Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge, and electrophotographic apparatus

• US 10,095,136 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2017
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sekiya, Michiyo, Sekido, Kunihiko, Nishi, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dote, Janis L
• Application Number:
  US15/587,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20170322501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 430 60, 430 64, 430 65
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/18 using a processing cartridge , whereby the process cartridge comprises at least two image processing means in a single unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/183 Process cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14 Inert intermediate or cover layers for charge-receiving layers G03G5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/142 Inert intermediate layers

Abstract

An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a support member, an undercoat layer, and a photosensitive layer adjacent to the undercoat layer in this order, wherein the undercoat layer contains a polymerized product of a composition including an electron transporting material having a polymerizable functional group, a cross-linking agent, and a thermoplastic resin having a polymerizable functional group, and at least one type of particles selected from the group consisting of resin particles having a hollow structure and rubber particles, wherein a content of the electron transporting material in the undercoat layer is 30% by mass or more with respect to a total mass of the composition, and wherein a content of the at least one type of particles in the undercoat layer is 10% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less with respect to the content of the electron transporting material.

Claims

1. An electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising:

an electrically conductive support member;

an undercoat layer; and

a photosensitive layer adjacent to the undercoat layer in this order, wherein the undercoat layer contains a polymerized product of a composition including an electron transporting material having a polymerizable functional group, a cross-linking agent, and a thermoplastic resin having a polymerizable functional group, and at least one particulate material selected from the group consisting of polymer particles having a hollow structure, butadiene rubber particles, acrylic rubber particles, and acrylic/silicone complex rubber particles,

wherein a content of the electron transporting material in the undercoat layer is 30% by mass or more with respect to a total mass of the composition, and

wherein a content of the at least one particulate material in the undercoat layer is 20% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less with respect to the content of the electron transporting material.

2. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the polymer particles having a hollow structure are styrene/acrylic copolymer particles.

3. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein a hollow volume ratio of the polymer particles having a hollow structure is 30% by volume or more.

4. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein an average particle size of the at least one particulate material is 0.3 μ

m or less.

5. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein an average particle size of the at least one particulate material is 1/10 or more and ⅓

or less of a film thickness of the undercoat layer.

6. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1,

wherein a film thickness of the photosensitive layer is 25 μ

m or less, and

wherein a film thickness of the undercoat layer is 1/40 or more and 1/10 or less of the film thickness of the photosensitive layer.

7. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the content of the electron transporting material in the undercoat layer is 70% by mass or less with respect to the total mass of the composition.

8. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein Martens hardness of the undercoat layer is 60 N/mm² or more and 150 N/mm² or less.

9. A process cartridge comprising:

an integrally supported electrophotographic photosensitive member; and

at least one device selected from the group consisting of a charging device, a developing device, a transfer device, and a cleaning device, the process cartridge being detachably attachable to an electrophotographic apparatus,

wherein the electrophotographic photosensitive member includes an electrically conductive support member, an undercoat layer, and a photosensitive layer adjacent to the undercoat layer in this order,

wherein the undercoat layer contains a polymerized product of a composition including an electron transporting material having a polymerizable functional group, a cross-linking agent, and a thermoplastic polymer having a polymerizable functional group, and at least one particulate material selected from the group consisting of polymer particles having a hollow structure, butadiene rubber particles, acrylic rubber particles, and acrylic/silicone complex rubber particles,

wherein a content of the electron transporting material in the undercoat layer is 30% by mass or more with respect to a total mass of the composition, and

wherein a content of the at least one particulate material in the undercoat layer is 20% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less with respect to the content of the electron transporting material.

10. An electrophotographic apparatus comprising:

an electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a charging device;

an exposure device;

a developing device; and

a transfer device,

wherein the electrophotographic photosensitive member includes an electrically conductive support member, an undercoat layer, and a photosensitive layer adjacent to the undercoat layer in this order,

wherein the undercoat layer contains a polymerized product of a composition including an electron transporting material having a polymerizable functional group, a cross-linking agent, and a thermoplastic polymer having a polymerizable functional group, and at least one particulate material selected from the group consisting of polymer particles having a hollow structure, butadiene rubber particles, acrylic rubber particles, and acrylic/silicone complex rubber particles,

wherein a content of the electron transporting material in the undercoat layer is 30% by mass or more with respect to a total mass of the composition, and

wherein a content of the at least one particulate material in the undercoat layer is 20% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less with respect to the content of the electron transporting material.