IP Library Granted Patent US 12,422,760
Granted Patent B2
US 12,422,760 · App. 17/814,048 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge, and electrophotographic apparatus

Inventors: Kaname Watariguchi (Kanagawa, JP); Kohei Makisumi (Shizuoka, JP); Kenichi Kaku (Shizuoka, JP); Haruyuki Tsuji (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G03G5/047G03G21/1814
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,422,760
App. No.
17/814,048
Granted
Sep 23, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member that includes a support, a charge generation layer on the support, and a charge transfer layer on the charge generation layer and that satisfies specifications on an EV curve based on a measurement method of NESA-EV curve. The electrophotographic photosensitive member can exhibit high character quality and a digital gradation characteristic in a low-line-number halftone while maintaining an analog gradation characteristic in a high-speed process.

Claims (65)

1. An electrophotographic photosensitive member, comprising:

a support;

an undercoat layer on the support, the undercoat layer containing a titanium oxide particle whose surface is subjected to a silane treatment and whose crystal structure is a rutile type or an anatase type;

a charge generation layer on the undercoat layer, the charge generation layer containing a titanyl phthalocyanine pigment having a strong peak at a Bragg angle 2θ of 27.2°=0.3° in CuKα characteristic X-ray diffraction;

a charge transfer layer on the charge generation layer; and

the electrophotographic photosensitive member being an organic photosensitive member, wherein

I 1/2 <0.170 μJ/cm 2 , AR<0.370, and LR i ≤780 V·cm 2 /μJ are satisfied where in an I exp -V exp graph that is obtained according to a measurement method of NESA-EV curve at temperature of 23.5° C. and relative humidity of 50% RH where charging potential Vd [V] is V d =500 V and in which a horizontal axis represents an exposure light irradiation amount I exp [μJ/cm 2 ] and a vertical axis represents an absolute value V exp [V] of a surface potential after irradiation,

I 1/2 [μJ/cm 2 ] is a light amount at V exp =250 V,

S max is a maximum value of a product S=I exp ·V exp [V·μJ/cm 2 ] in a range of I exp =0.000 to 3.414.11/2 [μJ/cm 2 ],

Q is an intersection between an approximate straight line in a range of I exp =0.000 to 0.100.11/2 [μJ/cm 2 ] and an approximate straight line in a range of I exp =(5.11/2-0.100) to 5.11/2 [μJ/cm 2 ], I i [μJ/cm 2 ] is a light amount value at the point Q, V i [V] is a potential value at the point Q, and S i =I i ·V i [V·μJ/cm 2 ],

AR=S i /S max , and LR i =V i /I i [V·cm 2 /μJ], and

the measurement method of NESA-EV curve is performed such that

(1) the surface potential of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is set to 0 V,

(2) the electrophotographic photosensitive member is charged for 0.005 seconds such that the absolute value of the surface potential of the electrophotographic photosensitive member becomes V 0 [V],

(3) 0.02 seconds after start of the charging, the charged electrophotographic photosensitive member is exposed continuously for t seconds to light with a wavelength of 805 nm and an intensity of 25 mW/cm 2 such that an exposure amount becomes I exp [μJ/cm 2 ],

(4) 0.06 seconds after the start of the charging, the absolute value of the surface potential of the exposed electrophotographic photosensitive member is measured and the measured value is represented by V exp [V],

(5) operations of (1) to (4) are repeated while changing I exp from 0.000 μJ/cm 2 to 0.850 μJ/cm 2 at intervals of 0.001 μJ/cm 2 by changing t to obtain V exp corresponding to each value of I exp , and

(6) V exp [V] in the case where t=0 and I exp =0.000 μJ/cm 2 are set in the operation of (3) is referred to as charging potential V d [V] and V 0 [V] in the case where the operation of (2) is performed is set such that the value of Vd becomes 500 V.

2. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 , wherein AR≤0.370 and LR i ≤520 V·cm 2 /μJ.

3. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 , wherein AR≤0.100.

4. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 , wherein LR i ≤60 V·cm 2 /μJ.

5. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 , wherein a value V r of V exp at I exp =5.11/2 in the I exp -V exp graph is V r ≤70 V.

6. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 5 , wherein V r ≤10 V.

7. A process cartridge integrally supporting the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 ; and

at least one member selected from the group consisting of a charging unit, a development unit, and a cleaning unit, wherein

the process cartridge is attachable to and detachable from a main body of an electrophotographic apparatus.

8. An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising:

the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 ;

a charging unit;

an exposure unit;

a development unit; and

a transfer unit.

9. An electrophotographic photosensitive member, comprising:

a support;

an undercoat layer on the support, the undercoat layer containing a titanium oxide particle whose surface is subjected to a silane treatment and whose crystal structure is a rutile type or an anatase type;

a charge generation layer on the undercoat layer, the charge generation layer containing a titanyl phthalocyanine pigment having a strong peak at a Bragg angle 2θ of 27.2°+0.3° in CuKα characteristic X-ray diffraction;

a charge transfer layer on the charge generation layer; and

the electrophotographic photosensitive member being an organic photosensitive member, wherein 11/2≤0.170 μJ/cm 2 , AR≤0.500, and LR i ≤520 V·cm 2 /μJ are satisfied where in an I exp -V exp graph that is obtained according to a measurement method of NESA-EV curve at temperature of 23.5° C. and relative humidity of 50% RH in a case where a charging potential V d [V] is V d =500 V and in which a horizontal axis represents an exposure light irradiation amount I exp [μJ/cm 2 ] and a vertical axis represents an absolute value V exp [V] of a surface potential after irradiation,

I 1/2 [μJ/cm 2 ] is a light amount at V exp =250 V,

S max is a maximum value of a product S=I exp ·V exp [V·μJ/cm 2 ] in a range of 0.000≤I exp ≤3.414·I 1/2 ,

Q is an intersection between an approximate straight line in a range of 0.000≤I exp ≤0.100.11/2 and an approximate straight line in a range of 5.11/2-0.100<I exp ≤5.11/2 [μJ/cm 2 ], l i [μJ/cm 2 ] is a light amount value at the point Q, V i [V] is a potential value at the point Q, and S i =l i ·V i [V·μJ/cm 2 ],

AR=S i /S max , and LR i =V i /l i [V·cm 2 /μJ], and

the measurement method of NESA-EV curve is performed such that

(1) the surface potential of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is set to 0 V,

(2) the electrophotographic photosensitive member is charged for 0.005 seconds such that the absolute value of the surface potential of the electrophotographic photosensitive member becomes V 0 [V],

(3) 0.02 seconds after start of the charging, the charged electrophotographic photosensitive member is exposed continuously for t seconds to light with a wavelength of 805 nm and an intensity of 25 mW/cm 2 such that an exposure amount becomes I exp [μJ/cm 2 ],

(4) 0.06 seconds after the start of the charging, the absolute value of the surface potential of the exposed electrophotographic photosensitive member is measured and the measured value is represented by V exp [V],

(5) operations of (1) to (4) are repeated while changing I exp from 0.000 μJ/cm 2 to 0.850 μJ/cm 2 at intervals of 0.001 μJ/cm 2 by changing t to obtain V exp corresponding to each value of I exp , and

(6) V exp [V] in the case where t=0 and I exp =0.000 μJ/cm 2 are set in the operation of (3) is referred to as charging potential V d [V] and V 0 [V] in the case where the operation of (2) is performed is set such that the value of V d becomes 500 V.

10. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 9 , wherein AR≤0.370 and LR i ≤520 V·cm 2 /μJ.

11. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 9 , wherein AR≤0.100.

12. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 9 , wherein LR i ≤60 V·cm 2 /μJ.

13. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 9 , wherein a value V r of V exp at I exp =5.11/2 in the I exp -V exp graph is V r ≤70 V.

14. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 13 , wherein V r ≤10 V.

15. A process cartridge integrally supporting the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 9 ; and

at least one member selected from the group consisting of a charging unit, a development unit, and a cleaning unit, wherein

the process cartridge is attachable to and detachable from a main body of an electrophotographic apparatus.

16. An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising:

the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 9 ;

a charging unit;

an exposure unit;

a development unit; and

a transfer unit.

17. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 , wherein the charge transfer layer comprises a charge transfer substance illustrated by formula (A5) and a charge transfer substance illustrated by formula (A6)

18. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 9 , wherein the charge transfer layer comprises a charge transfer substance illustrated by formula (A5) and a charge transfer substance illustrated by formula (A6)

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 7, 2022
From: WATARIGUCHI, KANAME; MAKISUMI, KOHEI; KAKU, KENICHI; TSUJI, HARUYUKI
To: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 061008/0041 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-130207 · Aug 6, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230059696A1 · Feb 23, 2023
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