Electrophotographic Photoconductor and Image-Forming Apparatus
An electrophotographic photoconductor includes a photosensitive layer on a conductive base, in which 1) the photosensitive layer includes a charge-generating layer including a charge-generating material, and a charge-transport layer including a charge-transport material and a binder resin, the charge-generating layer and the charge-transport layer being stacked, in that order, on the conductive base, and the charge-transport layer having a yield strain of about 5%-25%, or 2) the photosensitive layer includes a charge-generating material, a charge-transport material, and a binder resin in the same layer and has a yield strain of about 5%-25%, corresponding to the yield strain measured using a 10 mm×30 mm rectangular, sample having a thickness of 30 μm with both 10-mm sides held at an initial load of 1 N, a strain rate of 0.5 %/min, and a temperature of 30°C., in which the electrophotographic photoconductor is used as an image-bearing member.
1 . An electrophotographic photoconductor comprising:
a photosensitive layer on a conductive base,
wherein
1) the photosensitive layer includes
a charge-generating layer including a charge-generating material, and
a charge-transport layer including a charge-transport material and a binder resin, the charge-generating layer and the charge-transport layer being stacked, in that order, on the conductive base, and the charge-transport layer having a yield strain of about 5% to about 25%, or
2) the photosensitive layer includes the charge-generating material, the charge-transport material, and the binder resin in the same layer and has a yield strain of about 5% to about 25%,
wherein the yield strain is measured using a 10 mm×30 mm rectangular sample having a thickness of 30 μm with both 10-mm sides held at an initial load of 1 N, a strain rate of 0.5 %/min, and a temperature of 30° C.,
wherein the electrophotographic photoconductor is configured for use as an image-bearing member of an image-forming apparatus that includes:
a charging portion configured to charge a surface of the image-bearing member
an exposure portion configured to expose the charged surface of the image-bearing member to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image-bearing member,
a developing portion configured to develop the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image, and
a transfer portion configured to transfer the toner image from the image-bearing member to an object.
2 . The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the binder resin includes a polyester elastomer or a polyether elastomer.
3 . The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the proportion of the charge-transport layer is in the range of 10 parts by mass to 55 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the binder resin.
4 . The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the charging portion includes a charging roller configured to come into contact with a surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor to charge the surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor.
5 . The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 4 ,
wherein the charging portion applies only a direct voltage to the charging roller.
6 . An electrophotographic photoconductor comprising:
a photosensitive layer on a conductive base,
wherein
1) the photosensitive layer includes
a charge-generating layer including a charge-generating material, and
a charge-transport layer including a charge-transport material and a binder resin, the charge-generating layer and the charge-transport layer being stacked, in that order, on the conductive base, and the binder resin in the photosensitive layer having a yield strain of about 8% to about 30%, or
2) the photosensitive layer includes the charge-generating material, the charge-transport material, and the binder resin in the same layer, the binder resin haying a yield strain of about 8% to about 30%,
wherein the yield strain is measured using a 10 mm×30 mm rectangular sample having a thickness of 30 μm with both 10-mm sides held at an initial load of 1 N, a strain rate of 0.5%/min, and a temperature of 30° C.,
wherein the electrophotographic photoconductor is configured for use as image-bearing member of an image-forming apparatus that includes:
a charging portion configured to charge a surface of the image-bearing member,
an exposure portion configured to expose the charged surface of the image-bearing member to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image-bearing member,
a developing portion configured to develop the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image, and
a transfer portion configured to transfer the toner image from the image-bearing member to an object.
7 . The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 6 ,
wherein the binder resin is a polycarbonate resin.
8 . An image-forming apparatus comprising:
an image-bearing member;
a charging portion configured to charge a surface of the image-bearing member by a contact charging method;
an exposure portion configured to expose the charged surface of the image-bearing member to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image-bearing member;
a developing portion configured to develop the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image; and
a transfer portion configured to transfer the toner image from the image-bearing member to an object,
wherein the image-bearing member is the electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1 .
9 . The image-forming apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the charging portion includes a charging roller configured to come into contact with a surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor to charge the surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor.
10 . The image-forming apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the charging portion applies only a direct voltage to the charging roller.
11 . The image-forming apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the direct voltage applied to the charging roller is in the range of 1000 V to 2000 V.
12 . The image-forming apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the charging roller includes a resin layer composed of a resin, and
wherein the resin includes at least one of silicone resins, urethane resins; and silicone-modified resins.
13 . The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1 , wherein the charging portion is configured to charge a surface of the image-bearing member by a contact charging method.
14 . The electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 6 , wherein the charging portion is configured to charge a surface of the image-bearing member by a contact charging method.