Patents by Inventor Taiji Katsura

Taiji Katsura has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11960242
    Abstract: The present invention provides a toner that can maintain excellent transferability even when a transfer bias is low. The toner includes a toner particle that includes a toner base particle and a plurality of convex portions X existing on a surface of the toner base particle, wherein the convex portion X contains an organic silicon polymer; when a cross-section of the toner is observed with a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), and the convex portions X comprise a plurality of convex portions Y each having a convex height H of 40 nm or higher, a number ratio P (H/w) of the a number of the convex portions Y2 in which a ratio (H/w) of the convex height H to the convex width w is 0.33 or larger and 0.80 or smaller is 70% by number or more with respect to a total number of the convex portions Y.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kentaro Yamawaki, Sara Yoshida, Yusuke Kosaki, Taiji Katsura, Hidekazu Fumita, Toshiya Kaino
  • Publication number: 20240111227
    Abstract: A developing device comprising a developing roller in which a vicinity of an outer surface of a surface layer is hardened, a toner supply roller, and a toner, wherein the developing roller has fine particles comprising an organosilicon compound and having a substantially hemispherical shape on the outer surface, a particle diameter of the fine particles is within a specific range, and the toner comprises silica particles as an external additive and a adhesion rate of the silica particles is 50% or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: RYO SUGIYAMA, TAIJI KATSURA
  • Patent number: 11841681
    Abstract: A toner comprising a toner particle and an external additive, wherein the external additive comprises a composite particle comprising an organosilicon polymer fine particle covering a surface of an alumina particle, a coverage ratio of the surface of the alumina particle with the organosilicon polymer fine particle is 1 to 50 area %, and given A (nm) as a number-average particle diameter of primary particles of the organosilicon polymer fine particle and B (nm) as a number-average particle diameter of primary particles of the alumina particle, following formulae (I) and (II) are satisfied: A?90??(I) 100?B?1000??(II).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taiji Katsura, Hidekazu Fumita, Kentaro Yamawaki, Sara Yoshida, Yusuke Kosaki, Takayoshi Ootsuka
  • Publication number: 20230333494
    Abstract: The process cartridge is a process cartridge to be removably mounted onto a main body of an electrophotographic apparatus, the process cartridge including: an electrophotographic photosensitive member; a toner; and a developing member, wherein the electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a surface layer that is a polymerized film of a composition containing at least one kind of monofunctional (meth)acrylic compound selected from the group consisting of: a monofunctional (meth)acrylic monomer; and a monofunctional (meth)acrylic oligomer, and at least one kind of tri- or higher functional (meth)acrylic compound selected from the group consisting of: a tri- or higher functional (meth)acrylic monomer; and a tri- or higher functional (meth)acrylic oligomer, wherein the toner contains a toner particle and a hydrotalcite particle as an external additive, and wherein the hydrotalcite particle contains fluorine in filter fitting analysis of STEM-EDS analysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: KANAME WATARIGUCHI, CHIHARU NAKAZONO, HIDEHARU SHIMOZAWA, TSUTOMU NISHIDA, ATSUSHI OKUDA, TAIJI KATSURA
  • Publication number: 20230288826
    Abstract: Provided is a process cartridge removably mountable onto a main body of an electrophotographic apparatus, the process cartridge comprising an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a toner, and a developing member configured to supply the toner to the electrophotographic photosensitive member, wherein, in filter fitting analysis in STEM-EDS analysis, a hydrotalcite particle comprises fluorine, and wherein, when a number-average primary particle diameter of a particle A is represented by “m” [nm], a content ratio of the particle A with respect to the surface layer is represented by “p” [vol %], and a number-average primary particle diameter of the hydrotalcite particle is represented by “h” [nm], the “m”, the “p”, and the “h” satisfy the following expressions, respectively: 5?m?300??Expression (1); 5?p?40??Expression (2); and 60?h?1,000??Expression (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: CHIHARU NAKAZONO, KANAME WATARIGUCHI, HIDEHARU SHIMOZAWA, TSUTOMU NISHIDA, ATSUSHI OKUDA, TAIJI KATSURA, YUICHI KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230288867
    Abstract: A process cartridge detachably attachable to a main body of an electrophotographic apparatus, the process cartridge including an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a toner, and a developing member that feeds the toner to the electrophotographic photosensitive member, wherein the electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a surface layer containing a (meth)acrylic resin having a urethane structure, the toner includes a toner particle and a hydrotalcite particle as an external additive, and the hydrotalcite particle contains fluorine in filter fitting analysis in STEM-EDS analysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: HIDEHARU SHIMOZAWA, KANAME WATARIGUCHI, CHIHARU NAKAZONO, TSUTOMU NISHIDA, ATSUSHI OKUDA, TAIJI KATSURA, YUICHI KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230273536
    Abstract: The subject toner includes a toner particle containing a binding resin and an inorganic oxide particle, wherein the inorganic oxide particle is a particle of an oxide containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of: Si; Mg; Al; Ti; and Sr, wherein, when an area of the inorganic oxide particle is represented by Sm and a sectional area of the toner is represented by St in a cross-section of the toner observed with a transmission electron microscope, Sm/St is 4.0% or more, wherein an area Sm of the inorganic oxide particle that occupies each of four regions obtained by dividing the cross-section of the toner by a long diameter of the toner and a perpendicular bisector of the long diameter has a standard deviation of 0.40 or more in the observed cross-section, and wherein the toner has an average circularity of 0.950 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: SHINTARO KAWAGUCHI, MASATAKE TANAKA, TAIJI KATSURA, DAI NOZAKI
  • Publication number: 20230273542
    Abstract: A toner set capable of eliminating unclearness in a color boundary of an image in which a color image and a black image are printed side by side. The toner set includes at least: a black toner for forming a black image; and a color toner for forming a color toner image. The black toner is a toner comprising a black toner particle containing a black colorant formed of carbon black or iron oxide, a binder resin, and a releasing agent, and an external additive. The color toner is a toner comprising a color toner particle containing a color organic colorant, a binder resin, and a releasing agent. A ratio in surface roughness (Sa) between the toners is 1.30? surface roughness Sa(C) of color toner/surface roughness Sa(Bk) of black toner ?4.00. The surface roughness Sa(C) of the color toner is 10 nm to 30 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: DAI NOZAKI, MASATAKE TANAKA, TAIJI KATSURA, SHINTARO KAWAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230273543
    Abstract: A toner comprising: a toner particle comprising a binder resin; and an external additive at the surface of the toner particle, wherein, in a wettability test of the toner in a mixed methanol/water solvent, the methanol concentration at which the transmittance of light having a wavelength of 780 nm is 50% is 5 to 35 vol %, the external additive comprises a fluorine-containing particle, and the fluorine-containing particle is at least one selected from the group consisting of a fluorine-containing titania particle, a fluorine-containing silica particle, a fluorine-containing alumina particle, a fluorine-containing titanium composite oxide particle and a fluorine-containing hydrotalcite particle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: MASATAKE TANAKA, SHINTARO KAWAGUCHI, TAIJI KATSURA, DAI NOZAKI
  • Publication number: 20230273539
    Abstract: A toner comprising a toner particle and an external additive, wherein the toner particle comprises a core comprising a resin A and a shell comprising a resin B on the surface of the core, the external additive comprises a hydrotalcite particle A, fluorine and aluminum are present in an inner part of the hydrotalcite particle A in line analysis in STEM-EDS mapping analysis of the toner, and a concentration ratio of the number of fluorine atoms relative to aluminum atoms (F/Al) in the hydrotalcite particle A, as determined by primary component mapping of the hydrotalcite particle A in the STEM-EDS mapping analysis of the toner, is 0.01 to 0.60.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: TAIJI KATSURA, MASATAKE TANAKA, DAI NOZAKI, SHINTARO KAWAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230273541
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a toner excellent in low-temperature fixability and excellent in durability under harsh environments of high-temperature and high-humidity, and a method for producing the toner. The toner can contain: a toner particle containing a binder resin, wax, and an inorganic oxide particle; and an external additive, wherein the inorganic oxide particle contains, as a main component, an oxide of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Si, Mg, Al, Ti, and Sr; when a thin piece obtained by cutting the toner with a microtome is observed with a transmission electron microscope (TEM), the major axis A of the inorganic oxide particle is 0.10 to 3.00 ?m; and in a wettability test of the toner with respect to a methanol/water mixed solvent, a methanol concentration at a transmittance of light having a wavelength of 780 nm of 50% is 5.0 to 30.0% by volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: MASATAKE TANAKA, TAIJI KATSURA, SHINTARO KAWAGUCHI, DAI NOZAKI
  • Publication number: 20230047560
    Abstract: A toner comprising: a toner particle comprising a binder resin; and an external additive on a surface of the toner particle, wherein the binder resin comprises a resin having an ester bond, a peak corresponding to boric acid is detected in ATR-IR analysis of the toner particle in an ATR method using germanium as an ATR crystal, and when a dispersed solution obtained by dispersing the toner in an aqueous solution containing a surfactant is subjected to a detachment treatment A including shaking for 300 seconds using a shaker, and when an external additive detached from the toner by the detachment treatment A is denoted as external additive A, a charge amount of the external additive A using a standard carrier (F81) is ?0.5 ?C/g or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Tatsuya Saeki, Taiji Katsura, Masamichi Sato
  • Publication number: 20230047510
    Abstract: A toner comprising: a toner particle comprising a binder resin and boric acid; and an external additive A having a primary particle major diameter of 80 to 200 nm, wherein in ATR-IR analysis of the toner particle in an ATR method using germanium as an ATR crystal, a peak corresponding to boric acid is detected, the average value of a shape factor SF-1 of the external additive A is 105 to 250, and the average value of a shape factor SF-2 of the external additive A is 102 to 250.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Shohei Tsuda, Taiji Katsura, Shintaro Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 11573519
    Abstract: The electrophotographic apparatus and process cartridge comprising an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a cleaning blade, and developing unit containing a toner, wherein the cleaning blade comprising a support member and an elastic member whose portion is abutting a surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member; the elastic member has an elastic modulus of 15 to 470 MPa with coefficient of variation for the elastic modulus being not more than 7.0%, and the absolute value of a difference between Martens hardness values is not more than 0.30 N/mm2 as measured under prescribed conditions; the toner contains a toner particle and an external additive whose a number-average primary particle diameter is from 5 to 25 nm, when X1 is a coverage ratio of the toner particle by the external additive and X2 is a theoretical coverage ratio, X1 is 50 to 85 area %, and X1/X2??0.0042×X1+0.60 is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidekazu Fumita, Kentaro Yamawaki, Sara Yoshida, Yusuke Kosaki, Taiji Katsura, Syoji Inoue, Arihiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20220334530
    Abstract: The electrophotographic apparatus and process cartridge comprising an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a cleaning blade, and developing unit containing a toner, wherein the cleaning blade comprising a support member and an elastic member whose portion is abutting a surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member; the elastic member has an elastic modulus of 15 to 470 MPa with coefficient of variation for the elastic modulus being not more than 7.0%, and the absolute value of a difference between Martens hardness values is not more than 0.30 N/mm2 as measured under prescribed conditions; the toner contains a toner particle and an external additive whose a number-average primary particle diameter is from 5 to 25 nm, when X1 is a coverage ratio of the toner particle by the external additive and X2 is a theoretical coverage ratio, X1 is 50 to 85 area %, and X1/X2??0.0042×X1+0.60 is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Hidekazu Fumita, Kentaro Yamawaki, Sara Yoshida, Yusuke Kosaki, Taiji Katsura, Syoji Inoue, Arihiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20220291601
    Abstract: A toner comprising a toner particle comprising a binder resin, a crystalline material A, and a crystalline material B, wherein the binder resin contains a resin M in an amount of 70 mass % or more relative to the binder resin, the crystalline material A has a melting point of 50.0° C. to 100.0° C., and when, the difference between the SP value of the resin M and material A is designated as ?SPAM, the difference between the SP value of the resin M and crystalline material B is designated as ?SPBM, the difference between the SP value of the crystalline material A and crystalline material B is designated as ?SPAB, the peak molecular weight of the crystalline material A and crystalline material B is designated as MpA and MpB each, the formulae (1) to (3) are satisfied: 50?MpB×?SPBM2?MpA×?SPAM2?450??(1) MpA×?SPAM2?800??(2) ?SPAB?0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Taiji Katsura, Shohei Tsuda, Tatsuya Saeki
  • Publication number: 20220121132
    Abstract: A toner including: a toner particle containing a binder resin and a colorant; and a fine particle on a surface of the toner particle, wherein the fine particle is a solid and substantially hemispherical shape, and has a substantially flat surface and a curved surface, and wherein a number-average value of a longest diameter “w” of the substantially flat surface is 10 to 400 nm. An external additive for a toner that is a solid and substantially hemispherical shape, and has a substantially flat surface and a curved surface, wherein a number-average value of a longest diameter “w” of the substantially flat surface is 10 to 400 nm. A fine particle that is a solid and substantially hemispherical shape, and has a substantially flat surface and a curved surface, wherein a number-average value of a longest diameter “w” of the substantially flat surface is 10 to 400 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Sara Yoshida, Yusuke Kosaki, Taiji Katsura, Hidekazu Fumita, Kentaro Yamawaki, Itaru Kondo
  • Publication number: 20220121133
    Abstract: The present invention provides a toner that can maintain excellent transferability even when a transfer bias is low. The toner includes a toner particle that includes a toner base particle and a plurality of convex portions X existing on a surface of the toner base particle, wherein the convex portion X contains an organic silicon polymer; when a cross-section of the toner is observed with a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), and the convex portions X comprise a plurality of convex portions Y each having a convex height H of 40 nm or higher, a number ratio P (H/w) of the a number of the convex portions Y2 in which a ratio (H/w) of the convex height H to the convex width w is 0.33 or larger and 0.80 or smaller is 70% by number or more with respect to a total number of the convex portions Y.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Kentaro Yamawaki, Sara Yoshida, Yusuke Kosaki, Taiji Katsura, Hidekazu Fumita, Toshiya Kaino
  • Patent number: 11249408
    Abstract: A toner including a toner particle including a binder resin, wherein fine particles A and B are present on a surface of the toner particle; the fine particles A are a fatty acid metal salt; the fine particles B have a specific volume resistivity; an average theoretical surface area of the toner particle, an amount of the fine particles A, and a coverage ratio of the toner particle surface by the fine particles A satisfy a specific relationship; the amount of the fine particles B is in a specific range; and a proportion F of an area occupied by a part of the fine particles B embedded in a surface vicinity region of the toner in a total area occupied by the fine particles B present in a cross section of one particle of the toner is 50% by area or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shohei Tsuda, Tsuneyoshi Tominaga, Masatake Tanaka, Taiji Katsura, Masamichi Sato
  • Publication number: 20210397110
    Abstract: A toner comprising a toner particle and an external additive, wherein the external additive comprises a composite particle comprising an organosilicon polymer fine particle covering a surface of an alumina particle, a coverage ratio of the surface of the alumina particle with the organosilicon polymer fine particle is 1 to 50 area %, and given A (nm) as a number-average particle diameter of primary particles of the organosilicon polymer fine particle and B (nm) as a number-average particle diameter of primary particles of the alumina particle, following formulae (I) and (II) are satisfied: A?90??(I) 100?B?1000??(II).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Taiji Katsura, Hidekazu Fumita, Kentaro Yamawaki, Sara Yoshida, Yusuke Kosaki, Takayoshi Ootsuka