US 20060063089A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2006/0063089 A1 Tanaka et al. (43) Pub. Date: Mar. 23, 2006 (54) TONER AND DEVELOPER, TONER (30) Foreign Application Priority Data CONTAINER, PROCEss CARTRIDGE, IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUs, AND Sep. 17, 2004 (JP) .................................... .. 2004-272511 IMAGE-FORMING METHOD USING THE SAME Publication Classi?cation (76) Inventors: Chiaki Tanaka, Tagata-gun (JP); (51) Int. Cl. Naohiro Watanabe, Sunto-gun (JP); G036 9/08 (2006.01) Masahiro Ohki, NumaZu-shi (JP); (52) US. Cl. ............ .. 430/1103; 430/137.1; 430/137.15 Masahide Yamada, NumaZu-shi (JP); Akinori Saitoh, NumaZu-shi (JP); (57) ABSTRACT Sonoh Matsuoka, NumaZu-shi (JP); Ryota Inoue, NumaZu-shi (JP); Shigeru Emoto, NumaZu-shi (JP) An object of the present invention is to provide a toner having small-sized and potato-shaped particles created from Correspondence Address: multiple coherent spherical particles for excellent cleaning OBLON, SPIVAK, MCCLELLAND, MAIER & ability and high image quality, an image-forming method NEUSTADT, RC. that realiZes high image quality using the toner, and the like. 1940 DUKE STREET To this end, there is provided a toner, Which is produced by ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314 (US) granulating toner materials as an organic phase comprising at least a binder resin and a colorant in an aqueous medium (21) Appl. No.: 11/227,215 and has potato-shaped particles created from multiple coher ent primary oil droplets of the organic phase in the aqueous (22) Filed: Sep. 16, 2005 medium. Patent Application Publication Mar. 23, 2006 Sheet 1 0f 11 US 2006/0063089 A1 FIG. 1A Patent Application Publication Mar. 23, 2006 Sheet 2 0f 11 US 2006/0063089 A1 FIG. 2 JSsthrete-assr Jz-m #5715 Casson yield value I shear speed [1) FIG. 3A Patent Application Publication Mar. 23, 2006 Sheet 3 of 11 US 2006/0063089 A1 FIG. 3B Convergence FIG. 4 Removal of' solvent Patent Application Publication Mar. 23, 2006 Sheet 4 0f 11 US 2006/0063089 A1 FIG. 5 102 1‘ 0'1 \ 103 ‘ 107 i ' . 104 105 Patent Application Publication Mar. 23, 2006 Sheet 5 0f 11 US 2006/0063089 A1 cop Patent Application Publication Mar. 23, 2006 Sheet 6 0f 11 US 2006/0063089 A1 FIG. 7 Patent Application Publication Mar. 23, 2006 Sheet 7 0f 11 US 2006/0063089 A1 FIG. 8 1001s 10M 18 ~/'18 150\ ‘12 ‘)Y J8 ) '/ I / /1OK ' 17 < ' 4 /14‘ I _ 26 _ 62 e2 62/ % 16 22 49 53 52 57 24 23 55/ 27 2; on __/148 25 - .m u ‘1 A ' v‘ ' 1 \ 142/ 147 ‘A147 200 28 145 1 ' \ q 142 H '--\146 j 1 U \\—147 144 ‘7 ' I 45 _ MIQFQQQ ' -—~147 143/’ . 4/ ' ‘ 1 45 V V Patent Application Publication Mar. 23, 2006 Sheet 8 0f 11 US 2006/0063089 A1 Patent Application Publication Mar. 23, 2006 Sheet 9 0f 11 US 2006/0063089 A1 FIG. 10 FIG.11A