ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTORECEPTOR, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20120114379A1
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: YAMASHITA, Takayuki, ISHIKO, Isamu
• Granted Patent: US 8,725,036 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 5/00 Recording members for original recording by exposure, e.g. to light, to heat, to electrons; Manufacture thereof; Selection of materials therefor recording surfaces for measuring apparatus G01D15/34; photosensitive materials for photographic purposes G03C
• 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 5/10 Bases for charge-receiving or other layers

Abstract

An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes: an electrophotographic photoreceptor body containing a cylindrical electroconductive substrate having openings at both ends in an axial direction, the cylindrical electroconductive substrate having a thickness of approximately 2 mm or more at a center portion in an axial direction and having a socket joint portion on each of inner surfaces of both end portions in an axial direction; and a photosensitive layer provided on an outer surface of the electroconductive substrate; and a support member fit in the openings of the electroconductive substrate, having an fitting portion which has an outer diameter that is larger than a diameter of the opening by a range of from approximately 0.01 mm to approximately 0.1 mm, the fitting portion being press-fit into the opening.

Claims

1. An electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising:

an electrophotographic photoreceptor body containing a cylindrical electroconductive substrate having openings at both ends in an axial direction, the cylindrical electroconductive substrate having a thickness of approximately 2 mm or more at a center portion in an axial direction and having a socket joint portion on each of inner surfaces of both end portions in an axial direction; and

a photosensitive layer provided on an outer surface of the electroconductive substrate; and

a support member fit in the openings of the electroconductive substrate, having an fitting portion which has an outer diameter that is larger than a diameter of the opening by a range of from approximately 0.01 mm to approximately 0.1 mm, the fitting portion being press-fit into the opening.

2. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1, wherein the support member contains a resin and glass fibers in a content of from approximately 20 to approximately 40% by mass, and a surface of the fitting portion of the support member that is in contact with the inner surfaces of the end portions of the cylindrical electroconductive substrate in the axial direction has an arithmetic average roughness Ra of from approximately 0.5 μ

m to approximately 0.8 μ

m.

3. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1, wherein an abrasion amount of an outermost layer of the electrophotographic photoreceptor body is approximately 15 nm or less per 1,000 rotations.

4. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 2, wherein an abrasion amount of an outermost layer of the electrophotographic photoreceptor body is approximately 15 nm or less per 1,000 rotations.

5. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1, wherein the thickness at the center portion in the axial direction is from approximately 2 mm to approximately 5 mm.

6. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1, wherein the thickness at the center portion in the axial direction is from approximately 2 mm to approximately 3 mm.

7. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1, wherein a difference between the thickness Tc at the center portion in the axial direction and a thickness Te at the socket joint portion is from approximately 0.1 mm to approximately 1.0 mm.

8. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1, wherein the outer diameter of the fitting portion of the support member is larger than the diameter of the opening of the cylindrical electroconductive substrate by a range of from approximately 0.01 mm to approximately 0.08 mm.

9. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 2, wherein the glass fibers have a diameter of from approximately 6 μ

m to approximately 15 μ

m.

10. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1, wherein the electrophotographic photoreceptor further contains a surface protective layer.

11. A process cartridge for image forming apparatus comprising the process cartridge,

being attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus, and

containing the electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1.

12. An image forming apparatus comprising:

the electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1;

a charging unit that charges the electrophotographic photoreceptor;

an electrostatic latent image forming unit that forms an electrostatic latent image on the charged electrophotographic photoreceptor;

a developing unit that contains a developer containing a toner and develops the electrostatic latent image, which is formed on the electrophotographic photoreceptor, with the developer, thereby forming a toner image; and

a transfer unit that transfers the toner image to a transfer medium.

13. An image forming apparatus comprising:

the electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 2;

a charging unit that charges the electrophotographic photoreceptor;

an electrostatic latent image forming unit that forms an electrostatic latent image on the charged electrophotographic photoreceptor;

a developing unit that contains a developer containing a toner and develops the electrostatic latent image, which is formed on the electrophotographic photoreceptor, with the developer, thereby forming a toner image; and

a transfer unit that transfers the toner image to a transfer medium.

14. An image forming apparatus comprising:

the electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 3;

a charging unit that charges the electrophotographic photoreceptor;

an electrostatic latent image forming unit that forms an electrostatic latent image on the charged electrophotographic photoreceptor;

a developing unit that contains a developer containing a toner and develops the electrostatic latent image, which is formed on the electrophotographic photoreceptor, with the developer, thereby forming a toner image; and

a transfer unit that transfers the toner image to a transfer medium.