ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTOSENSITIVE MEMBER, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS

• US 20140093815A1
• Filed: 09/18/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Yuki, Ogaki, Harunobu, Maruyama, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,235,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/56
• 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 5/0525 Coating methods
• 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 5/0607 containing at least one non-six-membered ring
• 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

Abstract

A charge-transporting layer includes a matrix-domain structure. The domain contains a polyester resin A. The matrix contains a charge-transporting substance and at least one of a polyester resin C and a polycarbonate resin D.

Claims

1. An electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising:

a support;

a charge-generating layer formed on the support; and

a charge-transporting layer formed on the charge-generating layer;

wherein,

the charge-transporting layer is a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member,

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

a domain which comprises a polyester resin A having;

a structural unit represented by the following Formula (A) and

a structural unit represented by the following Formula (B), and

a matrix which comprises;

a charge-transporting substance, and

at least one resin selected from the group consisting of a polyester resin C having a structural unit represented by the following Formula (C) and a polycarbonate resin D having a structural unit represented by the following Formula (D),

the content of the structural unit represented by the Formula (A) is 6% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less based on the total mass of the polyester resin A, and

the content of the structural unit represented by the Formula (B) is 60% by mass or more and 94% by mass or less based on the total mass of the polyester resin A;

2. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the content of the structural unit represented by the Formula (A) is 10% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less based on the total mass of the polyester resin A, and the content of the structural unit represented by the Formula (B) is 60% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less based on the total mass of the polyester resin A.

3. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the content of the structural unit represented by the Formula (A) is 6% by mass or more and less than 10% by mass based on the total mass of the polyester resin A, and the content of the structural unit represented by the Formula (B) is more than 90% by mass and 94% by mass or less based on the total mass of the polyester resin A.

4. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the content of the polyester resin A in the charge-transporting layer is 10% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less based on the total mass of all the resins in the charge-transporting layer.

5. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the structural units represented by Formula (B) is a structural unit represented by the following Formula (B-3).

6. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 5, wherein the content of the structural unit represented by the Formula (B-3) is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less based on the total mass of the structural unit represented by the Formula (B) in the polyester resin A.

7. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the charge-transporting substance comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a triarylamine compound, a hydrazone compound, a butadiene compound and an enamine compound.

8. 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 unit selected from the group consisting of a charging unit, a developing unit, a transferring unit and a cleaning unit.

9. An electrophotographic apparatus comprising the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, a charging unit, an exposure unit, a developing unit, and a transferring unit.

10. A method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising a support, a charge-generating layer formed on the support, and a charge-transporting layer formed on the charge-generating layer as a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, wherein the method comprises:

forming a coating film of a charge-transporting layer coating liquid which comprises;

a polyester resin A having a structural unit represented by the following Formula (A) and a structural unit represented by the following Formula (B),

at least one resin selected from the group consisting of a polyester resin C having a structural unit represented by the following Formula (C) and a polycarbonate resin D having a structural unit represented by the following Formula (D), and

a charge-transporting substance; and

forming the charge-transporting layer by drying the coating film;

the content of the structural unit represented by the Formula (A) is 6% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less based on the total mass of the polyester resin A, and

the content of the structural unit represented by the Formula (B) is 60% by mass or more and 94% by mass or less based on the total mass of the polyester resin A;