one non-photosensitive layer which is disposed on the same side as the image forming layer and farther from the support than the image forming layer, wherein 50% or more of a total projected area of the photosensitive silver halide is occupied by tabular grains having a silver iodide content of 40 mol % or higher and an aspect ratio of 2 or more, and the non-photosensitive layer comprises a second organic silver salt, and an image forming method using the same. The invention provides a photothermographic material and an image forming method excellent in image tone and image storability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Kouta Fukui
  • Patent number: 7226728
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photothermographic material having: a support and an image-forming layer including a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducer, and a binder on at least one surface of the support, wherein the photothermographic material further contains a dye having a half breadth of 100 nm or less at a maximum absorbance peak, and 50 mass % or more of a binder in an outermost layer on a dye-containing surface is a polymer latex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Rikio Inoue
  • Patent number: 7223528
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photothermographic material having, on at least one side of a support, at least an image forming layer containing a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, and a reducing agent for the organic silver salt, and at least one non-photosensitive layer, wherein the material contains a water-soluble magenta dye, and also provides an image forming method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichi Yamamoto, Masaharu Sugai, Rikio Inoue
  • Patent number: 7222570
    Abstract: A planographic printing plate supply unit comprising: carrying rollers rotating while pressing a stacking bundle, in which planographic printing plates and covering papers are stacked alternately, so as to carry the planographic printing plate and covering paper at the top of the stacking bundle, wherein convex portions which are elastically deformed when pressing the stacking bundle and whose contact area with the planographic printing plate is larger after being elastically deformed than before are provided on the outside periphery of the carrying roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinori Kawamura, Kikuo Matsuba, Kazuoki Komiyama, Yoshihiro Koyanagi
  • Patent number: 7223531
    Abstract: The invention provides a photothermographic material containing, on a support, an image forming layer having at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt and a reducing agent, and at least one non-photosensitive layer, in which the non-photosensitive layer contains a crosslinking agent precursor, in which the crosslinking agent precursor is a compound which releases a crosslinking agent which crosslinks a binder of the non-photosensitive layer at the time of thermal development. A photothermographic material in which water resistance and scratch resistance of an image have been improved is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 7214476
    Abstract: An image forming method applying X-ray exposure to a photothermographic material having, on at least one surface of a support, an image forming layer containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent for silver ions, and a binder, wherein the photothermographic material is brought into close contact with a fluorescence intensifying screen containing a fluorescent material that emits light, 50% or more of which has a wavelength in a range of 350 nm or more and 420 nm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Yamane, Katsuhiro Kohda
  • Patent number: 7211373
    Abstract: A photothermographic material comprising a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent for a silver ion and a binder on one surface of a support, wherein a silver behenate-content of the non-photosensitive organic silver salt is 40 to 70 mol %, and the photothermographic material comprises a compound that can be one-electron-oxidized to provide a one-electron oxidation product, which further releases at least 1 electron, one of during and after a subsequent reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Ohzeki, Kohzaburoh Yamada
  • Patent number: 7208264
    Abstract: A photothermographic material wherein at least an image-forming layer on at least one surface of a support, the image-forming layer containing a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder, wherein, an outermost layer is provided as a layer most remote from the support on the side of the support where the image-forming layer is provided, a non-photosensitive intermediate layer A containing a binder and provided in adjacent with the image-forming layer and between the image-forming layer and the outermost layer, wherein the binder of the non-photosensitive intermediate layer A contains 80% by mass or more of a polymer formed by copolymerizing a monomer represented by Formula (M), a non-photosensitive intermediate layer B containing a binder and provided between the non-photosensitive intermediate layer A and the outermost layer, and the binder of the non-photosensitive intermediate layer B contains 50% by mass or more of a hydrophilic polymer derive
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: FujiFilm Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichi Suzuki, Kouta Fukui, Minoru Sakai
  • Patent number: 7202985
    Abstract: An exposure process is executed by multi-beams divided by polarizing and combining laser beams (La, Lb) modulated based on an image signal so as to be emitted by a light source side optical system by using a polarized light beam splitter, and by converting the laser beams (La, Lb) emitted as right circular polarized light and left circular polarized light into mutually orthogonal linear polarized light by using a quarter wave plate arranged on a light path of a scanning portion, and thereafter transmitting through an optical element of uniaxial crystal. An appropriate image can be formed by setting a division width of beam spots on a scanning surface set by the optical element of uniaxial crystal such that scanning unevenness of an image formed on a scanning surface is within an allowable range even when changing resolution of the inner drum exposure apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Ichirou Miyagawa
  • Patent number: 7201341
    Abstract: Retention portions that retain a leader member of recording tape are formed inside a case, and a spring member pushes the leader member toward the retention portions. The spring member contacts support point members, and the support point members serve as support points when the spring member deforms. The support point members, which are disposed such that they protrude from side walls of the case, include a height D1 from an inner surface (attachment reference surface) of the side walls. The spring member is bent such that its height at positions contacting the support point members from the attachment reference surface includes a height D2 in a state where the spring member is not attached to the case. Here, D2?D1. When the spring member is attached to the case, the spring member always contacts the support point members. Thus, the pushing force of the spring member is stable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Ren Ishikawa, Katsuki Asano
  • Patent number: 7192695
    Abstract: An image forming method comprising by imagewise exposing a photothermographic material comprising at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder, on at least one surface of a support, and thermally developing the photothermographic material at a line speed of 20 mm/sec or higher using an image forming apparatus, wherein the reducing agent is a bisphenol compound which has at a meso-position a substituent with ring structure or a substituent having an unsaturated bond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: FujiFilm Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Sakai, Fumito Nariyuki, Yasuhiro Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 7192694
    Abstract: A photothermographic material containing, on a substrate, at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent and a binder in which the total silver iodide content of the photosensitive silver halide is 40 mol % or more and 100 mol % or less, and the coating amount of the photosensitive silver halide, in terms of an amount of silver, is 0.0005 g/m2 or more and 0.4 g/m2 or less, as well as an image forming method for the photothermographic material which comprises exposing the photothermographic material by using a semiconductor laser having an emission peak intensity at a wavelength of from 350 nm to 450 nm as a light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Fumito Nariyuki
  • Patent number: 7186501
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photothermographic material, having a support and an image-forming layer containing a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, and a reducer for the organic silver salt on at least one surface of the support, wherein the image-forming layer contains a hydrophilic polymer which has a vinyl monomer unit containing a quaternary nitrogen atom-containing group or a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Seiichi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7179585
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming method using an image recording apparatus that includes a laser irradiating means for laser scanning of a photothermographic material that has a support and includes on at least one surface thereof a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent and a binder, and a conveying means for guiding the photothermographic material in a sub-scanning direction to a thermal development unit, wherein the reducing agent is a specific bisphenol compound. The invention also provides another image forming method including carrying out thermal development, with an interval time equal to or less than 12 seconds, of the photothermographic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Eiichi Okutsu, Katsutoshi Yamane, Yasuhiro Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 7172857
    Abstract: A photothermographic material having, on at least one side of a support, an image forming layer including at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder, wherein an outermost layer on at least one side of the support includes a polymer latex having a core/shell structure, in which a shell part contains a polymer having a monomer component represented by the following (M2): (M2) a monomer containing a fluorine atom and having an unsaturated bond which performs radical polymerization. A photothermographic material excellent in adhesion resistance during storage until use of the photothermographic material after production thereof and excellent in photographic properties is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Sakai, Yoshihisa Tsukada
  • Patent number: 7166408
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming method including providing a photothermographic material having image forming layers containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder on both surfaces of a support, imagewise exposing the photothermographic material with a fluorescent intensifying screen, and thermally developing the photothermographic material in a thermal developing apparatus having a heating section, wherein the heating section has at least two heating means and a difference between a sensitivity when the photothermographic material is developed at 25° C. and relative humidity of 75% and a sensitivity when the photothermographic material is developed at 25° C. and relative humidity of 20% is 0.20 or less. An image forming method similar to that described above in which the photothermographic material has an antistatic layer is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi Oyamada, Takeshi Funakubo
  • Patent number: 7157217
    Abstract: A photothermographic material comprising, on a support, an image forming layer containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent and a binder, and a non-photosensitive outermost layer at a surface side of the support at which the image forming layer is provided, wherein: 1) the non-photosensitive organic silver salt contains 90% by mole or more of silver behenate; and a binder in the outermost layer contains 50% by weight or more of a hydrophobic polymer latex, 2) the outermost layer contains a polymer latex; and a layer adjacent to the outermost layer contains a binder which can lose fluidity upon a decrease in temperature, or 3) the outermost layer contains a polymer latex; and a coating solution for forming the outermost layer can lose fluidity upon a decrease in temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Nakagawa, Yoshihisa Tsukada, Keiichi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7157220
    Abstract: The present invention provides a silver halide photosensitive material and a photothermographic material having, on at least one side of a support, at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, and a reducing agent for the organic silver salt, wherein the silver halide photosensitive material and the photothermographic material contain a phthalocyanine compound represented by the following formula (PC-1): wherein, M represents a hydrogen atom or a metal atom; R1, R4, R5, R8, R9, R12, R13, and R16 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent; at least one of R1, R4, R5, R8, R9, R12, R13, and R16 represents an electron-attracting group; and R2, R3, R6, R7, R10, R11, R14, and R15 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichi Yamamoto, Masahiko Taniguchi, Yasuhiro Yoshioka, Takanori Hioki, Hideo Hanawa