Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
221 words
A process for producing colored resinous particles for use in toner powder, comprising: preparing a pulverized feed material by melt-kneading a composition comprising at least a binder resin and a colorant or magnetic material, cooling and solidifying the kneaded product, and pulverizing the solidified product; introducing the pulverized feed material into a first classification step to classify the feed material into a first coarse powder and a first classified fine powder; introducing the classified first coarse powder into a first pulverization step to pulverize the coarse powder under the action of an impact force; introducing the resultant pulverized product of the first coarse powder into the first classification step together with the pulverized feed material; introducing the first classified fine powder into a second classification step to classify the fine powder into a second coarse powder and a second classified fine powder; introducing the classified second coarse powder into a second pulverization step to pulverize the coarse powder under the action of an impact force which is smaller than that exerted in the first pulverization step; introducing the resultant pulverized product of the second coarse powder into the first classification step or the second classification step; and removing a minute powder fraction from the second classified fine powder for adjusting a particle size distribution, thereby to obtain the colored resinous particles.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
221 words
A process for producing colored resinous particles for use in toner powder, comprising: preparing a pulverized feed material by melt-kneading a composition comprising at least a binder resin and a colorant or magnetic material, cooling and solidifying the kneaded product, and pulverizing the solidified product; introducing the pulverized feed material into a first classification step to classify the feed material into a first coarse powder and a first classified fine powder; introducing the classified first coarse powder into a first pulverization step to pulverize the coarse powder under the action of an impact force; introducing the resultant pulverized product of the first coarse powder into the first classification step together with the pulverized feed material; introducing the first classified fine powder into a second classification step to classify the fine powder into a second coarse powder and a second classified fine powder; introducing the classified second coarse powder into a second pulverization step to pulverize the coarse powder under the action of an impact force which is smaller than that exerted in the first pulverization step; introducing the resultant pulverized product of the second coarse powder into the first classification step or the second classification step; and removing a minute powder fraction from the second classified fine powder for adjusting a particle size distribution, thereby to obtain the colored resinous particles.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the first pulverization step and the second pulverization step are respectively effected by means of a jet mill.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
71 words
A process according to claim 2, wherein the first coarse powder is pulverized under the action of an air pressure for jet milling of 5-10 kg/cm 2 in the first pulverization step and the second coarse powder is pulverized under the action of an air pressure for jet milling of 2-6 Kg/cm 2 in the second pulverization step which is lower than the air pressure exerted in the first pulverization step.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
A process according to claim 3, wherein the air pressure in the second pulverization step is lower than the air pressure in the first pulverization step by 0.5-4 Kg/cm 2 .
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the first classification step and the second classification step are respectively effected by a fixed wall-type wind-force classifier.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
A process according to claim 5, wherein the wind force classifier used in the second classification step has a processing capacity which is 1/1 to 1/3 of that of the wind-force classifier used in the first classification step.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
60 words
A process according to claim 5, wherein the wind-force classifier in the first classification step is operated at a classifying air rate of 10 to 30 m 3 /min, and the wind-force classifier in the second classification step is operated at a classifying air rate of 4-20 m 3 /min which is lower than that in the first classification step.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
A process according to claim 7, wherein the classifying air rate in the second classification step is lower than that in the first classification step by 2-25 m 3 /min.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the solidified product contains 20-200 wt. parts of the magnetic material per 100 wt. parts of the binder resin.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the solidified product contains 0.1-30 wt. parts of the colorant per 100 wt. parts of the binder resin.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the pulverized feed material has an average particle size of 20-2000 μm.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
55 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the colored resinous particles have a volume-average particle size which is smaller by 1-25 μm than that of the first classified fine powder, smaller by 5-50 μm than that of the classified first coarse powder and smaller by 3-30 μm than that of the classified second coarse powder.