Abstract: Flexible imaging members in electrophotography which have an improved plasticized charge transport layer formulation. The resulting imaging member is resistant to chemical contaminants, photoelectrically stable, fatigue cracking suppression, and has a simplified material structure which is curl-free without the need of an anticurl back coating layer. Process for making and using the member are also disclosed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner carrying roller for carrying a toner, an image carrying member, contacting the toner on the toner carrying roller, on which a toner image is to be formed with the toner, and an electrode portion provided at an opposing position in which the electrode portion opposes the toner carrying roller via the image carrying member interposed therebetween. The toner image is formed on the image carrying member by changing a value of a voltage, on the basis of image information, applied to the electrode portion, and the toner carried on the toner carrying roller and the image carrying member contact each other in a toner contact area. The toner is moved between the toner carrying roller and the image carrying member in a toner movement area by changing the value of the voltage applied to the electrode portion, and the toner movement area is present downstream of the toner contact area with respect to a movement direction of the image carrying member.

Abstract: A contact member is fitted in a cylindrical body that is substantially cylindrical and configurates an image carrier, and is supported by the cylindrical body while being in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body at contact portions provided in three areas in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical body. All angles formed by two of straight lines passing through the contact portions and an axial center of the cylindrical body are more than about 90 degrees in a state in which the contact member is supported within the cylindrical body, when viewed from an axial direction of the cylindrical body.

Abstract: A charge-transporting layer, which is a surface layer of an electrophotographic photosensitive member, has a matrix-domain structure having a matrix containing constituent ? (a polyester resin having a predetermined repeating structural unit) and a charge-transporting substance, and a domain containing constituent ? (a polycarbonate resin having a repeating structural unit having a predetermined siloxane moiety).

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member in which a leakage hardly occurs, a process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus having the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a method for producing the electrophotographic photosensitive member are provided. The conductive layer in the electrophotographic photosensitive member contains metal oxide particle coated with tin oxide doped with niobium or tantalum. The relations: Ia?6,000 and 10?Ib are satisfied. The conductive layer before the test is performed has a volume resistivity of not less than 1.0×108 ?·cm and not more than 5.0×1012 ?·cm.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, which contains: an image bearing member; a charging unit; an exposing unit; a developing unit; a transferring unit; and a cleaning unit, wherein the image bearing member contains an electrically conductive support, a photoconductive layer formed on the electrically conductive support, and a surface layer containing a binder resin and particles formed on a surface of the photoconductive layer, or contains the electrically conductive support, and the photoconductive layer formed on the electrically conductive support, wherein the cleaning unit contains a cleaning blade, which contains a cured composition containing a curing agent in a region of the cleaning blade, which is to be in contact with the image bearing member, and wherein the curing agent contains a polycyclic aliphatic hydrocarbon group, and a (meth)acryloyloxy group.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a support and a photosensitive layer formed on the support, in which the photosensitive layer includes a phthalocyanine crystal containing a compound satisfying the following formulae (A) and (B) in itself: 8.9??P?10.7 (A) and ?3.2?L??1.5 (B) (in the formula (A), ?P represents a polar term of Hansen Solubility Parameters, and in the formula (B), L represents an energy level (eV) of an LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) obtained as a result of structural optimization calculation based on density functional calculation B3LYP/6-31G).

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photoreceptor including an electroconductive substrate, an undercoat layer that is provided on the electroconductive substrate, contains a binder resin, metal oxide particles and an electron accepting compound having an acidic group and has an AC impedance of from 1×105? to 1×108? under the measurement condition in which a temperature is 22° C., a humidity is 50% RH, an AC voltage is ±1 V, and a frequency is 1 Hz and an AC impedance of from 1×103? to 1×108? under the measurement condition in which a temperature is 22° C., a humidity is 50% RH, an AC voltage is ±1 V, and a frequency is 100 Hz, and a photosensitive layer that is provided on the undercoat layer.

Abstract: The presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to image forming systems comprising imaging apparatus members and toner compositions. More specifically, the present embodiments relate to an improved BCR xerographic system comprising (1) a cleaning blade comprising a material having a certain Share A Hardness; (2) a photoreceptor having a surface with a specified Young's Modulus and; and (3) a toner lubricant additive. The combined system demonstrates a significant increase an overall service life of the system.

Abstract: The presently disclosed embodiments are directed to flexible imaging members used in electrophotographic imaging apparatuses. More particularly, the embodiments pertain to electrophotographic imaging members which have imaging layer(s) formulated to comprise of a novel polymer blended binder comprising a bisphenol type polycarbonate and an organic acid-containing copolyester doped into the polycarbonate which provides improved properties and performance to the resulting imaging member. The formulated imaging layer(s) may further include a plasticizer.

Abstract: An image formation unit includes a first unit rotatably supporting an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed, and a second unit rotatably supporting a developer carrier configured to develop the electrostatic latent image with a developer. The first unit includes a first engagement portion formed at one end in the direction of the rotational axis of the image carrier, and a second engagement portion provided at a predetermined distance from the first engagement portion at the one end side. The second unit includes a first engaged portion engaged with the first engagement portion, a second engaged portion engaged with the second engagement portion, and a drive input portion provided between the first and second engaged portions and configured to rotate the developer carrier.

Abstract: An electrophotographic imaging member which has improved imaging layer(s) formulated to comprise a charge transport compound and a polymer blended binder to render photoelectrical stability, tune-ability, and surface contact friction reduction for providing service life extension. The polymer blended binder used in the imaging layer(s) is a binary polymer blend binder consisting of: (1) an A-B diblock copolymer and a bisphenol polycarbonate and a low surface energy polysiloxane/polycarbonate random copolymer and (2) an A-B diblock copolymer and a low surface energy graft polysiloxane/polycarbonate copolymer.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member which is excellent in terms of both continuous reduction of contact stress with contact members and the like and potential stability during repeated use. A charge transport layer which serves as a surface layer of an electrophotographic photosensitive member has a matrix-domain structure including a matrix containing a component [?] (polycarbonate resin D having a specific repeating structural unit) and a charge-transporting substance and domains containing a component [?] (polycarbonate resin A having a repeating structural unit including a specific siloxane moiety).

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a conductive support, an undercoat layer that is provided on the conductive support and that has a thickness of from 15 ?m to 40 ?m and has light transmittance of 20% or less with respect to light having a wavelength of 450 nm when the thickness is at least 15 ?m, a charge generation layer that is provided on the undercoat layer, and a charge transport layer that is provided on the charge generation layer and that has a thickness of from 15 ?m to 40 ?m and has light transmittance of 30% or less with respect to light having a wavelength of 450 nm when the thickness is at least 15 ?m.

Abstract: Provided is a composition for forming a charge transporting film, including a solvent having a dielectric constant of 5.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a photoconductor including a substrate, a photogenerating layer and a charge transport layer. The charge transport layer includes a hole transport molecule of N4,N4?-bis(4-((E)-4,4-diphenylbuta-1,3-dien-1-yl)phenyl)-N4,N4?-di-p-tolyl-[1,1?-biphenyl]-4,4?-diamine and a binder. The weight percent of the charge transport layer includes N4,N4?-bis(4-((E)-4,4-diphenylbuta-1,3-dien-1-yl)phenyl)-N4,N4?-di-p-tolyl-[1,1?-biphenyl]-4,4?-diamine at from about 50 to about 70.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member containing a terphenoquinone derivative represented by the following formula (1): wherein R1 to R5 may be the same or different and each represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms and optionally having an alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an aralkyl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, or an alkoxy group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a flexible electrophotographic imaging member comprising a single novel polymer binder in the formulation of the imaging layers. In particular, the present embodiments provide multi-layered electrophotographic imaging members prepared by using the same polymer binder in the two contiguous imaging formation layers to improve mechanical and photoelectrical performance. The embodiments also include a process for making and using the imaging member.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a flexible electrophotographic imaging member having an optically clear, cross-linked anticurl back coating of melamine formaldehyde to effect complete and absolute imaging member flatness. In particular embodiments, the anticurl back coating further includes an organic or inorganic particle dispersion.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a flexible electrophotographic imaging member having an optically clear, cross-linked anticurl back coating of melamine formaldehyde to effect complete and absolute imaging member flatness.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor having a photosensitive layer formed on a conductive substrate, wherein the photosensitive layer contains oxygen-containing fluorinated fine particles in a surface layer thereof, and the oxygen-containing fluorinated fine particles have an oxygen composition ratio of 0.9 to 3.0% by atom based on the whole composition of the fine particles according to an X-ray fluorescence composition analysis.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system for printing a three-dimensional part using electrophotography, the additive manufacturing system comprising a rotatable photoconductor component, first and second development stations configured to develop layers of materials on a surface of the rotatable photoconductor component while the rotatable photoconductor component rotates in opposing rotational directions, and a platen configured to operably receive the developed layers in a layer-by-layer manner to print the three-dimensional part from at least a portion of the received layers.

Abstract: The presently disclosed embodiments relate in general to flexible electrophotographic imaging members, such as layered photoreceptor structural simplification, and material reformulation for making and using the same. More particularly, the embodiments pertain to the incorporation of a plasticizer or mixture of plasticizers into the charge transport layer for rendering flatness such that an anticurl back coating is no longer needed to counteract and control the layered photoreceptor curling.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor including: an electroconductive substrate; an intermediate layer; and a photoconductive layer, the intermediate layer and the photoconductive layer being on the electroconductive substrate, wherein the intermediate layer includes an inorganic pigment and a binder resin, wherein a volume ratio of the inorganic pigment in the intermediate layer is 30% by volume to 50% by volume, wherein the inorganic pigment comprises titanium oxide and a content of the titanium oxide in the inorganic pigment is 70% by mass to 90% by mass, wherein the inorganic pigment has a specific surface area of 70 m2/g to 140 m2/g, and wherein the intermediate layer has a volume resistivity at an electrical field intensity of 2.5×105 V/cm of 5×1011 ?·cm to 1×1013 ?·cm.

Abstract: Provided are an electrophotographic photosensitive member in which a variation in the light-area potential is suppressed even when the electrophotographic photosensitive member is repeatedly used for a long time in a high-temperature, high-humidity environment, a method of producing the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus that include the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a support, an undercoat layer, and a photosensitive layer, wherein the undercoat layer contains a urethane resin and zinc oxide particles whose surfaces have been treated with a particular amount of an aminosilane compound.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a conductive support and a photosensitive layer and a surface protection layer that are sequentially laminated on the conductive support. The surface protection layer contains a binder resin and inorganic fine particles surface-treated with a hole transporting compound of the following General Formula 1. A?R1-Q1)k??[General Formula 1] A is a hole transporting group. Q1 is an acidic group. R1 is a substituted or non-substituted alkylene, alkenylene or arylene group. k is a positive integer of 1 or more. If k is an integer of 2 or more, each of R1 and Q1 are same or different.

Abstract: A photoreceptor for electrophotography includes a photosensitive layer provided on a conductive substrate that contains at least a resin binder, a charge transport material, and an additive. The photoreceptor exhibits high photoresponsivity, stable electrical properties regardless of repeated use thereof, and high durability. The resin binder contains a polycarbonate resin composed of a copolymer having structural units expressed by general formulae (1) and (2) below. The charge transport material contains at least one type of stilbene compound expressed by general formulae (3), (4), and (5) below. The additive contains at least one type of diester compound expressed by general formula (6) below.

Abstract: In order to provide an electrophotographic photosensitive member with which a ghost is suppressed even under a low temperature and low humidity environment, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus having the electrophotographic photosensitive member, the electrophotographic photosensitive member has a support, an undercoat layer formed on the support, and a photosensitive layer formed on the undercoat layer and comprising a charge generating material and a hole transporting material, wherein the undercoat layer comprises a particular amine compound.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor apparatus is provided and a method of manufacturing such a photoreceptor. The electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a cylindrical substrate. A photosensitive layer is formed on the cylindrical substrate. The photoreceptor has first surface corrugations with a pitch of 0.4 to 0.6 mm in an axial direction of the photoreceptor. Each of the first surface corrugations has a depth of 3.0 to 5.0 ?m.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a photosensitive layer. The photosensitive layer contains a charge generating material, a hole transport material, and a binder resin. The hole transport material contains an amine stilbene derivative represented by a general formula (1), and the binder resin contains a polycarbonate resin represented by a general formula (2).

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member that improves the sensitivity characteristic and high-humidity deletion resistance, and achieves compatibility between a high image-resolving power and the suppression of an image memory. The electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises an electrophotographic photosensitive member, including: a photoconductive layer; and a surface layer comprising hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide on the photoconductive layer, in which: a ratio (C/(Si+C)) of a number of carbon atoms (C) to a sum of a number of silicon atoms (Si) and the number of the carbon atoms (C) in the surface layer is 0.50 or more and 0.65 or less; a sum of an atom density of the silicon atoms and an atom density of the carbon atoms in the surface layer is 6.60×1022 atoms/cm3 or more; and a defect density of the surface layer determined by electron spin resonance measurement is 9.0×1018 spins/cm3 or more and 2.2×1019 spins/cm3 or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor having a photosensitive layer, and a surface protective layer that contains fluororesin particles and a fluorinated alkyl group-containing copolymer; a charging unit that charges the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor; an electrostatic latent image forming unit that forms an electrostatic latent image; a developing unit that accommodates a developer, and develops the electrostatic latent image with the developer to form a toner image; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image to a recording medium; and a cleaning unit that removes the remained developer, wherein when the electrophotographic photoreceptor is rotated 50,000 times by repeating the formation of an image having image sections and non-image sections and having an image density of 7%, and then the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor is analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the zinc coating ratio is in the range of from 50% to 100%.

Abstract: There is provided an end-side member to be arranged at an end of a photoreceptor drum unit which is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus body, the image forming apparatus body including a drive shaft having a concave portion, the concave portion being a hole having a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape and twisted in an extending direction of an axial line of the drive shaft. The end-side member includes a convex-shaped bearing member which is engageable with and disengageable from the concave portion. A depression to be engaged with a rim of an opening of the concave portion is formed in at least a part of an outer circumferential surface of the bearing member.

Abstract: An image bearing member including an electroconductive substrate, and a photosensitive layer provided overlying the electroconductive substrate, the photosensitive layer containing at least one charge transport materials selected from the group consisting of a naphthalene tetracarboxylic acid diimide-isoindol derivative represented by the following chemical structure 1, a naphthalimide-isoindol derivative represented by the following chemical structure 2, and a triphenyl amine-isoindol derivative represented by the following chemical structure 3, where R1 and R2 independently represent a hydrogen atom, a substituted or non-substituted alkyl group, an alkoxy group, a substituted or non-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon group, a halogen atom, and a nitro group, k represents an integer of 1 to 4, and l represents an integer of from 1 to 5 and R3 represents a substituted or non-substituted alkyl group, a substituted or non-substituted cycloalkyl group, and a substituted or non-substituted aromatic hydrocarbo

Abstract: A cartridge drive gear assembly for holding a drum coupling includes a drive gear having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface including inner projections which extend into the interior of the drive gear and includes at least two voids disposed on opposing sides of the inner projections, and at least one slot disposed in the inner surface.

Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus and a process cartridge include an electrophotographic photosensitive member; a developing unit; and a cleaning unit, wherein depressed portions separated from each other and satisfying conditions below are formed in the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member at a density of 10 or more per unit area of 1 cm2: a depth of the depressed portions is defined as Rdv[?m], a minor-axis diameter of the depressed portions is defined as Lpc[?m], a major-axis diameter of the depressed portions is defined as Rpc[?m], and an angle formed between a direction of a major-axis of each of the depressed portions and a direction of movement of the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is defined as ?[°]. 5[°]??[°]?85[°] 0.3×P[?m]?Rdv[?m]?0.5×P[?m] 1.1×P[?m]?Lpc[?m]?1.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes at least an electrophotographic photoreceptor having at least a conductive support, an undercoat layer, and a photosensitive layer; a charging device that charges the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor in a contact charging mode, in which only DC voltage is applied; an electrostatic latent image forming device that exposes the surface of the charged electrophotographic photoreceptor to form an electrostatic latent image; a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image by a developer to form a toner image; and a transfer device that directly transfers the toner image from the electrophotographic photoreceptor to a transfer medium; and does not include an erasing device for erasing the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor after the toner image is transferred onto the transfer medium by the transfer device and before the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor is charged by the charging device.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor includes an electrically conductive base and a photosensitive layer disposed on the electrically conductive base. The photosensitive layer has a structure 1) in which a charge-generation layer including at least a charge-generating material and a charge-transport layer including at least a charge-transporting material and a binder resin are stacked in that order, or a structure 2) in which at least the charge-generating material, the charge-transporting material, and the binder resin are included in the same layer, and the binder resin is a terpolymer polycarbonate resin represented by general formula (I) below.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a support, an undercoat layer formed on the support, and a photosensitive layer formed on the undercoat layer, in which the undercoat layer contains a polymerized product of a compound represented by the formula (1) or a polymerized product of a composition containing a compound represented by the formula (1).

Abstract: In an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a charge-generating layer, the charge-generating layer has a matrix-domain structure; in the matrix-domain structure, the domain contains a charge-generating substance, and the matrix contains a binder resin and a fluoranthene compound.

Abstract: Provided is a composition for forming a charge transporting film, including a solvent having a dielectric constant of 5.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive body carrying an electrostatic latent image on a surface thereof, a charge device charging the surface of the photosensitive body, an exposure device forming the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive body, a development device developing the electrostatic latent image so that a developer image is formed, and a transfer device transferring the developer image on a print medium. Wherein, a positive charge dark decay rate of the photosensitive body is greater than a negative charge dark decay rate when a dark decay rate is expressed by ? V ? ? 0 ? - ? V ? ? 5 ? ? V ? ? 0 ? × 100 ? ( % ) where V0 [V] is a surface potential of the photosensitive body immediately after a completion of the charging by the charge device, and V5 [V] is the surface potential when the photosensitive body is left in a dark place for 5 seconds immediately after the completion of the charging.

Abstract: To provide an electrophotographic photoconductor, which contains a layer containing a cured product obtained by crosslinking (i) a compound containing a charge-transporting group and three or more methylol groups, and (ii) a compound containing a charge-transporting group, which is other than the compound containing a charge-transporting group and three or more methylol groups.

Abstract: A charge transport layer, which is the surface layer of an electrophotographic photosensitive member, contains a charge transporting material, and a polyester resin A having a repeating structural unit including a specific siloxane moiety and at least one of a polyester resin C having a specific structure and a polycarbonate resin D having a specific structure as a binder resin. The content of the siloxane moiety in the polyester resin A is from 5% by mass or more to 30% by mass or less based on the total mass of the polyester resin A. The charge transport layer includes a domain made of the polyester resin A in a matrix made of the charge transporting material and at least one of the polyester resin C and the polycarbonate resin D.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, where the image carrier may include an image carrier body having a hollowness and image carrier flanges, which are installed at both ends of the image carrier body. Each image carrier flange may include a blower fan integrally formed therewith, so that air outside of the image carrier body is moved from one end of the image carrier body, at which a drive gear is positioned, to the other end of the image carrier body as the image carrier rotates. Waste developer which may accumulate on the drive gear is reduced, thereby preventing the operational error of the image carrier and thus avoiding the degradation of the image quality.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member is provided in which both a long-term potential variation and a short-term potential variation are suppressed, a method for producing the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus each having the electrophotographic photosensitive member are also provided. An intermediate layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is formed by applying a coating liquid for the intermediate layer, which contains an organic resin and a rutile-type acidic titania sol containing tin, and drying the applied coating liquid.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member having a surface layer A having a surface hardness of 200 N/mm2 or greater, the surface layer A containing fillers made of a metal oxide and a cleaning blade having a reed-like elastic blade having a front edge portion to remove toner from the surface layer A in motion while the front edge portion is in contact with the surface layer A, the front edge portion having a laminate structure formed of a substrate of the elastic blade, a mixed layer of the substrate and an acrylic and/or methacrylic resin, the mixed layer having a thickness of 1.0 ?m or greater, and a surface layer B having an acrylic and/or methacrylic resin, the surface layer B having a thickness of 0.1 ?m or greater.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member having a surface layer containing a polymeric product obtained by polymerizing a specific adamantane compound, a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus which have the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a process for producing the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus each having the electrophotographic photosensitive member that can output an image having less image defects due to a ghost phenomenon not only under a normal-temperature, normal-humidity environment but also under a low-temperature, low-humidity environment as a particularly severe condition. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a support and a photosensitive layer formed on the support, in which the photosensitive layer includes a gallium phthalocyanine crystal containing a specific amine compound in itself.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member has a surface layer that contains a urea compound having two or more urea moieties. Each of the urea moieties has a carbonyl group and two nitrogen atoms. Each of the two nitrogen atoms connects to an alkyl group and a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group or a substituted or unsubstituted arylene group.