Identified Toner Shape (e.g., Recited Shape Parameter, Etc.) Patents (Class 430/110.3)
  • Publication number: 20100143835
    Abstract: Provided are an electrophotographic toner and a method of preparing the same. The toner includes a latex, a coloring agent, and a release agent, and has a selected amount of wax exposed on the surface of the toner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yo-Da Shin, Jun-Young Lee, Jae-Hwan Kim, Tae-Hoe Koo
  • Patent number: 7727699
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing a toner for electrophotography, including: (a) a step of aggregating resin particles containing a resin binder in an aqueous medium; and (b) a step of unifying the aggregated resin particles, the step (a) including: (a-1) a step of adding a monovalent salt as an aggregating agent; and (a-2) a step of adding at least one compound selected from the group consisting of alkylethersulfates represented by the formula (1): R—O—(CH2CH2O)nSO3M??(1) wherein R is an alkyl group; n represents an average molar number of addition and is a number of more than 0 and not more than 15 (0<n?15), and M is a monovalent cation, alkylsulfates and linear alkylbenzenesulfonates. The toner of the present invention has a small particle size which is controlled with a high accuracy, and a sharp particle size distribution, and a particle shape of the toner is readily controlled even at a low temperature, and further the obtained toner exhibits a high circularity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Kao Corporation
    Inventors: Nobumichi Kamiyoshi, Manabu Suzuki, Yutaka Murai
  • Patent number: 7723004
    Abstract: A toner having an amorphous resin, a crystalline resin, and a colorant, wherein the crystalline resin has a melting temperature of at least 70° C. and a recrystallization point of at least 47° C. exhibits improved document offset properties and improved heat cohesion. Annealing the toner further improves the heat cohesion and morphology of the toner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Guerino G. Sacripante, Ke Zhou, Michael S. Hawkins, Kimberly D. Nosella, Edward G. Zwartz, Nicoleta D. Mihai, Valerie M. Farrugia, Stephan V. Drappel, Paul J. Gerroir
  • Publication number: 20100124717
    Abstract: Colored resin particles, each includes: a resin; and a colorant, wherein a value of average equivalent circle diameter A (?m) of the colored resin particles is 3?A?6, an average degree of circularity B of the colored resin particles satisfies the following expression (1), and 0.990?0.0083A?B?1.021?0.0117A??(1) a cumulative number frequency of particles which have degrees of circularity of less than 0.9 in the colored resin particles is 1% or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohito NAKAJIMA, Hiroyuki MORIYA, Hideya KATSUHARA, Seiichi TAKAGI, Kazuya HONGO
  • Publication number: 20100124433
    Abstract: A developer includes a toner containing toner mother particles and external additives added to the toner mother particles. The toner mother particles contain at least a resin and a coloring agent. 1.5 to 3.0 weight parts of the external additives are added to 100 weight parts of the toner mother particles. The toner has a mean volume diameter in a range from 6.5 to 8.0 ?m, and a surface roughness Rzjis in a range from 75.3 to 236.9 nm as measured using a scanning probe microscope.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: OKI DATA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuki Matsuura
  • Publication number: 20100119967
    Abstract: A magnetic carrier and a two-component developer are provided which have remedied blank areas, fog after leaving, carrier sticking during running, and image density variations before and after running. The magnetic carrier has magnetic carrier particles having at least porous magnetic core particles and a resin. The magnetic carrier particles satisfying the specific conditions (a), (b) and (c) where, in a reflected electron image of cross sections of the magnetic carrier particles as photographed with a scanning electron microscope, straight lines that divide a cross section of a magnetic carrier particle into 72 at intervals of 5° are drawn from a reference point of the cross section thereof toward the surface of the magnetic carrier particle; the magnetic carrier particles being contained in an amount of 60% by number or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2010
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Chika Inoue, Hiroyuki Fujikawa, Koh Ishigami, Kunihiko Nakamura, Nozomu Komatsu, Tomoko Endo, Yoshinobu Baba, Takayuki Itakura
  • Patent number: 7713671
    Abstract: A toner, which is semispherical and has plural dents on the surface, including a binder resin; and a pigment, wherein a circle circumscribing a circular profile of the toner provides an average envelopability (AE) of 10 to 10,000 particles thereof of from 74 to 84%, which is measured by the following formula: AE(%)=(AC?AD)/AC×100 wherein AC is an area of the circle and AD is a total sum of areas of the dents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventor: Yukio Tabata
  • Patent number: 7713670
    Abstract: A developer for an electrophotographic tandem image forming method is provided that contains a toner; and a carrier, wherein the toner has a shape factor SF-1 of from 120 to 160, an average circularity of form 0.93 to 0.98, a weight-average particle diameter (D4) of from 3.0 to 8.0 ?m, and a ratio (D4/Dn) of the weight-average particle diameter (D4) to a number-average particle diameter (Dn) of from 1.01 to 1.20, and wherein the carrier is almost a spherical ferrite coated with a resin wherein alumina is dispersed, which has an average particle diameter of from 20 to 45 ?m and the following formula: (MgO)x(MnO)y(Fe2O3)z wherein x is from 1 to 5 mol %, y is from 5 to 55 mol % and z is from 45 to 55 mol %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masami Tomita, Tomio Kondou, Masahide Yamashita, Kousuke Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7709174
    Abstract: A toner is provided including a colorant; a first binder resin; and a second binder resin, wherein an amount of the first binder resin and an amount of the second binder resin are phase separated from each other in the toner, and wherein a phase of the first binder resin is partially or completely covered with a phase of the second binder resin; and a method of preparing the toner, and a developer, an image forming method, an image forming apparatus, and a process cartridge using the toner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Sugimoto, Hiroshi Yamashita, Ryota Inoue, Yoshihiro Moriya, Shinichi Wakamatsu, Akihiro Kotsugai
  • Publication number: 20100098462
    Abstract: A method of preparing a toner using a micro-suspension particle, includes preparing a mixture by mixing a resin having acidic groups, a master batch of coloring pigment, and at least one additive with an organic solvent, and then neutralizing the acid groups of the resin with a base; forming a micro-suspension by adding the prepared mixture to a dispersion medium; and forming a toner composition by removing the organic solvent from the prepared micro-suspension. Therefore, the method of preparing a toner using the disclosed micro-suspension particle and a toner prepared using the same can save manufacturing costs, and can improve charging ability and cleaning properties of the toner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: Samsung Fine Chemicals Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Woo Young Yang, Keon Il Kim, Dae Il Hwang, Jae Bum Park, Il Sun Hwang, Jun Hee Lee, Jae Kwang Hwang, Dong Won Kim, Duck Kyun Ahn
  • Patent number: 7695878
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearer; a charging device charging the image bearer; a light irradiating device irradiating the charged image bearer with light to form an electrostatic image; a developing device developing the electrostatic image with a developer including a toner to form a toner image on the image bearer; a transfer device transferring the toner image; and a cleaning device cleaning the image bearer, wherein the volume average particle diameter of the toner is greater than 5.0 ?m and less than 5.5 ?m, the content of toner particles having a particle diameter of not greater than 4.0 ?m is not higher than 20% by number, the ratio of the first shape factor SF-1 to the second shape factor SF-2 is from 1.00 to 1.15, and the content of toner particles having a SF-2 of not less than 115 is not less than 67.8% by number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Takuya Seshita, Toyoshi Sawada, Tomomi Suzuki, Tsuneyasu Nagatomo, Satoshi Kojima
  • Patent number: 7662531
    Abstract: The toner described herein contains toner particles containing polymer, colorant and cross-linked polymer. The cross-linked polymer is incorporated at least in the shell of the toner particles. Incorporating cross-linked polymer in the shell of the toner particles provide bumps in the surface of the toner particles. These bumps can behave as spacers. Such toner can be formed by aggregating at least polymer particles and colorant particles to form core particles; aggregating at least cross-linked polymer particles to the surface of the core particles; and coalescing the resulting particles to form toner particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Paul J. Gerroir, Daryl W. Vanbesien, Vladislav Skorokhod, Maria N.V. McDougall, Eric Strohm, Edward G. Zwartz
  • Publication number: 20100028796
    Abstract: A magnetic carrier and two-component developer are provided alleviating coarse images, fogging when printing is done after a copier body is left standing for one week in a high temperature and high humidity environment and carrier adhesion after extensive operation in a low image ratio. The magnetic carrier includes magnetic carrier particles including porous magnetic core particles and a resin, wherein in a mercury intrusion method applied to the porous magnetic core particles, a pore diameter in which a differential pore volume in the specific pore diameter range becomes maximum is in a specific range, and when the maximum value of a differential pore volume in the specific pore diameter range is defined as P1 and the maximum value of a differential pore volume in the specific pore diameter range is defined as P2, P1 is in a specific range and the ratio P2/P1 is in a specific range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nakamura, Hiroyuki Fujikawa, Koh Ishigami, Nozomu Komatsu, Chika Inoue, Tomoko Endo, Yoshinobu Baba, Takayuki Itakura
  • Publication number: 20100021839
    Abstract: Methods for modifying the acid value of an unsaturated polyester resin suitable for use in forming toner particles are provided. In embodiments, methods may include contacting at least one unsaturated polyester resin with at least one grafting monomer, polymerizing the graft monomer and unsaturated polyester resin to form a graft copolymer, and then utilizing the graft copolymer to form toner particles by combining the graft copolymer with an optional colorant, at least one surfactant, and an optional wax. Toners produced by these methods are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Valerie M. Farrugia, Barkev Keoshkerian, Kristin M. Pouw
  • Publication number: 20100021210
    Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing coalesced resin particles for obtaining coalesced resin particles by coalescing aggregated resin particles in a grain boundary-free state in a short period of time while keeping a grain size distribution within a narrow range. In a coalescence process, a slurry of aggregated resin particles is flowed through an inside of a pipe under predetermined heating and pressurizing conditions. In a before-cooling decompression process, a slurry of coalesced resin particles flowing through the inside of the pipe in a heat and pressure-applied state is subjected to pressure reduction before it is cooled down to a predetermined temperature in a cooling process. Then, in a decompression process, a coalesced resin particle slurry that has been cooled in the cooling process while being flowed through the inside of the pipe is decompressed to an atmospheric pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Inventors: Nobuhiro MAEZAWA, Katsuru MATSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 7642032
    Abstract: A toner including a binder resin; and a colorant, wherein a hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP)-soluble component satisfies the following relationship: 2,000 ?Mn ?7,000 and 1.5 ?Mn/Mw ?10 wherein Mn represents a number-average molecular weight and Mw represents a weight-average molecular weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Hideki Sugiura, Satoshi Mochizuki, Akihiro Kotsugai, Yasuo Asahina, Osamu Uchinokura, Hisashi Nakajima, Tomoyuki Ichikawa, Shinya Nakayama, Kohichi Sakata, Tomoko Utsumi, Hitoshi Iwatsuki, Yasuaki Iwamoto
  • Publication number: 20090325099
    Abstract: A toner produced by a method including dissolving or dispersing toner components comprising a colorant and at least one of a binder resin and a precursor thereof in an organic solvent to prepare a toner components liquid, dispersing the toner components liquid in an aqueous medium including a surfactant, a particulate resin A having the same polarity as the surfactant and a volume average particle diameter of from 5 to 50 nm, and a particulate resin B having a volume average particle diameter of from 10 to 500 nm to form liquid droplets, and removing the organic solvent from the liquid droplets. The particulate resin B is incompatible with the binder resin and swells in the organic solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Inventors: Masaki WATANABE, Hiroshi YAMASHITA, Tsuyoshi SUGIMOTO, Naohiro WATANABE, Shinichi WAKAMATSU
  • Patent number: 7629098
    Abstract: A method of producing a toner for developing electrostatic charge image, the method comprising: aggregating particles containing a crystalline polyester resin, particles containing a non-crystalline polyester resin and particles of a releasing agent in an aqueous medium, so as to form aggregated particles; and heating the aggregated particles to fuse into a coalescent body, wherein at least one of the crystalline polyester resin and the non-crystalline polyester resin is obtained by polymerization at temperatures not higher than 150° C. with a Bronsted acid containing a sulfur atom as a catalyst, and wherein a first onset temperature A(° C.) of the toner and a glass transition temperature B(° C.) of the non-crystalline polyester resin as measured by differential scanning calorimeter satisfy a relation (B?A)?10, and wherein a weight average molecular weight of the crystalline polyester resin is ½ or lower of a weight average molecular weight of the non-crystalline polyester resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Matsumura, Hirotaka Matsuoka, Satoshi Hiraoka, Yuki Sasaki, Fumiaki Mera, Hideo Maehata
  • Patent number: 7625686
    Abstract: An image forming method in which toner having a an average circularity of 0.94-0.99, and an average equivalent circle diameter of 2.6-7.4 ?m of toner particles is utilized, an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrying member being developed, and the toner image is transferred on a transferring material followed by fixing, wherein non-transferred toner remaining on said image carrying member is collected for reuse for image formation, and non-transferred toner collected is utilized after having been passed through a toner intermediate chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Ken Ohmura, Hiroshi Yamazaki, Asao Matsushima, Eiichi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7611813
    Abstract: Provided a toner including at least: toner particles each containing at least a binder resin, a release agent, and a colorant; and an inorganic fine powder, in which: a degree of aggregation Y1 at a time of compression (200 kpa) of the toner satisfies a relationship of 15?Y1?35, and a degree of aggregation Y2 at a time of non-compression of the toner satisfies a relationship of 7?Y2?15; and a highest endothermic peak of the toner is present in a temperature range of 30 to 200° C. in an endothermic curve measured with a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and a peak temperature Tsc (° C.) of the highest endothermic peak satisfies a relationship of 60?Tsc?130.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Ida, Takeshi Ootsu, Koh Ishigami, Naoki Okamoto, Nozomu Komatsu, Noriyoshi Umeda, Yoshinobu Baba, Takayuki Itakura, Takeshi Naka, Hirohide Tanikawa
  • Publication number: 20090258310
    Abstract: There are provided an economical method capable of obtaining very small resin particles, in particular, resin particles; resin particles produced by the method; a toner and developer containing the resin particles; a developing device; and an image forming apparatus. Spherical particles are produced according to a producing method of spherical particles including a pulverizing step. In the pulverizing step, a dispersion liquid of coarse particles of material to be processed, which includes a polymer dispersant and coarse particles of material to be processed dispersed in a liquid medium is passed through a high-pressure homogenizer having a stepwise pressure release mechanism and thereby coarse particles of material to be processed contained in the dispersion liquid are milled under conditions where the melt viscosity of the dispersion liquid at a time point of passing the nozzle portion of the high-pressure homogenizer may be 5000 cP or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Inventors: Katsuru MATSUMOTO, Keiichi Kikawa, Ayae Nagaoka
  • Patent number: 7592115
    Abstract: A carrier for electrostatic latent image developer, including a core material and at least two or more resin-coated layers formed on the surface of the core material, wherein the resin-coated layers include a siloxane bond-containing coating resin containing an organic metal compound and a conductive material, the metal contained in the organic metal compound in the innermost resin-coated layer has an ionization potential of less than 7 eV, and the metal contained in the organic metal compound in the outermost resin-coated layer has an ionization potential of 7 eV or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushige Nakamura, Sadaaki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7593671
    Abstract: A developing device includes a developer bearing member, a developer supplying conveyer, a developer receiving conveyer and a developer agitating conveyer. The developer supplying conveyer or the developer receiving conveyer has at least one dividing position. The dividing position is a position at which the conveying direction of the developer reverses, and a position which is arranged so that if the dividing position is projected to the developer bearing member along a plane which is perpendicular to the widthwise direction of the developer bearing member, the projected position on the developer bearing member is within an area in which the developer is borne on the developer bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Emiko Ishikawa, Chiemi Kaneko, Hirokatsu Suzuki, Kenichi Taguma
  • Publication number: 20090233213
    Abstract: A method for preparing a toner including primarily pulverizing a toner composition powder including at least a binder resin and a colorant using a mechanical pulverizer to prepare a first particulate material with a weight average particle diameter of 7 to 30 ?m; secondarily pulverizing the first particulate material using a jet air pulverizer having a pulverization plate to prepare a second particulate material; and classifying the second particulate material in two steps to prepare particles of the toner with a weight average particle diameter of 2 to 6 ?m and an average circularity of 0.93 to 0.96. A toner including toner particles including at least a binder resin and a colorant and prepared by the method. An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member configured to bear an electrostatic image thereon; and a developing device configured to develop the electrostatic image with a developer including the toner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Inventor: Kouji NOGE
  • Publication number: 20090233212
    Abstract: Provided is a toner including: toner particles each containing at least a binder resin and a wax; and an external additive, in which surfaces of the toner particles have an average surface roughness (Ra) measured with a scanning probe microscope of 1.0 nm or more and 30.0 nm or less; and the toner has a surface tension index I for a 45-vol % aqueous solution of methanol measured by a capillary suction time method and calculated from the following equation (1) of 5.0×10?3 N/m or more and 1.0×10?1 N/m or less: I=P?/(A×B×106)??Eq. (1) where I represents the surface tension index (N/m) of the toner, P? represents a capillary pressure (N/m2) of the toner for the 45-vol % aqueous solution of methanol, A represents a specific surface area (m2/g) of the toner, and B represents a true density (g/cm3) of the toner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Fujikawa, Kunihiko Nakamura, Nozomu Komatsu, Yoshiaki Shiotari, Takeshi Ohtsu, Takayuki Itakura
  • Publication number: 20090233202
    Abstract: A two component developer comprising a toner and a carrier, wherein the toner includes: colored particles; and external additive particles comprising a complex oxide incorporating silicon atoms and at least one of titanium atoms and aluminum atoms, and a surface existing ratio of the silicon atoms (R2) in a surface of the external additive particles being larger than an average existing ratio of the silicon atoms (R1) in an entirety of the external additive particles, and carrier particles comprise magnetic material powder dispersed in a phenol-formaldehyde resin, and have an average of the shape coefficient SF-1 of 1.0 to 12 and an average of the shape coefficient SF-2 of 1.1 to 2.5, and a volume based median diameter of from 10 to 100 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Masahiro ANNO, Masahiko NAKAMURA, Tsuyoshi UCHIDA, Kenichi ONAKA, Junya ONISHI, Naoya TONEGAWA
  • Patent number: 7588874
    Abstract: A toner for developing an electrostatic image is provided, which contains at least a binder resin, a colorant and a releasing agent, the releasing agent, has an endothermic peak temperature measured by a differential scanning calorimeter of from 60 to 100° C., and an endothermic amount a of the releasing agent per unit weight (J/g) at temperatures equal to or lower than a glass transition onset temperature of the binder resin measured by a differential scanning calorimeter, a total endothermic amount b of the releasing agent per unit weight (J/g) and a volume average particle diameter c(?m) of the toner has the relationship: 0.05?(a/b)×c?0.6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazufumi Tomita, Yosuke Tsurumi, Shuji Sato, Akira Matsumoto, Hiroshi Nakazawa
  • Publication number: 20090226833
    Abstract: There is provided an electrophotographic toner, which includes a binder resin and a colorant, wherein, with a total intensity (kcps) of all elements detected in the toner due to fluorescent X-ray measurement designated as A and an intensity of nitrogen designated as B, B/A is from about 0.01 to about 0.5, and a ratio of nitrogen measured by X-ray photoelectron spectrometry after ion etching at an accelerating voltage of 10 mV for 180 seconds is from about 0.1 atom % to about 7.5 atom %.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shuji SATO, Atsushi SUGAWARA, Eisuke IWAZAKI, Hiroshi NAKAZAWA, Masanobu NINOMIYA, Kazufumi TOMITA
  • Patent number: 7575841
    Abstract: The present invention provides a toner for electrophotography having a capsule structure including a core and a shell that covers the core, wherein the core contains a colorant, a releasing agent, an amorphous resin, and a block polymer containing a crystalline part and an amorphous part, the weight-average molecular weight of the block polymer is 10,000 or more, the weight-average molecular weight of the resin used in formation of the amorphous part of the block polymer is 1000 to 5000, and the weight-average molecular weight of the resin used in formation of the crystalline part of the block polymer is at least 2 times the weight-average molecular weight of the resin used in formation of the amorphous part of the block polymer, a method of manufacturing the same, a developer for electrophotography including the toner and a carrier, and an image forming method using the developer for electrophotography.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Daimon, Kazufumi Tomita, Moegi Iguchi, Yasuo Matsumura, Yusuke Ikeda, Shigeru Hayashi, Shuji Sato, Takashi Imai, Yosuke Tsurumi, Hiroshi Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 7566521
    Abstract: To provide a toner that can provide long-term removability and high-definition images with reduced image layer thickness and densely-packed toner particles, a developer capable of forming high-quality images using the toner, a toner container for containing the toner, a process cartridge using the toner, an image forming apparatus using the toner, and an image forming method using the toner. The toner of the present invention is a toner having a substantially spherical shape with irregularities on its surface and containing at least a binder resin and a colorant, wherein a surface factor SF-1 that represents the sphericity of toner particles is 105 to 180, a surface factor SF-2 that represents the degree of surface irregularities of the toner particles is correlated with the volume-average diameter of the toner particles, and the toner particles have an inorganic oxide particle-containing layer within 1 ?m from their surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Kotsugai, Satoshi Mochizuki, Hisashi Nakajima, Yasuo Asahina, Osamu Uchinokura, Masayuki Ishii, Tomoyuki Ichikawa, Shinya Nakayama, Koichi Sakata, Tomoko Utsumi, Hitoshi Iwatsuki, Yasuaki Iwamoto, Hideki Sugiura, Masami Tomita
  • Patent number: 7563555
    Abstract: A toner composition including toner particles including a binder resin including a modified polyester resin, and a second resin having a weight average molecular weight of from 2,000 to 10,000; a colorant; a release agent; and a particulate material which is present at least a surface portion of the toner particles while embedded into the surface portion, wherein the binder resin has a glass transition temperature not lower than 35° C. and lower than 55° C., and wherein the particulate material has an average particle diameter of from 0.002 to 0.2 times that of the toner particles. A developer including the toner composition and a carrier having a layer thereon which includes at least an acrylic resin and a silicone resin, and a method for fixing an image of the toner composition are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Yohichiroh Watanabe, Masanori Suzuki, Tsunemi Sugiyama, Hiroshi Yamashita, Takuya Saito, Naohiro Watanabe, Masami Tomita, Shigeru Emoto, Shinichiro Yagi, Hiroshi Yamada, Toshiki Nanya, Tadao Takigawa
  • Publication number: 20090180809
    Abstract: A toner is so configured as to satisfy the following conditions: (b)/(a) is from 0.90 to 1.02, (a) is from 140 to 150 and the average value in the entire toner particles of a shape factor SF-2 of the toner particles is larger than 140, where (a) represents a shape factor SF-2 showing the degree of irregularity on the surface of toner particles having a particle size D75V or less which is a particle size at which a cumulative volume from a large particle size side in particle size distribution by volume is 75%, and (b) represents a shape factor SF-2 of toner particles having a particle size D25V or more which is a particle size at which a cumulative volume from a large particle size side in particle size distribution by volume is 25%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Inventors: Yasuo Imura, Hiroshi Onda, Yoritaka Tsubaki, Saori Yamada
  • Publication number: 20090155709
    Abstract: Toner and a developer which are excellent in cleaning property and fixing property at low temperature, and capable of forming images with high quality are provided. A toner prepared by dispersing and/or emulsifying an oil phase or a monomer phase comprising a toner composition and/or a toner composition precursor in a water-based medium to granulate, wherein the toner has an average circularity of 0.925 to 0.970, and the toner composition and/or the toner composition precursor has a layered inorganic material in which at least a part of interlayer ions in the layered inorganic material has been exchanged with organic ions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Naohiro Watanabe, Shigeru Emoto, Yohichiroh Watanabe, Masahide Yamada, Tsunemi Sugiyama, Masahiro Ohki, Akinori Saitoh, Ryota Inoue, Osamu Uchinokura, Junichi Awamura
  • Patent number: 7547498
    Abstract: A toner for developing electrostatic images which contains an external additive A containing an irregular-shaped metal oxide and having an average value of the feret's horizontal diameter of from 20 nm to 1370 nm, and an external additive B containing a hydrophobic particle having an average value of the feret's horizontal diameter of from 10 nm to 45 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenji Yamane, Masafumi Uchida, Yasuko Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 7544459
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing a toner which includes the steps of emulsifying a resin binder containing a polyester in an aqueous medium to prepare an emulsion of the resin binder and adding a water-soluble nitrogen-containing compound having a molecular weight of 350 or less to the emulsion obtained in the previous step to aggregate emulsified particles contained in the emulsion. According to the present invention, the shape of toner particles can be controlled simply for a short production time by using a resin binder containing a polyester and using substantially no organic solvent, and further a toner having a narrow and sharp particle size distribution can be produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: KAO Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Sata, Yoshinobu Ishikawa, Nobumichi Kamiyoshi
  • Publication number: 20090142678
    Abstract: To provide an electrophotographic developer carrier including a carrier core material, and a coat layer containing a binder resin and conductivity-imparted microparticles which are produced by imparting conductivity to inorganic microparticles, the coat layer being formed over the carrier core material, wherein the electrophotographic developer carrier has a static resistivity of 10 [Log (?·cm)] or higher and a dynamic resistivity of 9 [Log (?)] or lower, and is used in an electrophotographic developer together with a negatively chargeable toner having an average circularity of 0.925 to 0.970, and wherein the toner includes a resin, a colorant and an inorganic layered mineral in which at least part of interlayer ions is modified with organic ions, and is granulated by dispersing and/or emulsifying an oil phase and/or a monomer phase containing at least a toner composition and/or a toner composition precursor in an aqueous medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventors: Shinichiro Yagi, Kousuke Suzuki, Masashi Nagayama
  • Patent number: 7541127
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a toner for developing electrostatic image which is excellent in image reproducibility and further in cleaning performance. A toner for developing electrostatic image comprising a colored particle containing a binder resin and a colorant, and an external additive, wherein the toner for developing electrostatic image has a volume average particle diameter of 4.0 to 8.0 ?m and an average circularity of 0.940 to 0.980, and wherein the toner for developing electrostatic image has a uniaxial collapsing stress of 0.8 to 1.5 kPa and an internal frictional angle of 30 to 45° when a maximum consolidation stress is 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Zeon Corporation
    Inventor: Osamu Ieda
  • Patent number: 7539440
    Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic monocomponent developer which can obtain a stable conveying performance for a long period and an image forming method which uses the developer. In a magnetic monocomponent developer which is used in a developing unit which includes a developing vessel which accommodates a magnetic monocomponent developer therein, a developer carrying body which carries the magnetic monocomponent developer and conveys the magnetic monocomponent developer to a developing region, and a developer layer thickness restricting member which restricts a layer thickness of the magnetic monocomponent developer, the magnetic monocomponent developer includes toner particles which contain at least a binder resin and magnetic powder, and also includes following constitutions (a) to (c). (a) an average particle size of the toner particles may being set to a value which falls within a range from 6 to 9 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Hidekazu Tamura
  • Publication number: 20090117477
    Abstract: To solve a thin image density and sweeping occurring when a toner carrying member having a small diameter is used, provided is an image-forming method including: a charging step; an electrostatic latent image-forming step; a developing step; a transferring step; and a fixing step, in which a magnetic toner to be used in the method has a specific weight average particle diameter (D4); the magnetic toner has a specific intensity of magnetization in a specific magnetic field; and a surface free energy of a surface of the magnetic toner and a surface free energy of a surface of a toner carrying member to be used in the method satisfy specific relationships.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Michihisa Magome, Tadashi Dojo, Eriko Yanase, Takashi Matsui, Tomohisa Sano, Shuichi Hiroko
  • Publication number: 20090111038
    Abstract: An electrophotographic toner includes a latex, a coloring agent, a wax and 3 to 1,000 ppm of each of Si and Fe, wherein a mole ratio of Si to Fe is from 0.1 to 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Yoda SHIN, Kyung-yol Yon, Tac-hoe Koo
  • Patent number: 7514194
    Abstract: The invention provides a toner for developing electrostatic latent images containing at least a binder resin, a colorant, a releasing agent, and a graft polymer that has been made by graft polymerization of a resin matrix and a macromonomer including at least one group selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl group, a hydroxyalkyl group, and a pyrolidonyl group, and a production method thereof. The invention further provides an electrostatic latent image developer using the toner, an image forming method using the toner, and an image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masakazu Iijima, Takao Ishiyama, Masaaki Suwabe, Yasuo Kadokura, Michio Take, Hiroshi Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 7515860
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a latent image support for supporting a latent image and a developing device configured to us toner to develop the latent image on said latent image support, the estimated average halftone granularity of the toner imager after developing being 0.25 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Suzuki, Mitsuo Aoki, Bing Shu, Yasushi Koichi, Setsuo Soga, Tadashi Kasai, Yutaka Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7514190
    Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming method is disclosed, which includes the steps of developing an electrostatic image on a electrophotographic photoreceptor by a developer, transferring a toner image formed by the development, and fixing the toner image on a recording medium. It is disclosed that a toner has a volume particle diameter (Dv50) of about 4.4 to about 5.8 ?m and displays two or more endothermic peaks measured by DSC being within the rang of from about 50 to about 73° C. and the endothermic heat amount thereof is from 12.6 to 24.5 J/mg and a transferring member and/or a fixing member constituted by a belt containing a polyimide resin are employed in the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ken Ohmura, Asao Matsushima
  • Publication number: 20090087767
    Abstract: The invention provides a color toner for flash fusing containing at least: a binder resin, a colorant, a leuco dye, a developer and a decolorizer. An absorbance of the color toner after photoirradiation at a wavelength of about 900 nm is smaller than an absorbance of the color toner before the photoirradiation at the wavelength of about 900 nm. The invention further provides a method for producing the color toner, a electrostatic image developer comprising the color toner, a process cartridge comprising a developer bearing body which accommodates the electrostatic image developer, and an image forming apparatus to form a toner image by the electrostatic image developer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasushige NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20090061333
    Abstract: A carrier for developing an electrostatic latent image includes carrier particles, and the carrier particles include magnetic particles and a coating layer coating the surfaces of the magnetic particles. The BET specific surface area of the magnetic particles is 0.1300 m2/g to 0.2500 m2/g, and the difference in BET specific surface areas obtained by subtracting the BET specific surface area of the magnetic particles from the BET specific surface area of the carrier particles is 0.0300 m2/g to 0.400 m2/g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira MATSUMOTO, Taichi YAMADA, Yosuke TSURUMI, Fusako KIYONO, Akihiro IIZUKA, Fumiaki MERA, Hirotaka MATSUOKA
  • Publication number: 20090061344
    Abstract: A toner comprising toner particles having at least one type of surface additive, the toner particles having an FPIA average circularity of at least 0.95, whereby at least 80 % wt of the total amount of surface additives stays onto the surface of the toner particles when an ultrasonic treatment of 4500 to 4700 J/gram of toner is applied; a substrate printed or marked with the above-described toner; and a method for manufacturing a toner, said method including the steps of: mixing a binder resin, a colorant and optionally other additives, thereby forming a mixture, melting, kneading and milling said mixture, thereby obtaining a melted kneaded product, pulverizing said melted kneaded product, adding at least one surface additive before or while bringing the FPIA average circularity of said toner particles to 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Lode DEPREZ, Werner Op De Beeck, Karlien Torfs
  • Publication number: 20090035688
    Abstract: In a chart of molecular weight distribution measured of a toner, i) the toner has a main peak in the region of molecular weight of 16,000 to 60,000, and ii) where the molecular weight at the main peak is represented by M1, and where the height at the molecular weight M1 is represented by H(M1), the height at a molecular weight of 4,000 by H(4000) and the height at a molecular weight of 15,000 by H(15000), the H(4000), the H(15000) and the H(M1) satisfy a specific proportion. The toner has a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 15,000 to 80,000, and, in an endothermic chart, i) the toner has an endothermic main peak in the range of 40 to 1300C, and ii) the calorimetric integral value represented by the peak area of the endothermic main peak is 10 to 35 J per 1 g of the toner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2005
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Abe, Satoshi Handa, Shinya Yachi, Kazumi Yoshizaki, Emi Tosaka, Yasuhiro Hashimoto, Yushi Mikuriya, Hitoshi Itabashi
  • Publication number: 20090029280
    Abstract: A toner includes toner particles containing at least binder resin and colorant. The toner particles contain a large-sized toner particle group of particles and a small-sized toner particle group of particles having a volume average particle size smaller than that of the large-sized toner particle group. In the toner, a volume average particle size D50v is 4 ?m to 8 ?m at 50% in accumulated volume counted from a large particle-side in accumulated volume distribution of entire toner particles; a content of toner particles contained in a toner particle group having a volume average particle size of 7 ?m or more is 24% to 47% by volume based on the entire toner particles; and a content of toner particles contained in a toner particle group having a number average particle size of 5 ?m or less is 10% to 50% by number or less based on the entire toner particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori YAMAMOTO, Hiroshi ONDA, Yoshiaki AKAZAWA
  • Patent number: 7482104
    Abstract: An image forming method, includes: forming a latent electrostatic image on a latent electrostatic image carrier; developing the latent electrostatic image with a toner to thereby form a visible image; transferring the visible image to a recording medium; and fixing the image transferred to the recording medium. The latent electrostatic image carrier includes: a support, a photoconductive layer on the support, and a surface protective layer on the support. The surface protective layer includes a reactant made by cross-linking the following: an electric charge transporting material which comprises a reactive functional group, a cross-linking resin, and a fluorine surfactant. The toner comprises an inorganic fine particle which defines an effective inorganic fine particle amount in a range of 0.8% by mass to 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Maiko Kondo, Hidetoshi Kami, Naohiro Toda, Ryoichi Kitajima, Hiroshi Nagame, Narihito Kojima, Yoshiaki Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 7482105
    Abstract: A toner for electrostatic latent image development contains a toner particle having a median diameter (d50) in number standard of 2.5 ?m to 7.5 ?m, acrylate of less than 12 ppm and aliphatic alcohol of 4 to 12 carbons of 40 ppm to 300 ppm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Naohiro Hirose, Ken Ohmura, Meizo Shirose