Color-blind melt flow index properties for toners

US6406822B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Xerox Corporation · US

Inventors

• Scott M. Silence · Rochester, US
• Joo T. Chung · Webster, US
• James M. Proper · Webster, US
• Edward J. Gutman · Webster, US
• James G. Stenzel · Rochester, US
• Kip L. Jugle · New York, US
• Yelena Shapiro · Rochester, US
• James A. Winters · Alfred Station, US
• Maria M. Barden · Fairport, US
• John S. Walters · Pittsford, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 29, 2000
• Grant date: Jun 18, 2002
• Expiry date: Sep 29, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03G9/09783
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

At least three differently colored toners, designed for use together in forming a color image in an image developing device, have substantially the same melt flow index value. By substantially matching the melt flow index values of at least three toners of a set of toners, it has been found that the resultant color image has an overall excellent image quality, i.e., an excellent overall gloss level without any gloss banding. The toners may be made to have substantially the same melt flow index value in a carefully controlled process that includes forming a single toner by feeding at least one binder and at least one colorant into a mixing device to form a mixture, upon exit of the mixture from the mixing device, measuring a rheology property of the mixture with at least one monitoring device, and comparing the measured rheology property to a target property range that the measured rheology property must be within in order for the single toner to achieve the desired melt flow index value, wherein if the measuring indicates that the rheology property is outside of the target property range, feed amounts of the at least one binder or of the at least one colorant into the mixing device…