Electrophotographic photosensitive member, electrophotographic apparatus, and process cartridge

• US 7,078,140 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2003
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakata, Kouichi, Yoshimura, Kimihiro, Tanaka, Daisuke, Ikezue, Tatsuya, Morikawa, Yosuke, Ishii, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodrow, John L
• Application Number:
  US10/618,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20040063014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 430/59.6, 430/66, 430/67, 399/116, 399/159
• US Class Current: 430/59.6
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0535 Polyolefins; Polystyrenes; Waxes
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0539 Halogenated polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0542 Polyvinylalcohol, polyallylalcohol; Derivatives thereof, e.g. polyvinylesters, polyvinylethers, polyvinylamines
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0567 Other polycondensates comprising oxygen atoms in the main chain; Phenol resins
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0596 Macromolecular compounds characterised by their physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14717 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14747 obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14795 Macromolecular compounds characterised by their physical properties

Abstract

According to the present invention, there is provided: an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a photosensitive layer on a support in which a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises an acrylic polymer having a polyfluoroolefin unit and an alkylene oxide unit, and having a number-average molecular weight in a range of 2,000 to 20,000; a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus both comprising the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

Claims

1. An electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising a photosensitive layer on a support,

wherein a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises an acrylic polymer having

(a) a polyfluoroolefin unit and an alkylene oxide unit,

(b) a number-average molecular weight in a range of 2,000 to 20,000, and

(c) a molar ratio of the polyfluoroolefin unit to the alkylene oxide unit of 0.1:

1 to 2;

1.

2. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the acrylic polymer is a copolymer obtained through the polymerization of an acrylic ester monomer having the polyfluoroolefin unit with the acrylic ester monomer having the alkylene oxide unit.

3. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the acrylic polymer is a polymer obtained through the polymerization of an acrylic ester monomer having the polyfluoroolefin unit and the alkylene oxide unit.

4. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 2, wherein the acrylic polymer is obtained through the polymerization of the acrylic ester monomers with an acrylic alkyl ester having 2 to 12 carbon atoms.

5. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the acrylic polymer is obtained through the polymerization of the acrylic ester monomer with an acrylic alkyl ester having 2 to 12 carbon atoms.

6. The electrophotographic photosensitive member accordingly to claim 1, wherein the polyfluoroolefin unit is a polyfluoroalkylene unit.

7. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the alkylene oxide unit is an ethylene oxide unit.

8. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the polyfluoroolefin unit has 7 to 29 fluorine atoms per unit.

9. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises at least one of resin particles containing fluorine atoms and resin particles containing silicon atoms.

10. An electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises a curable resin as a binder resin.

11. An electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises a charge transport material.

12. An electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 11, wherein the surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is formed from a coating liquid for a surface layer containing a charge transport material having a hydroxy group.

13. An electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 11, wherein the charge transport material in the surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is three-dimensionally cross-linked.

14. An electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is formed from a coating liquid for a surface layer containing organic solvent at a boiling point of 50°

C. to 120°

C. having a proton acceptor parameter of 2 or more.

15. An electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the photosensitive layer is a stacked photosensitive layer in which a charge generating layer and a charge transport layer are stacked in this order from the support side.

16. An electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 15, wherein the surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is not in contact with the charge generating layer.

17. An electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein a content of the charge generating material of the surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is 0 to 5,000 ppm by mass with respect to a total mass of the surface layer.

18. A process cartridge that integrally supports an electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising a photosensitive layer on a support and at least one unit selected from the group consisting of a charging unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, and a cleaning unit and that is detachably attached to an electrophotographic apparatus,

wherein a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises an acrylic polymer having

(a) a polyfluoroolefin unit and an alkylene oxide unit,

(b) a number-average molecular weight in a range of 2,000 to 20,000, and

(c) a molar ratio of the polyfluoroolefin unit to the alkylene oxide unit of 0.1:

1 to 2;

1.

19. An electrophotographic apparatus having:

an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a photosensitive layer on a support;

a charging unit;

an exposing unit;

a developing unit; and

a transfer unit;

wherein a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises an acrylic polymer having

(a) a polyfluoroolefin unit and an alkylene oxide unit,

(b) a number-average molecular weight in a range of 2,000 to 20,000, and

(c) a molar ratio of the polyfluoroolefin unit to the alkylene oxide unit of 0.1;

1 to 2;

1.