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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9040214-B2
Application number	US-201213984264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2012
Priority date	Mar 3, 2011
Publication date	May 26, 2015
Grant date	May 26, 2015

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 1.0×10 8 Ω·cm to 5.0×1012 Ω·cm.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

Assignees

• Fujii Atsushi
• Matsuoka Hideaki
• Tsuji Haruyuki
• Shida Kazuhisa
• Nakamura Nobuhiro
• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Fujii Atsushi
• Matsuoka Hideaki
• Tsuji Haruyuki
• Shida Kazuhisa
• Nakamura Nobuhiro

Classifications

• G03G21/1814

  Details of parts of process cartridge, e.g. for charging, transfer, cleaning, developing (G03G21/1835 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G5/0507

  Inorganic compounds · CPC title

• G03G5/144

  comprising inorganic material · CPC title

• G03G5/142

  Inert intermediate layers · CPC title

• G03G5/087 Primary

  and being incorporated in an organic bonding material · CPC title