Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus, and method of manufacturing electrophotographic photosensitive member
| Title: | Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus, and method of manufacturing electrophotographic photosensitive member |
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| Patent Number: | 9,040,214 |
| Publication Date: | May 26, 2015 |
| Appl. No: | 13/984264 |
| Application Filed: | March 01, 2012 |
| Abstract: | Provided are an electrophotographic photosensitive member in which leakage doesn't easily occur, a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus each including the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a method of manufacturing the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a conductive layer including titanium oxide particle coated with tin oxide doped with a hetero element. When an absolute value of a maximum current amount flowing through the conductive layer in a case of performing a test of applying −1.0 kV including DC voltage to the conductive layer is defined as Ia, and an absolute value of a current amount flowing through the conductive layer in a case where a decrease ratio of a current amount per minute reaches 1% or less for the first time is defined as Ib, the relations of Ia≦6000 and 10≦Ib are satisfied. A volume resistivity of the conductive layer before the test is 1.0×108 Ω·cm to 5.0×1012 Ω·cm. |
| Inventors: | Fujii, Atsushi (Yokohama, JP); Matsuoka, Hideaki (Mishima, JP); Tsuji, Haruyuki (Yokohama, JP); Shida, Kazuhisa (Mishima, JP); Nakamura, Nobuhiro (Mishima, JP) |
| Assignees: | CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA (Tokyo, JP) |
| Claim: | 1. An electrophotographic photosensitive member, comprising: a cylindrical support; a conductive layer comprising a binder material and a metal oxide particle formed on the cylindrical support; and a photosensitive layer formed on the conductive layer, wherein the metal oxide particle is a titanium oxide particle coated with tin oxide doped with phosphorus; when an absolute value of a maximum current amount flowing through the conductive layer in a case of performing a test of continuously applying a voltage of −1.0 kV comprising only a DC voltage to the conductive layer is defined as Ia [μA], and an absolute value of a current amount flowing through the conductive layer in a case where a decrease ratio of a current amount per one minute flowing through the conductive layer reaches 1% or less for the first time is defined as Ib [μA], the Ia and the Ib satisfy the following relations (i) and (ii); and Ia≦ 6000 (i); and 10 ≦Ib (ii), a volume resistivity of the conductive layer before the test is performed is from 1.0×10 8 to 5.0×10 12 Ω·cm. |
| Claim: | 2. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 , wherein the Ia and the Ib satisfy the following relations (iii) and (iv): Ia≦ 5000 (iii); and 20 ≦Ib (iv). |
| Claim: | 3. A process cartridge detachably attachable to a main body of an electrophotographic apparatus, wherein the process cartridge integrally supports: 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, a transferring device, and a cleaning device. |
| Claim: | 4. An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising: the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 , a charging device, an exposing device, a developing device, and a transferring device. |
| Claim: | 5. A method of manufacturing an electrophotographic photosensitive member, the method comprising: the step of forming a conductive layer with a volume resistivity of 1.0×10 8 Ω·cm or more to 5.0×10 12 Ω·cm or less on a cylindrical support; and the step of forming a photosensitive layer on the conductive layer, wherein, the step of forming the conductive layer comprises: preparing a coating liquid for the conductive layer by use of: a solvent, a binder material, and a metal oxide particle with a powder resistivity of 1.0×10 3 to 1.0×10 5 Ω·cm, and forming the conductive layer by use of the coating liquid for the conductive layer; a mass ratio (P/B) of the metal oxide particle (P) to the binder material (B) in the coating liquid for the conductive layer, is from 1.5/1.0 to 3.5/1.0; and the metal oxide particle is a titanium oxide particle coated with tin oxide doped with phosphorus. |
| Claim: | 6. The method of manufacturing an electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 5 , wherein the powder resistivity of the metal oxide particle is from 3.0×10 3 to 5.0×10 4 Ω·cm. |
| Current U.S. Class: | 430/56 |
| Patent References Cited: | 5468584 November 1995 Go et al. 5488461 January 1996 Go et al. 5853936 December 1998 Segi et al. 6156472 December 2000 Segi et al. 6773856 August 2004 Tanaka et al. 7211357 May 2007 Hosoi et al. 7245851 July 2007 Fujii et al. 7276318 October 2007 Fujii et al. 7333752 February 2008 Kawahara et al. 7407606 August 2008 Chiba et al. 7517626 April 2009 Fujii et al. 7732113 June 2010 Nakamura et al. 7910274 March 2011 Tanaka et al. 8088541 January 2012 Tanaka et al. 8455170 June 2013 Nakamura et al. 2006/0234146 October 2006 Miki et al. 2012/0114375 May 2012 Fujii et al. 2012/0121291 May 2012 Tsuji et al. 2012/0301181 November 2012 Ogaki et al. 2012/0301182 November 2012 Anezaki et al. 2013/0202326 August 2013 Shida et al. 2013/0202327 August 2013 Murai et al. 2013/0236823 September 2013 Noguchi et al. 2013/0316283 November 2013 Fujii et al. 2014/0004452 January 2014 Sekiya et al. 2014/0004453 January 2014 Kaku et al. 2014/0004454 January 2014 Okuda et al. 2014/0023962 January 2014 Okuda et al. 1 647 997 April 2006 62-187358 August 1987 6-207118 July 1994 6-208238 July 1994 6-222600 August 1994 10-186702 July 1998 2003-316059 November 2003 2004-349167 December 2004 2007-47736 February 2007 4743921 August 2011 2005/008685 January 2005 2011/027911 March 2011 2011/027912 March 2011 |
| Other References: | PCT International Search Report and Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority, International Application No. JP2012/055888, Mailing Date May 22, 2012. cited by applicant Fujii, et al., U.S. Appl. No. 14/095,955, filed Dec. 3, 2013. cited by applicant Okuda, et al., U.S. Appl. No. 14/009,721, 371(c) Date: Oct. 3, 2013. cited by applicant Fujii, et al., U.S. Appl. No. 13/972,688, filed Aug. 21, 2013. cited by applicant European Search Report dated Jul. 16, 2014 in European Application No. 12752529.3. cited by applicant |
| Primary Examiner: | Chapman, Mark A |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper and Scinto |
| Accession Number: | edspgr.09040214 |
| Database: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| Language: | English |
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