Process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus

• US 10,663,913 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2018
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamaai, Tatsuya, Noguchi, Kazunori, Iwasaki, Shuhei, Sakakibara, Akira, Miura, Daisuke, Ogaki, Harunobu, Furukawa, Takumi, Tomomizu, Yuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Vajda, Peter L
• Application Number:
  US16/198,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20190163119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0233 Structure, details of the charging member, e.g. chemical composition, surface properties
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/75 Details relating to xerographic drum, band or plate, e.g. replacing, testing electrographic recording members per se G03G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1814 Details of parts of process cartridge, e.g. for charging, transfer, cleaning, developing G03G21/1835 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/047 characterised by the charge-generation layers or charge transport layers G03G5/0433 and G03G5/0436 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0525 Coating methods
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0564 Polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/06142 arylamine
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/061443 benzidine
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/06147 alkenylarylamine
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/061473 plural alkenyl groups linked directly to the same aryl group
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/06149 enamine

Abstract

Provided is a process cartridge having a charging member and an electrophotographic photosensitive member to be charged by being in contact with the charging member, wherein the electrophotographic photosensitive member has a support and a photosensitive layer in this order, and a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member has a Martens hardness of 230 N/mm² or less.

Claims

1. A process cartridge, comprising:

a charging member; and

an electrophotographic photosensitive member configured to be charged by being in contact with the charging member, said electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising a support and a photosensitive layer in this order,

the charging member having an electroconductive substrate and a conductive elastic layer as a surface layer,

the elastic layer containing a binder and a bowl-shaped resin particle having an opening, the opening being exposed on a surface of the charging member,

a surface of the elastic layer comprising a concave portion derived from the opening and a convex portion derived from an edge of the opening, wherein

a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a charge transport material and a polycarbonate resin having structures represented by formulae (I) and (II), where formula (I) is

3. The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the structure represented by formula (II) is at least one of formulae (II-1), (II-2) and (II-3).

4. The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the proportion of the structure represented by formula (I) in the polycarbonate resin is 20 to 60 mol %.

5. The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the charge transport material has a content of 30 to 70% by mass relative to a content of the polycarbonate resin in the surface layer.

6. The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the structure represented by formula (II) has a structure represented by formula (II-1) and a structure represented by formula (II-2).

7. The process cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the proportion of the structure represented by formula (II-1) is 0.1 to 1.0 times the proportion of the structure represented by formula (II-2) in terms of a molar ratio in the polycarbonate resin.

2. A process cartridge, comprising:

a charging member; and

an electrophotographic photosensitive member configured to be charged by being in contact with the charging member, the electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising a support and a photosensitive layer in this order,

the charging member having an electroconductive substrate and a conductive elastic layer as a surface layer,

a surface of the elastic layer containing an insulating hollow particle and an insulating binder,

the hollow particle forming a convex portion exposed on the surface of the elastic layer, the hollow particle having a recess at the apex part of the convex portion, wherein

a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a charge transport material and a polycarbonate resin having structures represented by formulae (I) and (II), where formula (I) is

9. The process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the structure represented by formula (II) is at least one of formulae (II-1), (II-2) and (II-3).

10. The process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the proportion of the structure represented by formula (I) in the polycarbonate resin is 20 to 60 mol %.

11. The process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the charge transport material has a content of 30 to 70% by mass relative to a content of the polycarbonate resin in the surface layer.

12. The process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the structure represented by formula (II) has a structure represented by formula (II-1) and a structure represented by formula (II-2).

13. The process cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the proportion of the structure represented by formula (II-1) is 0.1 to 1.0 times the proportion of the structure represented by formula (II-2) in terms of a molar ratio in the polycarbonate resin.

8. An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising:

at least one of a charging unit and an exposing unit; and

a process cartridge, the process cartridge comprising a charging member and an electrophotographic photosensitive member configured to be charged by being in contact with the charging member, the electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising a support and a photosensitive layer in this order,

the charging member having an electroconductive substrate, and a conductive elastic layer as a surface layer,

the elastic layer containing a binder and a bowl-shaped resin particle having an opening, the opening being exposed on a surface of the charging member,

a surface of the elastic layer comprising a concave portion derived from the opening and a convex portion derived from an edge of the opening, wherein

a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a charge transport material and a polycarbonate resin having structures represented by formulae (I) and (II), where formula (I) is

14. An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising:

at least one of a charging unit and an exposing unit; and

a process cartridge, the process cartridge comprising a charging member and an electrophotographic photosensitive member configured to be charged by being in contact with the charging member, the electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising a support and a photosensitive layer in this order,

the charging member having an electroconductive substrate, and a conductive elastic layer as a surface layer,

a surface of the elastic layer containing an insulating hollow particle and an insulating binder,

the hollow particle forming a convex portion exposed on the surface of the elastic layer, the hollow particle having a recess at the apex part of the convex portion, wherein

a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a charge transport material and a polycarbonate resin having structures represented by formulae (I) and (II), where formula (I) is