ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS

• US 20120099898A1
• Filed: 08/27/2010
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ochi, Atsushi, Ogaki, Harunobu, Uematsu, Hiroki, Kawai, Yasuhiro, Takahashi, Koji, Murai, Shio
• Granted Patent: US 8,457,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/159
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/751 relating to drum G03G15/757 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/04 Photoconductive layers; Charge-generation layers or charge-transporting layers; Additives therefor; Binders therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/043 Photoconductive layers characterised by having two or more layers or characterised by their composite structure
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0542 Polyvinylalcohol, polyallylalcohol; Derivatives thereof, e.g. polyvinylesters, polyvinylethers, polyvinylamines
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0564 Polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/06142 arylamine
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0696 Phthalocyanines
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/147 Cover layers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14756 Polycarbonates

Abstract

An electrophotographic apparatus is provided including an electrophotographic photosensitive member which includes a surface protective layer; and an exposure device which irradiates a surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member with an exposure beam so as to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, wherein the surface protective layer includes a material having no structure to provide charge transporting performance and has a plurality of through holes penetrating from the side of the front surface of the surface protective layer to the side of the charge transport layer, and the thickness of the surface protective layer is from 0.1 μm or more to 1.5 μm or less, and wherein when the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is irradiated with the exposure beam, two or more of the through holes are included in an exposure beam spot.

Claims

1. An electrophotographic apparatus comprising:

an electrophotographic photosensitive member which comprises a support, a charge generation layer formed on the support and containing a charge generating material, a charge transport layer formed on the charge generation layer and containing a charge transporting material, and a surface protective layer formed on the charge transport layer; and

an exposure device which irradiates a surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member with an exposure beam based on image information so as to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member,

wherein the surface protective layer comprises a material having no structure to provide charge transporting performance and has a plurality of through holes penetrating from the side of the front surface of the surface protective layer to the side of the charge transport layer, and the thickness of the surface protective layer is from 0.1 μ

m or more to 1.5 μ

m or less, and

wherein when the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is irradiated with the exposure beam, two or more of the through holes are included in an exposure beam spot.

2. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is irradiated with the exposure beam, at least five of the through holes are included in the exposure beam spot.

3. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a maximum diameter A [μ

m] of the through holes and a minimum diameter B [μ

m] of the exposure beam spot satisfy a relationship represented by the following Expression (1);

1≦

A≦

B×

0.4 

 

(1)