# US 12,117,769 B2 · Method for producing recycled carrier, method for producing recycled electrostatic charge image developer, image forming method, and recycled carrier > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,117,769 B2 - Document ID: US12117769B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/459,258 - Filed: 2021-08-27 - Published: 2022-09-29 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-23 - Assignees: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp. - Applicants: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp. - Inventors: Takeshi Tanabe; Yosuke Tsurumi; Shintaro Anno - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12117769B2 ## CPC - G03G 9/1131: {Coating methods; Structure of coatings} - G03G 9/108: {Ferrite carrier, e.g. magnetite} - G03G 9/1133: {obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds} - G03G 15/08: using a solid developer, e.g. powder developer - G03G 15/75: {Details relating to xerographic drum, band or plate, e.g. replacing, testing (electrographic recording members per se G03G5/00)} - G03G 15/752: {with renewable photoconductive layer} - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A method for producing a recycled carrier includes: performing classification, the classification including separating a carrier having a coating layer from a collected developer by a centrifugal air classifier, the collected developer containing the carrier and being obtained by collecting an electrostatic charge image developer remaining after image formation; and performing recoating, the recoating including dissolving or thermally melting a coating resin of the separated and classified carrier and then coating the resulting carrier again to produce a recycled carrier. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for producing a recycled carrier, the method comprising: performing classification, the classification including separating a carrier having a coating layer from a collected developer by a centrifugal air classifier, the collected developer containing the carrier and being obtained by collecting an electrostatic charge image developer remaining after image formation; and performing recoating, the recoating including dissolving or thermally melting a coating resin of the separated and classified carrier and then immediately coating the resulting carrier with the resulting coating resin again to produce a recycled carrier. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 1, wherein the classification involves eliminating particles having a particle size of 10 μm or less from the carrier contained in the collected developer by using the centrifugal air classifier. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 1, wherein the recoating involves adding a coating resin to adjust a coating resin amount to the same as that of a new carrier. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 2, wherein the recoating involves adding a coating resin to adjust a coating resin amount to the same as that of a new carrier. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 1, wherein the recoating involves mixing the classified carrier with new magnetic particles under stirring, adding a coating liquid containing a solvent and a resin for coating the magnetic particles to the resulting mixture, and evaporating the solvent while simultaneously mixing the classified carrier and the magnetic particles under stirring to form a coating layer of the classified carrier again, and wherein the classified carrier has a coating layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 2, wherein the recoating involves mixing the classified carrier with new magnetic particles under stirring, adding a coating liquid containing a solvent and a resin for coating the magnetic particles to the resulting mixture, and evaporating the solvent while simultaneously mixing the classified carrier and the magnetic particles under stirring to form a coating layer of the classified carrier again, and wherein the classified carrier has a coating layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 5, wherein a ratio Mnew/Mold of an amount Mnew of the new magnetic particles added to an amount Mold of the classified carrier added in the recoating is 1 or more. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 6, wherein a ratio Mnew/Mold of an amount Mnew of the new magnetic particles added to an amount Mold of the classified carrier added in the recoating is 1 or more. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 7, wherein the ratio Mnew/Mold of the amount Mnew of the new magnetic particles added to the amount Mold of the classified carrier added in the recoating is 2 or more and 20 or less. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 8, wherein the ratio Mnew/Mold of the amount Mnew of the new magnetic particles added to the amount Mold of the classified carrier added in the recoating is 2 or more and 20 or less. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 1, wherein the centrifugal air classifier is a forced vortex-type classifier with a rotary blade. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 2, wherein the centrifugal air classifier is a forced vortex-type classifier with a rotary blade. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 3, wherein the centrifugal air classifier is a forced vortex-type classifier with a rotary blade. ### Claim 14 (depends on 4) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 4, wherein the centrifugal air classifier is a forced vortex-type classifier with a rotary blade. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 5, wherein the centrifugal air classifier is a forced vortex-type classifier with a rotary blade. ### Claim 16 (depends on 6) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 6, wherein the centrifugal air classifier is a forced vortex-type classifier with a rotary blade. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 11, wherein, in the classification, a centrifugal force F applied by the rotary blade satisfies Formula 1 below, and a peripheral speed of the rotary blade satisfies Formula 2 below: F(N)=m·(2πdN)2/d≥1.5×10−8 Formula 1 Peripheral speed(m/s)=2πdN≤50 Formula 2 where m represents a mass (kg) of one carrier particle, N represents the number of revolutions (rps) of the rotary blade, d represents a radius (m) of the rotary blade, and x represents a ratio of a circumference of a circle to its diameter. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A method for producing a recycled electrostatic charge image developer, the method comprising the method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 1. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) An image forming method using a recycled carrier produced by the method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 1. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A recycled carrier produced by the method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 1. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 1, wherein the recoating including dissolving a coating resin of the separated and classified carrier with a solvent and then coating the resulting carrier again to produce a recycled carrier. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The method for producing a recycled carrier according to claim 1, wherein the recoating including dissolving a coating resin of the separated and classified carrier with a solvent and then coating the resulting carrier with the same solvent containing the dissolved coating resin again to produce a recycled carrier, wherein the solvent is at least one selected from the group consisting of toluene, xylene, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, tetrahydrofuran, and dioxane.