Electrophotographic photoconductor, process cartridge and image forming apparatus

• US 8,257,891 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2010
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakatake, Naoki, Takehara, Atsushi, Koizumi, Toshihiko, Ueda, Tsuyoshi, Uchida, Tadayoshi, Suzuki, Hajime
• Primary Examiner(s): VAJDA, PETER L
• Application Number:
  US12/684,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20100178074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 430/58.05, 430/58.65, 430/58.75, 430/58.85, 430/59.6, 399/159
• US Class Current: 430/59.6
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/751 relating to drum G03G15/757 takes precedence
• 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 5/0514 not comprising cyclic groups
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0517 comprising one or more cyclic groups consisting of carbon-atoms only
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0521 comprising one or more heterocyclic groups
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/06147 alkenylarylamine
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0672 containing two or more methine or polymethine groups

Abstract

To provide an electrophotographic photoconductor including: a substrate; a charge generating layer; and a charge transporting layer, the charge generating layer and the charge transporting layer being disposed over the substrate, wherein the charge transporting layer contains a charge transporting material represented by General Formula (I) below and an additive represented by General Formula (II) below:

where R¹, R² and R³ each independently denote any one of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group which may contain a substituent, and an alkoxy group which may contain a substituent,

where R⁴ and R⁵ each denote a tertiary butyl group, and R⁶ and R⁷ each independently denote one of an alkyl group which may contain a substituent, and an aryl group which may contain a substituent.

Claims

1. An electrophotographic photoconductor comprising:

a substrate;

a charge generating layer; and

a charge transporting layer,

the charge generating layer and the charge transporting layer being disposed over the substrate,

wherein the charge transporting layer contains a charge transporting material represented by General Formula (I) below, an additive represented by General Formula (II) below and a binder resin prepared by mixing a polycarbonate resin represented by General Formula (III) below with a polycarbonate copolymer resin represented by a combination of Structural Formulae (A), (B) and (C) below;

2. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1, wherein the additive represented by General Formula (II) has a maximum absorption wavelength in the range of 300 nm to 370 nm and does not have an absorption wavelength in the range of 730 nm to 800 nm.

3. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1, wherein the charge transporting material represented by General Formula (I) comprises the compound represented by Structural Formula (Ia) below:

4. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1, wherein the charge transporting material represented by General Formula (I) comprises the compound represented by Structural Formula (Ib) below:

5. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1, wherein the charge transporting material represented by General Formula (I) comprises the compound represented by Structural Formula (Ie) below:

6. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1, wherein the charge transporting material represented by General Formula (I) comprises the compound represented by Structural Formula (Id) below:

7. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1, wherein the charge transporting material represented by General Formula (I) comprises the compound represented by Structural Formula (Ie) below:

8. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1, wherein the additive represented by General Formula (II) comprises the compound represented by Structural Formula (IIa) below:

9. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1, wherein the additive represented by General Formula (II) comprises the compound represented by Structural Formula (IIb) below:

10. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1, wherein the additive represented by General Formula (II) comprises the compound represented by Structural Formula (IIc) below:

11. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1, wherein the additive represented by General Formula (II) comprises the compound represented by Structural Formula (IId) below:

12. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1, wherein the additive represented by General Formula (II) comprises the compound represented by Structural Formula (IIe) below:

13. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1, wherein the additive represented by General Formula (II) comprises the compound represented by Structural Formula (IIf) below:

14. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1, wherein the charge transporting layer further contains a benzotriazole-based ultraviolet absorber.

15. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1, wherein the charge transporting layer further contains a phenolic antioxidant.

16. A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main body of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

an electrophotographic photoconductor; and

a developing unit configured to develop a latent electrostatic image, formed on the electrophotographic photoconductor, with a toner so as to form a visible image,

wherein the electrophotographic photoconductor comprises a substrate, a charge generating layer and a charge transporting layer, the charge generating layer and the charge transporting layer being disposed over the substrate, and

wherein the charge transporting layer contains a charge transporting material represented by General Formula (I) below, an additive represented by General Formula (II) below and a binder resin prepared by mixing a polycarbonate resin represented by General Formula (III) below with a polycarbonate copolymer resin represented by a combination of Structural Formulae (A), (B) and (C) below;

17. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an electrophotographic photoconductor;

a latent electrostatic image forming unit configured to form a latent electrostatic image on the electrophotographic photoconductor;

a developing unit configured to develop the latent electrostatic image with a toner so as to form a visible image;

a transfer unit configured to transfer the visible image onto recording medium; and

a fixing unit configured to fix the visible image transferred onto the recording medium,

wherein the electrophotographic photoconductor comprises a substrate, a charge generating layer and a charge transporting layer, the charge generating layer and the charge transporting layer being disposed over the substrate, and

wherein the charge transporting layer contains a charge transporting material represented by General Formula (I) below, an additive represented by General Formula (II) below and a binder resin prepared by mixing a polycarbonate resin represented by General Formula below with a polycarbonate copolymer resin represented by a combination of Structural Formulae (A), (B) and (C) below;