Patents by Inventor Valerie M. Farrugia

Valerie M. Farrugia 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: 20160215104
    Abstract: A nanocomposite includes a core comprising a first polymer, a shell disposed about the core, the shell comprising a sulfonated polyester, the first polymer and sulfonated polyester are different, and a plurality of silver nanoparticles disposed throughout the shell layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: Valerie M. Farrugia, Alana Desouza, Sandra J. Gardner
  • Publication number: 20160215107
    Abstract: A method includes heating a sulfonated polyester resin in an organic-free solvent, adding a solution of silver (I) ion to the heated resin in water to form a mixture, reducing silver (I) to silver (0) by heating the mixture from about 65° C. to about 90° C., thereby forming an emulsion of composite particles comprising a sulfonated polyester matrix and a plurality of silver nanoparticles disposed within the sulfonated polyester matrix, and allowing the silver nanoparticles to agglomerate into a silver nanodendrite structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: Valerie M. Farrugia, Alana Desouza, Sandra J. Gardner
  • Patent number: 9399704
    Abstract: A discrete nanostructure formed by a method comprising providing an aliphatic multi-block copolymer. The aliphatic multi-block copolymer includes at least one polyester block and at least one functionalized polycarbonate block. The aliphatic multi-block copolymer, a deprotonating agent and water are mixed to form an aqueous mixture. The aqueous mixture is maintained at a reaction temperature suitable to result in self-assembly of the multi-block copolymer into nanoparticles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignees: XEROX CORPORATION, NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF CANADA
    Inventors: Andrew J. Myles, Karen A. Moffat, Valerie M. Farrugia, Jordan H. Wosnick
  • Publication number: 20160195825
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a polyester that contains plural pendant adjacent carboxylic acid or acid salt side groups for use in making a toner for use in imaging devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Inventors: KAREN A. MOFFAT, DRAGAN NIKOLIC, VALERIE M. FARRUGIA, JORDAN H. WOSNICK, ANDRIY KOVALENKO, ALEXANDER KOBRYN, SERGEY GUSAROV
  • Patent number: 9377704
    Abstract: Red toners that approximate PANTONE® Red 032 and PANTONE® Warm Red are described. The colorant includes an orange colorant and a red colorant, where the orange colorant absorbs light having a wavelength of from about 400 to about 520 nm, and where the red colorant absorbs light having a wavelength of from about 500 to 580 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Valerie M Farrugia, Jordan H Wosnick, Eric Rotberg, Karen A Moffat, Richard P N Veregin, Suxia Yang, C Geoffrey Allen
  • Patent number: 9371464
    Abstract: An aqueous ink composition including water; a co-solvent; an encapsulated resinous pigment; a polymer latex; and a low molecular weight humectant solute; wherein the total solids content of the aqueous ink is from about 2 to about 25 percent by weight based on the total weight of the aqueous ink composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Marcel P. Breton, Valerie M. Farrugia, James D. Mayo, Biby Esther Abraham, Gabriel Iftime, Adela Goredema, Jenny Eliyahu
  • Patent number: 9354530
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a polyester that contains plural pendant adjacent carboxylic acid or acid salt side groups for use in making a toner for use in imaging devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignees: XEROX CORPORATION, NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF CANADA
    Inventors: Karen A. Moffat, Dragan Nikolic, Valerie M. Farrugia, Jordan Wosnick, Andriy Kovalenko, Alexander Kobryn, Sergey Gusarov
  • Patent number: 9340643
    Abstract: A polymer colorant including polymer monomer units, and at least one alizarin unit which is incorporated into the polymer and which provides color to the polymer colorant and a process for preparing the polymer colorant. An article or composition containing the polymer colorant. A toner including the polymer colorant, and optionally, one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of crystalline polyester resins, amorphous polyester resins, colorants, waxes, coagulants, mordants, and mixtures and combinations thereof. A polymer latex including an aqueous dispersion of polymer colorant, wherein the polymer colorant comprises polymer monomer units and at least one alizarin unit which is incorporated into the polymer and which provides color to the polymer colorant; and optionally, a mordant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Valerie M. Farrugia, Mihaela Maria Birau, Gabriel Iftime, Biby Esther Abraham
  • Publication number: 20160122500
    Abstract: A composite includes a sulfonated polyester matrix and a plurality of silver nanoparticles dispersed within the matrix. Methods to make these composites include heating a sulfonated polyester resin in an organic-free solvent adding a solution of silver (I) ion to the heated resin in water to form a mixture, adding a solution of a reducing agent to the mixture, thereby forming an emulsion of composite particles including a sulfonated polyester matrix and a plurality of silver nanoparticles disposed within the sulfonated polyester matrix. Various articles can be manufactured from such composites.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Valerie M. Farrugia, Alana Desouza, Sandra J. Gardner
  • Publication number: 20160122499
    Abstract: A method includes heating a sulfonated polyester resin in an organic-free solvent adding an aqueous solution of silver (I) ion to the heated resin to form a mixture and heating the mixture to effect the reduction of silver (I) ion to silver (0) in the absence of an external reducing agent. A composite includes a sulfonated polyester matrix and a plurality of silver nanoparticles dispersed within the matrix; the composite lacks trace residual byproducts from external reducing agents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Valerie M. Farrugia, Alana Desouza, Sandra J. Gardner
  • Publication number: 20160108262
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an ink comprising a fluorosurfactant-stabilized polymer latex, which is suitable for use in an indirect printing method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Valerie M. Farrugia, Guiqin Song, Jenny Eliyahu
  • Patent number: 9309419
    Abstract: An ink for a printer may include one or more latexes in an amount from about 0.1 wt % to about 15 wt %, one or more amines in an amount from about 0 wt % to about 2 wt %, and one or more pigments in an amount from about 0.5 wt % to about 8 wt %. The ink may also include four or more solvents that, in the aggregate, are present in an amount from about 10 wt % to about 50 wt %. The ink may further include one or more surfactants in an amount from about 0.001 wt % to about 3 wt %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Marcel P. Breton, Biby Esther Abraham, James D. Mayo, Valerie M. Farrugia, Jenny Eliyahu, Adela Goredema, Barkev Keoshkerian, Yvan Gagnon, Gabriel Iftime
  • Publication number: 20160089875
    Abstract: An aqueous sacrificial coating composition for an image transfer member in an aqueous ink imaging system is provided. The sacrificial coating composition may include at least one polymer, at least one selected from (i) at least one chain extender, or (ii) a reactive elastomeric latex, wherein the at least one chain extender comprises a species capable of linking linear chains or chain segments of the reactive elastomeric latex, at least one hygroscopic plasticizer, and at least one surfactant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Guiqin Song, Marcel P. Breton, Valerie M. Farrugia, James D. Mayo
  • Publication number: 20160091808
    Abstract: A toner includes a polymeric resin, a colorant, and a small molecule crystalline aromatic monoester having a molecular weight less than 1,000 g/mol. The polymeric resin may be an amorphous resin and a mixture of the amorphous resin and the crystalline aromatic monoester may be characterized by a reduction in glass transition temperature from that of the resin and by the lack of a melting point for the crystalline aromatic monoester as determined by differential scanning calorimetry, the enthalpy of fusion for the crystalline aromatic monoester in the mixture being measured to be less than 10% of the enthalpy of fusion of the crystalline aromatic monoester in pure form. Furthermore, the toner may be configured to have a crease fix minimum fusing temperature (MFT) less than or equal to the crease fix MFT of a benchmark ultra-low-melt emulsion aggregation toner. Suitable crystalline aromatic monoesters may include 2-Naphthyl benzoate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: KE ZHOU, JORDAN H. WOSNICK, KENTARO MORIMITSU, EDWARD G. ZWARTZ, VALERIE M. FARRUGIA
  • Patent number: 9285694
    Abstract: A toner includes a polymeric resin, a colorant, and a small molecule crystalline aromatic monoester having a molecular weight less than 1,000 g/mol. The polymeric resin may be an amorphous resin and a mixture of the amorphous resin and the crystalline aromatic monoester may be characterized by a reduction in glass transition temperature from that of the resin and by the lack of a melting point for the crystalline aromatic monoester as determined by differential scanning calorimetry, the enthalpy of fusion for the crystalline aromatic monoester in the mixture being measured to be less than 10% of the enthalpy of fusion of the crystalline aromatic monoester in pure form. Furthermore, the toner may be configured to have a crease fix minimum fusing temperature (MFT) less than or equal to the crease fix MFT of a benchmark ultra-low-melt emulsion aggregation toner. Suitable crystalline aromatic monoesters may include 2-Naphthyl benzoate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ke Zhou, Jordan H. Wosnick, Kentaro Morimitsu, Edward G. Zwartz, Valerie M. Farrugia
  • Patent number: 9285699
    Abstract: Disclosed is a carrier suitable for use with an electrophotographic developer and an electrophotographic developer containing the carrier. In particular, the carrier is powder coated and comprises a copolymer of cyclohexylmethacrylate and dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bernard A. Kelly, Thomas C. Dombroski, Brian S. Giannetto, Brian E. Moore, Lloyd D. Spencer, Richard P. N. Veregin, Karen A. Moffat, Thomas E. Enright, Valerie M. Farrugia, Michael S. Hawkins, Wafa F. Bashir
  • Patent number: 9273178
    Abstract: A polyester resin is described which includes bio-based, cyclohexadiene Diels-Alder reaction adduct monomer for use in toner for imaging devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jordan H Wosnick, Valerie M Farrugia
  • Publication number: 20160024276
    Abstract: A process includes forming an emulsion comprising a monomer and a colorant, the colorant further including an anionic functional group and a lipophilic counter ion, and polymerizing the monomer to form a latex, the latex includes polymer nanoparticles having the colorant dispersed therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: VALERIE M. FARRUGIA, MIHAELA MARIA BIRAU
  • Patent number: 9243141
    Abstract: A composite structure includes a core particle including a sulfonated polyester matrix and a plurality of silver nanoparticles dispersed throughout the matrix and a shell polymer disposed about the core particle. A method includes heating a sulfonated polyester resin in an organic-free solvent adding a solution of silver (I) ion to the heated resin in water to form a mixture, forming of an emulsion of core particles comprising a sulfonated polyester matrix and a plurality of silver nanoparticles disposed within the sulfonated polyester matrix, and adding a styrene monomer and initiator to the emulsion of composite particles to form a shell polymer disposed about the core particles, thereby forming a composite structure. The composites herein are readily incorporated into various articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Valerie M. Farrugia, Alana Desouza, Sandra J. Gardner
  • Publication number: 20160017090
    Abstract: A polymer colorant including polymer monomer units, and at least one alizarin unit which is incorporated into the polymer and which provides color to the polymer colorant and a process for preparing the polymer colorant. An article or composition containing the polymer colorant. A toner including the polymer colorant, and optionally, one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of crystalline polyester resins, amorphous polyester resins, colorants, waxes, coagulants, mordants, and mixtures and combinations thereof. A polymer latex including an aqueous dispersion of polymer colorant, wherein the polymer colorant comprises polymer monomer units and at least one alizarin unit which is incorporated into the polymer and which provides color to the polymer colorant; and optionally, a mordant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Valerie M. Farrugia, Mihaela Maria Birau, Gabriel Iftime, Biby Esther Abraham