Core-Shell Toner for High-Speed Printer Cleaning Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed printers face challenges in maintaining stable cleaning performance and durability of toner particles with PET structures and black pigments, leading to contamination and image defects, especially in varying environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
A toner composition with specific resin and pigment particles, including a repeating structure, controlled brightness, and average circle-equivalent diameter, which forms a protective layer to prevent slippage and ensure stable cleaning performance and image density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If PET is used as the toner binder to improve durability against external additive embedding, then durability is improved, but cracking or chipping of the toner occurs due to definite interface formation between carbon black and binder
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a core-shell structure where the toner particle has different properties in different regions. The core contains the PET binder with carbon black for durability, while the shell uses a resin with lower glass transition temperature to prevent cracking and chipping. This allows each region to perform its specific function optimally.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining PET binder with carbon black in the core region and a different resin material in the shell region. This composite structure allows the toner to simultaneously achieve durability from the PET-carbon black interface and crack resistance from the softer shell material.
2Reliability
If cleaning blade contact pressure is increased to improve cleaning performance, then cleaning performance is improved, but chipping of the blade, abrasion of the latent image bearing member, and chatter vibration occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of toner cracking into a beneficial feature by designing the core-shell structure where controlled cracking occurs in the shell region rather than the core. This allows the toner to self-regulate the cleaning pressure, preventing blade chipping and member abrasion while maintaining effective cleaning performance.
3Productivity
If process speed is increased for higher printing speed, then productivity is improved, but cleaning performance deteriorates and durability issues worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by creating a toner particle structure that can dynamically adapt to different process speeds. The core-shell configuration allows the toner to maintain optimal cleaning characteristics across varying speeds, with the shell providing flexibility at high speeds while the core maintains structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A toner includes: a toner particle including a pigment; a resin particle; and an external additive. The resin particle has specific brightness average value and average circle-equivalent diameter, the brightness average value of the toner particle falls within a specific range, the pigment is a black pigment, the number of the resin particle falls within a specific range, and the toner particle and the resin particle each have at the surface thereof a PET structure. In the load displacement curve obtained by micro compression measurement of the resin particle, 90 number % or more thereof each do not have a fracture point at a load within a range of 0 to 10 mN.