Applying Subbing Layer Patents (Class 430/131)
  • Patent number: 7534538
    Abstract: A coating liquid for an intermediate layer of an electrophotographic photoconductor comprises at least one of alcohol solvents; and N-methoxymethylated nylon, in which the N-methoxymethylated nylon has solution viscosity within a range from 43 mPa·s to 50 mPa·s when dissolving into methanol at 30° C. in a concentration of 20% by mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Niimi, Maiko Kondo, Nozomu Tamoto, Katsuichi Ohta
  • Patent number: 7531284
    Abstract: A photoreceptor and method of forming the same is disclosed. A photoreceptor includes a substrate, an undercoat layer, and an imaging layer. The undercoat layer comprises a single, non-porous anodized aluminum layer that has an impedance of less than about 50 Kohm. The single, non-porous anodized aluminum layer may be used as the undercoat layer alone, or may be part of a multi-layered undercoat layer system that includes additional layers of other undercoat materials. The use of the non-porous anodized aluminum layer provides the photoreceptor with an extended effective life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: William G. Herbert, Andronique Ioannidis
  • Publication number: 20090104553
    Abstract: A method of cleaning and coating a used organic photoconductive drum is disclosed. Using this method remanufacturers can reliably reuse certain used organic photoconductive drums which could not be reused without this method. The method comprises providing a used organic photoconductive drum, cleaning the surface of the used organic photoconductive drum, applying a new surface layer comprising a non-volatile non-polar dielectric fluid such as a silicone oil with a viscosity of less than 200 cSt at 40 degrees Celsius. The resulting liquid surface on the used organic photoconductive drum provides wear resistance, and improved electrical characteristics allowing the used organic photoconductive drum to be used at least a second time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicant: Static Control Components, Inc.
    Inventors: Edwin H. Swartz, Roderick Craig Boone, John Edward Pickett, Lawrence Dale Lewis
  • Patent number: 7476479
    Abstract: An imaging member includes a substrate, an intermediate layer, and a photoconductor layer, where the intermediate layer includes hydrolyzed semi-conductive nanoparticles, such as hydrolyzed semi-conductive nanoparticles formed by reaction of a metal alkoxide and an amine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Yuhua Tong, John J. Wilbert, John F. Yanus, Jin Wu, Jennifer Y. Hwang
  • Patent number: 7462433
    Abstract: The presently disclosed embodiments relate in general to electrophotographic imaging members, such as layered photoreceptor structures, and processes for making and using the same. More particularly, the embodiments pertain to a photoreceptor additive to improve image quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Wu, Daniel V. Levy, Liang-bih Lin, Marc J. Livecchi
  • Patent number: 7427462
    Abstract: The presently disclosed embodiments relate in general to electrophotographic imaging members, such as layered photoreceptor structures, and processes for making and using the same. More particularly, the embodiments pertain to a photoreceptor that incorporates a rhodamine compound that improves image quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Wu, Daniel V. Levy, Liang-bih Lin, Linda L. Ferrarese
  • Publication number: 20080182188
    Abstract: In one aspect of the present system and method, an electrophotographic media includes a base media, at least one sub-layer formed on a first side of the base media, and an image receiving layer formed on the at least one sub-layer, wherein the image receiving layer includes a cross-linked resin coating structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Inventors: Xiaoqi Zhou, Richard J. McManus
  • Patent number: 7396623
    Abstract: The presently disclosed embodiments relate in general to electrophotographic imaging members, such as layered photoreceptor structures, and processes for making and using the same. More particularly, the embodiments pertain to a photoreceptor that incorporates a material with a high dielectric constant that improves background and print image quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Wu, Liang-bin Lin, Linda L. Ferrarese, John J. Wilbert, James R. Backus
  • Patent number: 7371491
    Abstract: A photoreceptor including an electroconductive substrate; and a charge blocking layer; a moiré preventing layer; and a photosensitive layer, which are overlaid overlying the substrate in this order, wherein the photosensitive layer includes a titanyl phthalocyanine crystal which has an average primary particle diameter not greater than 0.25 ?m, and has an X-ray diffraction spectrum such that a maximum peak is observed at a Bragg (2?) angle of 27.2°±0.2°; a peak is observed at Bragg (2?) angle of 9.4°±0.2°, 9.6±0.2° and 24.0±0.2°; a lowest angle peak is observed at an angle of 7.3°±0.2°; no peak is observed between the lowest angle peak and the 9.4° peak; and no peak is observed at a Bragg (2?) angle of 26.3°±0.2°, when a Cu—K? X-ray having a wavelength of 0.1542 nm (1.542 ?) is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventors: Tatsuya Niimi, Nozomu Tamoto, Katsuichi Ohta
  • Patent number: 7361439
    Abstract: A photoreceptor aluminum alloy substrate is prepared with specific roughness characteristics and an oxide layer for use in multi-layered electrophotographic photoreceptor. A photoreceptor substrate, or drum, is placed in a lathe and turned using a polycrystalline tool to achieve specific roughness characteristics. A oxide layer is then allowed to form on the roughened photoreceptor substrate. The roughened surface of the photoreceptor aluminum alloy substrate in conjunction with the oxide layer on the roughed surface reduces variances in surface energy across the photoreceptor substrate, and eliminates, or greatly reduces, a number of Tiger Stripe and Tiger Tail defects that may occur in an undercoat layer subsequently applied to the roughened photoreceptor substrate. The approach eliminates the need for wet honing and thereby significantly reduces the complexity and cost of fabricating a multi-layered electrophotographic photoreceptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas M. Wilbert, Gary J. Maier, William G. Herbert
  • Patent number: 7361438
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electrophotographic photoconductor including at least a photoconductive layer on a conductive substrate, wherein the surface layer of the photoconductive layer contains at least a surface crosslinked layer formed by curing a tri- or more-functional radical polymerizable monomer without having a charge transporting structure and a mono-functional radical polymerizable compound having a charge transporting structure and the surface crosslinked layer has a surface roughness Rz of 1.3 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuro Suzuki, Hiroshi Tamura, Hiroshi Ikuno, Kazukiyo Nagai, Hongguo Li
  • Patent number: 7348115
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor, including an electrically conductive substrate, an undercoat layer containing a filler and a binder resin and provided on the substrate, and a photoconductive layer provided on the undercoat layer and containing a binder resin. At least one compound selected from crown ethers, polyalkyleneglycol ethers, polyethyleneglycol monocarboxylic acid esters, polyethyleneglycol dicarboxylic acid esters, and hydroxy-terminated random or block copolymers containing oxypropylene and oxyethylene groups is incorporated into (a) the undercoat layer or (b) into a charge generating layer of the photoconductive layer. In the case of (a), the photoconductive layer is a dried coating of a composition containing at least one solvent selected from cyclic ethers, ketones and aromatic hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Yamanami, Yukari Yamada
  • Publication number: 20080057427
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor is disclosed, comprising on an electrically conductive support an intermediate layer, a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer in this order, wherein the charge transport layer contains a charge transport material represented by formula (1) and a compound represented by formula (2) and the content of the compound represented by formula (2) is not less than 100 ppm and not more than 5000 ppm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Tomoo SAKIMURA, Masahiro ISHIE, Shinichi YABUKI, Hidaya MIWA
  • Publication number: 20070242979
    Abstract: The presently disclosed embodiments relate in general to electrophotographic imaging members, such as layered photoreceptor structures, and processes for making and using the same. More particularly, the embodiments pertain to a photoreceptor undercoat layer that includes a metal oxide having a moisture content of less than 5 percent by weight of the total weight of the metal oxide, as well as, polyol and aminoplast resins, to improve image quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Liang-bih Lin, Daniel V. Levy, Jin Wu, John S. Chambers, Francisco Lopez
  • Patent number: 7247228
    Abstract: A carrier or substrate for a photoconductor to be used for the formation of an electrophotographic recording element, particularly an imaging drum for an electrophotographic printing press, wherein the carrier is made of a metal or a metal alloy, preferably of aluminum, is prepared wherein the surface of the carrier supporting the photoconductor, used to form a barrier layer, is oxidized, preferably by etching and/or anodizing. The oxidized surface of the barrier layer is sealed with a sealing material following oxidation, and a preservative or impregnating agent is used as the sealing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Udo Dräger, Detlef Schulze-Hagenest
  • Patent number: 7179573
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electrophotographic photoconductor including at least a photoconductive layer on an electroconductive substrate, which comprises at least a cross-linked surface layer formed by curing a tri- or more-functional radical polymerizable monomer without having a charge transporting structure and a mono-functional radical polymerizable compound having a charge transporting structure wherein the cross-linked surface layer has a surface roughness Rz of 1.3 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuro Suzuki, Hiroshi Tamura, Hiroshi Ikuno, Kazukiyo Nagai, Hongguo Li
  • Patent number: 7175957
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electrophotographic photoconductor including at least a photoconductive layer on a conductive substrate, wherein the surface layer of the photoconductive layer contains at least a surface crosslinked layer formed by curing a tri- or more-functional radical polymerizable monomer without having a charge transporting structure and a mono-functional radical polymerizable compound having a charge transporting structure and the surface crosslinked layer has a surface roughness Rz of 1.3 ?m or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuro Suzuki, Hiroshi Tamura, Hiroshi Ikuno, Kazukiyo Nagai, Hongguo Li
  • Patent number: 7135218
    Abstract: A film is made of an insulating matrix resin and an electroconductive material, in which the electroconductive material is dispersed in the insulating matrix resin in such a manner that a surface resistivity of A [?] of the film and a volume resistivity of B [?·cm] of the film in the direction of a thickness thereof normal to the surface of the film satisfy a relationship of: A>B, and when the film has a thickness of T [cm], the electroconductive material is dispersed in the insulating matrix resin in such a manner that the surface resistivity of A [?] of the film and the volume resistivity of B [?·cm] of the film satisfy a relationship of: A[?]×T[cm]>B[?·cm]. This film can be prepared by a centrifugal molding method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Matsuo, Hideki Komatsu, Akiko Tanaka, Yuichi Jibiki
  • Patent number: 7105259
    Abstract: A photoreceptor including an electroconductive substrate; an undercoat layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate and including titanium oxide which has an average particle diameter greater than 0.05 ?m and less than 0.20 ?m and which includes rutile titanium oxide in an amount of from 10 to 100% by weight based on total weight of the titanium oxide; and a photosensitive layer located overlying the undercoat layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventor: Yasuo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7078143
    Abstract: The object of the invention is to prevent interference fringes of images and allow precise measurement of the thickness of a layer by the optical interferometry by limiting the surface roughness of a conductive substrate. The surface roughness of the conductive substrate provided in an electrophotographic photoreceptor is such that the maximum peak-to-valley roughness height (Ry)=0.8 to 1.4 ?m, the centerline average roughness (Ra)=0.10 to 0.15 ?m, the ten-point average roughness (Rz)=0.7 to 1.3 ?m, the average peak-to-peak distance (Sm)=5 to 30 ?m, and the peak count Pc=60 to 100. In such an electrophotographic photoreceptor, light for exposure can be scattered to an appropriate extent, so that interference fringes can be prevented, and an interference pattern is formed during measurement of the thickness of the photosensitive layer by the optical interferometry so that the thickness of the layer can be measured with a high precision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Hashimoto, Kazushige Morita, Mikio Kakui, Yuji Tanaka, Masayuki Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 6967069
    Abstract: A photoconductive imaging member including a hole blocking layer, a photogenerating layer, and a charge transport layer, and wherein the hole blocking layer contains, for example, a metal oxide dispersed in an in situ formed inorganic/organic network wherein the inorganic component is silica, titania or zirconia, and the organic component is a mixture of a phenolic compound and a phenolic resin, and wherein the phenolic compound can contain, for example, at least two phenolic groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Wu, Jennifer Y. Hwang, Liang-Bih Lin, Geoffrey M. T. Foley, John J. Wilbert
  • Patent number: 6913863
    Abstract: A photoconductive imaging member including a hole blocking layer, a photogenerating layer, and a charge transport layer, and wherein the hole blocking layer contains, for example, a metal oxide; and a mixture of a phenolic compound and a phenolic resin, and wherein the phenolic compound can contain at least two phenolic groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Wu, Liang-Bih Lin, Jennifer Y. Hwang
  • Patent number: 6864027
    Abstract: A photoreceptor including an electroconductive substrate; an undercoat layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate and including titanium oxide which has an average particle diameter greater than 0.05 ?m and less than 0.20 ?m and which includes rutile titanium oxide in an amount of from 10 to 100% by weight based on total weight of the titanium oxide; and a photosensitive layer located overlying the undercoat layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventor: Yasuo Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20040253527
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electrophotographic photoconductor including at least a photoconductive layer on a conductive substrate, wherein the surface layer of the photoconductive layer contains at least a surface crosslinked layer formed by curing a tri- or more-functional radical polymerizable monomer without having a charge transporting structure and a mono-functional radical polymerizable compound having a charge transporting structure and the surface crosslinked layer has a surface roughness Rz of 1.3 &mgr;m or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: Tetsuro Suzuki, Hiroshi Tamura, Hiroshi Ikuno, Kazukiyo Nagai, Hongguo Li
  • Patent number: 6828076
    Abstract: An electrophotosensitive material comprising a supporting substrate, an intermediate layer containing a thermosetting resin formed on the supporting substrate, and a photosensitive layer formed on the intermediate layer, wherein a contact angle of the surface of the intermediate layer is not less than a value (A°) represented by the formula: A°=B°−2° in which B° is a contact angle corresponding to an intersection of a first approximation linear line and a second approximate linear line minus 2° in a correlation curve between a residual potential of the photosensitive material comprising the predetermined photosensitive layer formed on the intermediate layer containing the thermosetting resin and a contact angle of the intermediate layer containing the thermosetting resin. According to this photosensitive material, it is possible to obtain a good image, which has a low residual potential and is free from fog.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Maki Uchida
  • Patent number: 6824938
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor having at least an undercoat layer and a photosensitive layer on an electroconductive substrate, wherein at least one layer of the undercoat layer contains a naphthalocyanine compound of the following formula (1): where, in the formula (1), M represents two hydrogen atoms, or a metal atom, provided that the metal atom may have a ligand, and each of X1, X2, X3 and X4 is a hydrogen atom or a substituent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroe Kizaki, Mamoru Nozomi, Tetsuo Ozawa, Kozo Ishio
  • Patent number: 6790573
    Abstract: An imaging member including at least a support, a charge blocking layer, a charge imaging layer, and an interfacial adhesive layer including at least a copolyester-polycarbonate resin. A process for fabricating the imaging member is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Stephan V. Drappel, Kathleen M. Carmichael, David J. Maty, John A. Bergfjord, Sr.
  • Patent number: 6759174
    Abstract: A photoconductor for electrophotography including a conductive substrate, an undercoat layer provided on the conductive substrate, and a photosensitive layer provided on the undercoat layer and a manufacturing method thereof. The undercoat layer contains metallic oxide fine particles and is formed by applying a coating liquid for the undercoat layer onto the conductive substrate. The coating liquid contains an organic solvent having a boiling point at 1×105Pa of about 160° C. or less and a viscosity at 20° C. of about 3.0 mPa.s or more. This improves dispersion stability of metal oxide fine particles in the coating liquid to realize a uniform undercoat layer and, in turn, provides the photoconductor with uniform electrophotographic characteristics, in particular, with uniform image characteristics and external appearance characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Imaging Device Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Itoh
  • Publication number: 20040063015
    Abstract: An electrophotosensitive material comprising a supporting substrate, an intermediate layer containing a thermosetting resin formed on the supporting substrate, and a photosensitive layer formed on the intermediate layer, wherein a contact angle of the surface of the intermediate layer is not less than a value (A°) represented by the formula: A°=B°−2° in which B° is a contact angle corresponding to an intersection of a first approximation linear line and a second approximate linear line minus 2° in a correlation curve between a residual potential of the photosensitive material comprising the predetermined photosensitive layer formed on the intermediate layer containing the thermosetting resin and a contact angle of the intermediate layer containing the thermosetting resin. According to this photosensitive material, it is possible to obtain a good image, which has a low residual potential and is free from fog.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Inventor: Maki Uchida
  • Publication number: 20040053151
    Abstract: The object of the invention is to prevent interference fringes of images and allow precise measurement of the thickness of a layer by the optical interferometry by limiting the surface roughness of a conductive substrate. The surface roughness of the conductive substrate provided in an electrophotographic photoreceptor is such that the maximum peak-to-valley roughness height (Ry)=0.8 to 1.4 &mgr;m, the centerline average roughness (Ra)=0.10 to 0.15 &mgr;m, the ten-point average roughness (Rz)=0.7 to 1.3 &mgr;m, the average peak-to-peak distance (Sm)=5 to 30 &mgr;m, and the peak count Pc=60 to 100. In such an electrophotographic photoreceptor, light for exposure can be scattered to an appropriate extent, so that interference fringes can be prevented, and an interference pattern is formed during measurement of the thickness of the photosensitive layer by the optical interferometry so that the thickness of the layer can be measured with a high precision.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventors: Masaki Hashimoto, Kazushige Morita, Mikio Kakui, Yuji Tanaka, Masayuki Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 6696214
    Abstract: The invention provides an electrophotographic photoreceptor, in which suppression of image defects and high sensitivity are compatible, and a method for production thereof. The invention also provides a coating fluid for forming a photosensitive layer and a method for production thereof, as well as an image-forming apparatus using said electrophoto-graphic photoreceptor. Briefly, the electrophoto-graphic photoreceptors may be constructed by forming an undercoating layer on a conductive support, and then forming a photosensitive layer on the undercoating layer. The undercoating layer contains titanium oxide particles in at least either needle shape or dendrite shape. The photosensitive layer contains an electric charge-generating material of which the primary particle size and cohesive particle size are in a range of 0.01 &mgr;m-10 &mgr;m. Accordingly, in the electrophotographic photoreceptors, it is possible to maintain high sensitivity and excellent durability and to form an image with no defect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Katayama, Mikio Kakui, Masayuki Sakamoto, Tatsuhiro Morita, Sayaka Fujita, Tadashi Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20030232265
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor, including an electrically conductive substrate, an undercoat layer containing a filler and a binder resin and provided on the substrate, and a photoconductive layer provided on the undercoat layer and containing a binder resin. At least one compound selected from crown ethers, polyalkyleneglycol ethers, polyethyleneglycol monocarboxylic acid esters, polyethyleneglycol dicarboxylic acid esters, and hydroxy-terminated random or block copolymers containing oxypropylene and oxyethylene groups is incorporated into (a) the undercoat layer or (b) into a charge generating layer of the photoconductive layer. In the case of (a), the photoconductive layer is a dried coating of a composition containing at least one solvent selected from cyclic ethers, ketones and aromatic hydrocarbons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Publication date: December 18, 2003
    Inventors: Hirofumi Yamanami, Yukari Yamada
  • Patent number: 6641968
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrophotosensitive material comprising an intermediate layer formed between a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer, and featuring heat treatment conditions for forming the intermediate layer defined such that a ratio A2/A1 between absorbances at two measurement wavelengths determined from a visible absorption spectrum of the intermediate layer is not more than a value of an intersection of a first approximation line and a second approximation line given by a correlation distribution between the absorbance ratio and the residual potential of the photosensitive material, the first approximation line representing little change of the residual potential despite the increase of the ratio A2/A1, the second approximation line representing a proportional increase of the residual potential with increase of the ratio A2/A1. The invention provides the electrophotosensitive material free from the variations of residual potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Maki Uchida
  • Publication number: 20030175605
    Abstract: The invention provides an electrophotographic photoreceptor, in which suppression of image defects and high sensitivity are compatible, and a method for production thereof. The invention also provides a coating fluid for forming a photosensitive layer and a method for production thereof, as well as an image-forming apparatus using said electrophoto-graphic photoreceptor. Briefly, the electrophoto-graphic photoreceptors may be constructed by forming an undercoating layer on a conductive support, and then forming a photosensitive layer on the undercoating layer. The undercoating layer contains titanium oxide particles in at least either needle shape or dendrite shape. The photosensitive layer contains an electric charge-generating material of which the primary particle size and cohesive particle size are in a range of 0.01 &mgr;m-10 &mgr;m. Accordingly, in the electrophotographic photoreceptors, it is possible to maintain high sensitivity and excellent durability and to form an image with no defect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2003
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Katayama, Mikio Kakui, Masayuki Sakamoto, Tatsuhiro Morita, Sayaka Fujita, Tadashi Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20030152855
    Abstract: An imaging member including at least a support, a charge blocking layer, a charge imaging layer, and an interfacial adhesive layer including at least a copolyester-polycarbonate resin. A process for fabricating the imaging member is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Stephan V. Drappel, Kathleen M. Carmichael, David J. Maty, John A. Bergfjord
  • Publication number: 20030148200
    Abstract: A photoconductive drum forming an image by using an electric potential characteristic of a surface thereof includes a cylindrical base body, a photosensitive layer formed on the cylindrical base body to be chargeable with electricity, and an elastic layer having a hardness of below 70 degrees by the Asker “C” scale and formed in a thickness greater than 10 &mgr;m between the cylindrical base body and the photosensitive layer. The photoconductive drum is implemented in an image forming apparatus and absorbs shocks generated when the photoconductive drum contacts a development roller, a charging roller, and a transfer roller and impacts caused by the development roller when developing devices are exchanged or replaced, to protect the cylindrical base body and the photosensitive layer thereon, thereby.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2002
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Myung-ho Kyung
  • Patent number: 6596383
    Abstract: A film is made of an insulating matrix resin and an electroconductive material, in which the electroconductive material is dispersed in the insulating matrix resin in such a manner that a surface resistivity of A [&OHgr;] of the film and a volume resistivity of B [&OHgr;·cm] of the film in the direction of a thickness thereof normal to the surface of the film satisfy a relationship of: A>B, and when the film has a thickness of T [cm], the electroconductive material is dispersed in the insulating matrix resin in such a manner that the surface resistivity of A [&OHgr;] of the film and the volume resistivity of B [&OHgr;·cm] of the film satisfy a relationship of: A [&OHgr;]×T [cm]>B [&OHgr;·cm]. This film can be prepared by a centrifugal molding method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Matsuo, Hideki Komatsu, Akiko Tanaka, Yuichi Jibiki
  • Publication number: 20030118927
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor having, between an electroconductive substrate and a photosensitive layer, an interlayer which contains fine metal oxide particles and a binder resin and which, when an electric field of 106 V/m is applied thereto at 28° C. and 85% RH, has a volume resistivity of from 108 to 1013 &OHgr;·cm and, when an electric field of 106 V/m is applied thereto at 15° C. and 15% RH, has a volume resistivity which is up to 500 times the volume resistivity thereof as measured when an electric field of 106 V/m is applied thereto at 28° C. and 85% RH.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2002
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Nakamura, Ichiro Takegawa, Hidemi Nukada, Masahiro Iwasaki, Michiko Aida, Yukiko Kamijo, Masahiko Miyamoto, Tetsuya Ezumi, Takashi Yamada, Koji Bando, Taketoshi Hoshizaki
  • Publication number: 20030113645
    Abstract: A photoreceptor including an electroconductive substrate; an undercoat layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate and including titanium oxide which has an average particle diameter greater than 0.05 &mgr;m and less than 0.20 &mgr;m and which includes rutile titanium oxide in an amount of from 10 to 100% by weight based on total weight of the titanium oxide; and a photosensitive layer located overlying the undercoat layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Inventor: Yasuo Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20030099889
    Abstract: A photoconductor for electrophotography including a conductive substrate, an undercoat layer provided on the conductive substrate, and a photosensitive layer provided on the undercoat layer and a manufacturing method thereof. The undercoat layer contains metallic oxide fine particles and is formed by applying a coating liquid for the undercoat layer onto the conductive substrate. The coating liquid contains an organic solvent having a boiling point at 1×105Pa of about 160° C. or less and a viscosity at 20° C. of about 3.0 mPa.s or more. This improves dispersion stability of metal oxide fine particles in the coating liquid to realize a uniform undercoat layer and, in turn, provides the photoconductor with uniform electrophotographic characteristics, in particular, with uniform image characteristics and external appearance characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2002
    Publication date: May 29, 2003
    Applicant: Fuji Electric Imaging Device Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Itoh
  • Patent number: 6551752
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member exhibiting good potential characteristic and image forming characteristic fee from difficulties, such as lower image density or black spots and fog, over wide temperature and humidity environment condition, is provided by inserting a specific intermediate layer between a support and a photosensitive layer. The intermediate layer comprises an organic acid aluminum salt compound, preferably formed by heating an aqueous dispersion sol formed by reaction of an organic aluminum compound or a hydrolyzate thereof with an organic acid in an aqueous medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Itaru Takaya, Takeshi Ikeda, Masataka Kawahara
  • Patent number: 6551716
    Abstract: A method of producing a coating on a member comprising: providing a body portion; coating the body portion with a catalyst material for a release coating material; and overcoating the catalyst material with an uncured polymer material for which the catalyst is active. Preferably, the release coating material is a condensation type silicone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Indigo N.V.
    Inventors: Benzion Landa, Marc Aronhime, Nava Klein, Erez Faraggi, Carlos Teper, Amiran Lavon, Yael Kowal
  • Publication number: 20030039907
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrophotosensitive material comprising an intermediate layer formed between a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer, and featuring heat treatment conditions for forming the intermediate layer defined such that a ratio A2/A1 between absorbances at two measurement wavelengths determined from a visible absorption spectrum of the intermediate layer is not more than a value of an intersection of a first approximation line and a second approximation line given by a correlation distribution between the absorbance ratio and the residual potential of the photosensitive material, the first approximation line representing little change of the residual potential despite the increase of the ratio A2/A1, the second approximation line representing a proportional increase of the residual potential with increase of the ratio A2/A1. The invention provides the electrophotosensitive material free from the variations of residual potential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventor: Maki Uchida
  • Patent number: 6472113
    Abstract: An electrophotoreceptor, comprises a conductive support; a photoreceptive layer, an intermediate layer provided between the conductive support and the photoreceptive layer, the intermediate layer containing N type semi-conductive fine particles and a binder resin, wherein the N type semi-conductive fine particles are subjected to plural surface treatments, and the final surface treatment is carried out employing a reactive organic silicon compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Hamaguchi, Hirohumi Hayata
  • Patent number: 6444379
    Abstract: There are provided a method for preparing a printed wiring board which can form electrostatic latent images at the desired positions of a substrate with good precision, and a uniform and good image can be formed for preparing a printed wiring board having circuits on the both surfaces of the substrate from a material to be developed having at least a metal conductive layer and a photoconductive layer on both surfaces of an insulating substrate in this order, and a preparation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Paper Mills Limited
    Inventors: Yasuo Kaneda, Masanori Takase, Kenji Hyodo
  • Patent number: 6432603
    Abstract: A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member has at least one of the following steps a) and b) and the following steps c) and d) of; a) etching an aluminum substrate with at least one of an acid and an alkali; b) abrading an aluminum substrate with an abrasive dispersion containing 5% by volume or more of an abrasive having a 50% diameter of from 5 &mgr;m to 60 &mgr;m as measured in cumulative percentage; c) subjecting the aluminum substrate having been processed by at least one of the steps a) and b), to chemical conversion with an aqueous acid solution containing a salt of titanium or a salt of zirconium; and d) forming a photosensitive layer on the aluminum substrate having been subjected to the chemical conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kimura, Yoichi Kawamorita, Koichi Suzuki, Hideaki Nagasaka, Shigemori Tanaka, Yoshihiko Hyosu
  • Patent number: 6399263
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor having an interlayer between the electrically conductive base body and the photosensitive layer. The electrophotographic photoreceptor an aluminum-evaporated surface and contact potential difference of said interlayer with respect to the aluminum-evaporated surface of the photoreceptor is at least +0.175 V.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventor: Hirofumi Hayata
  • Publication number: 20020048711
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and more specifically, to a photosensitive member having a photosensitive layer superimposed over a substrate. In one aspect of the invention, sequential laminations of a dispersion layer of conductive tantalum-doped tin oxide powder dispersed in a binder resin solution, are provided between the substrate layer and the photosensitive layer. Another aspect of the invention relates to a protective layer provided for the photosensitive layer. The protective layer of the most exterior surface of the photosensitive member may be a dispersion layer formed by dispersing tantalum-doped tin oxide powder in a resin solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Applicant: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimiyuki Ito, Keiichi Inagaki, Takeshi Ishida
  • Patent number: 6355390
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor has an electroconductive support, and an undercoat layer and a photoconductive layer which are successively overlaid on the support, the undercoat layer containing an inorganic pigment and a crosslinked N-alkoxymethylated polyamide or a crosslinked material of an N-alkoxymethylated polyamide and a melamine resin as a binder resin. The method of producing the photoconductor is also disclosed. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus is provided with the aforementioned photoconductor, a charging unit, and a developing unit. A process cartridge is provided with the photoconductor, and at least one of a charging unit, a light exposure unit, a developing unit, or an image transfer unit. An electrophotographic image forming process has the steps of forming a latent electrostatic image on the photoconductor, and developing the latent electrostatic image to a visible image by reversal development.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Yamanami, Tamotsu Aruga
  • Publication number: 20020018947
    Abstract: A photoreceptor including a support and a photosensitive layer formed thereon, optionally an undercoat layer between the support and the photosensitive layer, wherein when a group of data consisting of N samples of the height x(t)(&mgr;m) of a profile at the interface of the support on the side of the photosensitive layer, the interface of the photosensitive layer on the side of the support, and/or the interface of the undercoat layer on the side of the photosensitive layer, measured perpendicular to a horizontal direction of the support, taken at &Dgr;t (&mgr;m) intervals in the horizontal direction, is subjected to Fourier transformation in accordance with a formula as specified in the specification, in a power spectrum obtained by the Fourier transformation, I(S) represented by a formula specified in the specification has a particular value, a method of evaluating the above photoreceptor, a method of producing the photoreceptor, and an image formation apparatus in which the photoreceptor is incorporated ar
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2001
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Kabata, Toshio Fukagai, Junichi Yamazaki, Katsuhiko Tani, Noriyuki Iwata, Takuji Katoh, Yoshio Watanabe, Yuka Miyamoto