ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTOSENSITIVE MEMBER, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS

• US 20110158683A1
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nishida, Tsutomu, Uesugi, Hirotoshi, Noguchi, Kazunori, Okuda, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 8,846,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/111
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/751 relating to drum G03G15/757 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/0011 using a blade; Details of cleaning blades, e.g. blade shape, layer forming
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0564 Polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0578 Polycondensates comprising silicon atoms in the main chain
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14756 Polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14773 Polycondensates comprising silicon atoms in the main chain

Abstract

An electrophotographic photosensitive member having a surface layer which contains a silicon-containing compound in an amount of less than 0.6% by mass based on the whole solid content in the surface layer, where the silicon-containing compound in the surface layer has a siloxane moiety in an amount of 0.01% by mass or more, based on the whole solid content in the surface layer, and its surface has specific depressions. Also disclosed are a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus which have the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

Claims

1. An electrophotographic photosensitive member which comprises a support and a photosensitive layer provided on the support, wherein;

a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a silicon-containing compound in an amount of less than 0.6% by mass based on the whole solid content in the surface layer;

the silicon-containing compound in the surface layer has a siloxane moiety in an amount of 0.01% by mass or more, based on the whole solid content in the surface layer;

on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, depressions which are independent from one another are formed in a number of from 50 or more to 70,000 or less per unit area (100 μ

m×

100 μ

m), and the depressions are depressions each having a ratio of depth (Rdv) to major-axis diameter (Rpc), Rdv/Rpc, of from more than 0.3 to 7.0 or less and having a depth (Rdv) of from 0.1 μ

m or more to 10.0 μ

m or less;

the surface layer has, at the outermost surface thereof, a silicon element in a presence proportion of 0.6% by mass or more, based on constituent elements thereat, as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA); and

the presence proportion [A (% by mass)] of the silicon element to the constituent elements in the surface layer at an inner part of 0.2 μ

m from the outermost surface thereof and the presence proportion [B (% by mass)] of the silicon element to the constituent elements at the outermost surface thereof as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) are in a ratio (A/B) of from more than 0.0 to less than 0.3; and

the silicon-containing compound is a polymer having a structure represented by the following Formula (1) and a repeating structural unit represented by the following Formula (2) or the following Formula (3);

2. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the surface layer contains the silicon-containing compound in an amount of not more than 0.54% by mass based on the whole solid content in the surface layer and the silicon-containing compound in the surface layer has the siloxane moiety in an amount of 0.05% by mass or more, based on the whole solid content in the surface layer.

3. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing compound has the siloxane moiety in an amount of from 30.0% by mass or more to 60.0% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the silicon-containing compound, and the number of repeating structural unit represented by Formula (2) or Formula (3) the silicon-containing compound has is in an average value of from 20 or more to 60 or less.

4. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the silicon-containing compound has, as structure at the part of at least one terminal, a structure represented by the following Formula (4):

5. A process cartridge which comprises the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 and supported integrally therewith a cleaning means, and is detachably mountable to the main body of an electrophotographic apparatus;

the cleaning means comprising a cleaning blade which is provided in touch with, and in the direction counter to, the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

6. The process cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the cleaning blade is not coated with any lubricant.

7. The process cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the electrophotographic photosensitive member and the cleaning blade are set at a touch linear pressure of from 30 N/m or more to 120 N/m or less where the force applied per unit length in the touch lengthwise direction between them is termed as touch linear pressure.

8. The process cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the cleaning blade is set at a touch angle of from 25°

or more to 30°

or less against the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

9. An electrophotographic apparatus which comprises the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, a charging means, an exposure means, a developing means, a transfer means and a cleaning means;

the cleaning means comprising a cleaning blade which is provided in touch with, and in the direction counter to, the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member.