ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTOSENSITIVE MEMBER, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS

• US 20140004454A1
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Okuda, Atsushi, Sekiya, Michiyo, Sekido, Kunihiko, Kaku, Kenichi, Nakamura, Nobuhiro, Ito, Yota, Ishiduka, Yuka, Tomono, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,029,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/56
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/00 Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern G03G16/00, G03G17/00 take precedence ; xerographic printers for data processors per se G06K15/14
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/751 relating to drum G03G15/757 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00957 Compositions
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0542 Polyvinylalcohol, polyallylalcohol; Derivatives thereof, e.g. polyvinylesters, polyvinylethers, polyvinylamines
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/055 Polymers containing hetero rings in the side chain
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/056 Polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0592 Macromolecular compounds characterised by their structure or by their chemical properties, e.g. block polymers, reticulated polymers, molecular weight, acidity
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0605 Carbocyclic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0607 containing at least one non-six-membered ring
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0648 containing two relevant rings
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0696 Phthalocyanines
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/142 Inert intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14708 comprising organic material
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14752 Polyesters

Abstract

An electron transporting layer is a cured layer including carbon atoms, nitrogen atoms and oxygen atoms. When ratios of the number of carbon atoms, ratios of the number of nitrogen atoms, and ratios of the number of oxygen atoms are analyzed at 10 points by an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA), the respective standard deviations, σ(C), σ(N) and σ(O), of the ratios of the number of carbon atoms, the ratios of the number of nitrogen atoms and the ratios of the number of oxygen atoms satisfy the following expressions (1) to (3):

σ(C)≦1.5  (1),

σ(N)≦1.5  (2),

and

σ(O)≦1.5  (3).

Claims

1. An electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising:

a support;

an electron transporting layer formed on the support; and

a photosensitive layer formed on the electron transporting layer,

wherein the electron transporting layer is a cured layer comprising carbon atoms, nitrogen atoms and oxygen atoms; and

the electron transporting layer satisfies the following expressions (1) to (3);

σ

(C)≦

1.5 

 

(1),

σ

(N)≦

1.5 

 

(2),

and

σ

(O)≦

1.5 

 

(3),

where, in the expressions (1) to (3),

σ

(C) represents a standard deviation of 10 values of a ratio (atomic %) of the number of carbon atoms based on the number of all atoms except hydrogen atoms in the electron transporting layer, the 10 values being obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) at 10 points;

σ

(N) represents a standard deviation of 10 values of a ratio (atomic %) of the number of nitrogen atoms based on the number of all atoms except hydrogen atoms in the electron transporting layer, the 10 values being obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) at 10 points; and

σ

(O) represents a standard deviation of 10 values of a ratio (atomic %) of the number of oxygen atoms based on the number of all atoms except hydrogen atoms in the electron transporting layer, the 10 values being obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) at 10 points,

the 10 points consisting of an upper end point and a lower end point of the electron transporting layer, and 8 points dividing the electron transporting layer equally into 9 parts in the depth direction.

2. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1,

wherein the respective standard deviations, σ

(C), σ

(N) and σ

(O) satisfy the following expressions (4) to (6);

σ

(C)≦

1.0 

 

(4),

σ

(N)≦

1.0 

 

(5),

and

σ

(O)≦

1.0 

 

(6).

3. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1,

wherein a sum of the ratio of the number of carbon atoms, the ratio of the number of nitrogen atoms and the ratio of the number of oxygen atoms in the electron transporting layer is 90% or more and 100% or less (excluding hydrogen atoms having no measurement sensitivity in ESCA).

4. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1,

wherein the electron transporting layer comprises a cured substance of a composition comprising an electron transporting substance having a polymerizable functional group, a thermoplastic resin having a polymerizable functional group, and a crosslinking agent.

5. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 4,

wherein the thermoplastic resin has a weight-average molecular weight of 5,000 or more and 400,000 or less.

6. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 4,

wherein the thermoplastic resin has a weight-average molecular weight of 5,000 or more and 300,000 or less.

7. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 4, wherein the polymerizable functional group of the electron transporting substance is at least one selected from the group consisting of a hydroxy group, a thiol group, an amino group, a methoxy group and a carboxyl group.

8. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 4,

wherein the electron transporting substance has a molecular weight of 1,000 or less.

9. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 4,

wherein the crosslinking agent is a compound having 3 to 6 of an isocyanate group, a blocked isocyanate group or a group represented by —

CH₂OR¹ (R¹ represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group).

10. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 4,

wherein the crosslinking agent has a molecular weight of 1,000 or less.

11. A process cartridge comprising an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 and at least one unit selected from the group consisting of a charging unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit and a cleaning unit, integrally supported therein, wherein the process cartridge is attachable to and detachable from an electrophotographic apparatus.

12. An electrophotographic apparatus comprising an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, a charging unit, a light irradiation unit, a developing unit and a transfer unit.