# US 10,310,399 B2 · Toner, image forming apparatus, image forming method, and toner stored unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,310,399 B2 - Document ID: US10310399B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/536,531 - Filed: 2015-11-26 - Published: 2018-11-15 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-19 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Natsuko Matsushita; Tomomi Suzuki; Kohtaroh Ogino; Tohru Moriya - Inventors: Natsuko Matsushita; Tomomi Suzuki; Kohtaroh Ogino; Tohru Moriya - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10310399B2 ## CPC - G03G 9/08797: {characterised by their physical properties, e.g. viscosity, solubility, melting temperature, softening temperature, glass transition temperature} - G03G 9/081: {by mixing the toner components in a liquefied state; melt kneading; reactive mixing} - G03G 9/0821: {characterised by physical parameters (magnetic parameters G03G9/083)} - G03G 9/08755: {Polyesters} - G03G 9/08782: {Waxes} - G03G 9/08795: {characterised by their chemical properties, e.g. acidity, molecular weight, sensitivity to reactants} - G03G 15/08: using a solid developer, e.g. powder developer - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract Provided is a toner including at least a binder resin, and having peak ratio W/R of from 0.20 to 0.70 when measured with FT-IR according to ATR method, W/R being a ratio of height W of maximum spectral peak attributed to bisphenol A skeleton of the toner and observed at from 1,480 cm−1 to 1,520 cm−1 to height R of maximum spectral peak attributed to carbonyl group of the toner and observed at from 1,700 cm−1 to 1,750 cm−1, wherein molecular weight distribution of the toner obtained by GPC of THF-soluble component of the toner has main peak in a range of from 1,000 to 10,000, half value width of the molecular weight distribution is a molecular weight of 20,000 or less, and content of a THF-insoluble component in the toner is from 5% by mass to 40% by mass. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A toner, comprising a binder resin comprising a polyester resin, wherein an alcohol component constituting the polyester resin comprises a bisphenol A component, wherein the toner has a peak ratio W/R of from 0.20 to 0.70 when measured according to a Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopic analysis (FT-IR) method according to an Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) method, where the peak ratio W/R is a ratio of a height W of a maximum spectral peak attributed to a bisphenol A skeleton of the toner and observed at from 1,480 cm−1 to 1,520 cm−1 to a height R of a maximum spectral peak attributed to a carbonyl group of the toner and observed at from 1,700 cm−1 to 1,750 cm−1, wherein a molecular weight distribution of the toner obtained by Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) of a tetrahydrofuran (THF)-soluble component of the toner has a main peak in a range of from 1,000 to 10,000, and a half value width of the molecular weight distribution is a molecular weight of 20,000 or less, and wherein a content of a THF-insoluble component in the toner is from 5% by mass to 40% by mass. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The toner according to claim 1, wherein the toner has a peak ratio W′/R′ of from 0.06 to 0.70 when measured according to a Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopic analysis (FT-IR) method according to infrared spectroscopy (KBr tablet method), where the peak ratio W′/R′ is a ratio of a height W′ of a spectral peak of the toner observed at from 1,480 cm−1 to 1,520 cm−1 to a height R′ of a spectral peak of the toner observed at from 1,700 cm−1 to 1,750 cm−1. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The toner according to claim 2, wherein the peak ratio W/R and the peak ratio W′/R′ satisfies a relationship below, W′/R′≤W/R. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The toner according to claim 2, wherein a ratio (W/R)/(W′/R′) of the peak ratio W/R to the peak ratio W′/R′ is from 1.0 to 2.0. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The toner according to claim 1, wherein a content of the bisphenol A component in a THF-soluble alcohol component of the toner is from 20 mol % to 100 mol %, wherein a content of the bisphenol A component in a THF-insoluble alcohol component of the toner is from 0 mol % to 80 mol %, and wherein the content of the bisphenol A in the THF-soluble alcohol component is greater than the content of the bisphenol A in the THF-insoluble alcohol component. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The toner according to claim 1, wherein the content of the THF-insoluble component in the toner is from 10% by mass to 35% by mass. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) An image forming method, comprising: forming an electrostatic latent image over an electrostatic latent image bearer; developing the electrostatic latent image formed over the electrostatic latent image bearer with a toner according to claim 1 to form a toner image, transferring the toner image formed over the electrostatic latent image bearer onto a recording medium; and fixing the toner image transferred onto the recording medium. ### Claim 8 A toner stored unit, comprising a toner, wherein the toner stored unit stores the toner, wherein the toner comprises a binder resin comprising a polyester resin, wherein an alcohol component constituting the polyester resin comprises a bisphenol A component, wherein the toner has a peak ratio W/R of from 0.20 to 0.70 when measured according to a Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopic analysis (FT-IR) method according to an Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) method, where the peak ratio W/R is a ratio of a height W of a maximum spectral peak attributed to a bisphenol A skeleton of the toner and observed at from 1,480 cm−1 to 1,520 cm−1 to a height R of a maximum spectral peak attributed to a carbonyl group of the toner and observed at from 1,700 cm−1 to 1,750 cm−1, wherein a molecular weight distribution of the toner obtained by Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) of a tetrahydrofuran (THF)-soluble component of the toner has a main peak in a range of from 1,000 to 10,000, and a half value width of the molecular weight distribution is a molecular weight of 20,000 or less, and wherein a content of a THF-insoluble component in the toner is from 5% by mass to 40% by mass. ### Claim 9 An image forming apparatus, comprising: an electrostatic latent image bearer; a charging unit configured to electrically charge the electrostatic latent image bearer; an electrostatic latent image forming unit configured to form an electrostatic latent image over the electrically charged electrostatic latent image bearer; a developing unit configured to develop the electrostatic latent image formed over the electrostatic latent image bearer with a toner to form a toner image; a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image formed over the electrostatic latent image bearer onto a recording medium; and a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image transferred onto the recording medium, wherein the toner comprises a binder resin comprising a polyester resin, wherein an alcohol component constituting the polyester resin comprises a bisphenol A component, wherein the toner has a peak ratio W/R of from 0.20 to 0.70 when measured according to a Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopic analysis (FT-IR) method according to an Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) method, where the peak ratio W/R is a ratio of a height W of a maximum spectral peak attributed to a bisphenol A skeleton of the toner and observed at from 1,480 cm−1 to 1,520 cm−1 to a height R of a maximum spectral peak attributed to a carbonyl group of the toner and observed at from 1,700 cm−1 to 1,750 cm−1, wherein a molecular weight distribution of the toner obtained by Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) of a tetrahydrofuran (THF)-soluble component of the toner has a main peak in a range of from 1,000 to 10,000, and a half value width of the molecular weight distribution is a molecular weight of 20,000 or less, and wherein a content of a THF-insoluble component in the toner is from 5% by mass to 40% by mass.