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

• US 20140154620A1
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ito, Yota, Sekiya, Michiyo, Sekido, Kunihiko, Okuda, Atsushi, Nakamura, Nobuhiro, Noguchi, Kazunori, Tanaka, Daisuke, Sugiyama, Kazumichi, Ishiduka, Yuka
• Granted Patent: US 9,383,663 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 5/0609 containing oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0612 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/065 containing three relevant rings
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0651 containing four relevant rings
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0657 containing seven relevant rings
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/142 Inert intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/144 comprising inorganic material

Abstract

An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a support, an undercoat layer formed on the support, and a photosensitive layer formed on the undercoat layer. The undercoat layer is an electron transporting layer and contains a metal salt of organic acid having at least one metal element selected from Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn.

Claims

1. An electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising:

a support;

an undercoat layer formed on the support; and

a photosensitive layer formed on the undercoat layer, wherein

the undercoat layer is an electron transporting layer, and

the undercoat layer comprises a metal salt of organic acid having at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn.

2. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the organic acid of the metal salt of organic acid is a monovalent carboxylic acid.

3. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 2, wherein the monovalent carboxylic acid is a fatty acid.

4. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 3, wherein the fatty acid has 4 to 8 carbon atoms.

5. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the metal salt of organic acid has at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of Ni and Zn.

6. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the content of the metal salt of organic acid in the undercoat layer is 0.1% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less relative to the total mass of the undercoat layer.

7. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the undercoat layer does not contain metal oxide particles.

8. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the electron transporting layer is a cured layer obtained by curing

an electron transporting compound having a polymerizable functional group, or

a composition containing an electron transporting compound having a polymerizable functional group.

9. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 8, wherein the composition further contains a cross-linking agent and a resin having a polymerizable functional group.

10. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the electron transporting layer contains an electron transporting compound.

11. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 10, wherein the electron transporting compound is a pigment.

12. A process cartridge detachably attached to 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.

13. An electrophotographic apparatus comprising:

the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1;

a charging device;

an exposure device;

a developing device; and

a transferring device.

14. A method of producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member which comprises:

a support;

an undercoat layer formed on the support; and

a photosensitive layer formed on the undercoat layer;

the method comprising the steps of;

preparing an undercoat layer coating liquid comprising a metal salt of organic acid having at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn;

forming a coat of the undercoat layer coating liquid; and

drying the coat to form the undercoat layer;

wherein the undercoat layer is an electron transporting layer.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the undercoat layer coating liquid does not contain metal oxide particles.