Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Andrew Mwaniki Mulwa

Yoshihiro Norikane

Shinji Aoki

Masaru Ohgaki

Yasutada Shitara

Satoshi Takahashi

Yohichiroh Watanabe

Kiyotada Katoh

Minoru Masuda

Keisuke Uchida

Yuko Sekiguchi

Takahiro Honda

Tetsuya Sonoda

A cleaner, such as provided in a particulate material production apparatus, for cleaning a droplet ejector, which includes nozzles to eject a particulate material composition liquid as droplets, and a nozzle plate bearing the nozzles. A substantially closed cleaning space is formed outside the nozzles and the nozzle plate, and a first cleaning liquid supplying device supplies a first cleaning liquid to the cleaning space so that the nozzles and the nozzle plate are contacted with the first cleaning liquid. In addition, a vibrator vibrates the first cleaning liquid when the nozzles and the nozzle plate are contacted with the first cleaning liquid to clean the nozzles and the nozzle plate.

Cleaner for cleaning droplet ejector, and particulate material production apparatus using the cleaner

A cleaning method for cleaning a droplet ejector, which includes nozzles to eject a particulate material composition liquid, and a nozzle plate bearing the nozzles is provided. The cleaning method includes forming a substantially closed cleaning space outside the nozzles and the nozzle plate; supplying a cleaning liquid to the cleaning space so that the nozzles and the nozzle plate are contacted with the cleaning liquid; and vibrating the cleaning liquid when the nozzles and the nozzle plate are contacted with the cleaning liquid to clean the nozzles and the nozzle plate.

Method for cleaning droplet ejector, cleaner for cleaning droplet ejector, and particulate material production apparatus using the cleaner

A method for producing fine particles, including: discharging a fine particle material liquid, where solid materials to be formed into fine particles are dissolved or dispersed in a solvent or are melted, from two or more discharge holes in a downward vertical direction, to thereby form liquid droplets; and solidifying the liquid droplets discharged to form fine particles, wherein in the discharging a fine particle material liquid, gas flow is supplied at angle of greater than 0&#xb0; but 90&#xb0; or smaller to the downward vertical direction, and wherein an initial discharge velocity of the liquid droplets discharged from the discharge hole located at an upstream side of the gas flow in a flowing direction thereof is equal to or higher than an initial discharge velocity of the liquid droplets discharged from the discharge hole located at a downstream side of the gas flow in the flowing direction thereof.

Method for producing fine particles and apparatus for producing fine particles

A droplet discharging device including a discharging hole to discharge droplets, a piezoelectric element that deforms with electrical charging and discharging to discharge droplets therefrom, a piezoelectric element drive circuit that drives the piezoelectric element to cause it to charge and discharge, wherein the piezoelectric element drive circuit has a control signal generating unit to generate control signals that control outputs of drive signals applied to the piezoelectric circuit and a drive signal output unit to output the drive signals applied to the piezoelectric element based on the control signals, wherein the drive signal output unit includes a first field effect transistor that operates to supply an electric current to the piezoelectric element based on the control signals when charging the piezoelectric element and a second field effect transistor that operates to discharge an electric current from the piezoelectric element based on the control signals when discharging the piezoelectric element.

Droplet discharging device and particle manufacturing device

A method of producing particulate, including introducing an initial liquid including a particulate component in a lower concentration than that of a liquid including a particulate component or no concentration to a projection hole of a droplet projector so as to be projected at the start of the discharging; discharging a droplet of the liquid comprising a particulate component from the projection hole; and solidifying the droplet to form a particulate.

Particulate production method

A method of manufacturing toner is provided. In the method, toner constituents are dissolved or dispersed in an organic solvent to prepare a toner constituents liquid. The toner constituents liquid is degassed so that the toner constituents liquid includes dissolved oxygen in an amount of 3 mg/L or less. The toner constituents liquid is vibrated in a chamber having at least one nozzle to form a liquid column resonance standing wave in the toner constituents liquid. The toner constituents liquid is discharged from the nozzle disposed within an area including an antinode of the liquid column resonance standing wave to form the toner constituents liquid into liquid droplets. The liquid droplets are dried to solidify the liquid droplets into solid particles.

Method of manufacturing toner, apparatus for manufacturing toner, and method of manufacturing resin particles

A method of manufacturing a toner including supplying a fluid containing a resin and a coloring agent to a retaining member including a film having multiple discharge orifices, discharging droplets of the fluid from the multiple discharge orifices at a speed of from 2 to 4 m/s by applying a pulse voltage having a trapezoid waveform to a piezoelectric body having a surface provided substantially parallel to the film to move the surface in a direction away from the film relative to a reference position of the surface followed by holding the surface there for a predetermined time, and bringing the surface back to the reference position; and solidifying droplets of the fluid discharged from the multiple discharge orifices to form mother particles.

Method of manufacturing toner

A method of manufacturing toner is provided, including discharging a toner constituents liquid from multiple nozzles to form liquid droplets and solidifying the liquid droplets into toner particles. The multiple nozzles satisfy the following formula:2.5&#x2266;7.5wherein d represents an outlet diameter of each nozzle and p represents an interval between two nozzles.

Method of manufacturing toner, toner manufacturing apparatus, and method of manufacturing resin particles

A method for producing a toner, containing: ultrasonically vibrating a liquid toner composition in which a toner material containing at least a binder resin and a colorant is dissolved or dispersed in a solvent; introducing the liquid toner composition to a liquid chamber, and ejecting the liquid toner composition as droplets from an ejecting plate having a plurality of holes and disposed on one surface of the liquid chamber; and drying and solidifying the droplets so as to produce a toner, wherein the ultrasonically vibrating is performed before the introducing the liquid toner composition to the liquid chamber.

Method for producing toner and toner

A method and an apparatus for producing toner are provided. A fluid comprising a resin and a colorant is supplied to a retention member that includes a film on which multiple discharge openings are formed. The fluid which is supplied to the retention member is resonated so that liquid droplets thereof are discharged from the multiple openings. The liquid droplets which are discharged from the multiple openings are solidified to form mother particles of a toner.

Method and apparatus for producing toner

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a toner, wherein a liquid drop forming part including a storage part configured to store a toner composition liquid in which a toner composition including at least a resin and a coloring agent is dispersed or dissolved, a thin film on which a nozzle facing the storage part is formed, and a vibration generating part configured to vibrate the thin film via the toner composition liquid in the storage part are used, wherein plural storage chambers partitioned by a partition wall(s) are formed in the storage part and a width of each storage chamber in a direction of arrangement of the plural storage chambers and a width of each storage chamber in a direction orthogonal to the direction of arrangement of the storage chambers are formed to be one-half or less of a wavelength &#x3bb; of a sonic wave generated in the storage part.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Andrew Mwaniki Mulwa