Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Ryohta Inoue

Chiaki Tanaka

Naohiro Watanabe

Takeshi Takada

Masahide Yamada

Masahiro Ohki

Sonoh Matsuoka

Akinori Saitoh

A toner including a binder; a colorant; and a wax, wherein the binder includes a polyester resin; and a reaction product of a polymer having a group capable of reacting with an active hydrogen with a compound having an active hydrogen, wherein the polyester resin includes tetrahydrofuran(THF)-soluble resin components in an amount of from 50 to 85% by weight; and chloroform-insoluble components in an amount of from 0 to 30% by weight, and wherein the toner satisfies the following relationship (1):5% by weight&#x3c;(C1-C2)&#x3c;60% by weight &#x2003;&#x2003;(1)wherein C1 represents a content of chloroform-insoluble components in the toner in units of % by weight and C2 represents a content of the colorant therein in units of % by weight.

Toner and method or preparing the toner

A toner including toner particles comprising a binder resin; and at least two kinds of particulate resins which are located on at least a surface of the toner particles, wherein the toner satisfies at least one of the following relationships (TgA-TgB)&#x2267;20&#xb0; C., wherein TgA and TgB represent glass transition temperatures (Tg) of a particulate resin (A) having a highest Tg and a particulate resin (B) having a lowest Tg among the at least two kinds of particulate resins, respectively; and 100,000&#x2266;Mwc&#x2266;6,000,000 and 8,000&#x2266;Mwd&#x2266;800,000, wherein Mwc and Mwd represent weight average molecular weights (Mw) of a particulate resin (C) having a highest Mw and a particulate resin (D) having a lowest Mw among the at least two kinds of particulate resins, respectively, wherein Mwc&#x3e;Mwd.

Toner, method for manufacturing the toner, developer including the toner, toner container containing the toner, and image forming method, image forming apparatus and process cartridge using the toner

A toner including toner particles comprising a binder resin; and at least two kinds of particulate resins which are located on at least a surface of the toner particles, wherein the toner satisfies at least one of the following relationships (TgA&#x2212;TgB)&#x2267;20&#xb0; C., wherein TgA and TgB represent glass transition temperatures (Tg) of a particulate resin (A) having a highest Tg and a particulate resin (B) having a lowest Tg among the at least two kinds of particulate resins, respectively; and 100,000&#x2266;Mwc&#x2266;6,000,000 and 8,000&#x2266;Mwd&#x2266;800,000, wherein Mwc and Mwd represent weight average molecular weights (Mw) of a particulate resin (C) having a highest Mw and a particulate resin (D) having a lowest Mw among the at least two kinds of particulate resins, respectively, wherein Mwc&#x3e;Mwd.

A toner for image formation is provided, which is produced by dispersing in an aqueous solvent a toner composition which includes a composition thermally soluble in an organic solvent and a coloring agent, thereby forming toner particles, wherein the thermally soluble composition includes (a) a polyester having an acid value and (b) a metal alcolate and/a metal chelate compound. The toner is capable of attaining image fixing at a sufficiently low image fixing temperature and a sufficiently broad image fixing temperature range for use in practice. Furthermore, toner containers such as a toner cartridge and a process cartridge are provided, which are loaded with the toner. Such toner containers can be detachably mounted on an image forming apparatus.

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Numazu, Japan

Ryohta Inoue