Patents by Inventor Shinya Obara

Shinya Obara 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: 20180267416
    Abstract: A toner for developing electrostatic images, including toner particles containing an external additive on surfaces of toner matrix particles. The external additive contains at least a lanthanum-containing titanate compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Satoshi UCHINO, Shinya OBARA, Futoshi KADONOME
  • Publication number: 20180143557
    Abstract: The disclosure concerns an electrostatic latent image developer including: a toner having toner base particles and an external additive; and a carrier, wherein the external additive contains silicone oil-treated silica and titanium oxide, Net intensity of titanium (Ti) in the toner to be measured by X-ray fluorescence analysis is 0.5 to 5 kcps, the carrier has a resin coating layer coating core material particles, and the resin coating layer has a constituent unit formed from an alicyclic (meth)acrylic acid ester.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Inventors: Junya UEDA, Satoshi UCHINO, Shinya OBARA, Takuya TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20180120721
    Abstract: An electrostatically charged image developing toner includes a particulate toner matrix containing an external additive on the surface of the particulate toner matrix. The external additive includes silica particles A and silica particles B. The silica particles A have a number average primary-particle diameter in the range of 40 to 100 nm and an average circularity in the range of 0.50 to 0.90, and are surface-modified with silicone oil. The silica particles B have a number average primary-particle diameter of 25 nm or more and smaller than the number average primary-particle diameter of the silica particles A, and are surface-modified with alkylalkoxysilane having a specific structure or silazane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventors: Shinya Obara, Satoshi Uchino, Junya Ueda, Takuya Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20180074421
    Abstract: An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes toner particles including a particulate toner matrix and an external additive adhering to a surface of the particulate toner matrix. The particulate toner matrix includes a crystalline polyester resin. The external additive includes silica particles. The silica particles are secondary particles including primary particles having a diameter in the range of 30 to 90 nm. The secondary particles have an average circularity in the range of 0.25 to 0.50. The secondary particles have an average aspect ratio of 3.0 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Satoshi UCHINO, Shinya Obara, Junya Ueda, Takuya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9915884
    Abstract: The toner of the present invention contains: a toner base particle, and a silica particle and a fatty acid metal salt particle adhering to a surface of the toner base particle. The toner base particle contains a crystalline polyester resin and an amorphous polyester resin. The toner particle has an average circularity of 0.945 to 0.965. The silica particle has a volume average particle size of 70 to 300 nm, and has an average circularity of 0.5 to 0.9. The fatty acid metal salt particle has a median diameter based on a volume of 0.50 to 2.00 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Satoshi Uchino, Shinya Obara, Futoshi Kadonome, Noriyuki Kimpara, Ikuko Sakurada, Takuya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9904194
    Abstract: An electrostatic latent image developing toner of the present invention includes toner base particles and particles containing a fatty acid metal salt. The toner base particles contain a crystalline resin containing a segment of a first resin and a segment of a second resin chemically bonded to each other and an amorphous resin containing at least the second resin. The crystalline resin is a hybrid crystalline polyester resin. The first resin is a crystalline polyester resin. The second resin is an amorphous resin. The volume-based median diameter (Da) of the toner base particles and the volume-based median diameter (Db) of the particles containing the fatty acid metal salt satisfy the relations represented by Expressions (1) and (2) below: 0.5 ?m?Db?2.0 ?m??Expression (1) 0.1 Db/Da?0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kimpara, Satoshi Uchino, Shinya Obara, Futoshi Kadonome, Ikuko Sakurada, Takuya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9823596
    Abstract: Provided is an electrostatic image developing toner including a toner mother particle containing a colorant and a binder resin comprising a crystalline resin and an amorphous resin; and an external additive. The external additive includes an inorganic fine particle having a number average major axis in a range of 50 to 100 nm, an average aspect ratio in a range of 3 to 10, and a volume resistivity in a range of 1×1010 to 1×1012 ?·cm in primary particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Futoshi Kadonome, Satoshi Uchino, Shinya Obara, Noriyuki Kimpara, Ikuko Sakurada, Takuya Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20170123332
    Abstract: The toner of the present invention contains: a toner base particle, and a silica particle and a fatty acid metal salt particle adhering to a surface of the toner base particle. The toner base particle contains a crystalline polyester resin and an amorphous polyester resin. The toner particle has an average circularity of 0.945 to 0.965. The silica particle has a volume average particle size of 70 to 300 nm, and has an average circularity of 0.5 to 0.9. The fatty acid metal salt particle has a median diameter based on a volume of 0.50 to 2.00 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Satoshi UCHINO, Shinya OBARA, Futoshi KADONOME, Noriyuki KIMPARA, Ikuko SAKURADA, Takuya TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20170123334
    Abstract: An electrostatic latent image developing toner of the present invention includes toner base particles and particles containing a fatty acid metal salt. The toner base particles contain a crystalline resin containing a segment of a first resin and a segment of a second resin chemically bonded to each other and an amorphous resin containing at least the second resin. The crystalline resin is a hybrid crystalline polyester resin. The first resin is a crystalline polyester resin. The second resin is an amorphous resin. The volume-based median diameter (Da) of the toner base particles and the volume-based median diameter (Db) of the particles containing the fatty acid metal salt satisfy the relations represented by Expressions (1) and (2) below: 0.5 ?m?Db?2.0 ?m??Expression (1) 0.1 Db/Da?0.5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Noriyuki KIMPARA, Satoshi UCHINO, Shinya OBARA, Futoshi KADONOME, Ikuko SAKURADA, Takuya TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20170090324
    Abstract: Provided is an electrostatic image developing toner including a toner mother particle containing a colorant and a binder resin comprising a crystalline resin and an amorphous resin; and an external additive. The external additive includes an inorganic fine particle having a number average major axis in a range of 50 to 100 nm, an average aspect ratio in a range of 3 to 10, and a volume resistivity in a range of 1×1010 to 1×1012 ?·cm in primary particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventors: Futoshi KADONOME, Satoshi UCHINO, Shinya OBARA, Noriyuki KIMPARA, Ikuko SAKURADA, Takuya TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 9482977
    Abstract: Disclosed is a two-component developer containing toner particles and carrier particles. The number-average particle diameter of the toner particles MDt ranges from 3.5 to 5.0 ?m. The MDt of the toner particles and the volume-average particle diameter of the carrier particles MDc are at a specific ratio, and spherical fine toner particles in the toner particles and fine carrier particles in the carrier particles exist at specific percentages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Shinya Obara, Satoshi Uchino, Kosuke Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9470992
    Abstract: An image forming method includes: charging a surface of an electrostatic latent image holder with a charging roller; exposing the charged surface so as to form an electrostatic latent image; and developing the formed electrostatic latent image with toner. The toner contains at least a toner base particle and an external additive minute particle. The external additive minute particle contains a silica-polymer composite minute particle. A silicon atom abundance ratio obtained from abundances of a carbon atom, an oxygen atom and a silicon atom present on an outermost surface and within 3 nm from the outermost surface in a depth direction of the silica-polymer composite minute particle are measured with an x-ray photoelectron spectrometer satisfies at least the following condition A. 15.0 atm %?silicon atom abundance ratio ({Si/(C+O+Si)}×100)?30.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Satoshi Uchino, Shinya Obara, Yasuko Uchino, Ikuko Sakurada
  • Publication number: 20160282742
    Abstract: Provided is a two-component developer for developing an electrostatic latent image capable of stably printing a high-quality image. Disclosed is a two-component developer for developing an electrostatic latent image which contains toner particles and carrier particles having a core particle surface coated with a coating resin, in which a volume average particle size of the toner particles, an average magnetization of the core particle per one particle in an applied magnetic field of 1 kilooersted, a volume average particle size of the carrier particles, a volume resistivity, and an area ratio of the core particles exposed on the carrier particle surface are in a specific range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: Satoshi UCHINO, Shinya OBARA, Kosuke NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20160266508
    Abstract: A two-component developer of the present invention contains toner particles and carrier particles. The number-average particle diameter of the toner particles ranges from 3.5 to 5.0 ?m. The volume-average particle diameter of the carrier particles MDc is within a specific range in accordance with the percentage of relatively large toner particles having relatively low circularity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Shinya OBARA, Satoshi UCHINO, Kosuke NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20160209770
    Abstract: A two-component developer for electrostatic latent image development includes: toner particles obtained in such a manner that an external additive is attached to a surface of toner base particles containing at least a binder resin; and carrier particles obtained in such a manner that a surface of core particles is coated with a resin for coating, wherein the toner particles have a volume-average particle size of 3 ?m or more and 5 ?m or less, the core particles have porosity of 8% or less, and the carrier particles have a volume-average particle size of 15 ?m or more and 30 ?m or less, volume resistivity of 1×108 ?·cm or more and 1×1010 ?·cm or less, a true specific gravity of 4.25 g/cm3 or more and 5 g/cm3 or less, and a shape factor SF-1 of 105 or more and 125 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventors: Kosuke NAKAMURA, Satoshi UCHINO, Shinya OBARA
  • Publication number: 20160202625
    Abstract: Disclosed is a two-component developer containing toner particles and carrier particles. The number-average particle diameter of the toner particles MDt ranges from 3.5 to 5.0 ?m. The MDt of the toner particles and the volume-average particle diameter of the carrier particles MDc are at a specific ratio, and spherical fine toner particles in the toner particles and fine carrier particles in the carrier particles exist at specific percentages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Shinya OBARA, Satoshi UCHINO, Kosuke NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20150309433
    Abstract: An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes: toner matrix particles containing a binder resin; and an external additive added to the toner matrix particles, wherein the external additive includes joined particles each including a secondary particle including a plurality of spherical primary particles joined together, the joined particles include at least particles with a secondary particle size d2 in the range of 70 nm to 400 nm, and particles with a ratio d2/d1 in the range of 1.6 to 4.2 make up at least 50% by number of the particles with a secondary particle size d2 in the range of 70 nm to 400 nm, wherein d1 is the diameter of primary particles in the joined particle, and d2 is the secondary particle size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: Ikuko SAKURADA, Satoshi Uchino, Yasuko Uchino, Shinya Obara, Futoshi Kadonome, Hiroyuki Kozuru
  • Publication number: 20150248069
    Abstract: An image forming method includes: charging a surface of an electrostatic latent image holder with a charging roller; exposing the charged surface so as to form an electrostatic latent image; and developing the formed electrostatic latent image with toner. The toner contains at least a toner base particle and an external additive minute particle. The external additive minute particle contains a silica-polymer composite minute particle. A silicon atom abundance ratio obtained from abundances of a carbon atom, an oxygen atom and a silicon atom present on an outermost surface and within 3 nm from the outermost surface in a depth direction of the silica-polymer composite minute particle are measured with an x-ray photoelectron spectrometer satisfies at least the following condition A. 15.0 atm %?silicon atom abundance ratio ({Si/(C+O+Si)}×100)?30.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Inventors: Satoshi UCHINO, Shinya Obara, Yasuko Uchino, Ikuko Sakurada
  • 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: 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