Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus

• US 9,535,346 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sekiya, Michiyo, Ito, Yota, Nakamura, Nobuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): RODEE, CHRISTOPHER D
• Application Number:
  US14/568,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20150185636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 430/60, 430/63, 430/65, 430/62, 430/64
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/14 Inert intermediate or cover layers for charge-receiving layers G03G5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/142 Inert intermediate layers

Abstract

An electrophotographic photosensitive member has an undercoat layer containing a polymerized product of a composition including electron transporting substance having a polymerizable functional group and a crosslinking agent, and resin particles. The content of the electron transporting substance is 30% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less based on the total mass of the composition. Protrusions derived from the resin particles in the undercoat layer are formed at an interface between the undercoat layer and the charge generating layer.

Claims

1. An electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising:

a support;

an undercoat layer formed on the support, the undercoat layer having a surface roughness of 0.5 to 2.5 μ

m in terms of ten-point average roughness Rzjis measured at a reference length of 0.8 mm, and comprising resin particles and a polymerized product of a composition comprising a crosslinking agent and an electron transporting substance having a polymerizable functional group;

a charge generating layer formed directly on the undercoat layer; and

a hole transporting layer formed on the charge generating layer, wherein

the content of the electron transporting substance is 30% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less based on the total mass of the composition,

the resin particles comprise 5 to 20% by mass based on the total mass of the composition, and

a plurality of protrusions derived from the resin particles in the undercoat layer is formed at an interface between the undercoat layer and the charge generating layer.

2. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the polymerizable functional group of the electron transporting substance is selected from the group consisting of a hydroxy group, a thiol group, an amino group, a carboxyl group and a methoxy group.

3. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the crosslinking agent is an isocyanate compound having an isocyanate group or a block isocyanate group or an amine compound having a N-methylol group or an alkyletherified N-methylol group.

4. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the composition for the undercoat layer further comprises a thermoplastic resin having a polymerizable functional group.

5. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 4, wherein the polymerizable functional group of the thermoplastic resin is selected from the group consisting of a hydroxy group, a thiol group, an amino group, a carboxyl group and a methoxy group.

6. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the resin particles have a number-average particle diameter of 1.0 to 3.5 μ

m.

7. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the resin particles are selected from the group consisting of crosslinked polymethyl methacrylate resin particles and silicone resin particles.

8. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein a surface potential 1.0 second after charging of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is 95% or more of a surface potential 0.1 seconds after charging of the electrophotographic photosensitive member when an electric-field intensity applied to the electrophotographic photosensitive member is 25 V/μ

m.

9. A process cartridge comprising the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 and at least one device selected from the group consisting of a charging device, a developing device and a cleaning device, the process cartridge being attachable to and detachable from an electrophotographic apparatus.

10. An electrophotographic apparatus comprising the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, a charging device, an image exposure device, a developing device and a transfer device.