Toner Surface Convexity for Low Bias Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toner technologies face challenges in maintaining high transferability when transfer bias is low, as they struggle to effectively reduce both physical and electrical adhesive forces between the toner and the photosensitive drum, leading to inefficient transfer processes and increased waste toner residue.
Innovation Solution
A toner with convex portions containing organic silicon polymer on its surface, where the convex portions have specific height and width ratios, and a migration rate, which helps in reducing adhesive forces and maintaining transferability even at low transfer bias by facilitating the organic silicon polymer's migration to the drum, enhancing charging and transfer characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a spherical external additive having a large particle size is added to lower the adhesive force between the photosensitive drum and the toner, then transfer efficiency is improved, but the external additive migrates from, is detached from, or becomes embedded in the surface of the toner particle during long-term operation, and becomes unable to function as the spacer
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite structure consisting of a toner base particle and a silane coupling agent layer. The silane coupling agent forms a chemical bond between the toner base particle and the spherical external additive, creating a stable composite material that prevents migration and detachment while maintaining the spacer function for improved transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The silane coupling agent acts as an intermediary substance between the toner base particle and the spherical external additive. It forms a chemical bridge that securely attaches the external additive to the toner surface, preventing migration and detachment during long-term operation while maintaining the desired spacer effect
2Volume of moving object
If the transfer bias is lowered to reduce the size of the power supply unit and miniaturize the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, then the apparatus size is reduced, but the transferability of the toner deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the surface properties of the toner particle by introducing convex portions with specific geometric parameters (height H of 40-200 nm, width w, and aspect ratio H/w of 0.05-0.50). This parameter optimization allows the toner to maintain high transferability even at low transfer bias, enabling apparatus miniaturization without sacrificing transfer performance
3Productivity
If the convex portions with organic silicon polymer are formed on the toner surface to maintain transferability at low transfer bias, then transferability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes specific geometric parameters of the convex portions (height H: 40-200 nm, width w, aspect ratio H/w: 0.05-0.50) to achieve the desired transferability at low bias. By carefully controlling these parameters, the toner maintains high transfer performance while keeping the structural complexity manageable through a well-defined geometric specification
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 transferability and endurance by reducing adhesive forces and maintaining effective transfer characteristics even at low transfer bias, thereby enabling the miniaturization of electrophotographic image forming apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
a migration rate of the convex portions X in a water washing method of the toner is 5% by number or larger and 20% by number or smaller of a total of the convex portions X before water washing
Implementation Method 2
a technique is known which adds a spherical external additive having a large particle size, due to a resulting spacer effect, lowers a physical adhesive force between the photosensitive drum and the toner, and improves transfer efficiency
Implementation Method 3
The present invention relates to a toner that is used in an image forming method such as electrophotography
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a toner that can maintain excellent transferability even when a transfer bias is low. The toner includes a toner particle that includes a toner base particle and a plurality of convex portions X existing on a surface of the toner base particle, wherein the convex portion X contains an organic silicon polymer; when a cross-section of the toner is observed with a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), and the convex portions X comprise a plurality of convex portions Y each having a convex height H of 40 nm or higher, a number ratio P (H/w) of the a number of the convex portions Y2 in which a ratio (H/w) of the convex height H to the convex width w is 0.33 or larger and 0.80 or smaller is 70% by number or more with respect to a total number of the convex portions Y.