Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge, and electrophotographic apparatus

• US 8,632,931 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2009
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sekido, Kunihiko, Nagasaka, Hideaki, Sekiya, Michiyo, Takagi, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): RODEE, CHRISTOPHER D
• Application Number:
  US12/625,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20110143273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 430/64, 430/60, 430/62, 399/159
• US Class Current: 430/60
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0532 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsatured bonds
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0535 Polyolefins; Polystyrenes; Waxes
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0542 Polyvinylalcohol, polyallylalcohol; Derivatives thereof, e.g. polyvinylesters, polyvinylethers, polyvinylamines
• 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 5/055 Polymers containing hetero rings in the side chain
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/142 Inert intermediate layers

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member obtained by providing an intermediate layer and a photosensitive layer on a conductive support in the stated order, the electrophotographic photosensitive member being characterized in that the intermediate layer contains a specific polyolefin resin and a specific organic electron-transporting substance, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus each having the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

Claims

1. An electrophotographic photosensitive member, comprising:

a conductive support;

an intermediate layer; and

a photosensitive layer,

the intermediate layer and the photosensitive layer being provided on the conductive support in the stated order,

wherein;

the intermediate layer contains a polyolefin resin and an organic electron- transporting substance;

the polyolefin resin comprises;

a repeating structural unit represented by the following formula (11);

a repeating structural unit represented by one of the following formulas (21) and (22); and

a repeating structural unit represented by any one of the following formulas (31), (32), (33), and (34), and

the mass ratio (%) of the repeating structural unit represented by the formula (11) in the polyolefin resin is 75 mass % or more and 94 mass % or less; and

the organic electron-transporting substance comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of an imide-based compound represented by the following formula (1), a benzimidazole-based compound represented by the following formula (2), a benzimidazole-based compound represented by the following formula (3), a benzimidazole-based compound represented by the following formula (4), a quinone-based compound represented by the following formula (5), a quinone-based compound represented by the following formula (6), a quinone-based compound represented by the following formula (7), a cyclopentadienylidene-based compound represented by the following formula (8), and derivatives of the compounds;

2. An electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the repeating structural unit represented by formula (11) has 2 to 4 carbon atoms.

3. A process cartridge, comprising:

the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1; and

at least one device selected from the group consisting of charging device, developing device, transferring device, and cleaning device,

wherein the process cartridge integrally supports the electrophotographic photosensitive member and the at least one device, and is attachable to and detachable from a main body of an electrophotographic apparatus.

4. An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising:

the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1;

charging device;

exposing device;

developing device; and

transferring device.

5. An electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises a conductive layer comprising a phenol resin between the conductive support and the intermediate layer.