Patents Examined by Rachel Zhang
  • Patent number: 8252495
    Abstract: The electrophotographic toner of the present invention comprises toner particles and inorganic fine powder externally added to the toner particles. The toner particles comprise a core particle containing at least a resin, a coloring agent and wax, a first shell layer that is formed on the surface of the core particle to prevent inorganic fine powder from being buried, and a second shell layer that is formed on the surface of the first shell layer to retain inorganic fine powder. This makes it possible to inhibit inorganic fine powder that is an external additive from being buried in a toner and prevent deterioration of developing performance, reduction in transfer efficiency, blocking of a developer and toner aggregation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hideki Ota
  • Patent number: 8247147
    Abstract: A toner including toner particles containing at least a binder resin and a colorant. The binder resin is a vinyl-based resin. The toner contains a THF insoluble matter in a quantity of 0.0 mass % or more to less than 16.0 mass %. The toner has a main peak in a molecular weight domain Dr1 ranging from 5,000 to 80,000 in measurement of THF soluble matter of the toner with a gel permeation chromatogram (GPC)-differential refractive index detector (RI), and the toner has a main peak in a molecular weight domain Dm1 ranging from 10,000 to 120,000 and at least one peak in a molecular weight domain Dm2 ranging from 300,000 to 7,000,000 in the GPC-RI measurement in measurement with a GPC-multi-angle laser light scattering detector (MALLS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Abe, Shinya Yachi, Satoshi Handa, Kazumi Yoshizaki, Emi Tosaka, Yasuhiro Hashimoto, Nobuhisa Abe, Yushi Mikuriya
  • Patent number: 8247153
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a resin microparticle for a toner raw material that has a small particle diameter and a narrow particle diameter distribution and has a low odor. There are provided a resin microparticle for a toner raw material characterized in that all of the following requirements (i) to (iii) are satisfied: Requirement (i): A particle diameter of 50% volume (D50) satisfies the relationship 0.05 ?m?D50?1 ?m; Requirement (ii): A particle diameter of 10% volume (D10) and a particle diameter of 90% volume (D90) satisfy the relationship D90/D10?7; and Requirement (iii): The content of an organic solvent is not more than 70 ppm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Matsuoka, Ichirou Sasaki, Toshimitsu Narutaki, Masaru Wakizaka, Hiroyuki Takei
  • Patent number: 8216751
    Abstract: The presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to layers that are useful in imaging apparatus members and components, for use in electrophotographic, including digital, apparatuses. Embodiments pertain to an improved flexible electrophotographic imaging member that does not require an anticurl back-coating layer to prevent curling. The charge transport layer of the disclosed embodiments comprises a class of hole transporting plasticizers which act to counteract curling as well as impart good electrical performance to the imaging member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Yuhua Tong
  • Patent number: 8211603
    Abstract: An electrophotographic imaging member includes a substrate, a photogenerating layer, and an optional overcoating layer, where the photogenerating layer includes a chemically functionalized carbon nanotube material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy P. Bender, James D. Mayo
  • Patent number: 8192909
    Abstract: The present invention provides a porous toner. The porous toner has a porosity of greater that 20 percent. The toner can include vinyl polymers, copolymers of styrene monomers and polyesters. In addition a method of manufacture of the toner particles is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Xin Jin, Jason Morgan, Charles T. Havens
  • Patent number: 8192907
    Abstract: A toner including toner particles containing at least a binder resin and a colorant. The binder resin is a vinyl-based resin. The toner contains a THF insoluble matter in a quantity of 0.0 mass % or more to less than 16.0 mass %. The toner has a main peak in a molecular weight domain Dr1 ranging from 5,000 to 80,000 in measurement of THF soluble matter of the toner with a gel permeation chromatogram (GPC)-differential refractive index detector (RI), and the toner has a main peak in a molecular weight domain Dm1 ranging from 10,000 to 120,000 and at least one peak in a molecular weight domain Dm2 ranging from 300,000 to 7,000,000 in the GPC-RI measurement in measurement with a GPC-multi-angle laser light scattering detector (MALLS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Abe, Shinya Yachi, Satoshi Handa, Kazumi Yoshizaki, Emi Tosaka, Yasuhiro Hashimoto, Nobuhisa Abe, Yushi Mikuriya
  • Patent number: 8158313
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus configured (a) to charge uniformly an image bearing member once, (b) to form a latent image including n levels of electric potential on the image bearing member with a single exposure, (c) to adhere a first toner on a portion of the image bearing member which has the lowest electric potential, (d) to decrease the electric potential of a portion of the image bearing member not developed with the first toner by uniformly exposing light at a first wavelength whose transmission factor is lowest for the first toner, (e) to develop using a second toner a portion of the image bearing member which has the second lowest electric potential, (f) to perform a second uniform exposure at a wavelength whose transmission factor is lowest for both the first toner and the second toner, (g) to develop using a third toner a portion of the image bearing member which has the third lowest electric potential, (h) to perform a third uniform exposure at a wavelength whose transmission factor is lowest for ea
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeo Tsukamoto, Katsuo Sakai, Tomoko Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8092971
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a resin-coated ferrite carrier comprising a carrier core material having a small particle size, a high sphericity and surface uniformity, and a low standard deviation, a process for producing the carrier, and an electrophotographic developer comprising the resin-coated ferrite carrier and having a high image quality and excellent durability. For achieving the above object, there is provided a resin-coated carrier for an electrophotographic developer characterized by comprising spherical ferrite particles having an average particle size of 20 to 50 ?m, a surface uniformity of 90% or more, an average sphericity of 1 to 1.3 and a sphericity standard deviation of 0.15 or less, a process for producing the carrier, and an electrophotographic developer comprising the resin-coated carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Powdertech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kanao Kayamoto, Hironori Hojo, Toshio Honjo
  • Patent number: 8080360
    Abstract: A method of making toner particles, includes: mixing a latex emulsion, a colorant emulsion, an optional was emulsion, and optional additives in a first reactor to form a slurry; discharging the slurry from the first reactor to a second reactor through a homogenizer; heating the slurry in the second reactor to form aggregated particles in said slurry; discharging the aggregated particles and slurry from the second reactor to a third reactor; heating the aggregated particles and slurry in the third reactor to coalesce the aggregated particles into toner particles; discharging the toner particles and slurry from the third reactor to a fourth reactor; cooling the toner particles; optionally classifying said toner particles to remove coarse particles; and optionally washing and drying said toner particles, wherein the first reactor, second reactor, third reactor, and fourth reactor are at least two different reactors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Vincenzo G Marcello, Steven M Malachowski, Tie Hwee Ng, Chieh-Min Cheng
  • Patent number: 8076051
    Abstract: A method for preparing a particulate image forming material such as toner, which includes providing a particulate material including a chain transfer agent; and contacting the particulate material with at least one of a supercritical fluid and a sub-critical fluid under pressure to remove the chain transfer agent from the particulate material. A toner prepared by the method. A toner container containing the toner. A developer including the toner. An image forming method including preparing an electrostatic latent image and developing the latent image with the developer. An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member configured to bear an electrostatic latent image, a developing device configured to develop the electrostatic latent image with the developer to form a toner image on the surface of the image bearing member, a transfer device, a fixing device, and a cleaner configured to clean the image bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Takuya Saito, Chiaki Tanaka, Masayuki Ishii, Naohiro Watanabe, Kei Naitoh
  • Patent number: 8067136
    Abstract: To provide: a charge control agent having negative chargeability, which contributes to environmental conservation and the like to an increased degree, has high performance (high charge amount, quick rise-up of charge, excellent stability with time, and high environmental stability), and has improved dispersibility; a toner for developing an electrostatic charge image containing the charge control agent; and an image forming method and an image forming apparatus each using the toner for developing an electrostatic charge image. A charge control agent for controlling a charged state of powder, characterized by including one or more units each represented by the following chemical formula (1) in a molecule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Yano, Takashi Kenmoku, Tatsuki Fukui, Ako Kusakari, Chieko Mihara
  • Patent number: 8062822
    Abstract: An electrostatic latent image developing carrier is provided which comprises a core particle and a resin coating layer containing conductive particles dispersed therein, the carrier having a volume average particle diameter of 25 to 60 ?m and an average degree of circularity of 0.975 or more, wherein the core particle has a BET specific surface area of 0.1 to 0.3 m2/g and an internal void ratio of 10% or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Inoue, Masahiro Takagi, Koutarou Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 8053073
    Abstract: A process for producing resin-coated metal particles includes coating surfaces of metal particles with silica; allowing a polymerizable group to adsorb onto the surfaces of the silica-coated particles by the use of a silane coupling agent; and coating the surfaces of the silica-coated particles with a polymeric resin by mixing the particles to which the polymerizable groups have been adsorbed, a polymerizable monomer, a polymerization initiator, and a dispersant to polymerize the polymerizable monomer and the polymerizable groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoko Ueda, Ichiro Nakamura, Kiyoyasu Sakurada
  • Patent number: 8034523
    Abstract: A full color toner containing a binder resin, a release agent and a colorant is provided, wherein the binder resin contains a polyester resin containing a hybrid resin containing one or more vinyl group polymer units and one or more polyester units, and wherein the content A of the hybrid resin and the content B of the release agent satisfy the following relationship: B/2?A?3B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kumi Hasegawa, Mitsuo Aoki, Minoru Masuda, Hyo Shu
  • Patent number: 8029956
    Abstract: An electrophotographic imaging member includes a substrate, a charge generating layer, a charge transport layer, and an overcoating layer, the overcoating layer being a cured film formed from a film forming resin composition including at least a melamine compound, a polyol, and a charge transport compound, where the charge transport compound is represented by: QL-OH]n. where Q represents a charge transport component, L represents a divalent linkage group, and represents a number of repeating segments or groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Yu Qi, Hany Aziz, Nan-Xing Hu, Ah-Mee Hor, Kenny-Tuan Dinh, John F Yanus
  • Patent number: 8029957
    Abstract: An electrophotographic imaging member includes a substrate, a charge generating layer, a charge transport layer, and an overcoating layer, the overcoating layer being a cured film formed from a composition including at least a hydroxyl group-containing polymer or oligomer, a benzoguanamine compound containing at least one —CH2OR group, wherein each such R is independently an H atom or an alkyl group having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, and a charge transport compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Nan-Xing Hu, Kathy L. De Jong, Hany Aziz