1. A silicone replacement for use in a personal care formulation comprising a mixture of at least one polymeric ester and at least one non-polymeric ester, wherein the polymeric ester is an esterification reaction product of (i) at least one first dicarboxylic acid, (ii) at least one first monofunctional alcohol or monofunctional carboxylic acid and (iii) glycerin or derivatives thereof; and the non-polymeric ester is an esterification reaction product of (i) at least one second dicarboxylic acid and (ii) at least one second monofunctional alcohol, wherein the replacement is substantially free of silicone.
2. The replacement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the polymeric ester and the nonpolymeric ester is natural.
3. The replacement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols is independently chosen from monofunctional alcohols having about 1 carbon atom to about 25 carbon atoms.
4. The replacement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols is independently chosen from monofunctional alcohols having about 1 carbon atom to about 10 carbon atoms.
5. The replacement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols is independently chosen from a monofunctional alcohol having about 1 carbon atom, a monofunctional alcohol having about 2 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 3 carbon atoms, having about 4 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 5 carbon atoms, having about 6 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having 25 about 7 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 8 carbons atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 9 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about
10 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 11 carbon atoms, and a monofunctional alcohol having about 12 carbon atoms.
6. The replacement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols is independently a linear chain monofunctional alcohol.
7. The replacement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols contains saturated carbon atoms.
8. The replacement of claim 7, wherein all of the carbon atoms present in the at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols are saturated.
9. The replacement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first dicarboxylic acid or the second dicarboxylic acid is independently chosen from dicarboxylic acids having about 15 carbon atom to about 25 carbon atoms.
10. The replacement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first dicarboxylic acid or the second dicarboxylic acid is independently chosen from dicarboxylic acids having about 5 carbon atoms to about 10 carbon atoms.
11. The replacement of claim 1 having a viscosity of about 10 cSt.
12. The replacement of claim 1, having a viscosity of about 20 sSt.
13. The replacement of claim 1, having a viscosity of about 50 cSt.
14. The replacement of claim 1, having a viscosity of about 100 cSt.
15. The replacement of claim 1, having a viscosity of about 200 cSt.
16. The replacement of claim 1, having a viscosity of about 350 cSt.
17. The replacement of any of claims 1 to 16, wherein the replacement exhibits a spread rate that is substantially equivalent to a spread rate of a counterpart silicone fluid.
18. The replacement of any of claims 1 to 16, wherein the replacement exhibits a pigment dispersion capability that is substantially equivalent to pigment dispersion capability of a counterpart silicone fluid.
19. The replacement of any of claims 1 to 16, wherein the replacement exhibits skinfeel properties that are substantially equivalent to skinfeel properties of a counterpart silicone fluid.
20. The replacement of any of claims 1 to 16, wherein the replacement exhibits a tack (stickiness) that is substantially equivalent to a tack (stickiness) of a counterpart silicone fluid.
21. A personal care formulation that is substantially free of silicone, wherein the formulation comprises a silicone replacement consisting substantially of a mixture of at least one polymeric ester and at least one non-polymeric ester, wherein the polymeric ester is an esterification reaction product of (i) at least one first dicarboxylic acid, (ii) at least one first monofunctional alcohol or monofunctional carboxylic acid and (iii) glycerin or derivatives thereof; and the non-polymeric ester is an esterification reaction product of (i) at least one second dicarboxylic acid and (ii) at least one second monofunctional alcohol, and at least one additional personal care ingredient.
22. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein at least one of the polymeric ester and the non-polymeric ester is natural.
23. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols is independently chosen from monofunctional alcohols having about 1 carbon atom to about 25 carbon atoms.
24. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols is independently chosen from monofunctional alcohols having about 1 carbon atom to about 10 carbon atoms.
25. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols is independently chosen from a monofunctional alcohol having about 1 carbon atom, a monofunctional alcohol having about 2 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 3 carbon atoms, having about 4 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 5 carbon atoms, having about 6 carbon atoms, a 15 monofunctional alcohol having about 7 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 8 carbons atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 9 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 10 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 11 carbon atoms, and a monofunctional alcohol having about 12 carbon atoms.
26. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols is independently a linear chain monofunctional alcohol.
27. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols contain at least one saturated carbon atom.
28. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein all of the carbon atoms present in the at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols are saturated.
29. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein at least one of the first dicarboxylic acid or the second dicarboxylic acid is independently chosen from dicarboxylic acids having about 1 carbon atom to about 25 carbon atoms.
30. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein at least one of the first dicarboxylic acid or the second dicarboxylic acid is independently chosen from dicarboxylic acids having about 5 carbon atom to about 10 carbon atoms.
31. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein all of the carbon atoms present in the at least one of the first or the second dicarboxylic acids are saturated.
32. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein the silicone replacement of has a viscosity of about 10 cSt.
33. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein the silicone replacement of has a viscosity of about 20 sSt.
34. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein the silicone replacement of has a viscosity of about 50 cSt.
35. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein the silicone replacement of has a viscosity of about 100 cSt.
36. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein the silicone replacement of has a viscosity of about 200 cSt.
37. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein the silicone replacement of has a viscosity of about 350 cSt.
38. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein the at least one personal care ingredient is selected from a surfactant, a flavorant, a fragrance, an opacifier, a colorant, a wax, an emulsifier, a fat, an oil, a preservative, a UV absorbing compound, a detergent, foaming agents, stabilizers, pH modifiers, foaming agents, moisturizers, water, an alcohol, a urea, a wetting agent, a skin or hair conditioner and a solvent.
39. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein the at least one personal care ingredient is selected from parabens, mineral oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, paraffin, PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, oxynol, petrolatum, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium myreth sulfate, sodium oleth sulfate, sodium ceteareth sulfate, DMDM hydantoin, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, triethanolamine, cocamide diethanolamine, laurimide diethanolamine, linoleamide diethanolamine, oleamide diethanolamine, oxybenzone, essential oils, an emollient, octylmethoxycinnamate, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide.
40. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein the silicone replacement is present in an amount of about 1% to about 95% by total weight of the formulation.
41. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein the silicone replacement is present in an amount of about 5% to about 80% by total weight of the formulation.
42. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein the silicone replacement is present in an amount of about 10% to about 30% by total weight of the formulation.
43. The personal care formulation of claim 21, wherein the silicone replacement is present in an amount of about 3% by total weight of the formulation.
44. The personal care formulation of any of claims 21 to 43, wherein the formulation exhibits a pigment dispersion capability that is substantially equivalent to pigment dispersion capability of a counterpart silicone-containing formulation.
45. The personal care formulation of any of claims 21 to 43, wherein the formulation exhibits skinfeel properties that are substantially equivalent to skinfeel properties of a counterpart silicone-containing formulation.
46. The personal care formulation of any of claims 21 to 43, wherein the formulation exhibits a tack (stickiness) that is substantially equivalent to a tack (stickiness) of a silicone containing formulation.
47. A method of preparing a personal care formulation that is substantially free of silicone comprising preparing a base formulation and incorporating into the base formulation a silicone replacement consisting substantially of at least one polymeric ester and at least one non-polymeric ester, wherein the polymeric ester is an esterification reaction product of (i) at least one first dicarboxylic acid, (ii) at least one first monofunctional alcohol or monofunctional carboxylic acid and (iii) glycerin or derivatives thereof, and the non-polymeric ester is an esterification reaction product of (i) at least one second dicarboxylic acid and (ii) at least one second monofunctional alcohol, wherein the base formulation comprises at least one of a surfactant, a flavorant, a fragrance, an opacifier, a solvent, a colorant, a wax, an emulsifier, a fat, an oil, a preservative, a UV absorbing compound, a detergent, a foaming agent, a stabilizer, a pH modifier, a moisturizer, water, an alcohol, a urea, a wetting agent, and a skin or hair conditioner.
48. The method of claim 47, wherein at least one of the polymeric ester and the nonpolymeric ester is natural.
49. The method of claim 47, wherein at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols is independently chosen from monofunctional alcohols having about 30 carbon atoms to about 25 carbon atoms.
50. The method of claim 47, wherein at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols is independently chosen from monofunctional alcohols having about 1 carbon atom to about 10 carbon atoms.
51. The method of claim 47, wherein at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols is independently chosen from a monofunctional alcohol having about 1 carbon atom, a monofunctional alcohol having about 2 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 3 carbon atoms, having about 4 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 5 carbon atoms, having about 6 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 7 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 8 carbons atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 9 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 10 carbon atoms, a monofunctional alcohol having about 11 carbon atoms, and a monofunctional alcohol having about 12 carbon atoms.
52. The method of claim 47, wherein at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols is independently a linear chain monofunctional alcohol.
53. The method of claim 47, wherein at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols contains at least one saturated carbon atom.
54. The method of claim 47, wherein all of the carbon atoms present in the at least one of the first or the second monofunctional alcohols are saturated.
55. The method of claim 47, wherein at least one of the first dicarboxylic acid or the second dicarboxylic acid is independently chosen from dicarboxylic acids having about 1 carbon atom to about 25 carbon atoms.
56. The method of claim 47, wherein at least one of the first dicarboxylic acid or the second dicarboxylic acid is independently chosen from dicarboxylic acids having about 5 carbon atom to about 10 carbon atoms.
57. The method of claim 47, wherein all of the carbon atoms present in the at least one of the first or the second dicarboxylic acids are saturated.
58. The method of claim 47, wherein at least one of the carbon atoms present in the at least one of the first or the second dicarboxylic acids are saturated.
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 fusing unit, comprising:
a fusing device configured to be rotationally driven by a driving motor and to apply heat and pressure so as to fix an image on a printing medium;
a pressing force adjuster configured to vary a pressing force applied by the fusing device; and
a controller configured to control the pressing force adjuster so as to selectively adjust the pressing force applied by the fusing device in consideration of a driving torque of the driving motor,
wherein the controller is configured to control the pressing force adjuster so that a first pressing force is applied by the fusing device during an initial driving stage of the fusing device and a second pressing force is applied at a later time than the initial driving stage, the first pressing force being less than the second pressing force that is applied by the fusing device during a normal driving stage of the fusing device, and
wherein the controller is configured to control the pressing force adjuster so that a rate of increase in the pressing force varies during a duration of time.
2. The fusing unit according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the pressing force adjuster so that the pressing force applied by the fusing device continuously increases from the first pressing force to the second pressing force over the duration of time.
3. The fusing unit according to claim 2, wherein the duration of time is divisible into first, second and third sequential time periods of substantially equal duration, the rate of increase in the pressing force being greater during the second sequential time period than that during each of the first and third sequential time periods.
4. The fusing unit according to claim 3, wherein the pressing force adjuster comprises:
a variable motor controlled by the controller; a gear lever configured to be rotationally driven by the variable motor;
a first lever member configured to rotate about a first hinge in engagement with the gear lever;
a second lever member configured to rotate about a second hinge, and to press against a portion of the fusing device; and
an elastic member disposed between the first lever member and the second lever member, the elastic member being configured to vary an elastic force applied to the second lever member according to a rotational position of the first lever member.
5. The fusing unit according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the pressing force adjuster so that the pressing force applied by the fusing device increases from the first pressing force to the second pressing force in a plurality of stages over the duration of time.
6. The fusing unit according to claim 5, wherein the pressing force adjuster comprises:
a variable motor controlled by the controller; a cam member configured to be rotated by the variable motor and having a cam profile that includes at least two different radii;
a lever member configured to pivot about a hinge and supporting a portion of the fusing device; and
an elastic member configured to elastically bias the lever member towards the cam member.
7. The fusing unit according to claim 6, wherein the cam profile of the cam member comprises at least three different radii, each of which respectively corresponding to first, second, and third operational stages of the fusing device, the fusing device applying the first pressing force in the first operational stage, a third pressing force in the second operational stage, and the second pressing force in the third operational stage, wherein the third pressing force is greater than the first pressing force and smaller than the second pressing force, and the controller controls the pressing force adjuster so that the second operational stage occurs between the first and the third operational stages.
8. The fusing unit according to claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to control the pressing force adjuster so that a first time duration during which the fusing device is in the second operational stage is shorter than a second time duration during which the fusing device is in the first operational stage.
9. The fusing unit according to claim 1, wherein the fusing device comprises:
a belt member configured to rotate;
a heat source disposed inside the belt member; a nip plate disposed inside the belt member and in pressing contact with a portion of the belt member; and
a pressing roller arranged outside the belt member in pressing contact with the belt member so as to oppose the nip plate with the belt member being interposed therebetween to thereby form a contact nip between the belt member and the pressing roller.
10. A method of controlling a fusing unit configured to apply heat and pressing force to fix an image onto a printing medium, comprising:
applying a first pressing force in the fusing unit at a first time corresponding to an initial driving stage of the fusing unit;
operating a driving motor to rotate at least a portion of the fusing unit; and
adjusting the pressing force such that a second pressing force greater than the first pressing force is applied in the fusing unit at a second time later in time than the first time,
wherein the first pressing force being less than the second pressing force that is applied by the fusing device during a normal driving stage of the fusing device, and
wherein a rate of increase in the pressing force is variable during a duration of time between the first and second times.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of adjusting the pressing force comprises: continuously increasing the pressing force from the first pressing force to the second pressing force.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the duration of time is divisible into first, second and third sequential time periods of substantially equal duration, the rate of increase in the pressing force being greater during the second sequential time period than that during each of the first and third sequential time periods.
13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of adjusting the pressing force comprises:
increasing the pressing force in stages that includes a stage in which a third pressing force that is greater than the first pressing force and that is smaller than the second pressing force is applied for a predetermined period of time between stages of application of the first pressing force and the second pressing force.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined time during which the third pressing force is applied is shorter than a time duration during which the first pressing force is applied.
15. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image receptor;
a light exposure unit configured to expose the image receptor to thereby form thereon an electrostatic latent image;
a developing unit configured to develop the electrostatic latent image to thereby form a toner image on the image receptor;
a transfer unit configured to cause the toner image formed on the image receptor to be transferred onto a printing medium;
a controller; and
a fusing unit configured to fix the transferred toner image on the printing medium, the fusing unit comprising:
a fusing device configured to the rotationally driven by a driving motor and to apply heat and pressing force to the printing medium so as to fix the toner image on the printing medium; and
a pressing force adjuster configured to vary the pressing force applied by the fusing device,
wherein the controller is configured to control the pressing force adjuster so as to selectively adjust the pressing force applied by the fusing device in consideration of a driving torque of the driving motor, and
wherein the controller is configured to control the pressing force adjuster so that a first pressing force is applied by the fusing device during an initial driving stage of the fusing device and a second pressing force is applied at a later time than the initial driving stage, the first pressing force being less than the second pressing force that is applied by the fusing device during a normal driving stage of the fusing device, and
wherein the controller is configured to control the pressing force adjuster so that a rate of increase in the pressing force varies during a duration of time.
16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to control the pressing force adjuster so that the pressing force applied by the fusing device continuously increases from the first pressing force to the second pressing force over the duration of time.
17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the duration of time is divisible into first, second and third sequential time periods of substantially equal duration, the rate of increase in the pressing force being greater during the second sequential time period than that during each of the first and third sequential time periods.
18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to control the pressing force adjuster so that the pressing force applied by the fusing device increases from the first pressing force to the second pressing force in a plurality of stages over a duration of time.