Glittering Toner Composition for Chargeable Metallic Image Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toners face issues with high electric resistance decrease and permittivity increase due to overlapping flat pigments, leading to decreased chargeability and image quality, especially in high-temperature and high-humidity environments.
Innovation Solution
A glittering toner comprising a flat metallic pigment coated with resin, a polyester-styrene acrylic composite resin, and a polyester resin, with specific solubility parameters to ensure proper dispersion and minimize pigment aggregation, enhancing image glittering property and transferability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If flat metallic pigments are blended into toner to achieve glittering property, then light reflectivity is improved, but electric resistance decreases and permittivity increases leading to poor chargeability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a core-shell structure where flat metallic pigments are concentrated in the shell layer while the core maintains toner functional properties. This localized arrangement ensures glittering effect at the surface while preserving chargeability in the core region
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining flat metallic pigments with binder resin to form a core-shell structured toner particle. The composite structure integrates the reflective properties of metallic pigments with the functional properties of binder resin, achieving both glittering effect and proper chargeability
2Illumination intensity
If flat metallic pigments are arranged in planar manner to ensure reflection performance, then glittering property is improved, but pigments overlap and aggregate leading to decreased image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a binder resin shell that flexibly encapsulates flat metallic pigments, allowing them to maintain planar arrangement for reflection while preventing excessive overlap and aggregation. The shell acts as a spacer that controls pigment spacing and distribution
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies nesting by placing flat metallic pigments inside the binder resin shell, creating a core-shell structure where pigments are nested within the protective matrix of the shell, ensuring both reflection performance and controlled distribution
3Reliability
If conventional toner composition is used to maintain chargeability, then electric characteristics are preserved, but pigment peeling occurs in high-temperature and high-humidity environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials by formulating a binder resin with specific glass transition temperature and solubility parameters that creates strong adhesion to flat metallic pigments. The composite binder system maintains chargeability while providing enhanced pigment bonding stability in harsh environments
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully selecting binder resin with specific glass transition temperature (−50°C to 0°C) and solubility parameters that optimize both pigment adhesion and chargeability. The specific parameter range ensures pigment remains firmly bonded while maintaining proper electrostatic properties
4Stability of the object's composition
If resin is coated on flat metallic pigment surface to improve dispersion, then pigment distribution is improved, but coating complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the coating function with the binder resin itself, eliminating the need for separate coating processes. The binder resin inherently coats and binds flat metallic pigments during toner formation, achieving good dispersion without additional coating steps
Solution Approach 2:
The binder resin performs self-coating of flat metallic pigments during the toner manufacturing process. The resin naturally adheres to pigment surfaces and provides uniform coating through the core-shell formation mechanism, eliminating the need for external coating operations
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
The toner achieves high image glittering property and excellent transferability by maintaining electric characteristics and preventing pigment peeling, while ensuring high-definition and high-quality images.
Implementation Method 1
it is necessary to blend a highly reflective pigment (glittering pigment) having scale-like flat surfaces into a toner for developing an electrostatic charge image
Implementation Method 2
a binder resin having a peak top molecular weight (Mp) or a ratio (Mw/Mp) of a weight average molecular weight (Mw) to the peak top molecular weight (Mp) in a specific numerical range
Data Source
AI summary
A glittering toner includes: a flat metallic pigment having a surface coated with a resin; a polyester-styrene acrylic composite resin; and a polyester resin. When a solubility parameter of the polyester-styrene acrylic composite resin is represented by SP1 (cal/cm3)1/2 and a solubility parameter of the polyester resin is represented by SP2 (cal/cm3)1/2, the SP1 and the SP2 satisfy a relational expression (1): [SP2−SP1>0.3] and the SP1 satisfies a relational expression (2): [10<SP1].