Toner Surface Protrusions for Additive Immobilization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing toner technologies face challenges in maintaining high transferability and preventing migration, detachment, and burial of large-diameter external additives, leading to inconsistent performance and member contamination during long-term use.

Innovation Solution

The development of a toner with protruded portions on the surface, formed by an organosilicon polymer, where the protrusion diameter to protrusion width ratio is between 0.33 and 0.80, providing a stable spacer effect and inhibiting migration, detachment, and burial.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a large-diameter external additive is added to improve transferability, then transfer efficiency is improved, but the additive undergoes migration, detachment, and burial during long-term use

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransfer efficiencyVSAvoidstability of external additive

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The large-diameter external additive is embedded within a cavity formed in the toner particle surface. This nesting structure allows the additive to maintain its spacer function for improving transfer efficiency while being protected from migration, detachment, and burial during long-term use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

A binding agent is used as an intermediary to attach the large-diameter external additive to the toner particle surface. The binding agent forms a stable connection between the additive and the toner, preventing migration and detachment while maintaining the additive's spacer effect.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If external additive is added to reduce attachment force, then transferability improves, but member contamination occurs due to migration and detachment

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovetransferabilityVSAvoidmember contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

By nesting the external additive within a cavity in the toner particle surface, the additive remains confined and cannot migrate or detach to cause member contamination, while still providing the necessary spacer effect for improved transferability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The binding agent acts as an intermediary that secures the external additive to the toner particle, preventing migration and detachment that would otherwise lead to member contamination, while maintaining the additive's function for improving transferability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Stability of the object's composition

If semi-embedding of large-diameter external additive is implemented, then migration and detachment are suppressed, but burial is accelerated in the latter half of durability testing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimmobilization of external additiveVSAvoiddurability of spacer effect

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The external additive is completely embedded within a cavity formed in the toner particle surface, rather than semi-embedded. This complete embedding prevents the additive from being buried during durability testing, while still maintaining immobilization to prevent migration and detachment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The binding agent serves as an intermediary that firmly attaches the external additive to the toner particle surface, providing long-term stability that prevents burial during durability testing while maintaining the spacer effect for improved transferability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 solution ensures high transferability and resistance to changes over time, maintaining excellent transfer efficiency and preventing member contamination, as demonstrated by durability testing.

Implementation Method 1

the organosilicon polymer forms protruded portions on the surface of the toner base particle

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPolymerization: Photopolymerisation

Data Source

PatentUS10678155B2Toner comprising a surface layer of an organosilicon polymer protrusion

Publication Date: 2020.06.09 CANON KK

AI summary

A toner comprising a toner particle that contains a toner base particle and an organosilicon polymer on a surface of the toner base particle, wherein the organosilicon polymer forms protruded portions with a prescribed structure on the surface of the toner base particle, and in the toner cross section, when the protrusion width w is the length of the segment where a protruded portion and the toner base particle form a continuous interface, the protrusion diameter D is the maximum length of a protruded portion, and the protrusion height H is the length from the peak of the protruded portion to the line along the circumference of the toner base particle surface, the numerical proportion of these protruded portions having a ratio D/w of the protrusion diameter D to the protrusion width w from 0.33 to 0.80, is a least 70 number %.