Patents by Inventor Kunihiko Sekido

Kunihiko Sekido has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11960240
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member including an electroconductive support, a photosensitive layer, and a protection layer, wherein the protection layer contains electroconductive particles, a content of the electroconductive particles in the protection layer is 40 to 70 vol %, and a volume resistivity of the protection layer is 1.0×109 to 1.0×1014 ?·cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masashi Nishi, Kunihiko Sekido
  • Publication number: 20240118633
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member including: a support, a charge generating layer, and a charge transporting layer in this order, wherein the charge transporting layer contains: a compound represented by the formula (A-1), and at least one selected from the group consisting of a compound represented by the formula (A-2) and a compound represented by the formula (A-3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: TATSUYA OHSAWA, KUNIHIKO SEKIDO, SHUHEI IWASAKI, NAOYUKI MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20240118655
    Abstract: An object of the present disclosure is to provide an electrophotographic photosensitive member with suppressed positive ghosts, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus each including the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The present disclosure provides an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a support and a photosensitive layer on the support; the photosensitive layer comprises (?) a compound represented by the formula (1), and (?) at least one selected from the group consisting of a compound represented by the formula (2) and a compound represented by the formula (3), wherein a content of the (?) with respect to a content of the (?) is 50 to 850 mass ppm in the photosensitive layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: KUNIHIKO SEKIDO, SHUHEI IWASAKI, TATSUYA OHSAWA, NAOYUKI MATSUMOTO, ATSUSHI OKUDA, TSUTOMU NISHIDA
  • Publication number: 20240111224
    Abstract: An object of the present disclosure is to provide an electrophotographic photosensitive member which can suppress the potential fluctuation due to repeated use even with the electrophotographic apparatus of high printing process speed. The present disclosure provides an electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising: a support, a charge generating layer, and a charge transporting layer in this order, wherein the charge transporting layer comprises: (?) a compound represented by the formula (C-1), and (?) at least one selected from the group consisting of a compound represented by the following formula (C-2) and a compound represented by the formula (C-3), wherein a content of the (?) in the charge transporting layer with respect to a total mass of the charge transporting layer is 250 to 610 mass ppm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: SHUHEI IWASAKI, KUNIHIKO SEKIDO, TATSUYA OHSAWA, NAOYUKI MATSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 11822286
    Abstract: Provided are a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus each capable of suppressing an image defect (coarseness in a halftone image) caused by toner scattering in association with a charging failure that occurs when the process speed of the electrophotographic apparatus is further increased. The process cartridge includes: an electrophotographic photosensitive member; and a developing unit, which includes a toner storing portion that stores a toner, and which supplies the toner to a surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a surface protective layer containing an electroconductive particle in an appropriate amount, and the volume resistivity of the surface protective layer is controlled. As the toner, there is used a toner in which an organosilicon polymer is present on the surface of a toner particle, a silanol group is present in part of the organosilicon polymer, and the amount of the silanol group is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Kenmoku, Kunihiko Sekido, Kozue Uratani, Koki Inoue, Tatsuya Saeki
  • Publication number: 20230350314
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member capable of maintaining a charging ability during repeated use is provided. An electrophotographic photosensitive member having a support, a conductive layer, a photosensitive layer and a protective layer in this order, wherein the protective layer contains a binding resin and a metal oxide particle, the metal oxide particle has a core and a coating layer, the core and the coating layer each contain titanium oxide, and the coating layer further includes niobium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Kunihiko Sekido, Masashi Nishi
  • Patent number: 11726414
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member capable of maintaining a charging ability during repeated use is provided. An electrophotographic photosensitive member having a support, a conductive layer, a photosensitive layer and a protective layer in this order, wherein the protective layer contains a binding resin and a metal oxide particle, the metal oxide particle has a core and a coating layer, the core and the coating layer each contain titanium oxide, and the coating layer further includes niobium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiko Sekido, Masashi Nishi
  • Publication number: 20230119795
    Abstract: Provided is a process cartridge that is excellent in initial charge rising performance, and in charge uniformity of a halftone image throughout a long period of time from the start of use until after endurance. Specifically, provided is a process cartridge including: an electrophotographic photosensitive member; a toner; and a developing unit, wherein the toner contains toner particles and an external additive A, the external additive A, and wherein the electrophotographic photosensitive member includes an electroconductive support, a photosensitive layer, and a surface protective layer, wherein the surface protective layer contains electroconductive particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Tatsuya Saeki, Takashi Kenmoku, Kozue Uratani, Koki Inoue, Kunihiko Sekido
  • Publication number: 20230115474
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member including an electroconductive support, a photosensitive layer, and a protection layer, wherein the protection layer comprises an electroconductive particle, the electroconductive particle has a surface comprising a metal oxide containing a titanium atom and a niobium atom, an atomic concentration ratio of the niobium atom to the titanium atom in the metal oxide is 0.01 to 0.20, the electroconductive particle is surface-treated with a compound having a silicon atom, a content ratio of the electroconductive particle in the protection layer is 5 vol % or more and less than 40 vol % with respect to a total volume of the protection layer, and relative concentrations of a plurality of atoms at a surface of the protection layer, which are determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, satisfy specific conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventors: Shuntaro Watanabe, Taichi Sato, Kohei Makisumi, Masatada Hirota, Kunihiko Sekido
  • Publication number: 20230114583
    Abstract: Provided are a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus each capable of suppressing an image defect (coarseness in a halftone image) caused by toner scattering in association with a charging failure that occurs when the process speed of the electrophotographic apparatus is further increased. The process cartridge includes: an electrophotographic photosensitive member; and a developing unit, which includes a toner storing portion that stores a toner, and which supplies the toner to a surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a surface protective layer containing an electroconductive particle in an appropriate amount, and the volume resistivity of the surface protective layer is controlled. As the toner, there is used a toner in which an organosilicon polymer is present on the surface of a toner particle, a silanol group is present in part of the organosilicon polymer, and the amount of the silanol group is controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventors: Takashi Kenmoku, Kunihiko Sekido, Kozue Uratani, Koki Inoue, Tatsuya Saeki
  • Publication number: 20230116451
    Abstract: A process cartridge that is detachable from a main body of an electrophotographic apparatus, in which a surface protective layer of an electrophotographic photosensitive member contains an electroconductive particle; the content of the electroconductive particle is 20.0 to 70.0% by volume of the surface protective layer; the surface protective layer has a volume resistivity of 1.0×109 to 1.0×1014 ?·cm; a toner particle has at least one multivalent metal element selected from the group consisting of aluminum, magnesium, calcium, and iron; and a total content of the multivalent metal elements in the toner particle, as measured by coupled induction plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), is 0.10 to 1.25 ?mol/g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventors: Kozue Uratani, Takashi Kenmoku, Koki Inoue, Tatsuya Saeki, Kunihiko Sekido
  • Publication number: 20230090596
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a satisfactory chargeability and being excellent in fogging suppression. The electrophotographic photosensitive member is an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a surface protective layer, wherein the surface protective layer is a polymerized film of a composition containing a compound having one of an acryloyloxy group or a methacryloyloxy group, a conductive particle, and an organic salt formed of at least one organic cation selected from the group consisting of: imidazolium; pyridinium; pyrrolidinium; piperidinium; a tetraalkylammonium; and a tetraalkylphosphonium, and at least one anion selected from the group consisting of organic or inorganic anions, and wherein the content of the organic salt is 0.1 mass % to 10.0 mass % with respect to the total mass of the conductive particle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Kunihiko Sekido, Masashi Nishi
  • Publication number: 20230093328
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a support, a photosensitive layer, and a surface layer, wherein the surface layer includes a cured product of a composition containing at least one selected from the group consisting of: a charge-transportable compound; and electroconductive particles, and an organic salt having a polymerizable functional group, and wherein the organic salt is formed of an organic cation and at least one anion selected from the group consisting of: an organic anion; and an inorganic anion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Masashi Nishi, Kunihiko Sekido
  • Publication number: 20210318629
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member including an electroconductive support, a photosensitive layer, and a protection layer, wherein the protection layer contains electroconductive particles, a content of the electroconductive particles in the protection layer is 40 to 70 vol %, and a volume resistivity of the protection layer is 1.0×109 to 1.0×1014 ?·cm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Inventors: Masashi Nishi, Kunihiko Sekido
  • Publication number: 20210318628
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member capable of maintaining a charging ability during repeated use is provided. An electrophotographic photosensitive member having a support, a conductive layer, a photosensitive layer and a protective layer in this order, wherein the protective layer contains a binding resin and a metal oxide particle, the metal oxide particle has a core and a coating layer, the core and the coating layer each contain titanium oxide, and the coating layer further includes niobium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Inventors: Kunihiko Sekido, Masashi Nishi
  • Patent number: 11061341
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes, in sequence, a support, a conductive layer, an undercoat layer, a charge generation layer, and a charge transport layer. The conductive layer is a cured film, and the cured film contains titanium oxide particles doped with niobium. The undercoat layer contains a cured product of a composition that contains an electron transport material having a polymerizable functional group and a resin functionalized with a carboxylic acid derivative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masashi Nishi, Takashi Anezaki, Taichi Sato, Atsushi Fujii, Kunihiko Sekido
  • Patent number: 10948838
    Abstract: There is provided an electrophotographic photosensitive member that can achieve both of an adequately high initial sensitivity as the electrophotographic photosensitive member and reduction in the fluctuation of a light portion potential at the time of repeated use. An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a support, an electroconductive layer and a photosensitive layer in this order, wherein the electroconductive layer contains a binder material and a metal oxide particle; the metal oxide particle has a core material containing a titanium oxide, and a covering layer which covers the core material and contains the titanium oxide; and when the oxygen deficiency ratio of the metal oxide particle is represented by A, the oxygen deficiency ratio of the core material is represented by B, and the oxygen deficiency ratio of the covering layer is represented by C, the Expressions (1) and (2) are satisfied: A?2% (1) and 10×B<C (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Anezaki, Taichi Sato, Kunihiko Sekido, Masashi Nishi, Atsushi Fujii
  • Patent number: 10754267
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member that can achieve both of the suppression of a fluctuation in potential of the photosensitive member at the time of its repeated use, and the prevention of the occurrence of a black spot-like image defect at high levels. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes in this order: a support; an intermediate layer; and a photosensitive layer, the intermediate layer containing particles each containing titanium oxide, and the particles having a mass increase ratio of 0.005% or more when heated under a nitrogen atmosphere from 300° C. to 900° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiko Sekido, Takashi Anezaki, Taichi Sato, Masashi Nishi, Atsushi Fujii
  • Patent number: 10656542
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes an undercoat layer, a charge generation layer, and a charge transport layer in this order. The undercoat layer contains a cured product of a composition containing an electron transport material, a particle having an average primary particle size of 10 nm or more, and a silicone oil. A content of the particle in the undercoat layer is 3% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less. A content of the silicone oil in the undercoat layer is 0.01% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less relative to the content of the particle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masashi Nishi, Kunihiko Sekido, Yuka Ishiduka, Akihiro Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20200064750
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member that can achieve both of the suppression of a fluctuation in potential of the photosensitive member at the time of its repeated use, and the prevention of the occurrence of a black spot-like image defect at high levels. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes in this order: a support; an intermediate layer; and a photosensitive layer, the intermediate layer containing particles each containing titanium oxide, and the particles having a mass increase ratio of 0.005% or more when heated under a nitrogen atmosphere from 300° C. to 900° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Kunihiko Sekido, Takashi Anezaki, Taichi Sato, Masashi Nishi, Atsushi Fujii