Patents by Inventor Hitomi MOTANI

Hitomi MOTANI has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10591830
    Abstract: In an image forming method, a black toner and a color toner other than the black toner are used. The black toner and the color toner each include a binder resin including a polyester resin as a main component and a vinyl resin, a releasing agent, and an external additive. A content Vk % by mass of the vinyl resin relative to total mass of the binder resin included in the black toner, a content Vc % by mass of the vinyl resin relative to total mass of the binder resin included in the color toner, a content Wk % by mass of the releasing agent relative to the total mass of the binder resin included in the black toner, and a content Wc % by mass of the releasing agent relative to the total mass of the binder resin included in the color toner satisfy a specific relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Kaori Matsushima, Tomoko Mine, Hitomi Motani
  • Patent number: 10539897
    Abstract: An image forming method uses a color toner including a yellow toner, a magenta toner, a cyan toner, and a black toner. The image forming method includes a toner image forming step of forming a toner image by developing the color toner on an electrostatic latent image formed by charging and exposing a surface of an electrostatic latent image bearing member, a transfer step of transferring the toner image onto a recording medium to form a color toner image, and a fixing step of fixing the color toner image on the recording medium. Each toner contain at least a binder resin, a coloring agent, a release agent, and a layered silicate compound. The volume average particle diameter of each toner is 4 to 6 ?m. The content of the aluminum element in each toner represented by the Net intensity by WDXRF analysis has a specific relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Hitomi Motani, Tomoko Mine, Kaori Matsushima
  • Patent number: 10350910
    Abstract: The present invention addresses at least the problem of providing a method for forming a high-resolution foil image regardless of the hydrophilicity of a recording medium. In order to solve said problem, the present invention provides a method wherein an adhesive ink that is formed by dispersing or dissolving a polymer resin in water and in a water-soluble organic solvent is used as an adhesive for a foil, the adhesive is applied by means of inkjet printing, and a foil image is formed. The polymer resin of the adhesive ink is a polymer of a monomer that includes (meth)acrylic acid and a (meth)acrylic acid alkyl ester having a C2-12 alkyl group, the acid value of the polymer resin being 50-120 mg KOH/g, and the glass transition temperature of the polymer resin being 30-110° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Hideya Miwa, Takayuki Ishikawa, Ryuichi Hiramoto, Hitomi Motani
  • Publication number: 20190137899
    Abstract: An image forming method uses a color toner including a yellow toner, a magenta toner, a cyan toner, and a black toner. The image forming method includes a toner image forming step of forming a toner image by developing the color toner on an electrostatic latent image formed by charging and exposing a surface of an electrostatic latent image bearing member, a transfer step of transferring the toner image onto a recording medium to form a color toner image, and a fixing step of fixing the color toner image on the recording medium. Each toner contain at least a binder resin, a coloring agent, a release agent, and a layered silicate compound. The volume average particle diameter of each toner is 4 to 6 ?m. The content of the aluminum element in each toner represented by the Net intensity by WDXRF analysis has a specific relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventors: Hitomi MOTANI, Tomoko MINE, Kaori MATSUSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20190094732
    Abstract: In an image forming method, a black toner and a color toner other than the black toner are used. The black toner and the color toner each include a binder resin including a polyester resin as a main component and a vinyl resin, a releasing agent, and an external additive. A content Vk % by mass of the vinyl resin relative to total mass of the binder resin included in the black toner, a content Vc % by mass of the vinyl resin relative to total mass of the binder resin included in the color toner, a content Wk % by mass of the releasing agent relative to the total mass of the binder resin included in the black toner, and a content Wc % by mass of the releasing agent relative to the total mass of the binder resin included in the color toner satisfy a specific relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Kaori MATSUSHIMA, Tomoko MINE, Hitomi MOTANI
  • Patent number: 10203623
    Abstract: It is an object to suppress yellowing of a binder resin while obtaining an image with a high degree of whiteness and to suppress occurrence of image defects when printing at a high temperature and a high humidity. A toner for developing an electrostatic image, the toner including: white toner base particles containing a binder resin and titanium oxide having an average particle size of from 130 to 600 nm; and an external additive including strontium titanate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Yasuko Uchino, Hitomi Motani, Tomomi Oshiba
  • Publication number: 20180129147
    Abstract: It is an object to suppress yellowing of a binder resin while obtaining an image with a high degree of whiteness and to suppress occurrence of image defects when printing at a high temperature and a high humidity. A toner for developing an electrostatic image, the toner including: white toner base particles containing a binder resin and titanium oxide having an average particle size of from 130 to 600 nm; and an external additive including strontium titanate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Yasuko UCHINO, Hitomi MOTANI, Tomomi OSHIBA
  • Publication number: 20170203581
    Abstract: The present invention addresses at least the problem of providing a method for forming a high-resolution foil image regardless of the hydrophilicity of a recording medium. In order to solve said problem, the present invention provides a method wherein an adhesive ink that is formed by dispersing or dissolving a polymer resin in water and in a water-soluble organic solvent is used as an adhesive for a foil, the adhesive is applied by means of inkjet printing, and a foil image is formed. The polymer resin of the adhesive ink is a polymer of a monomer that includes (meth)acrylic acid and a (meth)acrylic acid alkyl ester having a C2-12 alkyl group, the acid value of the polymer resin being 50-120 mg KOH/g, and the glass transition temperature of the polymer resin being 30-110° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Inventors: Hideya MIWA, Takayuki ISHIKAWA, Ryuichi HIRAMOTO, Hitomi MOTANI
  • Patent number: 9360785
    Abstract: Disclosed are a toner for electrostatic image development and an image formation process using the same which can achieve high varnish application property and high adhesion of a heat-fixed image to a varnish layer even when the varnish layer is formed on the fixed image formed by an image formation process of an electrophotographic system. The toner for electrostatic image development includes toner particles containing at least a binder resin, a colorant and a parting agent, and the binder resin contains a polyfunctional acrylate-modified polyester resin obtained by modification with a polyfunctional acrylate compound. In the toner for electrostatic image development, it is preferable that the toner particles have a core-shell structure, in which the surface of a core particle is coated with a shell layer, and the polyfunctional acrylate-modified polyester resin is contained in the shell layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Hitomi Motani, Ito Koga, Tomomi Oshiba, Kishio Tamura
  • Patent number: 9012120
    Abstract: The production process is a process for producing a toner for electrostatic image development. The process has an aggregating step of adding an aggregating agent composed of a compound having a divalent or trivalent metal element into a dispersion with fine particles of a binder resin dispersed in an aqueous medium, and an aggregation terminating step of adding an aggregation terminating agent into the dispersion. The aggregation terminating agent is composed of a compound having at least one of a structure (1) represented by a formula (1) and a structure (2) represented by a formula (2). In the formulae (1) and (2), R1 to R9 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a hydroxy group or an organic group. At least one of R1 and R4 or at least one of R5 and R6 represents a hydroxy group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomomi Oshiba, Tomoko Mine, Hitomi Motani, Saburou Hiraoka
  • Publication number: 20140349230
    Abstract: Disclosed are a toner for electrostatic image development and an image formation process using the same which can achieve high varnish application property and high adhesion of a heat-fixed image to a varnish layer even when the varnish layer is formed on the fixed image formed by an image formation process of an electrophotographic system. The toner for electrostatic image development includes toner particles containing at least a binder resin, a colorant and a parting agent, and the binder resin contains a polyfunctional acrylate-modified polyester resin obtained by modification with a polyfunctional acrylate compound. In the toner for electrostatic image development, it is preferable that the toner particles have a core-shell structure, in which the surface of a core particle is coated with a shell layer, and tine polyfunctional acrylate-modified polyester resin is contained in the shell layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Hitomi Motani, Ito Koga, Tomomi Oshiba, Kishio Tamura
  • Patent number: 8871419
    Abstract: The toner for electrostatic image development has excellent charge properties, by which excellent toner particle size-controlling ability is achieved, and moreover the sharpening of a particle size distribution is achieved. The toner is composed of toner particles containing a binder resin. The process has an aggregating step of adding an aggregating agent containing a transition element into an aqueous medium of dispersed fine binder resin particles to aggregate the fine binder resin particles, and an aggregation-stopping step of adding an aggregation stopper composed on a sulfur atom-containing compound exhibiting a reducing action on the aggregating agent. The aggregating agent is a salt of a bivalent or higher metal selected from Sr, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Saburou Hiraoka, Tomomi Oshiba, Mikihiko Sukeno, Tomoko Mine, Hitomi Motani, Tatsuya Nagase, Ken Ohmura
  • Patent number: 8785100
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a two-component developer which comprises a toner, and a carrier having a surface of a core material particle coated with a resin having a unit of general formula (1). The present invention provides a two-component developer which has enhanced environmental stability of carrier charging performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hitomi Motani, Tomoko Mine, Tomomi Oshiba
  • Publication number: 20140011132
    Abstract: The production process is a process for producing a toner for electrostatic image development. The process has an aggregating step of adding an aggregating agent composed of a compound having a divalent or trivalent metal element into a dispersion with fine particles of a binder resin dispersed in an aqueous medium, and an aggregation terminating step of adding an aggregation terminating agent into the dispersion. The aggregation terminating agent is composed of a compound having at least one of a structure (1) represented by a formula (1) and a structure (2) represented by a formula (2). In the formulae (1) and (2), R1 to R9 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a hydroxy group or an organic group. At least one of R1 and R4or at least one of R5 and R6 represents a hydroxy group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Tomomi Oshiba, Tomoko Mine, Hitomi Motani, Saburou Hiraoka
  • Patent number: 8507169
    Abstract: A two-component developer is disclosed, composing a toner comprising parent toner particles with an attached external additive and a carrier provided with a resin covering layer on a surface of a core particle, wherein the resin covering layer comprises a binder resin comprising an acrylic resin and when the resin covering layer is divided in half to a core particle side and a surface side, a nitrogen element content of the core particle side is larger than a nitrogen element content of the surface side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoko Mine, Mikihiko Sukeno, Tatsuya Nagase, Tomomi Oshiba, Hiroyuki Kozuru, Saburou Hiraoka, Yoshiyasu Matsumoto, Kosuke Nakamura, Hitomi Motani, Takanari Kayamori
  • Publication number: 20130189612
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a two-component developer which comprises a toner, and a carrier having a surface of a core material particle coated with a resin having a unit of general formula (1). The present invention provides a two-component developer which has enhanced environmental stability of carrier charging performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hitomi MOTANI, Tomoko MINE, Tomomi OSHIBA
  • Publication number: 20120328980
    Abstract: The toner for electrostatic image development has excellent charge properties, by which excellent toner particle size-controlling ability is achieved, and moreover the sharpening of a particle size distribution is achieved. The toner is composed of toner particles containing a binder resin. The process has an aggregating step of adding an aggregating agent containing a transition element into an aqueous medium of dispersed fine binder resin particles to aggregate the fine binder resin particles, and an aggregation-stopping step of adding an aggregation stopper composed on a sulfur atom-containing compound exhibiting a reducing action on the aggregating agent. The aggregating agent is a salt of a bivalent or higher metal selected from Sr, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Saburou HIRAOKA, Tomomi OSHIBA, Mikihiko SUKENO, Tomoko MINE, Hitomi MOTANI, Tatsuya NAGASE, Ken OHMURA
  • Publication number: 20120264050
    Abstract: Disclosed is a production process of a toner for electrostatic image development, by which excellent toner particle size-controlling ability is achieved, and moreover the sharpening of a particle size distribution is achieved. The production process is a production process of a toner for electrostatic image development, is composed of toner particles containing a binder resin. The process has the steps of adding a aggregating agent containing polysilicato-iron into an aqueous medium in which fine binder resin particles formed of the binder resin have been dispersed, thereby aggregating the fine binder resin particles, and adding an aggregation stopper composed of a salt whose cation is univalent or bivalent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Tomomi OSHIBA, Hitomi MOTANI, Tomoko MINE, Saburou HIRAOKA, Mikihiko SUKENO, Tatsuya NAGASE, Ken OHMURA
  • Publication number: 20120225379
    Abstract: A two-component developer is disclosed, composing a toner comprising parent toner particles with an attached external additive and a carrier provided with a resin covering layer on a surface of a core particle, wherein the resin covering layer comprises a binder resin comprising an acrylic resin and when the resin covering layer is divided in half to a core particle side and a surface side, a nitrogen element content of the core particle side is larger than a nitrogen element content of the surface side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Tomoko MINE, Mikihiko SUKENO, Tatsuya NAGASE, Tomomi OSHIBA, Hiroyuki KOZURU, Saburou HIRAOKA, Yoshiyasu MATSUMOTO, Kosuke NAKAMURA, Hitomi MOTANI, Takanari KAYAMORI
  • Publication number: 20110151371
    Abstract: A toner for electrostatic latent image development is disclosed, comprising colored particles containing a binder resin and a colorant, and an external-additive, wherein the external additive comprises boron nitride particles exhibiting a number average primary particle size of 10 to 500 nm. The production method of the toner is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Shinya OBARA, Masahiro ANNO, Satoshi UCHINO, Hitomi MOTANI, Hidehito HARUKI