Toner Particles with Composite Additives for Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
High circularity of toner particles leads to poor cleaning efficiency due to rolling and slipping through the cleaning blade, causing contamination of the charge member and abrasion of the photo conductor, with existing solutions either increasing blade pressure or using external additives that either fail to improve cleanability or complicate the cleaning process.
Innovation Solution
A toner comprising toner particles and organic-inorganic composite fine particles with exposed inorganic fine particles on the surface, where the inorganic fine particles form convex portions and have an abundance ratio of 20-70%, improving electrostatic adhesion and triboelectricity characteristics to enhance cleanability without increasing blade pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the linear pressure applied to the blade edge portion is increased to prevent slipping through of spherical toner, then cleanability is improved, but chipping of blade edge portion is facilitated and abrasion of photo conductor is facilitated
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical and chemical parameters of the toner particles by controlling the circularity to 0.940 or more and the average particle diameter to 4.0 μm or less, and by embedding specific external additives (silica fine particles with 0.01-5.00 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of toner particles). This modifies the toner's interaction with the cleaning blade, allowing effective cleaning at reduced blade pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure by embedding inorganic silica fine particles as external additives within the toner particle system. This composite approach combines the spherical morphology of toner particles with the high hardness and low friction properties of silica, achieving both good cleanability and reduced blade wear.
2Reliability
If external additive is isolated to form inhibition layer to prevent toner entry, then cleaning is stabilized, but external additive slips through blade and charge member is contaminated
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the particle size parameter of the silica fine particles (0.03-1.0 μm) and the embedding amount (0.01-5.00 parts by mass), creating an inhibition layer that is dense enough to prevent toner penetration but not so loose that additives slip through. The embedded silica particles form a stable barrier that remains in place during cleaning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a small amount of embedded external additive that forms a consumable inhibition layer. This layer is designed to be replaced or regenerated as part of the toner formulation, rather than requiring separate cleaning mechanisms for the charge member.
3Manufacturing precision
If spherical toner with high circularity is used to achieve excellent transferability and thin line reproducibility, then image quality is improved, but cleaning becomes difficult due to rolling and slipping through contact nip
Solution Approach 1:
The invention precisely controls the circularity parameter to 0.940 or more while limiting the average particle diameter to 4.0 μm or less. This parameter optimization ensures the toner particles are sufficiently spherical for excellent transferability and thin line reproduction, yet small enough to be effectively cleaned without excessive rolling behavior.
Solution Approach 2:
The embedded silica fine particles act as an intermediary between the spherical toner particles and the cleaning blade. These particles modify the surface properties and friction characteristics, preventing the spherical toner from simply rolling through the contact nip while still allowing effective cleaning.
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 solution reduces surface unevenness, improves transferability, and maintains cleanability even with reduced blade pressure, preventing contamination and abrasion, while forming a stable inhibition layer to effectively remove toner from the photo conductor.
Implementation Method 1
improving electrostatic adhesion and triboelectricity characteristics to enhance cleanability
Implementation Method 2
improving electrostatic adhesion and triboelectricity characteristics to enhance cleanability
Data Source
AI summary
A toner is provided, where good cleanability is exhibited, abrasion variations of the photo conductor surface is reduced, and contamination of a charge member is reduced. The toner includes toner particles and organic-inorganic composite fine particles on the toner particle surfaces, wherein each of the organic-inorganic composite fine particles is a particle in which inorganic fine particles are exposed at the surfaces of vinyl based resin particles in such a way that convex portions derived from the inorganic fine particles are formed on the surfaces, the average circularity of the toner is 0.960 or more, and the absolute value Q of the amount of triboelectricity of the toner measured by a two-component method and the electrostatic adhesion F of the toner satisfy 0.003≤F/Q2≤0.040.