Electroconductive member for electrophotography, process cartridge, and electrophotographic image-forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016154366-A1
Application number	US-201514945297-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 18, 2015
Priority date	Nov 28, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is an electroconductive member for electrophotography which is suppressed in adhesion of a contaminant to a surface thereof. The electroconductive member for electrophotography includes, in this order, an electroconductive support, an electroconductive elastic layer, and a surface layer. The surface layer contains a binder resin and electroconductive fine particles having a number average particle diameter of 5.0 nm or more and 50.0 nm or less. At least part of the electroconductive fine particles are exposed from the surface layer. The surface layer has, on a surface thereof, protruded portions derived from exposed portions of the electroconductive fine particles. The surface layer has a volume resistivity of 1.0×10 10 Ωcm or more and 1.0×10 16 Ωcm or less and a universal hardness at a depth of 1 μm from the surface thereof of 1.0 N/mm 2 or more and 7.0 N/mm 2 or less.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electroconductive member for electrophotography, comprising, in this order:
an electroconductive support; an electroconductive elastic layer; and a surface layer, wherein: the surface layer contains
a binder resin; and
electroconductive fine particles which are dispersed in the binder resin and have a number average particle diameter of 5.0 nm or more and 50.0 nm or less;
at least part of the electroconductive fine particles are exposed from the surface layer; the surface layer has, on a surface thereof, protruded portions derived from exposed portions of the electroconductive fine particles; the surface layer has a volume resistivity of 1.0×10 1 ° Ωcm or more and 1.0×10 16 Ωcm or less; and the surface layer has a universal hardness at a depth of 1 μm from the surface thereof of 1.0 N/mm 2 or more and 7.0 N/mm 2 or less.

2 . An electroconductive member for electrophotography according to claim 1 , wherein when a region measuring 2.0 μm long by 2.0 μm wide in the surface of the surface layer is observed using a scanning electron microscope, a number of the exposed portions of the electroconductive fine particles in the region is 50 or more and 500 or less.

3 . An electroconductive member for electrophotography according to claim 1 , wherein the electroconductive fine particles comprise carbon black.

4 . An electroconductive member for electrophotography according to claim 1 , wherein the surface layer contains roughening particles having a number average particle diameter of 3 μm or more and 30 μm or less, has, on the surface thereof, a protruded portion derived from the roughening particles, and has a Martens hardness at the protruded portion of 10.0 N/mm 2 or less when a load reaches 0.04 mN.

5 . An electroconductive member for electrophotography according to claim 1 , wherein the binder resin has a polycarbonate structure.

6 . An electroconductive member for electrophotography according to claim 1 , wherein the protruded portions derived from the exposed portions of the electroconductive fine particles of the surface layer comprise protruded portions formed by UV treatment.

7 . A process cartridge, comprising:
an electrophotographic photosensitive member; and a charging member arranged in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member, the process cartridge being removably mounted onto a main body of an electrophotographic image-forming apparatus, wherein the charging member comprises the electroconductive member for electrophotography, comprising, in this order: an electroconductive support; an electroconductive elastic layer; and a surface layer, wherein: the surface layer contains a binder resin and electroconductive fine particles which are dispersed in the binder resin and have a number average particle diameter of 5.0 nm or more and 50.0 nm or less; at least part of the electroconductive fine particles are exposed from the surface layer; the surface layer has, on a surface thereof, protruded portions derived from exposed portions of the electroconductive fine particles; the surface layer has a volume resistivity of 1.0×10 1 ° Ωcm or more and 1.0×10 16 Ωcm or less; and the surface layer has a universal hardness at a depth of 1 μm from the surface thereof of 1.0 N/mm 2 or more and 7.0 N/mm 2 or less.

8 . An electrophotographic image-forming apparatus, comprising:
an electrophotographic photosensitive member; and a charging member arranged in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member, wherein the charging member comprises the electroconductive member for electrophotography, comprising, in this order: an electroconductive support; an electroconductive elastic layer; and a surface layer, wherein: the surface layer contains a binder resin and electroconductive fine particles which are dispersed in the binder resin and have a number average particle diameter of 5.0 nm or more and 50.0 nm or less; at least part of the electroconductive fine particles are exposed from the surface layer; the surface layer has, on a surface thereof, protruded portions derived from exposed portions of the electroconductive fine particles; the surface layer has a volume resistivity of 1.0×10 1 ° Ωcm or more and 1.0×10 16 Ωcm or less; and the surface layer has a universal hardness at a depth of 1 μm from the surface thereof of 1.0 N/mm 2 or more and 7.0 N/mm 2 or less.

9 . An electrophotographic image-forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the charging member is configured to move at a different speed from that of the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Yamauchi Kazuhiro
• Nishioka Satoru
• Yamauchi Kenichi
• Masu Hiroki
• Suzumura Noriko

Classifications

• G03G5/14708

  comprising organic material · CPC title

• G03G15/0233 Primary

  Structure, details of the charging member, e.g. chemical composition, surface properties · CPC title

• G03G15/1685

  Structure, details of the transfer member, e.g. chemical composition · CPC title

• G03G15/75 Primary

  Details relating to xerographic drum, band or plate, e.g. replacing, testing (electrographic recording members per se G03G5/00) · CPC title

• G03G2215/025

  using contact charging means having lateral dimensions related to other apparatus means, e.g. photodrum, developing roller · CPC title