Toner for developing electrostatic image, method for manufacturing the toner, developer including the toner, container containing the toner, and developing method using the toner

1. Toner particles, comprising:

a binder resin;

a colorant; and

a particulate resin which is present at least on a portion of a surface of said toner particles and has a glass transition temperature of from 50 to 90° C.;

wherein a ratio (Dv/Dn) of a) a volume average particle diameter (Dv) of the toner particles to b) a number average particle diameter (Dn) thereof is from 1.00 to 1.40; and

wherein a ratio of 1) an area of the surface of said toner particles which are covered by said particulate resin to 2) a total area of said surface is from 1 to 90%.

2. The toner particles according to claim 1 , wherein said ratio (Dv/Dn) is from 1.00 to 1.20.

3. The toner particles according to claim 1 , wherein said glass transition temperature of the particulate resin is from 50 to 70° C.

4. The toner particles according to claim 1 , wherein said ratio of 1) to 2) is from 5 to 80%.

5. The toner particles according to claim 1 , wherein said binder resin comprises a polyester resin.

6. The toner particles according to claim 5 , wherein said binder resin comprises a modified polyester resin and an unmodified polyester resin in a weight ratio of from 5/95 to 80/20.

7. The toner particles according to claim 6 , wherein said modified polyester resin is a urea-modified polyester resin.

8. The toner particles according to claim 6 , wherein said unmodified polyester resin is a polycondensation product of a polyol with a polycarboxylic acid.

9. The toner particles according to claim 1 , wherein said binder resin has an acid value of from 1 to 30 mgKOH/g.

10. The toner particles according to claim 1 , wherein said binder resin has a glass transition temperature of from 50 to 70° C.

11. The toner particles according to claim 1 , wherein said particulate resin comprises a resin selected from the group consisting of vinyl resins, polyurethane resins, epoxy resins and polyester resins.

12. The toner particles according to claim 1 , wherein said particulate resin has an average particle diameter of from 5 to 200 nm.

13. The toner particles according to claim 1 , wherein said particulate resin has a weight average molecular weight not greater than 100,000.

14. The toner particles according to claim 1 , wherein said toner particles have a volume average particle diameter of from 4 to 8 μm.

15. The toner particles according to claim 1 , wherein said toner particles have a spherical degree of from 0.94 to 0.96.

16. The toner particles according to claim 1 , wherein said particulate resin is present on the surface of said toner particles in an amount not greater than 2.5% by weight based on a total weight of said toner particles.

17. A two-component developer comprising:

a toner comprising the toner particles according to claim 1 ; and

a carrier.

18. The two component developer according to claim 17 , wherein said carrier is a magnetic carrier.

19. The two-component developer according to claim 17 , wherein a weight ratio of said toner to said carrier is from 1/100 to 10/100.

20. The two-component developer according to claim 17 , wherein said carrier is selected from the group consisting of iron powders, ferrite powders, magnetic powders and magnetic resin carriers.

21. The two-component developer according to claim 17 , wherein said carrier has a particle diameter of from about 20 to about 200 μm.

22. A developing method, comprising:

developing an electrostatic latent image on an image bearing member with a developer including a toner to form a toner image thereon;

transferring said toner image onto a receiving material;

collecting a toner remaining on a surface of said image bearing member; and

returning the collected toner to the developer;

wherein said toner comprises said toner particles according to claim 1 .

23. A toner container comprising the toner particles according to claim 1 .