Electrostatic Toner with Nested Lubricant for Uniform Cleaning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional electrostatic latent image developing toners often result in uneven image density due to non-uniform lubricant distribution on photoreceptors, particularly when using a charging roller method, leading to image quality issues and reduced cleaning performance.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating inorganic particles with a number average diameter of 10 to 50 nm and Mohs hardness of 8 or more, along with aliphatic acid metal salt particles of 0.4 to 2.0 μm diameter, as external additives in the toner, ensures uniform lubricant distribution and improved cleaning performance by preventing desorption and enhancing embedding within the toner particles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a lubricant such as aliphatic acid metal salt particle is added to toner to improve cleaning performance of photoreceptor, then cleaning performance is improved, but image density difference occurs due to non-uniform distribution and easy desorption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning performanceVSAvoidimage density uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent embeds the lubricant particles (aliphatic acid metal salt particles) inside the toner mother particles, creating a nested structure where the lubricant is contained within the toner particle matrix. This prevents the lubricant from being easily released and ensures uniform distribution on the photoreceptor surface during the image formation process, thereby eliminating image density differences while maintaining cleaning performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite toner particle structure combining toner mother particles with embedded lubricant particles and inorganic particles. This composite structure integrates multiple functions: the toner mother particles provide the basic toning function, the embedded lubricant particles ensure uniform lubrication without desorption, and the inorganic particles enhance embedding stability. The composite structure resolves the contradiction between cleaning performance and image density uniformity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If lubricant particles with larger diameter are used to improve cleaning performance, then cleaning performance is improved, but they are more easily released from toner and applied to non-image areas

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning performanceVSAvoidlubricant retention in toner

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent places lubricant particles inside the toner mother particles, creating a nested structure where the lubricant is contained within the toner particle matrix. This prevents the lubricant from being easily released and ensures uniform distribution on the photoreceptor surface during the image formation process, thereby eliminating image density differences while maintaining cleaning performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Reliability

If lubricant is applied to photoreceptor via toner to improve cleaning performance, then cleaning performance is improved, but uniform application is difficult to achieve

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning performanceVSAvoidlubricant distribution uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent embeds the lubricant particles inside the toner mother particles, creating a nested structure where the lubricant is contained within the toner particle matrix. This prevents the lubricant from being easily released and ensures uniform distribution on the photoreceptor surface during the image formation process, thereby eliminating image density differences while maintaining cleaning performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent controls the particle size parameters of both the toner mother particles and the lubricant particles, ensuring that the lubricant particles are appropriately sized to be embedded within the toner mother particles. This parameter control ensures uniform distribution of the lubricant on the photoreceptor surface and prevents non-uniform application, thereby achieving both cleaning performance and distribution uniformity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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

This approach significantly reduces image density differences and enhances the cleaning performance of photoreceptors, maintaining image quality and stability across the printing surface.

Implementation Method 1

the inorganic particles have a number average particle diameter in the range of 10 to 50 nm, and have a Mohs hardness of 8 or more

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHardness:

Implementation Method 2

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectParticle embedding:

Implementation Method 3

a lubricant such as an aliphatic acid metal salt particle has a larger particle diameter than other external additives, and is easily released from the toner

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLubrication: Lubrication

Data Source

PatentUS10606183B2Electrostatic latent image developing toner and image forming method

Publication Date: 2020.03.31 KONICA MINOLTA INC

AI summary

Provided is an electrostatic latent image developing toner including toner mother particles having an external additive on a surface of the toner mother particles, wherein the external additive contains inorganic particles and aliphatic acid metal salt particles; the inorganic particles have a number average particle diameter in the range of 10 to 50 nm, and have a Mohs hardness of 8 or more; and the aliphatic acid metal salt particles have a number average particle diameter in the range of 0.4 to 2.0 μm.