ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTOSENSITIVE MEMBER, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTOSENSITIVE MEMBER

• US 20130323632A1
• Filed: 03/01/2012
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fujii, Atsushi, Matsuoka, Hideaki, Tsuji, Haruyuki, Shida, Kazuhisa, Nakamura, Nobuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,040,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/56
• 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 5/0507 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0525 Coating methods
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/087 and being incorporated in an organic bonding material
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/104 comprising inorganic material other than metals, e.g. salts, oxides, carbon
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/142 Inert intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/144 comprising inorganic material

Abstract

Provided are an electrophotographic photosensitive member in which leakage doesn'"'"'t easily occur, a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus each including the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a method of manufacturing the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a conductive layer including titanium oxide particle coated with tin oxide doped with a hetero element. When an absolute value of a maximum current amount flowing through the conductive layer in a case of performing a test of applying −1.0 kV including DC voltage to the conductive layer is defined as Ia, and an absolute value of a current amount flowing through the conductive layer in a case where a decrease ratio of a current amount per minute reaches 1% or less for the first time is defined as Ib, the relations of Ia≦6000 and 10≦Ib are satisfied. A volume resistivity of the conductive layer before the test is 1.0×10⁸ Ω·cm to 5.0×1012 Ω·cm.

Claims

1. An electrophotographic photosensitive member, comprising:

a cylindrical support;

a conductive layer comprising a binder material and a metal oxide particle formed on the cylindrical support; and

a photosensitive layer formed on the conductive layer, wherein

the metal oxide particle is a titanium oxide particle coated with tin oxide doped with phosphorus;

when an absolute value of a maximum current amount flowing through the conductive layer in a case of performing a test of continuously applying a voltage of −

1.0 kV comprising only a DC voltage to the conductive layer is defined as Ia [μ

A], and an absolute value of a current amount flowing through the conductive layer in a case where a decrease ratio of a current amount per one minute flowing through the conductive layer reaches 1% or less for the first time is defined as Ib [μ

A], the Ia and the Ib satisfy the following relations (i) and (ii); and

Ia≦

6000  

 

(i); and

10≦

Ib  

 

(ii),

a volume resistivity of the conductive layer before the test is performed is from 1.0×

10⁸ to 5.0×

10¹² Ω

·

cm.

3. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the Ia and the Ib satisfy the following relations (iii) and (iv):

Ia≦

5000  

 

(iii); and

20≦

Ib  

 

(iv).

4. A process cartridge detachably attachable to a main body of an electrophotographic apparatus, wherein the process cartridge integrally supports:

the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1; and

at least one device selected from the group consisting of a charging device, a developing device, a transferring device, and a cleaning device.

5. An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising:

the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1,

a charging device,

an exposing device,

a developing device, and

a transferring device.

2. (canceled)

6. A method of manufacturing an electrophotographic photosensitive member,

the method comprising:

the step of forming a conductive layer with a volume resistivity of 1.0×

10⁸ Ω

·

cm or more to 5.0×

10¹² Ω

·

cm or less on a cylindrical support; and

the step of forming a photosensitive layer on the conductive layer,

wherein,

the step of forming the conductive layer comprises;

preparing a coating liquid for the conductive layer by use of;

a solvent,

a binder material, and

a metal oxide particle with a powder resistivity of 1.0×

10³ to 1.0×

10⁵ Ω

·

cm, and

forming the conductive layer by use of the coating liquid for the conductive layer;

a mass ratio (P/B) of the metal oxide particle (P) to the binder material (B) in the coating liquid for the conductive layer, is from 1.5/1.0 to 3.5/1.0; and

the metal oxide particle is a titanium oxide particle coated with tin oxide doped with phosphorus.

7. The method of manufacturing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 6, wherein the powder resistivity of the metal oxide particle is from 3.0×

10³ to 5.0×

10⁴ Ω

·

cm.