Electrophotographic photosensitive member, method of manufacturing electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge, and electrophotographic apparatus

• US 7,704,657 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Uesugi, Hirotoshi, Abe, Yukihiro, Miki, Nobumichi, Ogaki, Harunobu, Miura, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Huff; Mark F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vajda; Peter L
• Application Number:
  US12/400,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20090180800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 430/66, 430/56, 430/59.6, 430/132, 430/127, 399/159
• US Class Current: 430/59.6
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0539 Halogenated polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0546 Polymers comprising at least one carboxyl radical, e.g. polyacrylic acid, polycrotonic acid, polymaleic acid; Derivatives thereof, e.g. their esters, salts, anhydrides, nitriles, amides
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/056 Polyesters
• 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 5/14726 Halogenated polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/1473 Polyvinylalcohol, polyallylalcohol; Derivatives thereof, e.g. polyvinylesters, polyvinylethers, polyvinylamines
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14734 Polymers comprising at least one carboxyl radical, e.g. polyacrylic acid, polycrotonic acid, polymaleic acid; Derivatives thereof, e.g. their esters, salts, anhydrides, nitriles, amides
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14752 Polyesters
• 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

Abstract

An electrophotographic photosensitive member having excellent electrophotographic properties while being prevented from the generation of blade turn-up, a method of manufacturing the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus each having the electrophotographic photosensitive member are provided. The surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a polymer having a specific repeating structural unit.

Claims

1. An electrophotographic photosensitive member, comprising:

a support; and

a photosensitive layer formed on the support, wherein;

wherein the electrophotographic photosensitive member has a surface layer containing a polymer whose repeating structural units consisting of repeating structural units each represented by the following formula (1) and repeating structural units each represented by the following formula (a);

2. An electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein Y in the formula (a) is a divalent organic group having at least a structure represented by the following formula (c):

3. An electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein:

the polymer whose repeating structural units consisting of the repeating structural units each represented by the formula (1) and the repeating structural units each represented by the formula (a) is synthesized by polymerization of compounds each represented by the following formula (3) and compounds each represented by the following formula (d);

4. A method of manufacturing the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, which comprises a step of forming the surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member by using a surface-layer coating solution containing the polymer having the repeating structural units consisting of the repeating structural units each represented by the formula (1) and the repeating structural units each represented by the formula (a).

5. A process cartridge, comprising:

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, and a cleaning unit,

wherein the member and the at least one unit are integrally supported and detachably attached to a main body of an electrophotographic apparatus.

6. A process cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the cleaning unit includes a cleaning blade.

7. An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising:

the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1;

a charging unit;

an exposing unit;

a developing unit;

a transfer unit; and

a cleaning unit.

8. An electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning unit includes a cleaning blade.