Flexible Toner Container Composition Against Powder Compaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Toner in flexible containers tends to form compacted states due to self-weight and external forces, leading to degradation during storage and transport.
Innovation Solution
A toner accommodating container with a flexible bag-shaped portion containing silica particles, where the toner has a Total Energy of 300 mJ or less under specific measurement conditions, and includes hydrotalcite particles with fluorine to suppress electrostatic agglomeration and compaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If toner is accommodated in a flexible bag, then the container can be made flexible and adaptable, but the toner tends to form a compacted state due to self weight and external forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the toner by controlling the Total Energy value through specific manufacturing processes. By adjusting parameters such as vertical load (88 kPa), blade rotation speed (100 mm/sec), and propeller type during production, the toner is engineered to have a Total Energy of 300 mJ or less, which prevents compaction while maintaining flexibility of the container.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary measurement and control mechanism - the Total Energy measurement using a propeller type blade in a powder flowability measurement device. This intermediary assessment allows indirect control of toner properties without directly manipulating the complex interactions between toner particles, container flexibility, and external forces during storage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the toner accommodating portion is made flexible, then the container adapts to storage conditions, but the toner degradation increases due to compaction from self weight and external forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by controlling the toner's Total Energy during the manufacturing process before storage. By pre-establishing the toner's physical properties through controlled application of vertical load and blade rotation during production, the toner is prepared in advance to resist compaction and degradation during subsequent storage in flexible containers, preventing the harmful effect before it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent fundamentally changes the physical parameter of the toner by targeting a Total Energy value of 300 mJ or less. This parameter change is achieved through controlled manufacturing conditions including vertical load (88 kPa), blade peripheral speed (100 mm/sec), and propeller type, which collectively modify the toner's resistance to compaction and maintain reliability during flexible container storage.
3Force
If external forces are applied during loading and storage, then the toner can be compacted, but the toner degradation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of external forces into a beneficial control mechanism. By measuring the Total Energy under controlled external force conditions (vertical load of 88 kPa) during the manufacturing process, the external force that would normally cause compaction is transformed into a controlled parameter that defines the toner's resistance to compaction. The measurement process itself becomes the means of preventing the harmful effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the toner by controlling the Total Energy value through specific external force application during manufacturing. By applying a controlled vertical load of 88 kPa and measuring the energy required for blade penetration at 100 mm/sec, the toner is engineered to have superior compaction resistance, transforming the external force from a harmful factor into a beneficial control parameter.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces toner degradation by minimizing compaction and electrostatic agglomeration, maintaining toner quality during storage and transport.
Implementation Method 1
including hydrotalcite particles with fluorine to suppress electrostatic agglomeration and compaction
Data Source
AI summary
There is used a toner accommodating container including: a bag-shaped accommodating portion having flexibility; and a toner accommodated in the accommodating portion, and including a silica particle. The toner has a value of Total Energy of 300 mJ or less in measurement of the Total Energy when a propeller type blade is caused to penetrate a surface of a powder layer of the toner manufacturing by applying a vertical load of 88 kPa in a measurement container in a powder flowability measurement device while the propeller type blade is being rotated at a peripheral speed of 100 mm/see of an outermost edge portion thereof.