Patents by Inventor Shigenori Kouno

Shigenori Kouno 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: 8497058
    Abstract: An image forming method comprising the step of: forming a toner image employing toner particles containing at least a resin on an image supporting substrate having thereon a toner holding layer via a toner image holding process to form an image print, the toner image being held in the toner holding layer in the toner image holding process, wherein at least the toner particles or the image supporting substrate is separated from the image print via a separation process; and at least the separated toner particles or the separated image supporting substrate is recyclable as an image forming material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsutoshi Nakamura, Shigenori Kouno, Masaharu Matsubara
  • Patent number: 8431293
    Abstract: A method of recycling an image forming material comprising the steps of holding a toner image formed by employing toner particles in a toner holding layer formed on an image supporting substrate to form a first generation image print, separating the toner particles from the first generation image print; and recycling the separated toner particles to form a second generation image print by holding a toner image formed by employing the separated toner particles in a toner holding layer formed on an image supporting substrate, provided that the image forming material comprises at least toner particles, wherein Condition (1) 0.9?B/A?0.1 and Condition (2) 1?C/A?0.9 are satisfied, A, B and C representing particle shape factors of original toner particles, toner particles held in the image holding layer of the first generation image print; and separated toner particles, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsutoshi Nakamura, Shigenori Kouno, Masaharu Matsubara
  • Patent number: 8426098
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image print which has a toner-holding layer on an image-supporting substrate in which the toner-holding layer holds a toner image formed by toner particles, wherein the toner-holding layer is composed of a hydrogel having a water content of 10% by mass or more and not more than 90% by mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitsutoshi Nakamura, Shigenori Kouno, Kazuyoshi Goan, Kouichi Sugama, Ito Koga
  • Patent number: 8270884
    Abstract: An image forming method using toner comprising toner particles having a core-shell structure comprising a core particle incorporating a viscous material and a shell layer covering the above core particle is disclosed. The method comprises steps of a toner image forming step on a dielectric drum; a first pressure applying step in which the shell layer of the toner particles forming the toner image is subjected to a preliminary break treatment by a first pressure roller, which is arranged in contact with the dielectric drum; and a transfer/fixing step in which a toner image made by the toner particles which have been subjected to a preliminary break treatment by the first pressure applying step is transferred and fixed to an image support by a second pressure roller which is arranged in contact with the dielectric drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masaharu Matsubara, Shigenori Kouno, Mitsutoshi Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20110254260
    Abstract: An image forming method for forming an image printed matter, includes the steps of: forming a toner image with toner particles on a photoreceptor; transferring the toner image from the photoreceptor onto a substrate; laminating an toner holding material layer on the substrate so as to embed the toner image in the toner holding material layer so that the toner holding material layer holds the toner image therein and the image printed matter is formed, wherein the toner holding material layer is composed of a gel including a liquid dispersion medium having a contact angle of 20 to 110 degrees to the image supporting substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Mitsutoshi NAKAMURA, Shigenori KOUNO, Kazuyoshi GOAN, Kouichi SUGAMA, Ito KOGA
  • Publication number: 20110236652
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image print which has a toner-holding layer on an image-supporting substrate in which the toner-holding layer holds a toner image formed by toner particles, wherein the toner-holding layer is composed of a hydrogel having a water content of 10% by mass or more and not more than 90% by mass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Mitsutoshi NAKAMURA, Shigenori KOUNO, Kazuyoshi GOAN, Kouichi SUGAMA, Ito KOGA
  • Publication number: 20110207045
    Abstract: A toner for electrostatic latent image development is disclosed, comprising a binder resin which comprises a resin A comprising a copolymer comprised of at least a styrenic monomer unit and a (meth)acrylic monomer unit and a resin B comprising a copolymer comprised of at least a methacrylate monomer unit and a radical-polymerizable monomer unit containing plural carboxyl groups, and a total amount of the methacrylate monomer unit and the radical-polymerizable monomer unit containing plural carboxyl groups accounts for not less than 70% by mass and not more than 95% by mass of all monomer units forming the copolymer of the resin B.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Anju HORI, Shigenori KOUNO, Asao MATSUSHIMA, Noboru UEDA, Kentarou MOGI
  • Publication number: 20110033211
    Abstract: An image forming method using toner comprising toner particles having a core-shell structure comprising a core particle incorporating a viscous material and a shell layer covering the above core particle is disclosed. The method comprises steps of a toner image forming step on a dielectric drum; a first pressure applying step in which the shell layer of the toner particles forming the toner image is subjected to a preliminary break treatment by a first pressure roller, which is arranged in contact with the dielectric drum; and a transfer/fixing step in which a toner image made by the toner particles which have been subjected to a preliminary break treatment by the first pressure applying step is transferred and fixed to an image support by a second pressure roller which is arranged in contact with the dielectric drum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Masaharu MATSUBARA, Shigenori KOUNO, Mitsutoshi NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20100279220
    Abstract: A method of recycling an image forming material comprising the steps of holding a toner image formed by employing toner particles in a toner holding layer formed on an image supporting substrate to form a first generation image print, separating the toner particles from the first generation image print; and recycling the separated toner particles to form a second generation image print by holding a toner image formed by employing the separated toner particles in a toner holding layer formed on an image supporting substrate, provided that the image forming material comprises at least toner particles, wherein Condition (1) 0.9?B/A?0.1 and Condition (2) 1?C/A?0.9 are satisfied, A, B and C representing particle shape factors of original toner particles, toner particles held in the image holding layer of the first generation image print; and separated toner particles, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Mitsutoshi NAKAMURA, Shigenori KOUNO, Masaharu MATSUBARA
  • Publication number: 20100248130
    Abstract: An image forming method comprising the step of: forming a toner image employing toner particles containing at least a resin on an image supporting substrate having thereon a toner holding layer via a toner image holding process to form an image print, the toner image being held in the toner holding layer in the toner image holding process, wherein at least the toner particles or the image supporting substrate is separated from the image print via a separation process; and at least the separated toner particles or the separated image supporting substrate is recyclable as an image forming material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Mitsutoshi NAKAMURA, Shigenori KOUNO, Masaharu MATSUBARA
  • Publication number: 20100209148
    Abstract: A method of image forming comprising the steps of: providing a clear toner all over a transfer material on which an image is formed; heating and pressing the transfer material having thereon the image while the transfer material is in contact with a belt; cooling the transfer material; and peeling the transfer material from the belt, whereby a clear toner layer formed on the transfer material is obtained, wherein a storage modulus G? at 60° C. of the clear toner is 1×106 N/m2 or more, but 1×106 N/m2 or less; and a viscosity ? at 130° C. of the clear toner is 1×101 Pa·s or more, but 1×102 Pa·s or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Ryuichi HIRAMOTO, Shigenori KOUNO, Takao YAMANOUCHI, Kazue NAKAMURA, Michiyo FUJITA
  • Patent number: 7374847
    Abstract: A toner for developing an electrostatic image is disclosed. The toner contains an amount of not less than 0.1% by weight of an element selected from elements of the Groups of 1B, 2B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 8, 3A and 4A of the fourth and fifth periodic of the long periodic table of the elements, and the isolation ratio of the element is not more than 10% by number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Tomomi Oshiba, Ken Ohmura, Shigenori Kouno, Hiroshi Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20060177752
    Abstract: A toner for developing an electrostatic image is disclosed. The toner contains an amount of not less than 0.1% by weight of an element selected from elements of the Groups of 1B, 2B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 8, 3A and 4A of the fourth and fifth periodic of the long periodic table of the elements, and the isolation ratio of the element is not more than 10% by number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2003
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Inventors: Tomomi Oshiba, Ken Ohmura, Shigenori Kouno, Hiroshi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 6887635
    Abstract: The image forming method carries out reverse development with a developer that has a toner prepared by agglomerating resin particles in a water based medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Yamada, Meizo Shirose, Shigenori Kouno
  • Patent number: 6780558
    Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming method is disclosed. The method comprises developing latent images each formed on a static latent image forming member by serially arranged plural image forming units each including a toner to form toner images, respectively, successively transferring the toner images onto an image support so as to form a piled up image, and fixing the piled up image by a fixing device having a rotatable heating member including a heater fixed therein and a pressing member, and in the method the toner for developing the latent image has a variation coefficient of the shape coefficient of not more than 16% and a number variation coefficient of the particle diameter distribution in number of not more than 27%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Yamada, Hiroshi Yamazaki, Meizo Shirose, Shigenori Kouno
  • Publication number: 20040137347
    Abstract: The image forming method carries out reverse development with a developer that has a toner prepared by agglomerating resin particles in a water based medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Yamada, Meizo Shirose, Shigenori Kouno
  • Patent number: 6717602
    Abstract: The image forming method uses reverse development to form an image from a toner applied to a latent image on a photoreceptor. The dots that form the latent image have an exposure diameter A (in &mgr;m) while the dots of the toner that form on the latent image have a development diameter B (in &mgr;m). The relationship between the exposure diameter A (in &mgr;m) in the primary scanning direction and the development diameter B (in &mgr;m) in the primary scanning direction of the developed image is: 1.1≦B/A≦1.5. The toner is prepared by fusing at the resin particles in a water based medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Yamada, Meizo Shirose, Shigenori Kouno
  • Publication number: 20030198884
    Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming method is disclosed. The method comprises developing latent images each formed on a static latent image forming member by serially arranged plural image forming units each including a toner to form toner images, respectively, successively transferring the toner images onto an image support so as to form a piled up image, and fixing the piled up image by a fixing device having a rotatable heating member including a heater fixed therein and a pressing member, and in the method the toner for developing the latent image has a variation coefficient of the shape coefficient of not more than 16% and a number variation coefficient of the particle diameter distribution in number of not more than 27%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Yamada, Hiroshi Yamazaki, Meizo Shirose, Shigenori Kouno
  • Publication number: 20020192582
    Abstract: An image forming method is disclosed. In the image forming method after uniformly charging the surface of a latent image forming body, digital exposure corresponding to an image is carried out; a formed electrostatic latent image is subjected to reversal development, employing a developer comprising a toner; and said obtained toner image is transferred onto an image support, and subsequently fixed. The toner is prepared by fusing at least the resin particles in a water based medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Yamada, Meizo Shirose, Shigenori Kouno
  • Publication number: 20020110746
    Abstract: A toner for developing an electrostatic image is disclosed. The toner contains an amount of not less than 0.1% by weight of an element selected from elements of the Groups of 1B, 2B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 8, 3A and 4A of the fourth and fifth periodic of the long periodic table of the elements, and the isolation ratio of the element is not more than 10% by number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2000
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Inventors: Tomomi Oshiba, Ken Ohmura, Shigenori Kouno, Hiroshi Yamazaki