The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 07, 2020
Filed:
Aug. 27, 2019
Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Yusuke Fukuda, Kanagawa, JP;
Takafumi Koide, Kanagawa, JP;
Katsuyuki Kitajima, Kanagawa, JP;
Yasuhisa Morooka, Kanagawa, JP;
FUJI XEROX CO., LTD., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; a charging unit that charges a surface of the image carrier; an electrostatic image forming unit that forms an electrostatic image on the charged surface of the image carrier; a developing unit that contains an electrostatic image developing toner and develops the electrostatic image formed on the surface of the image carrier with the electrostatic image developing toner to form a toner image; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier to a recording medium; a cleaning unit that removes the electrostatic image developing toner remaining on the surface of the image carrier; a first supply unit that has a replenishment toner transport path for transporting a replenishment toner for the electrostatic image developing toner and supplies the replenishment toner to the developing unit; a second supply unit that collects the electrostatic image developing toner removed by the cleaning unit, that has a collected toner transport path for transporting the collected toner to the developing unit, and that supplies the collected toner to the developing unit; and a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred to the recording medium. The electrostatic image developing toner contains toner particles and an external additive and satisfies the following inequalities: (ln η(T1)−ln η(T2))/(T1-T2)≤−0.14, (ln η(T2)−ln η(T3))/(T2-T3)≥−0.15, (ln η(T1)−ln η(T2))/(T1-T2)<(ln η(T2)−ln η(T3))/(T2-T3), wherein η(T1) represents a viscosity of the electrostatic image developing toner at 60° C., η(T2) represents a viscosity of the electrostatic image developing toner at 90° C., and η(T3) represents a viscosity of the electrostatic image developing toner at 130° C.