Patents by Inventor Tomoko Mine

Tomoko Mine 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: 9360783
    Abstract: The toner includes: a second amorphous polyester resin including a structural unit represented by any of the following general formulas (1) to (3); and a first amorphous polyester resin including no structural units represented by the general formulas (1) to (3). R1, R2, R5, R9 and R10 are each independently an alkyl group having 4 to 15 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 4 to 15 carbon atoms, R3, R4, R7, R8 and R11 are each independently an alkylene group having 4 to 14 carbon atoms or an alkenylene group having 4 to 14 carbon atoms, R6 is a saturated or unsaturated divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 4 to 15 carbon atoms, and R12 is a saturated or unsaturated trivalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 4 to 14 carbon atoms, and X is an aromatic ring, a carbocyclic ring or a group represented by the following formula (A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Tomoko Mine, Anju Hori, Ken Ohmura, Mikio Kouyama
  • Patent number: 9012120
    Abstract: The production process is a process for producing a toner for electrostatic image development. The process has an aggregating step of adding an aggregating agent composed of a compound having a divalent or trivalent metal element into a dispersion with fine particles of a binder resin dispersed in an aqueous medium, and an aggregation terminating step of adding an aggregation terminating agent into the dispersion. The aggregation terminating agent is composed of a compound having at least one of a structure (1) represented by a formula (1) and a structure (2) represented by a formula (2). In the formulae (1) and (2), R1 to R9 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a hydroxy group or an organic group. At least one of R1 and R4 or at least one of R5 and R6 represents a hydroxy group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomomi Oshiba, Tomoko Mine, Hitomi Motani, Saburou Hiraoka
  • Publication number: 20140377700
    Abstract: Provided is a toner for electrostatic image development, having both sufficient low-temperature fixability and good post-fixing separability simultaneously. The toner for electrostatic image development includes: a second amorphous polyester resin including a structural unit represented by any of the following general formulas (1) to (3); and a first amorphous polyester resin including no structural units represented by the general formulas (1) to (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: Tomoko MINE, Anju Hori, Ken Ohmura, Mikio Kouyama
  • Patent number: 8871419
    Abstract: The toner for electrostatic image development has excellent charge properties, by which excellent toner particle size-controlling ability is achieved, and moreover the sharpening of a particle size distribution is achieved. The toner is composed of toner particles containing a binder resin. The process has an aggregating step of adding an aggregating agent containing a transition element into an aqueous medium of dispersed fine binder resin particles to aggregate the fine binder resin particles, and an aggregation-stopping step of adding an aggregation stopper composed on a sulfur atom-containing compound exhibiting a reducing action on the aggregating agent. The aggregating agent is a salt of a bivalent or higher metal selected from Sr, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Saburou Hiraoka, Tomomi Oshiba, Mikihiko Sukeno, Tomoko Mine, Hitomi Motani, Tatsuya Nagase, Ken Ohmura
  • Patent number: 8785100
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a two-component developer which comprises a toner, and a carrier having a surface of a core material particle coated with a resin having a unit of general formula (1). The present invention provides a two-component developer which has enhanced environmental stability of carrier charging performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hitomi Motani, Tomoko Mine, Tomomi Oshiba
  • Patent number: 8728701
    Abstract: The production process is a production process of a toner for electrostatic image development, which is composed of toner particles containing at least a binder resin. The process has an aggregating and fusion-bonding step of adding a aggregating agent containing polysilicato-iron into an aqueous medium in which fine binder resin particles formed of the binder resin have been dispersed, thereby aggregating the fine binder resin particles, and an aggregation stopper-adding step of adding an aggregation stopper composed of a polyvalent organic acid or a salt thereof. In the production process of the toner for electrostatic image development, the polyvalent organic acid or the salt thereof is preferably an amino acid or a salt thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoko Mine, Saburou Hiraoka, Tomomi Oshiba, Tatsuya Nagase
  • Patent number: 8652728
    Abstract: A toner comprising toner particles containing a binder resin comprising a crystalline polyester resin, a non-crystalline polyester resin and an acryl resin having a cross-link structure, and the acryl resin having a cross-link structure has a cross-link site derived from a crosslinking agent represented by the following formula (1): CH2?CR1—C(?O)O—Z—OC(?O)—CR2?CH2??Formula (1) wherein R1 and R2 are each a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and Z is a hydrocarbon group of 2 to 90 carbon atoms, provided that the hydrocarbon group may include an ether linkage, an ester linkage, a heterocyclic ring or a substituent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoko Mine, Mikihiko Sukeno, Hajime Tadokoro, Ken Ohmura, Tatsuya Nagase, Tomomi Oshiba, Saburou Hiraoka
  • Patent number: 8642242
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing toner by which the toner capable of forming high quality images and reproducing high density gradation, which exhibits an excellent high-temperature offsetting property together with excellent low-temperature fixability, and provides appropriate gloss with respect to images to be formed, can be stably prepared; and also provided is the toner. After conducting a step in which particles made of at least a crystalline polyester resin are coagulated to form core coagulated particles, and an unsaturated amorphous polyester resin particle is attached onto the surface of each of the core coagulated particles to form core-shell type coagulated particles, radical polymerization reaction is conducted by acting a radical polymerization initiator on the foregoing core-shell type coagulated particles to conduct a step in which a layer made of a crosslinking amorphous polyester resin is formed on the surface of each of the core coagulated particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Saburou Hiraoka, Mikihiko Sukeno, Hajime Tadokoro, Ken Ohmura, Tatsuya Nagase, Tomomi Oshiba, Kenji Hayashi, Tomoko Mine
  • Publication number: 20140011132
    Abstract: The production process is a process for producing a toner for electrostatic image development. The process has an aggregating step of adding an aggregating agent composed of a compound having a divalent or trivalent metal element into a dispersion with fine particles of a binder resin dispersed in an aqueous medium, and an aggregation terminating step of adding an aggregation terminating agent into the dispersion. The aggregation terminating agent is composed of a compound having at least one of a structure (1) represented by a formula (1) and a structure (2) represented by a formula (2). In the formulae (1) and (2), R1 to R9 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a hydroxy group or an organic group. At least one of R1 and R4or at least one of R5 and R6 represents a hydroxy group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Tomomi Oshiba, Tomoko Mine, Hitomi Motani, Saburou Hiraoka
  • Patent number: 8586278
    Abstract: A method of producing an electrostatic image developing toner comprising toner particles comprising a binder resin containing at least a non-crystalline polyester resin having a crosslinking structure and a crystalline polyester resin, the method comprising the steps of (a-1) preparing a crystalline polyester resin particle aqueous dispersion liquid; (a-2) preparing a polymerizable unsaturated non-crystalline polyester resin aqueous dispersion liquid; (b) preparing crosslinking non-crystalline polyester resin particles by adding a radical polymerization initiator to the aqueous dispersion liquid of particles containing the non-crystalline polyester resin having a polymerizable unsaturated bond; (c) preparing core particles by aggregating at least the particles containing the crystalline polyester resin in an aqueous medium; and (d) preparing a shell layer containing the non-crystalline polyester resin having a crosslinking structure by fusing the particles containing the non-crystalline polyester resin having
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mikihiko Sukeno, Hajime Tadokoro, Ken Ohmura, Tatsuya Nagase, Tomomi Oshiba, Kenji Hayashi, Saburou Hiraoka, Tomoko Mine
  • Patent number: 8507169
    Abstract: A two-component developer is disclosed, composing a toner comprising parent toner particles with an attached external additive and a carrier provided with a resin covering layer on a surface of a core particle, wherein the resin covering layer comprises a binder resin comprising an acrylic resin and when the resin covering layer is divided in half to a core particle side and a surface side, a nitrogen element content of the core particle side is larger than a nitrogen element content of the surface side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoko Mine, Mikihiko Sukeno, Tatsuya Nagase, Tomomi Oshiba, Hiroyuki Kozuru, Saburou Hiraoka, Yoshiyasu Matsumoto, Kosuke Nakamura, Hitomi Motani, Takanari Kayamori
  • Patent number: 8497059
    Abstract: A method of producing a toner comprising toner particles containing a binder resin composed of a non-crystalline polyester resin having a crosslinked structure and a crystalline polyester resin is disclosed, the method comparing steps of; a process to form an oil phase liquid by dissolving or dispersing a non-crystalline polyester resin having a polymerizable unsaturated double bond and a crystalline polyester resin in an organic solvent, a process to form an aqueous dispersion liquid of oil droplets of the oil phase liquid by dispersing the oil phase liquid in an aqueous medium, a process to form oil droplets containing the non-crystalline polyester resin having a crosslinked structure by adding a radical polymerization initiator to the aqueous dispersion liquid of oil droplets, and an organic solvent removing process to form toner particles by removing organic solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomomi Oshiba, Mikihiko Sukeno, Hajime Tadokoro, Ken Ohmura, Tatsuya Nagase, Kenji Hayashi, Saburou Hiraoka, Tomoko Mine
  • Publication number: 20130189612
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a two-component developer which comprises a toner, and a carrier having a surface of a core material particle coated with a resin having a unit of general formula (1). The present invention provides a two-component developer which has enhanced environmental stability of carrier charging performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hitomi MOTANI, Tomoko MINE, Tomomi OSHIBA
  • Publication number: 20120328980
    Abstract: The toner for electrostatic image development has excellent charge properties, by which excellent toner particle size-controlling ability is achieved, and moreover the sharpening of a particle size distribution is achieved. The toner is composed of toner particles containing a binder resin. The process has an aggregating step of adding an aggregating agent containing a transition element into an aqueous medium of dispersed fine binder resin particles to aggregate the fine binder resin particles, and an aggregation-stopping step of adding an aggregation stopper composed on a sulfur atom-containing compound exhibiting a reducing action on the aggregating agent. The aggregating agent is a salt of a bivalent or higher metal selected from Sr, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Saburou HIRAOKA, Tomomi OSHIBA, Mikihiko SUKENO, Tomoko MINE, Hitomi MOTANI, Tatsuya NAGASE, Ken OHMURA
  • Publication number: 20120270149
    Abstract: Disclosed is a production process of a toner for electrostatic image development, by which excellent toner particle size-controlling ability and moreover the sharpening of a particle size distribution are achieved. The production process is a production process of a toner for electrostatic image development, which is composed of toner particles containing at least a binder resin. The process has an aggregating and fusion-bonding step of adding a aggregating agent containing polysilicato-iron into an aqueous medium in which fine binder resin particles formed of the binder resin have been dispersed, thereby aggregating the fine binder resin particles, and an aggregation stopper-adding step of adding an aggregation stopper composed of a polyvalent organic acid or a salt thereof. In the production process of the toner for electrostatic image development, the polyvalent organic acid or the salt thereof is preferably an amino acid or a salt thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Tomoko MINE, Saburou HIRAOKA, Tomomi OSHIBA, Tatsuya NAGASE
  • Publication number: 20120264050
    Abstract: Disclosed is a production process of a toner for electrostatic image development, by which excellent toner particle size-controlling ability is achieved, and moreover the sharpening of a particle size distribution is achieved. The production process is a production process of a toner for electrostatic image development, is composed of toner particles containing a binder resin. The process has the steps of adding a aggregating agent containing polysilicato-iron into an aqueous medium in which fine binder resin particles formed of the binder resin have been dispersed, thereby aggregating the fine binder resin particles, and adding an aggregation stopper composed of a salt whose cation is univalent or bivalent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Tomomi OSHIBA, Hitomi MOTANI, Tomoko MINE, Saburou HIRAOKA, Mikihiko SUKENO, Tatsuya NAGASE, Ken OHMURA
  • Publication number: 20120225379
    Abstract: A two-component developer is disclosed, composing a toner comprising parent toner particles with an attached external additive and a carrier provided with a resin covering layer on a surface of a core particle, wherein the resin covering layer comprises a binder resin comprising an acrylic resin and when the resin covering layer is divided in half to a core particle side and a surface side, a nitrogen element content of the core particle side is larger than a nitrogen element content of the surface side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Tomoko MINE, Mikihiko SUKENO, Tatsuya NAGASE, Tomomi OSHIBA, Hiroyuki KOZURU, Saburou HIRAOKA, Yoshiyasu MATSUMOTO, Kosuke NAKAMURA, Hitomi MOTANI, Takanari KAYAMORI
  • Publication number: 20120107741
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing toner by which the toner capable of forming high quality images and reproducing high density gradation, which exhibits an excellent high-temperature offsetting property together with excellent low-temperature fixability, and provides appropriate gloss with respect to images to be formed, can be stably prepared; and also provided is the toner. After conducting a step in which particles made of at least a crystalline polyester resin are coagulated to form core coagulated particles, and an unsaturated amorphous polyester resin particle is attached onto the surface of each of the core coagulated particles to form core-shell type coagulated particles, radical polymerization reaction is conducted by acting a radical polymerization initiator on the foregoing core-shell type coagulated particles to conduct a step in which a layer made of a crosslinking amorphous polyester resin is formed on the surface of each of the core coagulated particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Saburou HIRAOKA, Mikihiko SUKENO, Hajime TADOKORO, Ken OHMURA, Tatsuya NAGASE, Tomomi OSHIBA, Kenji HAYASHI, Tomoko MINE
  • Publication number: 20120100478
    Abstract: A method of producing an electrostatic image developing toner comprising toner particles comprising a binder resin containing at least a non-crystalline polyester resin having a crosslinking structure and a crystalline polyester resin, the method comprising the steps of (a-1) preparing a crystalline polyester resin particle aqueous dispersion liquid; (a-2) preparing a polymerizable unsaturated non-crystalline polyester resin aqueous dispersion liquid; (b) preparing crosslinking non-crystalline polyester resin particles by adding a radical polymerization initiator to the aqueous dispersion liquid of particles containing the non-crystalline polyester resin having a polymerizable unsaturated bond; (c) preparing core particles by aggregating at least the particles containing the crystalline polyester resin in an aqueous medium; and (d) preparing a shell layer containing the non-crystalline polyester resin having a crosslinking structure by fusing the particles containing the non-crystalline polyester resin having
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Mikihiko SUKENO, Hajime TADOKORO, Ken OHMURA, Tatsuya NAGASE, Tomomi OSHIBA, Kenji HAYASHI, Saburou HIRAOKA, Tomoko MINE
  • Publication number: 20120094229
    Abstract: A toner comprising toner particles containing a binder resin comprising a crystalline polyester resin, a non-crystalline polyester resin and an acryl resin having a cross-link structure, and the acryl resin having a cross-link structure has a cross-link site derived from a crosslinking agent represented by the following formula (1): CH2?CR1—C(?O)O—Z—OC(?O)—CR2?CH2??Formula (1) wherein R1 and R2 are each a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and Z is a hydrocarbon group of 2 to 90 carbon atoms, provided that the hydrocarbon group may include an ether linkage, an ester linkage, a heterocyclic ring or a substituent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Tomoko MINE, Mikihiko SUKENO, Hajime TADOKORO, Ken OHMURA, Tatsuya NAGASE, Tomomi OSHIBA, Saburou HIRAOKA