1. An image forming method comprising the steps of; forming a latent image by exposing an organic photoreceptor to light, and
developing the latent image by a developer containing a toner to form a toner image,
wherein the organic photoreceptor has a surface layer comprising an polyarylate binder and fluororesin fine particles having an average primary particle diameter of not less than 0.02 \u03bcm and less than 0.20 \u03bcm and a crystallinity of less than 90%.
2. The image forming method of claim 1, wherein an absolute value of a variation of the contact angle is less than 2.0\xb0.
3. The image forming method of claim 1, wherein the polyarylate resin is represented by following formula,
wherein X1 is a carbon atom or a simple bond; R1 through R4 each is a hydrogen or halogen atom, or an alkyl or aryl group which may have a substituent; R5 and R6 each is a hydrogen or halogen atom, or an alkyl or aryl group which may have a substituent, or an alkylidene formed by bonding R5 and R6; R7 through R10 is a hydrogen or halogen atom, or an alkyl or aryl group which may have a substituent.
4. The image forming method of claim 1, wherein a number average molecular weight of a polymer of the fluorine resin fine particles is 10,000 to 1,000,000.
5. The image forming method of claim 1, wherein the crystallinity of the fluorine resin fine particles is 40% or more.
6. The image forming method of claim 1, wherein the toner comprises a releasing agent represented by Formula:
R1\u2014(OCO\u2014R2)n
wherein n is an integer from 1 to 4, preferably from 2 to 4, and more preferably 3 or 4, R1 and R2 each represents a hydrocarbon group, which may have a substituent.
7. An image forming method comprising the steps of; forming a latent image by exposing an organic photoreceptor to light, and
developing the latent image by a developer containing a toner to form a toner image,
wherein the organic photoreceptor has a surface layer comprising a binder and fluororesin fine particles having an average primary particle diameter of not less than 0.02 \u03bcm and less than 0.20 \u03bcm and a crystallinity of less than 90%, and has a contact angle for water of 90\xb0 or more; and
the toner comprises 10 number percents or less of toner particles having particle diameter below 0.7\xd7(Dp50), wherein Dp50 represents 50% number particle diameter.
8. The image forming method of claim 7, wherein an absolute value of a variation of the contact angle is less than 2.0\xb0.
9. The image forming method of claim 7, wherein toner particles of the toner have a ratio (Dv50Dp50) being 1.0-1.15, wherein Dv50 is 50% volume particle diameter and Dp50 is 50% number particle diameter.
10. The image forming method of claim 7, wherein toner particles of the toner have a ratio (Dv75Dp75) being 1.0-1.20, wherein Dv75 is 75% volume particle diameter and Dp75 is 75% number particle diameter.
11. The image forming method of claim 7, wherein the binder of the surface layer contains siloxane-modified polycarbonate.
12. The image forming method of claim 7, wherein the binder of the surface layer contains polyarylate resin.
13. The image forming method of claim 12, wherein the polyarylate resin is represented by following formula,
wherein X1 is a carbon atom or a simple bond; R1 through R4 each is a hydrogen or halogen atom, or an alkyl or aryl group which may have a substituent; R5 and R6 each is a hydrogen or halogen atom, or an alkyl or aryl group which may have a substituent, or an alkylidene formed by bonding R5 and R6; R7 through R10 is a hydrogen or halogen atom, or an alkyl or aryl group which may have a substituent.
14. The image forming method of claim 7, wherein the photoreceptor comprises a charge generation layer and a plurality of charge transfer layers.
15. The image forming method of claim 14, wherein an outermost charge transfer layer is the surface layer.
16. The image forming method of claim 14, wherein the charge generation layer comprises galliun-phthalocyanine.
17. The image forming method of claim 7, wherein a number average molecular weight of a polymer of the fluorine resin fine particles is 10,000 to 1,000,000.
18. The image forming method of claim 7, wherein the crystallinity of the fluorine resin fine particles is 40% or more.
19. The image forming method of claim 7, wherein the toner comprises a releasing agent represented by Formula:
R1\u2014(OCO\u2014R2)n
wherein n is an integer from 1 to 4, preferably from 2 to 4, and more preferably 3 or 4, R1 and R2 each represents a hydrocarbon group, which may have a substituent.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A tufting machine comprising:
a tufting head translatable within said tufting machine in X- and Y-directions with respect to backing fabric by means of a movement system, which tufting head comprises
a tufting mechanism having a cyclic mode of operation;
a hollow needle mounted in the tufting mechanism that is moveable relative to a cooperating foot in a reciprocating manner to insert a tuft of yarn into backing fabric in each cycle;
a yarn supply mechanism mounted in the tufting mechanism and operable to supply a length of yarn to the hollow needle in each cycle; and
a yarn cutter mounted in the tufting head that is selectively operable to cut the length of yarn in selected cycles to produce loop or cut pile; and
a computer-operated motion control system adapted to read a machine-readable tufting design pattern comprising a series of vectors and associated control codes and, in response thereto, to generate signals to drive the tufting head (a) to operate the tufting mechanism and reciprocate the hollow needle to insert tufts into backing fabric; (b) to operate the movement system and move the needle across a two-dimensional plane defined by said X- and Y-directions while inserting tufts in accordance with the vectors; (c) to lift and lower the foot in accordance with respective control codes; (d) to selectively operate the yarn cutter in accordance with respective control codes; and (e) to operate the yarn supply mechanism to selectively provide different lengths of yarn in different cycles in accordance with respective control codes, and so to individually vary the pile height of both cut and loop tufts.
2. The tufting machine according to claim 1, wherein the yarn supply mechanism comprises
a yarn feed motor;
a yarn feed roller arranged to be rotatably driven by the yarn feed motor; and
a controller to receive signals from the computer-operated motion control system indicative of the length of yarn for a given tuft and in response to determine the speed of revolution of the yarn feed motor.
3. The tufting machine according to claim 2, wherein the yarn feed motor is a stepper motor driven in an open loop configuration.
4. The tufting machine according to claim 2, wherein the yarn feed motor is a servo-controlled motor driven in a closed loop configuration.
5. The tufting machine according to claim 2, wherein the yarn supply mechanism further comprises an idle feed roller arranged adjacent to the yarn feed roller.
6. The tufting machine according to according to claim 5, wherein the yarn supply mechanism further comprises a first yarn guide device disposed upstream of the yarn supply mechanism.
7. The tufting machine according to claim 6, wherein the yarn supply mechanism further comprises a second yarn guide device disposed downstream of the yarn supply mechanism.
8. The tufting machine according to claim 7, further comprising a sensor associated with the yarn supply mechanism to detect an absence of yarn when tufting.
9. The tufting machine according to claim 8, wherein the tufting head uses compressed air to transport the yarn through the hollow needle and into the backing fabric.
10. The tufting machine according to claim 1, wherein the tufting head uses a forked blade within the needle to transport the yarn through the hollow needle and into the backing fabric.
11. The tufting machine according to claim 1, wherein the cutter is operable to cycle in every tufting cycle, but the cutter is moved between a cutting position where the yarn is cut each cycle and another position in which the yarn is not cut.
12. The tufting machine according to claim 1, wherein the cutter is selectively rendered operable by being engaged to move through its cutting cycle or selectively rendered inoperable by being disengaged and stationary during selected tufting cycles.
13. The tufting machine according to claim 1, wherein the control system is operable to read tufting design patterns comprising a series of vectors and associated control codes, including one or more parameters selected from the list consisting of: Stitch Length; Pile Height, Cut Pile; Loop Pile; Raise Foot or Tufting Head; Lower Foot or Tufting Head; Cut Yarn; Enable Yarn Cutter; Disable Yarn Cutter; Change Colour.
14. The tufting machine according to claim 1, wherein the tufting needle is mounted in the tufting mechanism in a manner that allows it to be rotated freely in either direction about its axis.