# US 11,112,733 B2 · Image forming apparatus and process cartridge including a toner satisfying relations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,112,733 B2 - Document ID: US11112733B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/535,371 - Filed: 2019-08-08 - Published: 2020-09-17 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-13 - Assignees: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp. - Applicants: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp. - Inventors: Jun Sekiya; Masataka Kuribayashi; Makoto Kamisaki; Shota Oshima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11112733B2 ## CPC - G03G 15/161: {with means for handling the intermediate support, e.g. heating, cleaning, coating with a transfer agent} - G03G 9/08797: {characterised by their physical properties, e.g. viscosity, solubility, melting temperature, softening temperature, glass transition temperature} - G03G 15/0808: {characterised by the developer supplying means, e.g. structure of developer supply roller} - G03G 15/168: {with means for conditioning the transfer element, e.g. cleaning} - G03G 9/08755: {Polyesters} - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract An image forming apparatus includes: a developing section that forms a toner image by developing an electrostatic latent image using toner. The toner satisfies the following relations: (lnη(T1)−lnη(T2))/(T1−T2)≤−0.14; (lnη(T2)−lnη(T3))/(T2−T3)≥−0.15; and (lnη(T1)−lnη(T2))/(T1−T2)<(lnη(T2)−lnη(T3))/(T2−T3), where η(T1) represents a viscosity of the toner at 60° C., η(T2) represents a viscosity of the toner at 90° C., and η(T3) represents a viscosity of the toner at 130° C.). ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier that includes a conductive substrate, a photosensitive layer, and a surface-protecting layer; a charging section configured to charge a surface of the image carrier; a latent image forming section configured to form an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier; a developing section configured to form a toner image by developing the electrostatic latent image using toner; a transfer section configured to transfer the toner image to a recording medium; and a cleaning section configured to remove toner residue on the surface of the image carrier using a cleaning blade, wherein the toner satisfies the following relations: (lnη(T1)−lnη(T2))/(T1−T2)≤−0.14; (lnη(T2)−lnη(T3))/(T2−T3)≥−0.15; and (lnη(T1)−lnη(T2))/(T1−T2)<(lnη(T2)−lnη(T3))/(T2−T3), wherein has units of Pa·s, wherein T1=60° C., T2=90° C., and T3=130° C., and wherein η(T1) represents a viscosity of the toner at 60° C., η(T2) represents a viscosity of the toner at 90° C., and η(T3) represents a viscosity of the toner at 130° C. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the toner has a (lnη(T0)−lnη(T1))/(T0−T1), wherein η(T0) is a viscosity η of the toner at T0=40° C., of −0.12 or more, and the (lnη(T0)−lnη(T1))/(T0−T1) is greater than the (lnη(T1)−lnη(T2))/(T1−T2). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the toner satisfies the following relation: (lnη(T1)−lnη(T2))/(T1−T2)≤−0.16. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the toner satisfies the following relation: (lnη(T2)−lnη(T3))/(T2−T3)≥−0.13. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the toner has a highest-endothermic-peak temperature between 70° C. and 100° C. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the toner has a highest-endothermic-peak temperature between 75° C. and 95° C. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the toner contains a styrene-acrylic resin as a binder resin. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the toner contains an amorphous polyester resin as a binder resin. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of hardness of the cleaning blade (HBLD) and hardness of the surface-protecting layer (HOCL) (HBLD/HOCL) is 0.8 or less. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface-protecting layer is a cured form of a composition that contains a charge transport material, which is a material that has a reactive group and a charge-transporting structure in a same molecule. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the charge transport material is a compound derived from a triarylamine compound. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface-protecting layer is a cured form of a composition that contains a compound that has at least one of an acryloyl group and a methacryloyl group. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning blade contains a polyurethane. ### Claim 14 A process cartridge that is attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus, the process cartridge comprising: a developing section configured to contain toner for electrostatic charge image development and to develop an electrostatic charge image formed on a surface of an electrophotographic photoreceptor into a toner image for electrostatic charge image development; and a cleaning section that has a cleaning blade configured to clean the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor by contacting the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, wherein the toner satisfies the following relations: (lnη(T1)−lnη(T2))/(T1−T2)≤−0.14; (lnη(T2)−lnη(T3))/(T2−T3)≥−0.15; and (lnη(T1)−lnη(T2))/(T1−T2)<(lnη(T2)−lnη(T3))/(T2−T3), wherein η has units of Pa·s, wherein T1=60° C., T2=90° C., and T3=130° C., and wherein η(T1) represents a viscosity of the toner at 60° C., η(T2) represents a viscosity of the toner at 90° C., and η(T3) represents a viscosity of the toner at 130° C.