Patents by Inventor Noboru Ueda

Noboru Ueda 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).

  • Publication number: 20160370722
    Abstract: Provided is an electrostatic image developing toner having toner mother particles containing a binder resin and a releasing agent, wherein the binder resin contains an amorphous vinyl resin and a crystalline polyester resin; the releasing agent contains a first releasing agent component containing an ester wax and a second releasing agent component containing a microcrystalline wax; a content of the first releasing agent component in the releasing agent is in the range of 40 to 98 mass %; a content of the second releasing agent component in the releasing agent is in the range of 2 to 60 mass %; and a content of the crystalline polyester resin in the binder resin is in the range of 5 to 20 mass %.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: Kouji SUGAMA, Yohei OHNO, Keisuke ASANO, Noboru UEDA
  • Publication number: 20160259259
    Abstract: Provided is a means to exhibit excellent low temperature fixability and to improve all of the heat-resistant storage property of a toner, charging uniformity, and transferability under a high temperature and high humidity condition. A toner for developing electrostatic charge image which contains at least a binder resin, in which the binder resin has a core-shell structure having a core portion which contains a hybrid crystalline polyester resin formed by chemical bonds of a crystalline polyester resin unit with an amorphous resin unit other than a polyester resin and an amorphous resin and a shell portion which contains a hybrid amorphous polyester resin formed by chemical bonds of an amorphous polyester resin unit with an amorphous resin unit other than a polyester resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventors: Noboru UEDA, Shiro HIRANO
  • Patent number: 9423712
    Abstract: Disclosed is a toner for electrostatic image development having excellent low-temperature fixability and high-temperature off-set resistance, attaining good image density, and having excellent homogeneity in image density. The toner comprises toner particles containing a binder resin which contains an amorphous resin (A) and an amorphous polyester resin (B) different from the resin (A) and a colorant, wherein the toner particles have a domain-matrix structure having the resin (B) as a domain phase dispersed in a matrix phase comprising the resin (A), and in a cross-sectional image of the toner particles, the number average domain diameter of the domain phase of the resin (B) having a domain diameter of 100 nm or more is 100 to 200 nm and an area ratio of the domain phase having a domain diameter of 500 nm or more relative to the total area of the domain phase is 0 to 10%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Kouji Sugama, Hiroshi Nagasawa, Anju Hori, Junya Onishi, Noboru Ueda
  • Publication number: 20160109819
    Abstract: An electrostatic image developing toner includes toner particles that contain a binder resin and a coloring agent. The binder resin includes an amorphous resin and a crystalline polyester resin. The toner satisfies Relations (1) and (2). ?H1 is the amount of heat absorption based on a melting peak of the crystalline polyester resin in a first heating step from room temperature to 150° C. ?H2 is the amount of heat absorption based on a melting peak of the crystalline polyester resin in a second heating step from 0° C. to 150° C. ?H(theo.) is a value of fusion enthalpy calculated from a mass ratio of a structural unit derived from a linear aliphatic monomer contained in the binder resin based on a group contribution method. 0.2??H1/?H(theo.)?0.5??Relation (1): 0.1??H2/?H(theo.)?0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Hiroshi NAGASAWA, Noboru UEDA, Kouji SUGAMA, Anju HORI, Keisuke ASANO
  • Publication number: 20150227069
    Abstract: Disclosed is a toner for electrostatic image development having excellent low-temperature fixability and high-temperature off-set resistance, attaining good image density, and having excellent homogeneity in image density. The toner comprises toner particles containing a binder resin which contains an amorphous resin (A) and an amorphous polyester resin (B) different from the resin (A) and a colorant, wherein the toner particles have a domain-matrix structure having the resin (B) as a domain phase dispersed in a matrix phase comprising the resin (A), and in a cross-sectional image of the toner particles, the number average domain diameter of the domain phase of the resin (B) having a domain diameter of 100 nm or more is 100 to 200 nm and an area ratio of the domain phase having a domain diameter of 500 nm or more relative to the total area of the domain phase is 0 to 10%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Inventors: Kouji SUGAMA, Hiroshi NAGASAWA, Anju HORI, Junya ONISHI, Noboru UEDA
  • Publication number: 20150099223
    Abstract: Provided is a toner for developing electrostatic images having excellent low temperature fixability and heat resistance storability. In order to achieve at least one of the aforementioned purposes, provided is a toner for developing electrostatic images containing a first resin which is a crystalline polyester resin consisting of a dicarboxylic acid unit and a dialcohol unit (weight average molecular weight is 5000 to 100000); a second resin (weight average molecular weight is 5000 to 60000) which is a polyester resin consisting of a crystalline segment (weight average molecular weight is 200 to 3000), which consists of a dicarboxylic acid unit and a dialcohol unit, and an amorphous segment, in which a specific carbon number relationship is present between each unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: Tokyo OSHIBA, Ken OHMURA, Kaori MATSUSHIMA, Noboru UEDA, Ito KOGA, Noriyuki KIMPARA
  • Patent number: 8778586
    Abstract: A toner used for electrostatic latent image development which is excellent in fixing separability with maintaining sufficient low temperature fixability even in a high-speed machine and is also superior in crashing resistance, comprising toner particles, each comprising a core particle and a shell layer provided on the surface of the core particle, wherein the core particle comprises a binder resin containing a styrene-acrylic resin and a first styrene-acrylic modified polyester, and the shell comprises a second styrene-acrylic modified polyester resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shinya Obara, Tatsuya Nagase, Noboru Ueda, Junya Onishi, Tatsuya Fujisaki, Kenshi Miyajima
  • Patent number: 8771915
    Abstract: An image forming method is disclosed, comprising transferring and fixing steps, wherein fixing is performed by a fixing device in which at least one of a heating member and a pressing member comprises an endless belt entrained about plural rollers, and the heating member and the pressing member are pressed against each other to form a fixing nip, and wherein toner particles contains a binder resin which has a domain/matrix structure constituted of a high-elastic resin forming a domain and a low-elastic resin forming a matrix in an elastic image obtained when observing the toner particles by an atomic force microscope with respect to a section of the individual toner particles, in which an arithmetic average value of a ratio (L/W) of a major axis (L) to a minor axis (W) of individual domains is 1.5 to 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Noboru Ueda, Hiroshi Nagasawa, Anju Hori
  • Patent number: 8741523
    Abstract: A toner for developing electrostatic image comprising a toner particle containing a binding resin is disclosed. which, and In the toner the binding resin has a domain-matrix structure composed of a high elastic resin composing a domain and a low elastic resin composing a matrix, an arithmetic mean value of ratio (L/W) of the Length L to Width W of the domains is 1.5 to 5.0, domains having Length L in the range of 60 to 500 nm exist 80 number % or more, and domains having Width Win the range of 45 to 100 nm exist 80 number % or more, in a viscoelastic image of a cross section of the toner particle observed via an atomic force microscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Anju Hori, Noboru Ueda, Hiroshi Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 8685606
    Abstract: Disclosed is a toner for electrostatic image development that satisfies both low-temperature fixing ability and excellent high-temperature storage stability, achieves excellent charge property and shatter resistance, and consequently can form a high-quality image even by a high-performance machine such as a high-speed machine. The toner is composed of toner particles obtained by forming a shell layer containing a styrene-acryl-modified polyester resin on the surface of each of core particles comprising a binder resin containing at least a styrene-acrylic resin. The styrene-acryl-modified polyester resin is obtained bonding a styrene-acrylic polymer segment to a terminal of a polyester segment, and the content of the styrene-acrylic polymer segment in the styrene-acryl-modified polyester resin is 5% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Junya Onishi, Shiro Hirano, Satoshi Uchino, Noboru Ueda, Shinya Obara
  • Patent number: 8431320
    Abstract: Disclosed is a manufacturing method of toner which includes at least polyester resin and colorant, comprising the steps of: (A) dissolving, into an organic solvent, the polyester resin and ultrahigh molecular weight styrene resin in which a peak is present in a range larger than 500 thousands and smaller than 3 million in a molecular weight distribution, and preparing a binder resin solution; (B) dispersing the binder resin solution as binder resin solution droplets into an aqueous medium; (C) removing the organic solvent from the binder resin solution droplets, and preparing a resin particle dispersion; and (D) aggregating resin particles from which the organic solvent is removed and colorant particles containing the colorant with each other, and forming toner particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masaharu Matsubara, Hiroyuki Kozuru, Noboru Ueda
  • Publication number: 20130004890
    Abstract: A toner used for electrostatic latent image development which is excellent in fixing separability with maintaining sufficient low temperature fixability even in a high-speed machine and is also superior in crashing resistance, comprising toner particles, each comprising a core particle and a shell layer provided on the surface of the core particle, wherein the core particle comprises a binder resin containing a styrene-acrylic resin and a first styrene-acrylic modified polyester, and the shell comprises a second styrene-acrylic modified polyester resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shinya OBARA, Tatsuya NAGASE, Noboru UEDA, Junya ONISHI, Tatsuya FUJISAKI, Kenshi MIYAJIMA
  • Publication number: 20120264046
    Abstract: Disclosed is a toner for electrostatic image development that satisfies both low-temperature fixing ability and excellent high-temperature storage stability, achieves excellent charge property and shatter resistance, and consequently can form a high-quality image even by a high-performance machine such as a high-speed machine. The toner is composed of toner particles obtained by forming a shell layer containing a styrene-acryl-modified polyester resin on the surface of each of core particles comprising a binder resin containing at least a styrene-acrylic resin. The styrene-acryl-modified polyester resin is obtained bonding a styrene-acrylic polymer segment to a terminal of a polyester segment, and the content of the styrene-acrylic polymer segment in the styrene-acryl-modified polyester resin is 5% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Junya ONISHI, Shiro HIRANO, Satoshi UCHINO, Noboru UEDA, Shinya OBARA
  • Publication number: 20120021352
    Abstract: Disclosed is a manufacturing method of toner which includes at least polyester resin and colorant, comprising the steps of: (A) dissolving, into an organic solvent, the polyester resin and ultrahigh molecular weight styrene resin in which a peak is present in a range larger than 500 thousands and smaller than 3 million in a molecular weight distribution, and preparing a binder resin solution; (B) dispersing the binder resin solution as binder resin solution droplets into an aqueous medium; (C) removing the organic solvent from the binder resin solution droplets, and preparing a resin particle dispersion; and (D) aggregating resin particles from which the organic solvent is removed and colorant particles containing the colorant with each other, and forming toner particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Masaharu MATSUBARA, Hiroyuki KOZURU, Noboru UEDA
  • Patent number: 8080359
    Abstract: An objective is to provide an image forming method by which sufficient fixing strength can be obtained at a low temperature of 120° C., excellent print images with no belt-like or streak image defect can be obtained, and no document offsetting is generated even though the superimposed print images are stored. Disclosed is an image forming method comprising the step of fixing a toner image formed with a toner comprising a releasing agent on a transfer material employing a contact-heating fixing device comprising a heating roller and a belt-shaped pressure body, wherein the heating roller is placed on the upper side of the transfer material, the releasing agent comprises the 1st releasing agent component and the 2nd releasing agent component, and the 1st releasing agent component has a content of 40-98% by weight, based on the total weight of the 1st and 2nd releasing agent components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masaharu Matsubara, Asao Matsushima, Noboru Ueda, Go Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20110294059
    Abstract: Disclosed is a toner comprising at least a binder resin, a colorant and a polyurethane resin, wherein the polyurethane resin is a carboxy-denatured polyurethane resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kentarou MOGI, Noboru UEDA, Hiroyuki KOZURU
  • Patent number: 8057978
    Abstract: An electrophotographic toner is disclosed, meeting the requirement that G? (60)/G? (80) is from 1×102 to 1×104, where G? (60) G? (80) are each a storage modulus of the toner at 60° C. and 80° C., respectively; G? (100)/G? (130) is from 1 to 102, where G? (100) and G? (130) are each a storage modulus of the toner at 100° C. and 130° C., respectively; and G? (100-130) is from 5×102 to 1×102 dyn/cm2, where G? (100-130) is a storage modulus of the toner at a temperature of from 100 to 130° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Go Yamaguchi, Yoshiaki Kobayashi, Asao Matsushima, Noboru Ueda, Masaharu Matsubara
  • Publication number: 20110256476
    Abstract: A toner for developing electrostatic image comprising a toner particle containing a binding resin is disclosed. which, and In the toner the binding resin has a domain-matrix structure composed of a high elastic resin composing a domain and a low elastic resin composing a matrix, an arithmetic mean value of ratio (L/W) of the Length L to Width W of the domains is 1.5 to 5.0, domains having Length L in the range of 60 to 500 nm exist 80 number % or more, and domains having Width Win the range of 45 to 100 nm exist 80 number % or more, in a viscoelastic image of a cross section of the toner particle observed via an atomic force microscope.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Anju HORI, Noboru UEDA, Hiroshi NAGASAWA
  • Publication number: 20110256479
    Abstract: An image forming method is disclosed, comprising transferring and fixing steps, wherein fixing is performed by a fixing device in which at least one of a heating member and a pressing member comprises an endless belt entrained about plural rollers, and the heating member and the pressing member are pressed against each other to form a fixing nip, and wherein toner particles contains a binder resin which has a domain/matrix structure constituted of a high-elastic resin forming a domain and a low-elastic resin forming a matrix in an elastic image obtained when observing the toner particles by an atomic force microscope with respect to a section of the individual toner particles, in which an arithmetic average value of a ratio (L/W) of a major axis (L) to a minor axis (W) of individual domains is 1.5 to 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Noboru UEDA, Hiroshi NAGASAWA, Anju HORI
  • 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