Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.

Keyaki Yogome

Hiroaki Umemoto

Naoki Yoshie

Yuji Kamoda

Chiaki Yamada

Provided is a liquid developer concentration adjusting apparatus and a method so that the concentration can be adjusted easily and efficiently without using time and effort in liquid volume control. Further, the apparatus and method enable the concentration adjustment to be efficiently accomplished in a short period of time with reduced volume of required supply developer to be added for the adjustment independently of the initial concentration of the developer by concurrently measuring the concentration of developer, even if the concentration thereof is high. In the control of the concentration adjustment, the developer is allowed to overflow through an opening of the concentration adjusting container, and the concentration adjustment by using supply developer or the supply speed of the supply developer is started before the start of the overflow.

Apparatus and method for adjusting concentration of liquid developer

Provided are an apparatus and method for measuring the concentration of liquid developer, and an apparatus and method for controlling the concentration of liquid developer in which the concentration of a highly concentrated developer is easily and accurately measured or controlled without controlling the liquid amount. An opening is provided in the developer container for concentration measurement in which a liquid developer for concentration measurement is stored and stirred for concentration measurement. The developer container for concentration measurement is configured such that the stored liquid developer for concentration measurement overflows through the opening at the time of stirring.

Apparatus and method for measuring or controlling concentration of liquid developer

To provide a wet developer which is capable of improving fixability, while ensuring a sufficient heat-resistant storage property. The wet developer contains toner particles composed of a colorant and a binder resin, which are dispersed in a non-volatile carrier solution by using a dispersant. As the binder resin, a polyester resin, which has an alcohol component containing a mixture of an ethylene oxide adduct of bisphenol A and a propylene oxide adduct of bisphenol A, with a ratio thereof being 1:19 to 10:10 (weight ratio), is used.

Wet developer

In order to conform a specific correction table to the characteristics of a liquid developer to be used, the specific correction table is created by calibrating a standard correction table stored in advance by using a viscosity property value of a liquid developer for calibration at a current temperature. A concentration adjustment is performed by comparing a measured viscosity property value with a target viscosity property value which is temperature-corrected based on the specific correction table. Further, the viscosity property value of a liquid developer is detected by measuring the current of a motor for stirring the liquid developer, where a no-load stirring current value is measured in the absence of a liquid developer, and one or both of a measured current value and target current value is corrected based thereon.

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Otsu, Japan

Keyaki Yogome