REVERSIBLY ALLOCHROIC TONER, METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME, TONER CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

摘要

A reversibly allochroic toner contains a binder resin and a colorant. The colorant reversibly switches between first and second color states in response to temperature changes. The colorant exhibits a hysteresis in a temperature-color state curve thereof in which the following relationships are satisfied.;Tr

主权项

1. A reversibly allochroic toner comprising:
a binder resin; and a colorant, wherein the colorant reversibly switches between a first color state and a second color state in response to a temperature change, and the colorant exhibits a hysteresis in a temperature-color state curve thereof such that, when the colorant is in the first color state, and the temperature keeps increasing, when the temperature reaches a temperature TH1 (° C.), the colorant starts to change from the first color state to the second color state, and in a temperature region in which the temperature is equal to or higher than a temperature TH2 (° C.) which is higher than the temperature TH1 (° C.), the colorant completely changes to the second color state, when the colorant is in the second color state, and the temperature keeps decreasing, when the temperature reaches a temperature TL1 (° C.), the colorant starts to change from the second color state to the first color state, and in a temperature region in which the temperature is equal to or lower than a temperature TL2 (° C.) which is lower than the temperature TL1 (° C.), the colorant completely changes to the first color state, and the relationship of the following Formula is satisfied, TH2TH1−TL1≦7° C.