Dry Development Patents (Class 399/252)
  • Patent number: 11787960
    Abstract: A coating material processable by non-impact printing to form at least a part of a coating layer representing an image, the coating material having an amorphous resin portion, is curable and is configured for being applied with a thickness of at least 15 ?m, the coating material having one or more of the following: a polyester resin having at least one incorporated acid monomer and wherein at least 10 weight percent of the at least one incorporated acid monomer is isophthalic acid; a polyester resin containing 1 to 100 w-% of cycloaliphatic glycol compounds with respect to the total weight of the glycol compounds of the polyester resin component; an acrylic resin; a fluorine containing polymer; a polyurethane resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: TIGER COATINGS GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Francisco Marti Abril
  • Patent number: 11599041
    Abstract: A powder container includes a container body to store powder. The container body includes an inner peripheral surface of a spiral shape and rotates around a longitudinal axis to convey the powder by the spiral shape in one direction. The inner peripheral surface has a substantially polygonal shape having rounded corners or a shape in which sides of the substantially polygonal shape are recessed, in cross section orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the longitudinal axis at a predetermined position. The inner peripheral surface has a region in which the cross-sectional shape at a position shifted from the predetermined position by a predetermined amount within one pitch of the spiral shape in the longitudinal direction is a shape obtained by rotating the substantially polygonal shape having the rounded corners or the shape in which the sides of the substantially polygonal shape are recessed, around the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Gen Kitamura
  • Patent number: 11571854
    Abstract: Examples of a print a print particle replenishment device are described. In some examples, a print particle replenishment device includes a rotating member to rotate about a central axis of the print particle replenishment device. In some examples, the rotating member includes an opening offset from the central axis. In some examples of a print particle replenishment device, a nozzle is offset from the central axis, where the nozzle is to slide with respect to an interior plane of the rotating member to align with the opening to transfer print particles through the nozzle and opening when in an open position. In some examples, a print particle replenishment device includes an extension that protrudes with respect to the opening to engage a port cover of a host device to move the port cover to open a port for replenishment at rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ji-Won Moon, Min-Chul Lee, Woong-Yong Choi, Matthew James Storey, Jefferson Blake West, Zackary Thomas Hickman
  • Patent number: 11531290
    Abstract: A pressurization device for a toner cartridge includes an inner cover, an airbag and a sliding member. The inner cover is arranged at a toner feeding port of the toner cartridge; the airbag is made of elastic material; the airbag includes a fixed end that is fixed to the inner cover and a free end that extends outward from the fixed end; the fixed end is provided with an airbag opening interconnected to an interior of the toner cartridge; a remaining portion of the airbag is arranged as closed except for the airbag opening; a first end of the sliding member is connected to the free end of the airbag and moves toward the fixed end of the airbag back and forth, so that the airbag ejects gas into the toner cartridge by means of being compressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: TANGSHAN CAOFEIDIAN IMAGING TECHNOLOGY LTD. CO.
    Inventors: Bo Chen, Hongbin Wang
  • Patent number: 11526096
    Abstract: A developer storage container includes a storage portion, a communication portion, and a gear portion. The storage portion conveys developer stored therein in a conveying direction along a rotation axis by being rotated around the rotation axis in a specific direction. The communication portion is tubular coaxial to the rotation axis and extending in the conveying direction from a downstream end in the conveying direction, and connects the storage portion to an opening portion facing the conveying direction. The gear portion includes a disc-shaped support portion provided for an outer peripheral part of the communication portion concentrically with the rotation axis, a tooth portion along an edge of a support surface, orthogonal to the rotation axis, of the support portion, and a rib extending on the support surface radially from the tooth portion or the outer peripheral part without reaching the other; and receives rotational driving force supplied from outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Yuta Nohara
  • Patent number: 11454903
    Abstract: A cartridge attachable to an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus, the apparatus main body having a restricting portion and to which the cartridge is mounted by being moved from a unmounted position to a mounting-completed position in a first direction, the cartridge includes a developer container provided with a supply port, and a shutter movable between an opening position for opening the supply port and a closing position for closing the supply port, having a restricted portion, and configured to be in the closing position when the cartridge is in the unmounted position and be in the opening position when the cartridge is in the mounting-completed position, wherein a movement of the shutter in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction is restricted by an engagement between the restricting portion and the restricted portion when the cartridge is in the mounting-completed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jiro Yamada, Joji Goto, Shota Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11281117
    Abstract: The present invention provides a toner for electrostatic-image development comprising color resin particle containing a binder resin, a colorant, a charge control agent, and a thickener, wherein the binder resin is a copolymer including styrene-monomer unit and (meth)acrylate monomer unit, the thickener is a resin containing a nitrogen atom, and the content of nitrogen atom is 150 to 1500 mass ppm in the toner for electrostatic-image development.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: ZEON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masashi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11221566
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus performs primary transfer of single-color toner image onto an intermediate transfer belt and performs secondary transfer of the toner image onto a sheet, and includes: single image forming unit forming the single-color toner image; single toner supply bottle containing replenishment toner; and first and second support members supporting the belt. The image forming unit is closer to the first member than the second member in a belt rotation direction. The bottle includes: single bottle body; and supply unit near one end of the body in the rotation direction. The other end is (i) closer to the second member than the one end is in the rotation direction and (ii) distant from the image forming unit in a support member direction from the first member toward the second member by one to three times a length of the image forming unit in the support member direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Koji Soda, Yusuke Hashimoto, Naoki Nonoyama, Youichi Itagaki, Hitomi Kawata
  • Patent number: 11188007
    Abstract: A toner container includes a container body, an opening, a cover, a toner discharge port, a shutter, a cylindrical structure, protrusions, and an identifier. The shutter is attached to the cover and includes a main shutter covering the toner discharge port. The main shutter moves between a closed position to close the toner discharge port and an open position to open the toner discharge port. The protrusions are on both sides of the cover and protrude in a direction orthogonal to a toner container mounting direction. The identifier is on the cover to indicate a toner color. The cylindrical structure's leading end is downstream of leading ends of the protrusions in the mounting direction. The main shutter's leading end is downstream of the protrusions' leading ends in the mounting direction when the main shutter is in the closed position. The protrusions are downstream of the identifier in the mounting direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasufumi Takahashi, Kunihiro Ohyama, Masayuki Yamane, Takeshi Uchitani, Tadashi Hayakawa, Takuji Takahashi, Shouji Okabe, Akira Shinshi, Yuichiro Ueda, Masaki Takahashi, Yuuki Satoh
  • Patent number: 11190668
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to compose background information with latent image information to generate a latent-image-embedded image, add the latent-image-embedded image to print data, and at least one of extract the latent image information from the print data and extract the background information from the print data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Ryo Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10934434
    Abstract: Asphalt composition for road pavement, excellent in drying strength, strength after immersion in water, and strength after immersion in petroleum, method for producing same, and road paving method. Composition comprises asphalt, polyester, and aggregate. Polyester has alcohol component-derived constituent unit containing ?65 mol % bisphenol A/alkylene oxide adduct and carboxylic acid component-derived constituent unit containing ?50 mol % terephthalic or isophthalic acid. Composition has softening point of 95°?130° C., hydroxyl group value of 20-50 mgKOH/g, and ratio of polyester resin of 5-50 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the asphalt. Production method comprising mixing asphalt, the polyester, and aggregate at 130-200° C. for ?30 seconds. Polyester resin is mixed in ratio of 5-50 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of asphalt. Road paving method comprises laying asphalt composition obtained by production method as set forth, thereby forming an asphalt paving material layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignees: KAO CORPORATION, KAO CHEMICALS EUROPE S.L.
    Inventors: Agusti Bueno Perisé, Eiji Shirai
  • Patent number: 10732538
    Abstract: The developing member has an electroconductive substrate, and an elastic layer having a mono-layer structure on the substrate as a surface layer, wherein the elastic layer has a thickness of T ?m and a volume resistivity of 1.0×105 ?·cm to 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Wataru Moriai, Minoru Nakamura, Toru Ishii, Kazutoshi Ishida
  • Patent number: 10627732
    Abstract: A toner is provided. The toner includes at least two types of polyester resins and a release agent. When the toner is subjected to a dynamic viscoelasticity measurement at a frequency of 6.28 rad/sec to obtain a temperature-dependent curve of loss tangent (tan ?), and the temperature-dependent curve is differentiated one time with temperature, a resulting curve has a maximum value of 0.07 or more and a minimum value of 0.025 or less within a temperature range of from 85° C. to 110° C. When the toner is subjected to a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), an endothermic amount measured in a first temperature rising in the DSC is 3.5 J/g or less within a temperature range of from 85° C. to 120° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohtaroh Ogino, Yoshitaka Yamauchi, Akihiro Kaneko, Kazumi Suzuki, Hisashi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 10423104
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit which forms a first image on a first recording medium with a first material that is not thermally decolorizable; a second image forming unit which forms a second image on a second recording medium with a second material that is thermally decolorizable; a fixing device which is on a common carrying path shared by the first recording medium and the second recording medium and fixes the first image to the first recording medium; and a controller which controls the fixing device so that a temperature of the fixing device is lower than a decolorizing temperature of the second material when the second recording medium reaches the fixing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Kaneko, Minoru Yoshida, Osamu Takagi, Takahito Kabai, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Ken Iguchi
  • Patent number: 10359716
    Abstract: A developer supply member according to an embodiment includes: a shaft with conductivity; and a conductive foam layer that is formed on a surface of the shaft. The conductive foam layer contains silicone rubber as a main component and includes a stress decay of 25% or less and a residual strain of 100 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiharu Sato
  • Patent number: 10324399
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developing device, and an intermediate transfer member. The developing device includes a toner container containing a toner. The intermediate transfer member is charged to 3.0 nC/g or less in terms of absolute value at the surface thereof. The toner particles include a surface layer, and the brightness histogram of the toner particles has two local maximums P1 and P2 and a local minimum V between P1 and P2. P2 is derived from an organosilicon polymer. P1 lies in a brightness range of 20 to 70, and P2 lies in a brightness range of 130 to 230. The number of pixels of P1 and the number of pixels of P2 are each 0.50% or more relative to the total number of pixels. The total numbers of pixels A1, AV, and A2 each in a specific brightness range satisfy specific relationships.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasutaka Yagi, Sara Yoshida, Shinsuke Mochizuki, Tsuneyoshi Tominaga, Kenta Kamikura, Tsutomu Shimano
  • Patent number: 10234781
    Abstract: An electrostatic latent image developing toner includes toner particles. Each of the toner particles includes a toner mother particle and an external additive. The toner mother particle contains a binder resin. The external additive includes external additive particles adhering to a surface of the toner mother particle. Each of the external additive particles includes a titanium oxide particle and resin particles adhering to a surface of the titanium oxide particle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Masami Tsujihiro
  • Patent number: 10138344
    Abstract: A particulate polyamide is provided. The particulate polyamide is porous and includes at least one of polyamide 4 and polyamide 3. In addition, the particulate polyamide has a particle diameter (d50) of from 10 ?m to 1,000 ?m and a particle diameter dispersion degree (Dv/Dn) of not greater than 3.0, wherein Dv represents the volume average particle diameter of the particulate polyamide, and Dn represents the number average particle diameter of the particulate polyamide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoko Arai, Atsumi Yamabe, Koichiro Oyama, Yasuo Kamada
  • Patent number: 10133199
    Abstract: A toner for developing an electrostatic image and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The toner may have a morphological surface characteristic that induces high thermal and physical characteristics. The toner may simultaneously improve gloss, charge stability, anti-cohesiveness, storage ability, and low temperature fixability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: S-PRINTING SOLUTION CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jin-mo Hong
  • Patent number: 10120323
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to suppressing image defects due to variations in the values of currents flowing through respective photosensitive drums during image formation, and reducing the absolute value of a voltage applied when a primary transfer power supply unit applies a voltage of polarity opposite to that during image formation, to primary transfer members. There is provided an image forming apparatus including a transfer member configured to make contact with an inner peripheral surface of a transfer belt, a first power supply unit configured to apply a voltage to the transfer member, a resistance element connected between the first power supply unit and the transfer member, and a diode connected in parallel with the resistance element in a direction in which a current flowing in a first direction is blocked and a current flowing in a second direction is passed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yusuke Shimizu, Kenichi Iida, Takao Kume, Keisuke Ishizumi, Toshihiko Takayama
  • Patent number: 10108110
    Abstract: An opposing surface of a partition opposing a first conveyance screw includes an arc-shaped guide portion for guiding conveyance of developer at least on an upstream side in a first conveyance direction of the first conveyance screw. The guide portion is extended from a bottom portion of a first chamber opposing the first conveyance screw and formed along an outer periphery of the first conveyance screw. As seen in a cross section orthogonal to a rotation axis of the first conveyance screw, the opposing surface of the partition within a predetermined area includes the guide portion over an angle of 30% or more of the predetermined area in a direction of rotation of the first conveyance screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuya Hori, Dai Kanai
  • Patent number: 10061219
    Abstract: An electrostatic charge image developing white toner according to the present invention includes toner base particles including rutile type titanium oxide particles as colorant and a binder resin. The rutile type titanium oxide particles are composed of two groups Ga and Gb of rutile type titanium oxide particles have different volume particle size distribution. A volume particle size distribution curve of the rutile type titanium oxide particles represents diameter on a horizontal axis and volume ratio on a vertical axis and has two main peaks. Diameters Da and Db of peak top positions of the two main peaks are respectively within a range of 100 to 500 nm, and satisfy following Relational expressions: (Relational expression 1):??25 nm?Db?Da?200 nm (Relational expression 2):??(mass of Ga):(mass of Gb)=5:95 to 30:70.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Takanari Kayamori, Masaharu Matsubara, Naoya Tonegawa, Kouji Izawa, Atsushi Iioka
  • Patent number: 9989869
    Abstract: A toner comprising a binder resin and a release agent, wherein the toner has a difference of 30 or less between a maximum value and a minimum value among peak intensities in a range of Molecular weight M±300 where Molecular weight M is a molecular weight selected from a range of from 300 through 5,000 in a molecular weight distribution of tetrahydrofuran (THF)-soluble components in the toner as measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and wherein the peak intensities are defined as relative values assuming a maximum peak value in molecular weights of 20,000 or less is 100, in a molecular weight distribution curve taking an intensity as a vertical axis and a molecular weight as a horizontal axis as measured by GPC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Inoue, Naohiro Watanabe, Ryota Inoue, Masana Shiba, Junichi Awamura, Shingo Sakashita, Tomoki Murayama, Yoshitsugu Kimura, Rintaro Takahashi, Akio Takei
  • Patent number: 9904190
    Abstract: A toner, including: a binder resin; and calcium carbonate, wherein the toner has a molecular weight distribution having a main peak in a range of 1,000 to 10,000, and a half value width of the main peak is 8,000 to 30,000, where the molecular weight distribution is obtained by GPC (gel permeation chromatography) of THF soluble matter of the toner, and wherein the toner contains the calcium carbonate in an amount of 5% by mass to 35% by mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Dan, Tohru Moriya, Tomomi Suzuki, Kohtaroh Ogino
  • Patent number: 9838123
    Abstract: Methods and systems may mitigate nonlinear noise (NLN) penalties for optical paths using spectral inversion in optical transport networks. Using a tunable dispersion compensator with an optical amplifier at each span in an optical path, the dispersion along the optical path may be modified to a normalized dispersion for each span. In this manner, the dispersion associated with NLN accumulation may be balanced by NLN compensation to reduce overall NLN levels for the optical path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Inwoong Kim, Olga Vassilieva, Paparao Palacharla, Tadashi Ikeuchi
  • Patent number: 9785069
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing unit that contains an electrostatic charge image developer and develops an electrostatic charge image formed on the surface of an image holding member as a toner image by using the developer, wherein the developer contains a carrier and an electrostatic charge image developing toner that includes a toner particle and an external additive, the toner particles have an average circularity of from 0.98 to 1.00 and a number-particle diameter distribution index (lower GSD) on a small diameter side of 1.22 or more and contain at least a vinyl resin, and the external additive contains silica particles having a compression aggregation degree of 60% to 95% and a particle compression ratio of 0.20 to 0.40.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Iida, Hiroyoshi Okuno, Satoshi Inoue, Tomohito Nakajima, Yuka Zenitani, Yoshifumi Eri, Takeshi Iwanaga, Sakae Takeuchi, Shunsuke Nozaki, Yasuo Kadokura, Yasuhisa Morooka
  • Patent number: 9778596
    Abstract: A system with a container including a protrusion, and a receiver to receive the container. The receiver includes a slide block that is movable relative to a body of the receiver, the slide block including two surfaces, a first surface, initially contacted by the protrusion of the container during insertion of the container into the receiver, having a first slope to resist movement of the container towards the receiver, and a second surface, subsequently contacted by the protrusion of the container during the insertion of the container into the receiver, having a second slope to interact with the protrusion of the container to assist movement of the container towards the receiver. This construction provides the user with a changing insertion force to indicate proper mounting of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuo Takami, Noriyuki Kimura, Eisuke Hori, Hideki Kimura, Kenji Kikuchi, Yuji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9690220
    Abstract: A polyester resin for toner includes a repeating unit that is derived from a diol represented by the following formula (1), and a repeating unit that is derived from a dicarboxylic acid not having a double carbon-carbon bond: wherein R1 and R2 each independently represents hydrogen or a methyl group, L1 represents a divalent linking group selected from the group consisting of an ether group, a chain alkylene group, a cyclic alkylene group, and combinations thereof, L2 and L3 each independently represent a divalent linking group selected from the group consisting of a carbonyl group, an ester group, an ether group, a sulfonyl group, a chain alkylene group, a cyclic alkylene group, an arylene group, and combinations thereof, L1 and L2, or L1 and L3 may form a ring, and A1 and A2 each independently represent a rosin ester group derived from a hydrogenated rosin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sumiaki Yamasaki, Shiori Chonan
  • Patent number: 9671709
    Abstract: A chemically prepared toner composition according to one example embodiment includes a core including a first polymer binder, a second polymer binder, a colorant and a release agent; a shell that is formed around the core and includes a third polymer binder; and a borax coupling agent between the core and the shell. The first and third polymer binders are different amorphous polyester resins. The second polymer binder is a crystalline polyester resin and acts as a plasticizing agent in the core. The borax coupling agent assists in adhering the shell to the outer surface of the core. Optionally, the toner of the present invention may be finished with a set of extra particulate additives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Jing Sun, Kasturi Rangan Srinivasan, John Joseph Kraseski, Trent Duane Peter, Walter Mychajlowski, Tao Yu
  • Patent number: 9639012
    Abstract: An aromatic printed object of an embodiment comprises a film-like substrate and a printing section having a perfume microcapsule-containing toner. A pair of film-like substrates that face each other across the printing section is pressed, and fragrance diverges by peeling off the pressed part of the film-like substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Maiko Yoshida, Taishi Takano, Takashi Urabe, Junichi Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 9632459
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer carrying member for carrying a two component developer, a first feeding member rotatably provided in a first chamber, and a second feeding member rotatably provided in a second chamber. The second feeding member includes a first spiral portion, a second spiral portion provided downstream of the first spiral portion, a disk portion provided downstream of the second spiral portion, and a shaft portion provided downstream of the second spiral portion. A stepped portion is provided in the second chamber at a position downstream of the disk portion and upstream of a discharge opening and has a height high enough to oppose a lateral surface of the disk portion. In addition, a projected portion projects from a part of the disk portion that opposes the stepped portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Go Katsumata
  • Patent number: 9575428
    Abstract: An electrostatic-image developing toner contains toner particles. The toner particles contain a binder resin, a release agent, and a styrene-(meth)acrylic resin. The binder resin contains a polyester resin. About 70% or more of all release agent is present within about 800 nm from surfaces of the toner particles. The styrene-(meth)acrylic resin is present in an amount of about 5 to about 25 atomic percent of the resin components in the surfaces of the toner particles as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Narumasa Sato, Kotaro Yoshihara, Daisuke Ishizuka, Asafumi Fujita, Erina Saito, Yuka Kawamoto, Noriyuki Mizutani
  • Patent number: 9575427
    Abstract: A toner includes a crystalline polyester resin in an amount equal to or greater than 25% by mass. The toner satisfies the following formula when the toner is tested using a capillary rheometry measurement during which a pellet of the toner is pressed by a member while being heated: 0.3?(first temperature?second temperature)/(second temperature?third temperature)?1, where the first temperature is a temperature at which the member falls 4 mm, the second temperature is a temperature at which the member falls 2 mm, and the third temperature is a temperature at which the member starts to fall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Urabe, Taishi Takano, Satoshi Araki, Junichi Ishikawa, Maiko Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9563142
    Abstract: A toner having good development durability, storage stability, environmental stability, and low-temperature fixability is provided. The toner contains toner particles each including a surface layer that contains an organic silicon polymer. The organic silicon polymer contains a specific unit. In a chart obtained by 29Si-NMR measurement of THF insoluble components of the toner particles, the ratio of a peak area attributable to a specific structure to the total peak area of the organic silicon polymer is 0.40 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Abe, Naoya Isono, Taiji Katsura, Yuhei Terui, Katsuyuki Nonaka
  • Patent number: 9557676
    Abstract: An electrostatic charge image developing carrier includes magnetic particles, wherein the magnetic particles have an unevenness average Sm of a surface, an arithmetic surface roughness Ra of a surface, a BET specific surface area A, and a volume average particle diameter D50v satisfying the following expressions (1) to (4): 0.5 ?m?Sm?2.5 ?m??(1) 0.3 ?m?Ra?1.2 ?m??(2) 0.14 m2/g?A?0.20 m2/g??(3) 18 ?m?D50v?32 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yosuke Tsurumi, Shintaro Anno
  • Patent number: 9494887
    Abstract: A toner having good environmental stability, low-temperature fixability, development durability, and storage stability is provided. A toner includes toner particles each including a surface layer that contains an organic silicon polymer. The organic silicon polymer is obtained by polymerizing a compound having a specific structure. The surface layers have a particular average thickness Dav. In mapping by focused-ion-beam time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy, a ratio of silicon ions to carbon ions released from the toner particles upon irradiation of toner particle surfaces with primary ions is a particular value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Abe, Yuhei Terui, Taiji Katsura, Naoya Isono, Katsuyuki Nonaka
  • Patent number: 9482993
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming portion; a transfer member; a fixing portion; and a cleaning member. The image forming apparatus includes a first toner container containing a first formulation toner rich in hydrocarbon wax and a second toner container containing a second formulation toner rich in ester wax. The image forming apparatus is capable of executing an image forming operation and an operation in a toner supplying mode for supplying the toner or the toners to an intermediary transfer member when the image forming operation is not performed. The image forming apparatus is capable of executing the operation in the toner supplying mode in which only the first formulation toner is used or a mixture of the first formulation toner and the second formulation toner is used so that the first formulation toner is used in a larger amount than the second formulation toner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasutaka Yagi
  • Patent number: 9475235
    Abstract: A transparent conductive film includes a transparent film substrate; and a first and second crystalline transparent conductive laminate, wherein the second crystalline layer is located between the transparent film substrate and the first transparent conductive layer, and a second content of the tetravalent metal element oxide of the second transparent conductive layer is higher than a first content of the tetravalent metal element oxide of the second transparent conductive layer. The transparent conductive film allows a reduction in crystallization time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Motoki Haishi, Tomotake Nashiki, Tomonori Noguchi, Yoshifumi Asahara
  • Patent number: 9448508
    Abstract: A development device includes a developer container, a developer bearing member, a mixing/transporting member, an opening/closing member, and a drive mechanism. The developer container contains a developer. The developer bearing member is rotatably supported by the developer container. The developer bearing member also has a surface facing an image bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed. The developer is borne on the surface of the developer bearing member. The mixing/transporting member mixes and transports the developer in the developer container. The opening/closing member opens and closes a developer outlet for discharging an excess of the developer in the developer container. The drive mechanism drives the opening/closing member in association with driving of the developer bearing member or the mixing/transporting member to open the developer outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Naoki Yamane, Lin Lu
  • Patent number: 9377712
    Abstract: A toner storage device includes a toner storage case that stores toner, and a stirring paddle rotatably supported in the toner storage case and includes at least one stirring blade that stirs the toner stored in the toner storage case, and a rotating shaft that rotates the at least one stirring blade, wherein the toner storage case includes a first supporting portion that rotatably supports an end of the rotating shaft of the stirring paddle, a second supporting portion that rotatably supports an other end of the rotating shaft, and a tapered portion that is tapered toward the first supporting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Okuda
  • Patent number: 9285696
    Abstract: An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes an unsaturated polyester resin that contains a structural unit derived from a dicarboxylic acid component having an ethylenically unsaturated bond and a structural unit derived from a dialcohol component having a rosin ester group, wherein a surface layer portion of the toner contains a crosslinked material of the unsaturated polyester resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Shinya, Shinpei Takagi, Soichiro Kitagawa, Kiyohiro Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 9244377
    Abstract: A developer roller is spaced apart by a developing gap from a photosensitive medium and supplies toner to an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive medium to develop the electrostatic latent image. The developer roller includes a core and at least one material layer formed on an outer circumference of the core. A ten-point average roughness of an outermost layer in the material layer is 5-15% of the developing gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Katsuhiro Shukuri
  • Patent number: 9128397
    Abstract: A resin for use in toner is provided. The resin comprises an oligomer segment and a soft segment. The oligomer segment comprises a polyhydroxycarboxylic skeleton and an aromatic diol skeleton.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukiko Nakajima, Masahide Yamada, Taichi Nemoto, Yoshihiro Moriya, Yoshitaka Yamauchi, Keiji Makabe, Daiki Yamashita, Akiyoshi Sabu
  • Patent number: 9128411
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developing chamber provided with a developing roller that conveys toner to a developing area, and a toner regulating member that is in contact with a surface of the developing roller; and a toner container that contains the toner. An opening that allows the developing chamber and the toner container to communicate with each other is closed by a seal member that prevents the toner in the toner container from flowing into the developing chamber, and the seal member is removable from the opening. Spherical resin particles are provided at least in a contact portion between the developing roller and the toner regulating member. A Martens hardness of the spherical resin particles is 0.5 N/mm2 or higher and 45 N/mm2 or lower, and a restoring elastic power of the spherical resin particles is 70% or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Minoru Nakamura, Takuya Kitamura, Kouki Yano, Yuji Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 9037049
    Abstract: A developing device includes a transporting unit that rotates while being opposed to an image holding member and that transports a developer toward the image holding member to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image holding member, a supplying unit that has the developer adhered onto a circumferential surface thereof being rotated and that supplies the developer to the transporting unit in contact with the transporting unit, and a replenishing unit that includes a transporting path connected between a containing chamber and supplying chamber, that keeps the developer, with which the supplying unit is replenished, remaining, and that replenishes the supplying unit with the developer, wherein the replenishing unit is provided with an opening on a developing chamber side of the transporting path facing the supplying unit, and includes a downstream side counter member, and wherein the downstream side counter member has a regulating surface with a gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Munenobu Okubo
  • Patent number: 9023565
    Abstract: A developer includes a toner containing at least a binder resin, wherein the toner has a molecular weight distribution Mz/Mw of 2.0 or smaller and a phase angle of viscoelasticity of 65° or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 9005857
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a thermochromic color-memory toner containing: a microcapsule pigment encapsulating a thermochromic color-memory composition; and a binder resin, in which the microcapsule pigment shows a hysteresis characteristic that, in a temperature-rise process, decoloration starts when the temperature reaches t3 and the pigment completely reaches a decolored state in a temperature region of t4 or higher, and in a temperature-drop process, coloration starts when the temperature reaches t2 and the pigment completely reaches a colored state in a temperature region of ti or lower, and ti is in a range of from ?50 to 0° C. and t4 is in a range of from 50 to 150° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: The Pilot Ink Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Fujita, Yoshiaki Ono, Yutaka Shibahashi
  • Patent number: 8999617
    Abstract: An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes toner particles and silica particles that have a titanium content of from 0.001% by weight to 10% by weight in a surface layer, an average particle diameter of from 30 nm to 500 nm, and a particle size distribution index of from 1.1 to 1.5, and are surface-treated with a titanium compound in which an organic group is bonded to a titanium atom via an oxygen atom, and a hydrophobizing agent in sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Iida, Takeshi Iwanaga, Yuka Zenitani, Yasunobu Kashima, Chika Hama
  • Publication number: 20150086916
    Abstract: Toner compositions that having spherical particles and provide stable density. The toner compositions also comprise and deliver a silicone oil to the cleaning subsystem in the image forming apparatus by incorporating an inorganic fine powder additive package that has been mixed with silicone oil in a manner such that the toner is blended with the inorganic fine powder and silicone oil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: JUAN A. MORALES-TIRADO, Mark E. Mang, Michael F. Zona, Samir Kumar, Susan J. LaFica
  • Publication number: 20150079513
    Abstract: A toner for electrostatic image development is configured such that: a binder resin is polyester resin; a release agent dispersing aid is styrene acrylic copolymer resin having at least one of an ?-methylstyrene structure and a styrene structure, and is contained in an amount of 5.5 parts by weight to 12 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the polyester resin; and the styrene acrylic copolymer resin has an acid value of 3 KOHmg/g to 9 KOHmg/g, and the toner for electrostatic image development has an acid value of 14 KOHmg/g to 19 KOHmg/g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Shintaro Fukuoka, Tadayuki Sawai, Yoritaka Tsubaki, Keiichi Kikawa, Keigo Mitamura, Yui Kawano