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:
Oct. 29, 2013
Filed:
Aug. 19, 2010
Kenta Kenjoh, Shizuoka, JP;
Tetsuya Tanaka, Shizuoka, JP;
Kenta Kenjoh, Shizuoka, JP;
Tetsuya Tanaka, Shizuoka, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
To provide an apparatus for producing a toner, including: a droplet forming unit configured to periodically discharge a toner composition liquid, which includes at least a resin and a colorant, from a plurality of nozzles so as to form droplets; a gas flow forming unit configured to form a gas flow which passes through a narrowed portion that corresponds to a nozzle formation area and that is placed on a downstream side of the nozzles with respect to a droplet discharge direction, and which advances in the droplet discharge direction; and a particle forming unit configured to form toner particles by solidifying the droplets of the toner composition liquid passed through the narrowed portion and then discharged, wherein the opening area of an opening which forms the narrowed portion decreases from an inlet side of the narrowed portion toward an outlet side of the narrowed portion.