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

• US 20140023961A1
• Filed: 03/27/2012
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Okuda, Atsushi, Murai, Shio, Noguchi, Kazunori, Ogaki, Harunobu, Shida, Kazuhisa, Anezaki, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 9,188,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/56
• 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 5/056 Polyesters
• 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 5/0592 Macromolecular compounds characterised by their structure or by their chemical properties, e.g. block polymers, reticulated polymers, molecular weight, acidity
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14752 Polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14756 Polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14773 Polycondensates comprising silicon atoms in the main chain
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14791 Macromolecular compounds characterised by their structure, e.g. block polymers, reticulated polymers, or by their chemical properties, e.g. by molecular weight or acidity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31507 Of polycarbonate

Abstract

A charge-transporting layer, which is a surface layer of an electrophotographic photosensitive member, has a matrix-domain structure having a matrix containing constituent β (a polycarbonate resin having a predetermined repeating structural unit) and a charge-transporting substance, and a domain containing constituent α (a polycarbonate resin having a repeating structural unit having a predetermined siloxane moiety).

Claims

1. An electrophotographic photosensitive member, comprising:

a support,

a charge-generating layer which is provided on the support and comprises a charge-generating substance, and

a charge-transporting layer which is provided on the charge-generating layer and is a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member;

wherein the charge-transporting layer has a matrix-domain structure having;

a domain which comprises the constituent α

, and

a matrix which comprises the constituent 0 and a charge-transporting substance;

wherein the constituent α

is a polycarbonate resin A having a repeating structural unit represented by the following formula (A), a repeating structural unit represented by the following formula (B) and a repeating structural unit represented by the following formula (C),

the content of a siloxane moiety in the polycarbonate resin A is not less than 5% by mass and not more than 40% by mass relative to the total mass of the polycarbonate resin A, the content of the repeating the structural unit represented by the formula (B) is not less than 10% by mass and not more than 30% by mass relative to the total mass of the polycarbonate resin A, and the content of the repeating the structural unit represented by the formula (C) is not less than 25% by mass and less than 85% by mass relative to the total mass of the polycarbonate resin A;

2. An electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1,

wherein the content of the siloxane moiety in the charge-transporting layer is not less than 1% by mass and not more than 20% by mass relative to the total mass of all resins in the charge-transporting layer.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. A method of manufacturing the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1,

wherein the method comprises a step of forming the charge-transporting layer by applying a charge-transporting-layer coating solution on the charge-generating layer, and

wherein the charge-transporting-layer coating solution comprises the constituent α

the constituent β

, and the charge-transporting substance.