Electrophotographic photoconductor, process cartridge, and electrophotographic image-forming apparatus
View Patent ↗An electrophotographic photoconductor includes a base, an undercoat layer that contains a metal oxide and an electron-accepting material and has a thickness of about 3 μm or more and about 15 μm or less, and a photosensitive layer containing a polymer having a repeating unit represented by general formula (1) where R 1 and R 2 each independently represent a halogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group having 5 to 7 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms; and m and n each independently represent an integer of 0 to 4.
1. An electrophotographic photoconductor comprising:
an electrically conductive base;
an undercoat layer disposed on the base that contains a metal oxide and an electron-accepting material and has a thickness of from about 3 μm to about 15 μm; and
a photosensitive layer disposed on the undercoat layer containing a polymer consisting of a repeating unit represented by general formula (1)
where R 1 and R 2 each independently represent a halogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group having 5 to 7 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms; and m and n each independently represent an integer of 0 to 4,
wherein the polymer has a viscosity-average molecular weight of from about 50000 to about 70000.
2. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1 , further comprising an overcoat layer.
3. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1 , wherein the undercoat layer has a thickness of from about 5 μm to about 10 μm.
4. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide has a volume-average particle diameter of from about 50 nm to about 2000 nm.
5. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer is contained in an amount of from about 30 mass % to about 80 mass % relative to a total solid content of the photosensitive layer on a mass basis.
6. A process cartridge comprising the electrophotographic photoconductor of claim 1 , wherein the process cartridge is detachably mountable to an image-forming apparatus.
7. The process cartridge according to claim 6 , further comprising a charge-erasing unit.
8. The process cartridge according to claim 6 , wherein the electrophotographic photoconductor further comprises an overcoat layer.
9. An electrophotographic image-forming apparatus comprising:
the electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1 ;
a charging unit that charges a surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor;
an exposing unit that exposes the charged electrophotographic photoconductor to form an electrostatic latent image;
a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image with charged toner to form a toner image; and
a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a recording medium.
10. The electrophotographic image-forming apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a charge-erasing unit for the electrophotographic photoconductor.
11. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1 , wherein the photosensitive layer has a thickness of from 5 μm to 20 μm.
12. An electrophotographic photoconductor, comprising:
an electrically conductive base;
an undercoat layer disposed on the base that contains a metal oxide and an electron-accepting material and has a thickness of from about 3 μm to about 15 μm; and
a photosensitive layer disposed on the undercoat layer containing a polymer wherein the polymer is a copolymer consisting of two repeating units,
one of the repeating units being represented by general formula (1)
where R 1 and R 2 each independently represent a halogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group having 5 to 7 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms; and m and n each independently represent an integer of 0 to 4, and
the other repeating unit being represented by general formula (2)
where R 3 and R 4 each independently represent a halogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group having 5 to 7 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms; and m and n each independently represent an integer of 0 to 4; X represents —CR 5 R 6 —, a 1,1-cycloalkylene group having 5 to 11 carbon atoms, an α,ω-alkylene group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, —O—, —S—, —SO—, or —SO 2 —; and R 5 and R 6 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a trifluoromethyl group, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms,
wherein the polymer has a viscosity-average molecular weight of from about 50000 to about 70000.
13. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 12 , wherein, when a ratio of the repeating unit represented by general formula (1) is represented by a (mol %) and a ratio of the repeating unit represented by general formula (2) is represented by b (mol %), a ratio a/b of the copolymer is from about 0.05 to about 0.9.
14. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 12 , wherein X in general formula (2) is —S—.
15. A process cartridge comprising the electrophotographic photoconductor of claim 12 , wherein the process cartridge is detachably mountable to an image-forming apparatus.
16. An electrophotographic image-forming apparatus comprising:
the electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 12 ;
a charging unit that charges a surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor;
an exposing unit that exposes the charged electrophotographic photoconductor to form an electrostatic latent image;
a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image with charged toner to form a toner image; and
a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a recording medium.
17. The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 12 , wherein the photosensitive layer has a thickness of from 5 μm to 20 μm.