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

• US 20060008717A1
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• 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, Ikezue, Tatsuya, Amamiya, Shoji, Maruyama, Akio, Ishii, Shuji, Mitsui, Takahiro, Nakata, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,186,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 5/00 Recording members for original recording by exposure, e.g. to light, to heat, to electrons; Manufacture thereof; Selection of materials therefor recording surfaces for measuring apparatus G01D15/34; photosensitive materials for photographic purposes G03C

Abstract

An electrophotographic photosensitive member is disclosed having a cylindrical support and an organic photosensitive layer provided on the cylindrical support. The peripheral surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is composed of grooves formed substantially in its peripheral direction and flat portions, and in the grooves, the number of grooves each having a width in the range of from 0.5 μm to 40 μm is from 20 to 1,000 lines per 1,000 μm in width in the generatrix direction of the peripheral surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

Claims

1. A cylindrical electrophotographic photosensitive member which comprises a cylindrical support and an organic photosensitive layer provided on the cylindrical support, wherein;

a plurality of grooves each having width in the range of from 0.5 μ

m to 40 μ

m are formed on the peripheral surface of said electrophotographic photosensitive member substantially in the peripheral direction of the peripheral surface; and

the number of the grooves is from 20 lines to 1,000 lines per 1,000 μ

m in width in the generatrix direction of the peripheral surface.

2. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, which satisfies the following relation (a):

3. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the peripheral surface of said electrophotographic photosensitive member has a ten-point average surface roughness Rz of from 0.3 μ

m to 1.3 μ

m, and has a difference between the ten-point average surface roughness Rz and a maximum surface roughness Rmax of the peripheral surface, Rmax−

Rz, of 0.3 μ

m or less.

4. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said grooves cross one another.

5. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein, where the electrophotographic photosensitive member is rotated for 90 seconds at a peripheral speed of 150 mm/s in an environment of 23°

C./50% RH while its peripheral surface is brought into contact with a blade made of polyurethane resin resin and having a hardness of 77 degrees, a deposition thickness of the abrasion dust of the electrophotographic photosensitive member deposited on an air face of the blade made of polyurethane resin is within the range of from 0.1 pm to 5 μ

m.

6. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the peripheral surface of said electrophotographic photosensitive member has a modulus of elastic deformation of from 45% to 65%.

7. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 6, wherein the modulus of elastic deformation of the peripheral surface of said electrophotographic photosensitive member is from 50% to 65%.

8. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the peripheral surface of said electrophotographic photosensitive member has a universal hardness value HU of from 150 N/mm² to 210 N/mm².

9. A process cartridge which comprises the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 or claim 2, and at least one means selected from the group consisting of a charging means, a developing means, a transfer means and a cleaning means, which are integrally supported;

the process cartridge being detachably mountable to a main body of an electrophotographic apparatus.

10. An electrophotographic apparatus which comprises the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 or claim 2, a charging means, an exposure means, a developing means and a transfer means.

11. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 10, which further comprises a cleaning means.

12. A process for manufacturing the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 or claim 2, which comprises a surface layer forming step of forming a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a surface roughening step of roughening the surface of the surface layer.

13. The electrophotographic photosensitive member manufacturing process according to claim 12, wherein said surface roughening step is carried out by bringing an abrasive member into contact with the surface of said surface layer;

said abrasive member comprising a substrate and provided thereon a layer in which abrasive grains have been dispersed.

14. The electrophotographic photosensitive member manufacturing process according to claim 13, wherein said abrasive member comprises a sheet-like substrate and provided thereon a layer in which abrasive grains have been dispersed, a roller is used which presses the abrasive sheet against the surface of said surface layer on the side of the sheet-like substrate to bring the abrasive sheet into contact with said surface layer, and, the roller has an Asker-C hardness of from 10 to 70.

15. The electrophotographic photosensitive member manufacturing process according to claim 13, wherein said abrasive member is an abrasive sheet comprising a sheet-like substrate and provided thereon a layer in which abrasive grains have been dispersed, a roller is used which presses the abrasive sheet against the surface of said surface layer on the side of the sheet-like substrate to bring the abrasive sheet into contact with said surface layer, and the roller has a Shore hardness of from 5 to 70.

16. The electrophotographic photosensitive member manufacturing process according to claim 12, which comprises, as a step simultaneous with said surface roughening step, a cleaning step (A) of bringing a cleaning member into contact with the surface of said surface layer to clean the surface of said surface layer.

17. The electrophotographic photosensitive member manufacturing process according to claim 16, wherein said cleaning step (A) uses at least one member selected from the group consisting of a belt, a brush, a roller, a tape and a blade.

18. The electrophotographic photosensitive member manufacturing process according to claim 12, which comprises, as a step subsequent to said surface roughening step, a cleaning step (B) of bringing a cleaning member into contact with the surface of said surface layer to clean the surface of said surface layer.

19. The electrophotographic photosensitive member manufacturing process according to claim 18, wherein said cleaning step (B) uses at least one member selected from the group consisting of a belt, a brush, a roller, a tape and a blade.

20. The electrophotographic photosensitive member manufacturing process according to claim 12, which comprises, as a step subsequent to said surface roughening step, a cleaning step (C) carried out by immersing and vibrating in a liquid a product obtained by surface-roughening the surface of said surface layer through said surface roughening step.