Electrophotographic Photosensitive member, method for manufacturing electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus

• US 7,534,534 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2005
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Uematsu, Hiroki, Shimada, Akira, Mitsui, Takahiro, Nakata, Koichi, Maruyama, Akio, Ishii, Shuji, Ikezue, Tatsuya, Amamiya, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Chapman; Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US11/154,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20050255393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 430/56, 430/127, 399/159
• US Class Current: 430/56
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/75 Details relating to xerographic drum, band or plate, e.g. replacing, testing electrographic recording members per se G03G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/04 Photoconductive layers; Charge-generation layers or charge-transporting layers; Additives therefor; Binders therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0567 Other polycondensates comprising oxygen atoms in the main chain; Phenol resins
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/06 characterised by the photoconductive material being organic
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0618 containing oxygen and nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0625 being three- or four-membered
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0629 containing one hetero atom
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0633 containing three hetero atoms
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0638 containing two hetero atoms
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/064 containing three hetero atoms
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0648 containing two relevant rings
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/071 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds G03G5/078 takes precedence

Abstract

An electrophotographic photosensitive member hard to cause the problem of chatter and wear-out of the cleaning blade and the problem of a rubbing memory, and both a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus having the photosensitive member are provided. The peripheral surface of the photosensitive member has a plurality of dimple-shaped concaves, a 10-point average roughness Rzjis (A) as measured by sweeping along the circumference of the peripheral surface of the photosensitive member is 0.3 to 2.5 μm, a 10-point average roughness Rzjis (B) as measured by sweeping along the generating line of the peripheral surface of the photosensitive member is 0.3 to 2.5 μm, a mean spacing of profile irregularities, RSm (C), as measured by sweeping along the circumference of the peripheral surface of the photosensitive member is 5 to 120 μm, a mean spacing of profile irregularities, RSm (D), as measured by sweeping along the generating line of the photosensitive member is 5 to 120 μm, and the value of a ratio (D/C) of the mean spacing of profile irregularities RSm (D) to the mean spacing of profile irregularities RSm (C) is 0.5 to 1.5.

Claims

1. A cylindrical electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising:

a cylindrical support and an organic photosensitive layer provided on the cylindrical support,

wherein a peripheral surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member has a plurality of dimple-shaped concavities, a 10-point average roughness Rzjis (A) as measured along the circumference of the peripheral surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is 0.3 to 2.5 um, a 10-point average roughness Rzjis (B) as measured along the generating line of the peripheral surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is 0.3 to 2.5 um, a mean spacing of profile irregularities, RSm (C), as measured along the circumference of the peripheral surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is 5 to 120 um, a mean spacing of profile irregularities, RSm (D), as measured along the generating line of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is 5 to 120 um, and the value of a ratio (D/C) of the mean spacing of profile irregularities RSm (D) to the mean spacing of profile irregularities RSm (C) is 0.5 to 1.5, and wherein among said dimple-shaped cancavities, the number of dimple-shaped concavities of which the maximum diameter is in the range of 1 to 50 um and the depth is in the range of 0.1 to 2.5 um is 5 to 50 per 10,000 um² of peripheral surface of said electrophotographic photosensitive member.

2. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein said 10-point average roughness Rzjis (A) is 0.4 to 2.0 um, said 10-point average roughness Rzjis (B) is 0.4 to 2.0 um, said mean spacing of profile irregularities RSm (C) is 10 to 100 um, said mean spacing of profile irregularities RSm (D) is 10 to 100 um, and the value of the ratio (D/C) of said mean spacing of profile irregularities RSm (D) to said mean spacing of profile irregularities RSm (C) is 0.8 to 1.2.

3. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a maximum peak height Rp (F) of the peripheral surface of said electrophotographic photosensitive member is 0.6 um or less, and the value of a ratio (E/F) of a maximum valley depth Rv(E) of the peripheral surface of said electrophotographic photosensitive member to the maximum peak height Rp (F) is 1.2 or greater.

4. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 3, wherein said maximum peak height Rp (F) is 0.4 um or less, and the value of the ratio (E/F) of said maximum valley depth Rv (E) to said maximum peak height Rp (F) is 1.5 or greater.

5. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein among said dimple-shaped concavities, the total area of dimple-shaped concavities of which the maximum diameter is in the range of range of 1 to 50 um and the depth is in the range of 0.1 to 2.5 um is 3 to 60% based on the entire area of the peripheral surface of said electrophotographic photosensitive member.

6. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein among said dimple-shaped concavities, the average aspect ratio of dimple-shaped concavities of which the maximum diameter is in the range of 1 to 50 um and the depth is in the range of 0.1 to 2.5 um is 0.50 to 0.95.

7. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the value of universal hardness (HU) of the peripheral surface of said electrophotographic photosensitive member is 150 to 220 N/mm².

8. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the elastic deformation ratio of the peripheral surface of said electrophotographic photosensitive member is 40% or greater.

9. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 8, wherein the elastic deformation ratio of the peripheral surface of said electrophotographic photosensitive member is 45% or greater.

10. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 9, wherein the elastic deformation ratio of the peripheral surface of said electrophotographic photosensitive member is 50% or greater.

11. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 10, wherein the elastic deformation ratio of the peripheral surface of said electrophotographic photosensitive member is 65% or less.

12. A method for manufacturing the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, comprising:

a surface layer forming step of forming a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member; and

a concavity forming step of forming dimple-shaped concavities on the surface of the surface layer by subjecting the surface of the surface layer to a dry blast process or a wet honing process.

13. A process cartridge which comprises and integrally supports the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 or an electrophotographic photosensitive member manufactured by the manufacturing method according to claim 12, and at least one selected from the group consisting of charging means, development means and cleaning means, and is detachably affixed to an electrophotographic apparatus main body.

14. An electrophotographic apparatus comprising the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, or an electrophotographic photosensitive member manufactured by the manufacturing method according to claim 12, charging means, exposure means, development means, transfer means and cleaning means.