Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Electric or magnetic imagery – e.g. – xerography,... – Post imaging process – finishing – or perfecting composition...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-21
2002-03-19
Goodrow, John (Department: 1753)
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Electric or magnetic imagery, e.g., xerography,...
Post imaging process, finishing, or perfecting composition...
C399S297000, C430S110400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06358654
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
A first aspect of the present invention relates to a technical field of a toner for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a latent-image carrier and a technical field of an image forming apparatus arranged to transfer a developed image obtained by developing the electrostatic latent image positioned on the latent-image carrier to a transfer member, such as paper, and fixing the transferred image positioned on the transfer member. More particularly, the first aspect of the present invention relates to a technical field of a toner which exhibits satisfactory fluidity and electrification characteristic and a technical field of an image forming apparatus constituted to remove residual toner left on a latent-image carrier by performing a cleaning process.
A second aspect of the present invention relates to a technical field of a toner for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a latent-image carrier and a technical field of an image forming apparatus arranged to transfer a developed image obtained by developing the electrostatic latent image positioned on the latent-image carrier to a transfer member, such as paper, and fixing the transferred image positioned on the transfer member. More particularly, the second aspect of the present invention relates to a technical field of a toner which exhibits satisfactory fluidity and electrification characteristic and a technical field of an image forming apparatus constituted to prevent adhesion of the transfer member to a fixing unit during a fixing process.
A third aspect of the present invention relates to a technical field of a toner for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a latent-image carrier and a technical field of a development unit for causing a toner carrier to carry toner to move toner to a latent-image carrier and developing the electrostatic latent image on the latent-image carrier with toner. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technical field of a toner having excellent fluidity and an electrification characteristic and a technical field of a development unit equipped with a toner-regulating member for forming a uniform thin layer on the toner carrier and performing uniform electrification toner.
A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a technical field of a development unit for causing a toner carrier to carry a toner to move the same to the latent-image carrier so as to develop an electrostatic latent image on the latent-image carrier with the moved toner. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technical field of a development unit equipped with a toner-regulating member for forming a uniform thin layer of a toner in which a plurality of external additives adhere to a plurality of mother particles.
A fifth aspect of the present invention relates to a technical field of a toner for developing an electrostatic latent image on a latent-image carrier and a technical field of a development unit for causing a toner carrier to carry a toner to move the same to a latent-image carrier and developing the electrostatic latent image on the latent-image carrier with the moved toner. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technical field of a toner having excellent fluidity and an electrification characteristic and a technical field for a development unit equipped with a toner-regulating member for forming a uniform thin layer on the toner carrier and performing uniform electrification of the toner.
A sixth aspect of the present invention relates to a technical field of a toner for developing an electrostatic latent image on a latent-image carrier (hereinafter called an “OPC”) and a technical field of an image forming apparatus arranged to transfer a toner image obtained by developing the electrostatic latent image on the OPC with the toner to a transfer member such as paper. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technical field of a toner which makes it possible to efficiently transfer a toner image even with respect to a transfer member such as rough paper, to which an image cannot easily be transferred, and to stabilize a toner image on the transfer member in both of short time and long time aspects, and a technical field of an image forming apparatus using the toner.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Image forming apparatuses are constituted to use a toner to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on a latent-image carrier and transfer the developed image to a transfer member, such as paper, so that a transferred image of the exposed electrostatic latent image positioned on the latent-image carrier is obtained on the transfer member.
FIG. 10
is a schematic view showing an intermediate transfer type full-color image forming apparatus as an example of the conventional image forming apparatus.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, the image forming apparatus
101
is constituted such that an image is exposed on a latent-image carrier (hereinafter sometimes called an “OPC”)
102
so that an electrostatic latent image is formed. Moreover, the electrostatic latent image on the OPC
102
is sequentially (the order of colors may be determined arbitrarily) developed by yellow, magenta, cyan and black development units
103
,
104
,
105
and
106
so as to be formed into a visible image. Then, color matching of the developed image on the OPC
102
is performed by a transferring unit
107
, and then transferred to a transfer paper
108
which is one example of transfer members. Then, the transfer image is fixed by a fixing unit
109
. As a result, a required image is obtained on the transfer paper
108
.
After the developed image has been transferred to the transfer paper
108
, residual toner T′ left on the OPC
102
is removed by a cleaning blade
110
so as to be gathered into a residual toner box
111
.
Toner T for use in the conventional image forming apparatus
101
is described below. Toner T supplied from the toner supply members
103
c
,
104
c
,
105
c
and
106
c
of the development units and placed on the toner carriers
103
a
,
104
a
,
105
a
and
106
a
is, by the toner-regulating members
103
b
,
104
b
,
105
b
and
106
b
, formed into a uniform layer and uniformly electrified. Then, toner T is moved to the OPC
102
. To reliably move toner T to the OPC
102
through spaces between the toner carriers
103
a
,
104
a
,
105
a
and
106
a
and the toner blades
103
b
,
104
b
,
105
b
and
106
b
, toner T must have satisfactory fluidity and excellent electrification characteristic. Therefore, conventional toner T has a constitution that external additives
13
composed of silica (SiO
2
) are allowed to adhere to the surfaces of mother particles
12
made of a resin as shown in
FIG. 11
to improve the fluidity and electrification characteristics thereof.
Toner T produced such that the external additives
13
are allowed to adhere to the mother particles
12
also includes the external additives
13
liberated from the mother particles
12
. The liberated external additives
13
are relatively hard as compared with the mother particles
12
. When the liberated external additives
13
contained in residual toner T′ are removed by the cleaning blade
110
, the liberated external additives
13
are fixed to a contact portion (a nip portion)
102
a
of the OPC
102
with the cleaning blade
110
as shown in
FIG. 12
so that the external additives
13
remain. As a result, so-called filming occurs. If filming occurs, an image having a satisfactory quality cannot be obtained.
Therefore, a technique for preventing occurrence of filming has been suggested in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-99438 by reducing coagulation (aggregation) of the external additives
13
liberated from the mother particles
12
of toner T for use in the image forming apparatus
1
.
According to the foregoing disclosure, occurrence of the filming at the cleaning blade
110
due to the external additives
13
can be somewhat reduced.
The inventors of the present invention has variously studied about filming, thus resul
Ichikawa Kazuhiro
Ito Hiroshi
Okada Hideki
Takahata Toshiya
Goodrow John
Seiko Epson Corporation
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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