Lexmark International, Inc.

Ligia Aura Bejat

Rick Owen Jones

Jing X Sun

Michael Craig Leemhuis

Cory Nathan Hammond

Michael James Bensing

John Joseph Kraseski

Ashley Schafer Grant

Danielle Renee Ashley

Eric C Stelter

Kasturi Rangan Srinivasan

Michael Alan Gist

Gerald Lee Fish

Prabuddha Jyotindra Mehta

David Anthony Schneider

Ronald Lloyd Roe

Ronald Willard Baker

Philip Jerome Heink

David Starling MacMillan

Jean Marie Massie

Bhaskar Gopalanarayanan

Sean David Smith

Claudia Alexandra Marin

James Craig Minor

Michael Anthony Blassingame

Kelly Marie Wright

Brandon Michael Lin

Bradley Leonard Beach

Robert Watson McAlpine

Donald Wayne Stafford

Benjamin Alan Askren

Jarrett Clark Gayne

John William Kietzman

Hrishikesh Pramod Gogate

Scott Richard Castle

Craig Michael Bertelsen

Calvin Dale Murphy

Peter Brown Pickett

Courtney Harrison Soale

Jason Edward Gordon

Charles Jerome Cheek

Matthew Thomas Martinkovic

Vernon Wayne Ulrich

Peter Nikolaivich Yaron

Devon Jean Vaccaro Strain

Claudia Alexandra Marin Goggin

Matthew T Martinkovic

The toner composition of the present invention and method to make the same includes toner particles mixed with a specific set of extra particulate additives including large colloidal silica sized 90 nm to 120 nm and having a conductivity of less than 20 &#x3bc;s/cm in combination with medium size silica particles sized 30 nm to 60 nm. Optionally, additional extra particular additives such as silica sized 2 nm to 20 nm, alumina, titania or mixtures thereof can be used. The finished toner having these specific additives exhibited superior printing performance.

Toner compositions including silica blends and method to make the same

A chemically prepared toner composition according to one example embodiment includes a core including a first polymer binder, a colorant and a release agent; a shell that is formed around the core that includes a second polymer binder; and a borax coupling agent between the core and the shell and an alkoxysilane hydrocarbon or combination of different alkoxysilane hydrocarbons that are bonded to the outer surface of the shell using a hydrolytic deposition process. This successful alkoxysilane hydrocarbon surface treatment on the outer surface of the toner particle results in attaining a desirable charge stability in hot and humid environments and ultimately improving the quality of the toner, especially by reducing toner dusting, toner fuming and ultra-fine particles generation.

Toner formulation having a silane surface treated on its outer surface and method of preparing the same

A method for producing core shell toner for electrophotography according to one embodiment, includes surface treating the outer surface of a core shell toner particle with a alkoxysilane hydrocarbon or combination of different alkoxysilane hydrocarbons using a hydrolytic deposition process after the core shell toner particle is fully formed. This method results in the bonding of the alkoxysilane hydrocarbon or combination of different alkoxysilane hydrocarbons to the outer surface of the core shell toner particle. In an alternative method, the outer surface of the toner is surface treated with the alkoxysilane hydrocarbon solution and then fused to form toner particles. The alkoxysilane hydrocarbon surface treated core shell toner also can be mixed with magnetic carrier beads to form a developer mix to be used in a dual component development electrophotographic printer.

A toner cartridge for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for storing toner. A rotatable drive shaft is positioned within the reservoir. A partition is mounted on the drive shaft and axially movable along the drive shaft when the drive shaft rotates. The partition divides the reservoir into a first compartment for storing fresh toner and a second compartment for storing waste toner. An expandable agitator is positioned within the second compartment and rotatable with the drive shaft. When the drive shaft rotates and the partition moves along the drive shaft expanding a volume of the second compartment, the agitator expands along a length of the drive shaft and rotates with the drive shaft for agitating waste toner in the second compartment.

Toner cartridge having an expandable toner agitator

An electrophotographic imaging system according to one example embodiment includes a toner cartridge including a housing having a reservoir for storing toner. A shaft is rotatably positioned within the reservoir and includes a threaded portion. A partition mounted on the threaded portion of the shaft moves axially along the threaded portion when the shaft rotates. The partition divides the reservoir into a first toner compartment and a second toner compartment. A sensing arrangement monitors an axial position of the partition along the shaft. The sensing arrangement includes a plurality of sensors arranged at predetermined axial locations relative to the shaft and a sensed member connected to the partition. The plurality of sensors are positioned to detect an axial position of the sensed member relative to the shaft for determining the axial position of the partition along the shaft.

Systems for detecting an axially moveable member within a toner cartridge

A chemically prepared toner composition according to one example embodiment includes a core including at least one polymer binder, a colorant and a release agent; a shell that is formed around the core and includes a third polymer binder; and a borax coupling agent between the core and the shell. The binder for the shell is a styrene acrylic polyester copolymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) between 55&#xb0; C. to 65&#xb0; C., a melt temperature (Tm) between 100&#xb0; C. to 130&#xb0; C., a peak molecular weight of about 12,000 and acid value from 10-28.

Chemically prepared core shell toner formulation including a styrene acrylate polyester copolymer used for the shell

A developer mix formulation having tribocharge uniformity across varying temperature and humidity conditions is provided. A developer mix used in a dual component development (DCD) system is a mixture of toner particles and magnetic carrier particles. Tribocharge uniformity is achieved in the developer mix by using magnetic carrier particles having surface additives on its surface. Surface additives include but are not limited to silica, titania and alumina.

Formulation for a developer mix having tribocharge uniformity across different temperature and humidity conditions

A method for providing a developer mix having tribocharge uniformity across varying temperature and humidity conditions is provided. A developer mix used in a dual component development (DCD) system typically is a mixture of toner particles and magnetic carrier particles. Tribocharge uniformity is achieved in the developer mix by performing the step of treating the surface of the magnetic carrier particles with surface additives before the magnetic carrier particles are mixed with the toner particles. Surface additives include but are not limited to silica, titania and alumina.

Method to achieve tribocharge uniformity of a developer mix across different temperature and humidity conditions by modifying the surface of the magnetic carrier particle

A toner cartridge according to one example includes a housing having a toner reservoir, an exit for exiting toner and an entry port for receiving waste toner. A partition divides the reservoir into a first compartment for storing fresh toner and a second compartment for storing waste toner. The first compartment is in fluid communication with the exit. The partition is movable within the reservoir between a first position and a second position. The entry port is in fluid communication with the first compartment when the partition is in the first position such that waste toner received through the entry port is deposited into the first compartment. The entry port is in fluid communication with the second compartment but closed off from the first compartment when the partition is in the second position such that waste toner received through the entry port is deposited into the second compartment.

Systems and methods for reincorporating waste toner with fresh toner within a toner cartridge

The present disclosure relates to chemically processed toner. The toner may be prepared by an emulsion aggregation method by forming a polyester dispersion wherein the polyester has an acid value of about 5 to about 50 and a particle size of about 50 to about 500 nanometers. The polyester dispersion may then be combined with a pigment and/or release agent dispersion wherein the pigment and/or release agent dispersion may contain a dispersant. This may then be followed by heating and recovering agglomerated toner particles wherein the toner particles may have a mean particle size of about 3 to about 15 microns and an average degree of circularity of between about 0.90 to about 1.0.

Polyester resin toner produced by emulsion aggregation

A doctor blade for a printer may include a cantilever spring. The free end of the cantilever spring includes a section with a first bend in one direction and a second bend in the opposite direction. Thus, a bump end may be formed which has a surface which is generally tangential to the surface of a developer roll against which the doctor blade is biased.

Doctor blade with tangential working tip

An apparatus and method for ink-jet printing including an intermediate transfer medium, a transfer medium, and an ink-jet print head to jet ink toward the intermediate transfer medium, to transfer an ink image from the intermediate transfer medium to media with an optimum image transfer and optical density. The optimum image transfer and optical density is accomplished by generating uniform pressure across a nip generated by the intermediate transfer medium and the transfer medium, and control of a release coating thickness resident on the intermediate transfer medium and a time delay between a jetting of ink toward the intermediate transfer medium and transfer of jetted ink resident on a surface of the intermediate transfer medium to the media.

Apparatus and method for printing with an inkjet drum

A toner layer regulating system for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a toner carrier; a toner regulating member supported in cantilevered fashion against the toner carrier so as to form a toner nip therebetween comprising a flexible metallic substrate having a coating covering at least an area forming the nip; wherein the coating comprises at least a matrix of a base polymer and a plurality of fine particles having a particle size of 0.1 microns to thirty microns; wherein the coating has a thickness of approximately one hundred fifty microns or less; wherein the coating has a surface roughness in the range of 0.15 to 1.5 microns Ra and in the range of 1 to 15 microns Rz. A carrier stratum may be disposed between the coating and the substrate, and the coating may be single layer or have a plurality of layers.

Electrophotographic toner regulating member with polymer coating having surface roughness modified by fine particles

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Lexington, KY, United States of America

Ligia Aura Bejat