Author: claimsbot

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a main body having a main controller controlling the image forming apparatus to output an image;
at least one optional tray which is detachably set up in the main body and has a tray controller for communicating with the main controller to transmit and receive data; and
communication lines that form one communication channel connecting the main controller and each tray controller, make the main controller and the tray controller exchange the data, and inform the main controller that the data is provided from at least one tray controller to the main controller.
2. The image forming apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication lines include a TXD line providing data from the main controller to each tray controller, an RXD line providing data from the tray controller to the main controller, and a busy line informing that the data is provided from at least one tray controller to the main controller through the RXD line.
3. The image forming apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein each line for connecting the RXD line with each tray controller includes an open collector set up therein for preventing collision between signals from different tray controllers, and a line for connecting the RXD line and the main controller includes a pull-up resistance for turning on the open collector.
4. The image forming apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein a line for connecting the busy line with each tray controller includes an open collector set up therein for preventing collision between signals transmitted from different tray controllers, and a line for connecting the busy line and the main controller includes a pull-up resistance for turning on the open collector.
5. The image forming apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the data from each tray controller travels through wired-OR in each open collector and a result obtained from the wired-OR is transmitted to the main controller.
6. The image forming apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the communication lines adopt a UART communication scheme.
7. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a main body having a main controller controlling the image forming apparatus to output an image;
at least one optional tray which is detachably set up in the main body and has a tray controller communicating with the main controller to transmit and receive data;
communication lines forming at least one communication channel for communication between the main controller and the tray controllers; and
a plurality of reset lines connecting the main controller of the main body and the tray controller of the optional tray closest to the main body, and sequentially connecting the tray controllers of adjacent optional trays.
8. The image forming apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein each reset line includes a pull-down resistance for pulling down voltage to maintain a reset mode.
9. The image forming apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the tray controllers of the optional trays are revoked from the reset mode sequentially from the tray controller of the optional tray closest to the main controller based on a reset revocation signal transmitted form the main controller.
10. The image forming apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the main controller assigns an ID to each of the optional trays sequentially through the communication lines, when the optional trays are revoked from the reset mode.
11. The image forming apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein when the tray controller of the optional tray closest to the main body is assigned with the ID, the tray controller of the optional tray closest to the main body transmits a reset revocation signal to the tray controller of a next closest optional tray.
12. A method of communicating between a main body and trays in an image forming apparatus having a main body with a main controller, and each of the trays having a tray controller, the method comprising:
forming a single communication line connecting the main controller with the tray controllers; and
transmitting data from the main controller to the tray controllers or from the tray controllers to the main controller through the communication line,
wherein the main controller of the main body controls the image forming apparatus to output an image, and the trays are detachably set up in the main body and have the tray controllers for data communication with the main controller.
13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the single communication channel includes a TXD line providing data from the main controller to the tray controllers, an RXD line providing data from the tray controllers to the main controller, and a busy line informing that data is provided from at least one of the tray controllers to the main controller through the RXD line.
14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein when the data is provided from at least one of the tray controllers to the main controller through the RXD line and the busy line, the transmission of the data from the main controller to the tray controllers or from the tray controllers to the main controller further includes:
performing a wired-OR operation on data transmitted from each tray controller to thereby output wired-OR data; and
providing the wired-OR data to the main controller.
15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein a line connecting the RXD line with each tray controller includes an open collector set up therein, and a line connecting the RXD line with the main controller includes a pull-up resistance for turning on the open collector in order to perform wired-OR on the data outputted from each tray controller.
16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein a line connecting the busy line with each tray controller includes an open collector set up therein, and a line connecting the busy line with the main controller includes a pull-up resistance for turning on the open collector in order to perform wired-OR on the data outputted from each tray controller.
17. A method of communicating between a main body and at least one optional tray in an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus having the main body with a main controller and the at least one optional tray having a tray controller, the method comprising:
forming a plurality of reset lines connecting the main controller of the main body with a tray controller of an optional tray closest to the main body and connecting the tray controllers of adjacent optional trays; and
setting up a pull-down resistance for pulling down voltage to maintain a reset mode for each reset line,
wherein the main controller controls the image forming apparatus to output an image, and the optional tray is detachably set up in the main body and has the tray controller for communicating with the main controller to transmit and receive data.
18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:
generating a reset revocation signal in the main controller; and
d) revoking the reset mode of the tray controllers sequentially from the tray controller of an optional tray closest to a main tray among the option trays.
19. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising:
assigning an ID to each optional tray in the main controller according to an order that the reset mode of the tray controllers of the optional trays is revoked.
20. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising:
providing a reset revocation signal from the optional tray closest to the main body and revoked from the reset mode to the tray controller of a next optional tray; and
assigning an ID from the main controller to the tray controller of the next optional tray.
21. An image forming apparatus including:
a main body having a main controller;
first and second optional trays, each optional tray having a tray controller;
a plurality of communication lines connecting the main controller with the tray controllers of the first and second optional trays; and
a plurality of reset lines connecting the main controller with the tray controllers of the first and second optional trays,
wherein the first and second optional trays are sequentially assigned an ID by the main controller after one of the plurality of reset lines enters a reset mode.
22. The image forming apparatus of claim 21, wherein the communication lines include a TXD line providing data from the main controller to each of the tray controllers, an RXD line providing the data from each of the tray controllers to the main controller, and a busy line notifying the main controller that at least one of the optional trays is transmitting the data to the main controller.
23. The image forming apparatus of claim 22, wherein the RXD line includes open connectors between the main controller and each of the tray controllers preventing interference between signals transmitted from the tray controllers, and a pull-up resistance for turning on an open collector.
24. The image forming apparatus of claim 22, wherein the busy line includes open collectors between the main controller and each of the tray controllers preventing interference between signals transmitted from the tray controllers.
25. The image forming apparatus of claim 22, wherein the busy line includes a pull-up resistance located between the main controller and the tray controller for turning on an open collector.
26. The image forming apparatus of claim 22, wherein the communication lines include buffers located between the main controller and each of the tray controllers.

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. Damper (1) comprising a piston (3) and cylinder (2), each provided with fixing means (4) for fixing to the parts moving with respect to one another, a cylinder part (29) within which said piston (9) moves being delimited in said cylinder and a chamber being delimited on either side of the piston (9), which chambers are connected to one another via a damping element (11-13), as well as a further chamber (14, 30) to which said displaced fluid can be transferred, said damping element being constructed such that relatively high force is needed for displacement at low speed, characterised in that a further connection (18) provided with a hand-operated valve (20) is provided between said cylinder part and said further chamber.
2. Damper according to claim 1, wherein said high force is such that a minimum force of 500 N has to be applied to said shock damper in order to move piston and cylinder relative to one another.
3. Damper according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said valve is closed in the non-operated position.
4. Damper according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said valve comprises a spring-loaded pull valve.
5. Damper according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the effective surface area for fluid on either side of the valve body (27) is substantially identical.
6. Damper according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the piston and cylinder can be moved with respect to one another using a force of less than 500 N when an open connection (18) exists.
7. Damper according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a rotation damper for a vehicle that runs on rails.

1. A method for forming a device power savings class for a device operable in a wireless communications network, the device including one or more of one or more Type 1 connections, one or more Type 2 connections, and one or more Type 3 connections, comprising:
defining one or more enhanced power savings classes including one or more of:
defining for the device a virtual enhanced Type 1 power savings class from the Type 1 connections, if one or more Type 1 connections are active on the device;
defining for the device a virtual enhanced Type 2 power savings class from the Type 2 connections, if one or more Type 2 connections are active on the device; and
defining for the device a virtual enhanced Type 3 power savings class from the Type 3 connections, if one or more Type 3 connections are active on the device; and
combining the Type 1 connections, if present on the device, the Type 2connections, if present on the device, and the Type 3 connections, if present on the device, into the device power savings class for the device, based on the definitions of the virtual enhanced Type 1 power savings class, Type 2 power savings class, and Type 3 power savings class, if any are present on the device, wherein the Type 1 connections carry the best effort service, the Type 2 connections carry a real-time service, the Type 3 connections carry a multicast or the management service, the virtual enhanced Type 1 power savings class is formed of all the Type 1 connections, the virtual enhanced Type 2 power savings class is formed of all the Type 2 connections, and the virtual enhanced Type 3 power savings class is formed of all the Type 3 connections.
2. The method as in claim 1, wherein:
defining the virtual enhanced Type 1 power savings class further includes:
determining constraints of any Type 1 connections;
setting a duration for a traffic timer;
setting a default listening window;
setting a duration for an initial sleep window;
setting a duration for a Hybrid Automatic Repeat ReQuest (HARQ) traffic timer;
initiating the HARQ traffic timer if a HARQ operation is started for a data retransmission;
setting a new initial sleep window after reception of traffic data;
selecting a sleep window start time such that subsequent listening windows intermittently overlap a super frame header;
restarting the HARQ traffic timer if the HARQ traffic timer expires abnormally; and
entering the sleep window if all active timers expire normally;
defining the virtual enhanced Type 2 power savings class further includes:
determining constraints of any Type 2 connections;
setting a duration for a default listening window;
setting a duration for a sleep window;
setting a duration for a HARQ traffic timer;
if no data is transmitted, entering the sleep window at the end of the default listening window;
initiating the HARQ traffic timer if a HARQ operation is started for a data retransmission;
restarting the HARQ traffic timer if the HARQ traffic timer expires abnormally; and
entering the sleep window if the HARQ traffic timer expires normally;
defining the virtual enhanced Type 3 power savings class further includes:
setting a duration for a sleep window equal to a predicted inactivity time;
setting a duration for a HARQ traffic timer;
setting a default listening window based on at least the HARQ traffic timer;
initiating the HARQ traffic timer if a HARQ operation is started for a data retransmission;
restarting the HARQ traffic timer if the HARQ traffic timer expires abnormally; and
entering a sleep window if all active timers expire normally.
3. The method as in claim 1, wherein combining the Type 1 connections, if present on the device, the Type 2 connections, if present on the device, and the Type 3 connections, if present on the device, into the device power savings class for the device, based on the definitions of the virtual enhanced Type 1 power savings class, Type 2 power savings class, and Type 3 power savings class, if any are present on the device further includes:
if only the enhanced Type 1 and the enhanced Type 2 power savings classes are present, creating the device power savings class by combining all the Type 1 connections and Type 2 connections into the device power savings class, wherein the device power savings class includes a HARQ traffic timer, a sleep window duration, a default listening window duration, and a traffic indication message occurrence counter;
if only the enhanced Type 2 and the enhanced Type 3 power savings classes are present, creating the device power savings class by combining all the Type 2 connections and Type 3 connections into the device power savings class, wherein the device power savings class includes a HARQ traffic timer, a sleep window duration, a default listening window duration, and a predicted inactivity time;
if the enhanced Type 1, the enhanced Type 2, and the enhanced Type 3 power savings classes are present, creating the device power savings class by combining all the Type 1 connections, Type 2 connections, and Type 3 connections into the device power savings class, wherein the device power savings class includes a HARQ traffic timer, a sleep window duration, a default listening window duration, a predicted inactivity time, and a traffic indication message occurrence counter;
if only the enhanced Type 1 and the enhanced Type 3 power savings classes are present, creating the device power savings class by combining all the Type 1 connections and Type 3 connections into the device power savings class, wherein the device power savings class includes a HARQ traffic timer, a sleep window duration, a default listening window duration, a predicted inactivity time, and a traffic indication message occurrence counter;
if only the enhanced Type 1 power savings class is present, making the enhanced Type 1 power savings class the device power savings class;
if only the enhanced Type 2 power savings class is present, making the enhanced Type 2 power savings class the device power savings class; and
if only the enhanced Type 3 power savings class is present, making the enhanced Type 3 power savings class the device power savings class.
4. The method as in claim 1, further including the device power savings class may dynamically update one or more of start times or duration of default listening windows, sleep windows, and any timers, if present, if one or more connections are deleted or added.
5. The method as in claim 4, further including dynamically updating the device power savings class when the deleted or added connection does not also delete or add the enhanced power savings class, wherein the dynamically updating includes:
determining if any connections have been deleted or added;
determining if the deletion of the one or more connections change the start times or durations of the sleep window, default listening window, or timer of any of the virtual enhanced power savings classes;
updating the start time or duration of the sleep window, default listening window, or any of the timers of the virtual enhanced power savings classes, if any were determined to change;
determining if updating any of the virtual enhanced power savings classes changed the start times or durations of the sleep window, default listening window, or timers of the device power savings class;
updating the start time or duration of the sleep window, default listening window, or any of the timers of the device power savings class, if any were determined to change;
determining when the new device power saving class definitions, if any, are applied; and
applying the new device power saving class definitions.
6. The method as in claim 4, further including dynamically updating the device power savings class when the deleted or added connection also deletes or adds at least one virtual enhanced power savings class, including:
determining if any virtual enhanced power savings classes have been deleted or added;
setting a new device power savings class based on the current virtual enhanced power savings class or classes;
determining when the new device power saving class definition is applied;
applying the new device power saving class definitions.
7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the wireless communications network is compliant with IEEE 802.16e standard.
8. A wireless communication mobile station for wireless communication, the wireless communication mobile station configured for one or more of one or more Type 1 connections, one or more Type 2 connections, and one or more Type 3 connections, the wireless communication mobile station comprising:
at least one memory to store data and instructions; and
at least one processor configured to access the memory and configured to, when executing the instructions:
define one or more enhanced power savings classes including one or more of:
define for the mobile station a virtual enhanced Type 1 power savings class from the Type 1 connections, if one or more Type 1 connections are active on the mobile station;
define for the mobile station a virtual enhanced Type 2 power savings class from the Type 2 connections, if one or more Type 2 connections are active on the mobile station; and
define for the mobile station a virtual enhanced Type 3 power savings class from the Type 3 connections, if one or more Type 3 connections are active on the mobile station; and
combine the Type 1 connections, if present on the mobile station, the Type 2connections, if present on the mobile station, and the Type 3 connections, if present on the mobile station, into the device power savings class for the mobile station, based on the definitions of the virtual enhanced Type 1 power savings class, Type 2 power savings class, and Type 3 power savings class, if any are present on the mobile station, wherein the Type 1 connections carry the best effort service, the Type 2 connections carry a real-time service, the Type 3 connections carry a multicast or the management service, the virtual enhanced Type 1 power savings class is formed of all the Type 1 connections, the virtual enhanced Type 2 power savings class is formed of all the Type 2 connections, and the virtual enhanced Type 3 power savings class is formed of all the Type 3 connections.
9. The wireless communication mobile station as in claim 8, wherein:
define the virtual enhanced Type 1 power savings class further includes:
determine constraints of any Type 1 connections;
set a duration for a traffic timer;
set a default listening window;
set a duration for an initial sleep window;
set a duration for a Hybrid Automatic Repeat ReQuest (HARQ) traffic timer;
initiate the HARQ traffic timer if a HARQ operation is started for a data retransmission;
set a new initial sleep window after reception of traffic data;
select a sleep window start time such that subsequent listening windows intermittently overlap a super frame header;
restart the HARQ traffic timer if the HARQ traffic timer expires abnormally; and
enter the sleep window if all active timers expire normally;
define the virtual enhanced Type 2 power savings class further includes:
determine constraints of any Type 2 connections;
set a duration for a default listening window;
set a duration for a sleep window;
set a duration for a HARQ traffic timer;
if no data is transmitted, enter the sleep window at the end of the default listening window;
initiate the HARQ traffic timer if a HARQ operation is started for a data retransmission;
restart the HARQ traffic timer if the HARQ traffic timer expires abnormally; and
enter the sleep window if the HARQ traffic timer expires normally;
define the virtual enhanced Type 3 power savings class further includes:
set a duration for a sleep window equal to a predicted inactivity time;
set a duration for a HARQ traffic timer;
set a default listening window based on at least the HARQ traffic timer;
initiate the HARQ traffic timer if a HARQ operation is started for a data retransmission;
restart the HARQ traffic timer if the HARQ traffic timer expires abnormally; and
enter a sleep window if all active timers expire normally.
10. The wireless communication mobile station as in claim 8, wherein the at least one processor, when executing the instructions to combine the Type 1 connections, if present on the mobile station, the Type 2 connections, if present on the mobile station, and the Type 3 connections, if present on the mobile station, into the device power savings class for the mobile station, based on the definitions of the virtual enhanced Type 1 power savings class, Type 2 power savings class, and Type 3 power savings class, if any are present on the mobile station is further configured to:
if only the enhanced Type 1 and the enhanced Type 2 power savings classes are present, create the device power savings class by combining all the Type 1 connections and Type 2 connections into the device power savings class, wherein the device power savings class includes a HARQ traffic timer, a sleep window duration, a default listening window duration, and a traffic indication message occurrence counter;
if only the enhanced Type 2 and the enhanced Type 3 power savings classes are present, create the device power savings class by combining all the Type 2 connections and Type 3 connections into the device power savings class, wherein the device power savings class includes a HARQ traffic timer, a sleep window duration, a default listening window duration, and a predicted inactivity time;
if the enhanced Type 1 , the enhanced Type 2 , and the enhanced Type 3 power savings classes are present, create the device power savings class by combining all the Type 1 connections, Type 2 connections, and Type 3 connections into the device power savings class, wherein the device power savings class includes a HARQ traffic timer, a sleep window duration, a default listening window duration, a predicted inactivity time, and a traffic indication message occurrence counter;
if only the enhanced Type 1 and the enhanced Type 3 power savings classes are present, create the device power savings class by combining all the Type 1 connections and Type 3 connections into the device power savings class, wherein the device power savings class includes a HARQ traffic timer, a sleep window duration, a default listening window duration, a predicted inactivity time, and a traffic indication message occurrence counter;
if only the enhanced Type 1 power savings class is present, make the enhanced Type 1 power savings class the device power savings class;
if only the enhanced Type 2 power savings class is present, make the enhanced Type 2 power savings class the device power savings class; and
if only the enhanced Type 3 power savings class is present, make the enhanced Type 3 power savings class the device power savings class.
11. The wireless communication mobile station as in claim 8, further including the at least one processor, when executing the instructions, dynamically updating one or more of start times or durations of default listening windows, sleep windows, and any timers, if present, on the device power savings class, if one or more connections are deleted or added.
12. The wireless communication mobile station as in claim 11, wherein the at least one processor, when executing the instructions to dynamically update the device power savings class when the deleted or added connection does not also delete or add the virtual enhanced power savings class, is further configured to, when executing instructions:
determine if any connections have been deleted or added;
determine if the deletion of the one or more connections change the start times or durations of the sleep window, default listening window, or timer of any of the virtual enhanced power savings classes;
update the start time or duration of the sleep window, default listening window, or any of the timers of the virtual enhanced power savings classes, if any were determined to change;
determine if updating any of the virtual enhanced power savings classes changed the start times or durations of the sleep window, default listening window, or timers of the device power savings class;
update the start time or duration of the sleep window, default listening window, or any of the timers of the device power savings class, if any were determined to change;
determine when the new device power saving class definitions, if any, are applied; and
apply the new device power saving class definitions.
13. The wireless communication mobile station as in claim 11, wherein the at least one processor, when executing instructions to dynamically update the device power savings class when the deleted or added connection also deletes or adds at least one virtual enhanced power savings class, is further configured to, when executing instructions:
determine if any virtual enhanced power savings classes have been deleted or added;
set a new device power savings class based on the current virtual enhanced power savings class or classes;
determine when the new device power saving class definition is applied;
apply the new device power saving class definitions.
14. The wireless communication mobile station as in claim 8, wherein the wireless communications network is compliant with IEEE 802.16e standard.
15. A method for a device in a wireless communication network including a base station, comprising:
sending a sleep mode request to the base station;
receiving a sleep mode response including a single power saving class from the base station;
entering a sleep mode determined by the single power saving class applicable to all traffic conditions between the device and the base station; and
communicating with the base station based on the sleep mode,
wherein the single power saving class is used to define a frame structure for configuring frames to form alternating listening windows and sleep windows, to define an initial sleep window, and to define a default listening window.
16. The method as in claim 15, wherein the frames are configured in a series of patterns each pattern including one of the listening windows followed by one of the sleep windows.
17. The method as in claim 15, further including:
setting a duration of one of the listening windows;
setting and starting a traffic timer corresponding to the one listening window and associated with traffic activity; and
starting one of the sleep windows following the one listening window if there is a termination of the one listening window and the traffic timer is expired.
18. The method as in claim 17, further including:
restarting the traffic timer if there is traffic data before the traffic timer expires.
19. The method as in claim 18, further including:
setting and starting a Hybrid Automatic Repeat ReQuest (HARQ) traffic timer associated with a data retransmission;
extending the one listening window when an Acknowledgement (ACK) is not received after a transmission and the HARQ traffic timer is not expired;
restarting the HARQ traffic timer before the HARQ traffic timer expires when a Negative Acknowledgement (NAK) is received after the transmission; and
expiring the HARQ traffic timer if an ACK is received after the transmission.
20. The method as in claim 19, further including:
repeating restarting the HARQ traffic timer before the restarted HARQ traffic timer expires when a Negative Acknowledgement (NAK) is received after the transmission; and
starting the one sleep window following the one listening window if a number of times of restarting the HARQ traffic timer reaches a predetermined number or the HARQ traffic timer expires.
21. The method as in claim 15, further including:
setting a duration for a traffic timer;
setting a duration of the default listening window;
setting a duration for one of the sleep windows based on the initial sleep window;
setting a duration for a Hybrid Automatic Repeat ReQuest (HARQ) traffic timer;
initiating the HARQ traffic timer if a HARQ operation is started for a data retransmission;
setting a new duration of the initial sleep window after reception of traffic data;
setting a new duration of the one sleep window based on the initial sleep window if there is no reception of the traffic data during the default listening window;
restarting the HARQ traffic timer if the HARQ traffic timer expires abnormally; and
starting the one sleep window if all active timers expire normally.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1-27. (canceled)
28. A method for fixing a toner image, comprising:
passing an image bearing material bearing a toner image thereon through a nip between a fixing belt and a pressure member while applying heat to the toner image to fix the toner image on the image bearing material, wherein the fixing belt has a U form at the nip, wherein the toner comprises
toner particles comprising:
a binder resin comprising:
a modified polyester resin; and
a second resin having a weight average molecular weight of from 2,000 to 10,000,
a colorant;
a release agent; and
a particulate material which is present in at least a surface portion of the toner particles while embedded into the surface portion,
wherein the toner particles are prepared by a method comprising dissolving or dispersing a composition, which comprises at least a modified polyester resin (A) capable of reacting with an active hydrogen and the second resin, the colorant the release agent and a compound having an active hydrogen, in an organic solvent to prepare an oil phase liquid; dispersing the oil phase liquid in an aqueous medium including a particulate material while subjecting the modified polyester resin (A) to a polymerization reaction to prepare the modified polyester resin and to prepare a dispersion; removing the organic solvent of the dispersion to prepare the toner particles; washing the toner particles, and drying the toner particles,
wherein the binder resin has a glass transition temperature not lower than 35\xb0 C. and lower than 55\xb0 C., and wherein the particulate material has an average particle diameter of from 0.002 to 0.2 times that of the toner particles.
29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the particulate material comprises a particulate resin having a glass transition temperature of from 40 to 100\xb0 C.
30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the particulate material has a glass transition temperature of from 55 to 100\xb0 C.
31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the particulate resin is crosslinked.
32. The method according to claim 28, wherein the particulate material comprises an inorganic particulate material.
33. The method according to claim 28, wherein the binder resin includes tetrahydrofuran-insoluble components in an amount of from 2 to 30% by weight.
34. The method according to claim 29, wherein the particulate resin has a weight average molecular weight of from 9,000 to 200,000, and wherein the particulate resin is included in the toner particles in an amount of from 0.5 to 5.0% by weight based on total weight of the toner particles.
35. The method according to claim 28, wherein the second resin is an unmodified polyester resin, and wherein a ratio (iii) of the modified polyester resin (i) to the unmodified polyester resin (ii) is from 595 to 6040.
36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the unmodified polyester resin has an acid value of from 0.5 to 40 mgKOHg.
37. The method according to claim 29, wherein the particulate resin includes a resin selected from the group consisting of vinyl resins, polyurethane resins, epoxy resins and polyester resins.
38. The method according to claim 29, wherein the particulate resin has a volume average particle diameter of from 50 to 500 nm.
39. The method according to claim 28, wherein the toner particles have an average circularity of from 0.975 to 0.900.
40. The method according to claim 28, wherein the toner particles have a spindle form.
41. The method according to claim 40, wherein a ratio (r2r1) of a minor axis particle diameter (r2) of the toner particles to a major axis particle diameter (r1) of the toner particles is from 0.5 to 0.8, and a ratio (r3r2) of a thickness (r3) of the toner particles to the minor axis particle diameter (r2) is from 0.7 to 1.0.
42. The method according to claim 28, wherein the second resin is an unmodified polyester resin, and wherein the particulate resin is a resin having units obtained from styrene and methacrylic acid and satisfying the following relationship:
10\u2266a\u226651, 15\u2266b\u226651, and 0.4\u2266ab\u22662.5,
wherein a and b respectively represent weight ratios of styrene and methacrylic acid based on total monomers constituting the particulate resin.
43. The method according to claim 28, wherein the toner has a flow starting point (Tfb) of from 80 to 170\xb0 C.
44. The method according to claim 28, wherein the toner particles have a volume average particle diameter (Dv) of from 3 to 7 \u03bcm.
45. The method according to claim 44, wherein a ratio (DvDn) of the volume average particle diameter (Dv) to a number average particle diameter (Dn) of the toner particles is not greater than 1.25.
46. The method according to claim 28, wherein the second resin is an unmodified polyester resin, and wherein tetrahydrofuran-soluble components of the modified polyester resin and the unmodified polyester resin have a number average molecular weight of from 2,000 to 15,000 and a molecular weight distribution such that a peak is observed in a range of from 1,000 to 30,000, and components having a molecular weight not less than 30,000 is included in an amount not less than 1% by weight.
47. The method according to claim 46, wherein components having a molecular weight not greater than 1,000 are included in the tetrahydrofuran-soluble components of the modified polyester resin and the unmodified polyester resin in an amount of from 0.1 to 5.0% by weight.
48. The method according to claim 28, wherein the binder resin comprises tetrahydrofuran-insoluble components in an amount of from 1 to 15% by weight based on total weight of the binder resin.
49. The method according to claim 28, wherein the release agent is a wax.
50. The method according to claim 28, wherein said toner composition further comprises an external additive which is present at least on a surface of the toner particles.