Including Conductive Base Or Support Patents (Class 430/69)
  • Publication number: 20080008947
    Abstract: An imaging member includes a substrate; a charge generation layer positioned on the substrate; at least one charge transport layer positioned on the charge generation layer; and an undercoat layer positioned on the substrate on a side opposite the charge generation layer, the undercoat layer comprising a binder component and a metallic component comprising metal thiocyanate and metal oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Inventors: Jin Wu, Daniel V. Levy, Liang-bih Lin
  • Publication number: 20080008950
    Abstract: An imaging member including a substrate; a charge generation layer positioned on the substrate; at least one charge transport layer positioned on the charge generation layer; and an undercoat layer positioned on the substrate on a side opposite the charge generation layer, the undercoat layer comprising a thiophosphate, and optionally one or more additional undercoat layer components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Inventors: Jin Wu, Geoffrey M.T. Foley, Satchidanand Mishra, Liang-bih Lin, Anthony M. Horgan, Yonn K. Rasmussen, Kathleen M. Carmichael, Edward F. Grabowski
  • Publication number: 20070292797
    Abstract: The presently disclosed embodiments are directed to anticurl back coatings useful in electrostatography. More particularly, the embodiments pertain to an electrophotographic imaging member with an improved anticurl back coating formulated by a polymer blend comprising two low surface energy polymeric materials that prevents curling, renders surface lubricity, eliminates electrostatic charge buildup, reduces surface contact friction, and enhances abrasion/wear resistance, and a process for making and using the imaging member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Robert C.U. Yu, Stephen T. Avery, Edward F. Grabowski, Satish Parikh, Donald J. Goodman
  • Patent number: 7267917
    Abstract: A charge transport layer composition for a photoreceptor includes at least a binder, at least one arylamine charge transport material, e.g., N,N?-diphenyl-N,N?-bis(3-methylphenyl)-(1,1?-biphenyl)-4,4?-diamine, and at least one polymer containing carboxylic acid groups or groups capable of forming carboxylic acid groups. The charge transport layer forms a layer of photoreceptor, which also includes an optional anti-curl layer, a substrate, an optional hole blocking layer, an optional adhesive layer, a charge generating layer, and optionally one or more overcoat or protective layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Yuhua Tong, Kenny-Tuan T. Dinh, Markus R. Silvestri, Michael E. Zak, John F. Yanus, Min-Hong Fu, David M. Skinner, Kathleen M. Carmichael, Colleen A. Helbig, Dale S. Renfer, John A. Bergfjord, Sr., Susan M. Van Dusen, Anthony M. Horgan, Jin Wu, Steven M. Sterling
  • Patent number: 7261986
    Abstract: A method for producing a substrate for a photoconductive member includes etching the substrate with a self-limiting acid that removes the metal oxides from but does not affect the surface roughness of the substrate inner and outer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Edward T. Miskinis, Steven O. Cormier
  • 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: 7211358
    Abstract: A photoconductive member for use in an electrophotographic machine includes a substrate having an inside and outside surface. An inner smoothing layer is disposed over the inside surface of the substrate thereby improving the compatibility of the photoconductive member with an air-mounting process by which the photoconductive member is operably associated with a mandrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Edward T. Miskinis, Steven O. Cormier
  • Patent number: 7202005
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming method comprising: developing a latent image formed on a cylindrical electrophotographic photoreceptor having a cylindricity of 5 to 40 ?m, with a developer comprising a toner sufficing at least one of conditions (1) to (5): (1) A toner includes toner particles having a variation coefficient of shape coefficient of not more than 16 percent. (2) A toner includes at least 65 percent of toner particles having a shape coefficient in the range of 1.2 to 1.6. (3) A toner includes at least 50% of toner particles in number having no corner. (4) A toner includes toner particles having a number variation coefficient in the number particle size distribution of not more than 27 percent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Kageyuki Tomoyori
  • Patent number: 7166399
    Abstract: An electrostatographic imaging member having a charge-retentive surface and a substrate, an imaging layer to receive an electrostatic latent image thereon, wherein the imaging layer is positioned on one side of the substrate, and an anti-curl backing layer positioned on the substrate on a side opposite to that of the imaging layer, wherein the anti-curl backing layer has a polymer binder and lignin sulfonic acid doped polyaniline, and an image forming apparatus having the above imaging member or photoreceptor to receive an electrostatic latent image on a charge-retentive surface of the photoreceptor or imaging member; a development component to apply toner to the charge-retentive surface to develop the electrostatic latent image to form a developed image on the charge-retentive surface; a transfer member to transfer the developed image from the charge-retentive surface to a copy substrate; and a fixing component to fuse the developed image to the copy substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Kathleen M. Carmichael, Robert C. U. Yu, Richard L. Post, Anthony M. Horgan, Satchidanand Mishra, Edward F. Grabowski, Satish R. Parikh, Donald J. Goodman, David M. Skinner
  • Patent number: 7153620
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an antistatic article comprising a substrate or support having thereon at least one antistatic layer, wherein the antistatic layer comprises a conductive material having areas of patterned coverage. The present invention also relates to a display comprising a substrate having an electrically modulated imaging layer thereon, at least one electrically conductive layer, and at least one transparent antistatic layer, wherein said antistatic layer comprises a conductive material having areas of patterned coverage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Peter T. Aylward, Debasis Majumdar
  • Patent number: 7083885
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an antistatic article comprising a substrate or support having thereon at least one antistatic layer, wherein the antistatic layer comprises a conductive material having areas of patterned coverage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Peter T. Aylward, Debasis Majumdar, Robert C. Daly, Kelly S. Robinson, Barry A. Fitzgerald, Paul A. Christian
  • 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: 7071285
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor has an electroconductive support, and a photoconductive layer formed thereon containing as an effective component an aromatic polycarbonate resin having a structural unit of formula (2) and a structural unit with charge transporting properties, each of the structural units being contained in an amount of 5 wt. % or more of the total weight of the polycarbonate resin. There is disclosed an aromatic polycarbonate resin having a structural unit of formula (1) and the structural unit of formula (2), with the relationship between the composition ratios being 0<k/(k+j)<1 when the composition ratio of the structural unit (1) is k and that of the structural unit (2) is j, or an aromatic polycarbonate resin having a repeat unit of formula (3). The formulas (1) to (3) are specified in the specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Kawamura, Masaomi Sasaki, Kazukiyo Nagai, Kohkoku Ri, Susumu Suzuka, Katsuhiro Morooka
  • Patent number: 7060406
    Abstract: A light-receiving member comprising a conductive substrate, and formed superposingly thereon a photosensitive layer and a surface protective layer in order. The light-receiving member has a surface roughness Ra of from 15 nm to 100 nm. Also disclosed is an image-forming apparatus having such a light-receiving member, and an image-forming method of rendering visible an electrostatic pattern formed on the light-receiving member. The light-receiving member promises stable formation of images over a long period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunimasa Kawamura, Shigenori Ueda, Toshiyuki Ehara, Junichiro Hashizume, Ryuji Okamura, Masaya Kawada, Tetsuya Karaki, Hironori Ohwaki
  • Patent number: 7029811
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor is disclosed which includes a conductive resin substrate and a resin layer. The resin layer includes a binding resin and is formed on the conductive resin substrate. The difference between the solubility parameter of the conductive resin substrate and the solubility parameter of the resin layer of the photoreceptor is 2.5 (J/cm3)1/2 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Azuma, Eiichi Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 6953647
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member is disclosed which has an aluminum substrate and a photosensitive layer. The substrate contains aluminum, oxygen and titanium, or aluminum, oxygen and zirconium, at the surface portion on the side of the photosensitive layer. Also, a process for producing the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus using the photosensitive member are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kimura, Yoichi Kawamorita, Shintetsu Go, Hideaki Nagasaka
  • Patent number: 6939652
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a flexible electrostatographic imaging member. The electrostatographic imaging member contains an optically transparent thermoplastic anti-curl back coating, which enables the imaging member to maintain desirable structural flatness, mechanical robustness, flexibility, longevity, and copy image qualities over extended use. The present invention also relates to a process of fabricating a flexible electrostatographic imaging member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Robert C. U. Yu
  • Patent number: 6936389
    Abstract: A resin made base body in the form of a pipe has (1) a plurality of alternating projections and depressions which are provided on an outer peripheral surface of the pipe and aligned in substantially parallel rows in one of an axial direction and a circumferential direction of the pipe; (2) a specular gloss at 60° of a surface of the pipe in a range of 15 to 25; or (3) a skin layer formed in an outer peripheral portion in the thickness direction of a peripheral wall of the pipe, wherein an amount of the conductive agent present in the skin layer is equal to, or less than, one-tenth an amount of the conductive agent present in a central portion in the thickness direction of the peripheral wall of the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Munenori Iizuka, Kunio Machida
  • Patent number: 6835516
    Abstract: An imaging element comprising: a support; at least one image forming layer; and an antistat layer, wherein said antistat layer comprises: a chlorinated polyolefin and a conductive agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Richard A. Castle, Janglin Chen, Debasis Majumdar
  • Patent number: 6800429
    Abstract: An imaging material comprising a support having disposed thereon: a) at least one image-formning layer, and b) at least one transparent electrically conductive antistatic layer that comprises electronically conductive polymer particles, a neutral-charge conductivity enhancer, and a polymeric binder comprising gelatin or gelatin derivatives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Mark Lelental, Charles C. Anderson, John M. Pochan, James L. Wakley, James F. Elman
  • Publication number: 20040152001
    Abstract: A base-body for photosensitive drum comprising resin composition assembled to an image formation apparatus, wherein the base-body comprises a main frame, a flange portion with a thickness of from 0.1 mm to 5 mm and a gear at one end of the main frame integrally injection molded. According to the present invention, a base-body for photosensitive drum comprising a main frame, a flange portion and a gear both provided at one end of the main frame can be integrally molded by injection molding a resin composition without deformation of the gear in the timing of release from the mold. Therefore, a photosensitive drum provided from the base-body for photosensitive drum of the present invention is superior in rotational accuracy, driving transmission and has capability of forming a favorable image of high quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Inventors: Munenori Iizuka, Takahiro Suzuki, Kunio Machida
  • Patent number: 6762779
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, which includes a photoreceptor having a substrate whose surface having been subjected to a surface processing with a cutting tool, and a photosensitive layer formed on the substrate; an exposure device for exposing an image on the photoreceptor to form a latent image, having a light source for emitting a light beam, and carrying out exposure in a manner of dot arrangement through a main scanning by the deflection of the light beam and a sub-scanning by a movement of the photoreceptor; a developing device; and a transfer device. The apparatus is characterized in that the exposure device carries out scanning exposure with a spatial frequency of dot arrangement pitch of not less than 4 dots/mm in the main scanning direction, and surface roughness Rz of the substrate in the main scanning direction is not greater than 1.5 &mgr;m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Miho, Shigetaka Kurosu, Hiroshi Morimoto, Satoshi Nishida, Masashi Saito
  • Patent number: 6761978
    Abstract: An adhesive having polyamide and an electrically conductive filler dispersed or contained therein, for use in bonding components of electrostatographic, contact electrostatic, digital and other like printing machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph A. Mosher, T. Edwin Freeman, Theodore Lovallo, Damodar M. Pai, John F. Yanus, Timothy J. Fuller, Markus R. Silvestri, Gerald M. Fletcher, Antonio DeCrescentis, Ihor W. Tarnawskyj
  • Publication number: 20040126140
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor is disclosed which includes a conductive resin substrate and a resin layer. The resin layer includes a binding resin and is formed on the conductive resin substrate. The difference between the solubility parameter of the conductive resin substrate and the solubility parameter of the resin layer of the photoreceptor is 2.5 (J/cm3)1/2 or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Applicant: KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jun Azuma, Eiichi Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20040115548
    Abstract: The substrate for photosensitive drum of the invention for use in electrophotographic process is produced by ultrasonic-welding a resin-made flange or gear flange to an end portion of a cylindrical substrate made from an electroconductive resin composition prepared by dispersedly mixing an electroconductive material and a filler into a polymer matrix. The ultrasonic welding permits an efficient production of the substrate for photosensitive drum and ensures a high rotation accuracy of the substrate for photosensitive drum. With such a substrate for photosensitive drum, images with high quality can be formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Munenori Iizuka, Takahiro Suzuki, Kunio Machida
  • Publication number: 20040079472
    Abstract: A drum for electrophotographic printing, which is easy to assemble and economical and which provides reliable electrophotographic charging and discharging. A drum core is provided and an exchangeable sleeve is applied to the outside of the drum core, which contains a layer made of an elastic, fiber-reinforced, and conductive plastic. Furthermore, the drum contains a layer made of an elastic, fiber-reinforced, conductive plastic. Due to the conductivity of the elastic, fiber-reinforced, conductive plastic, the electrostatic charges can flow to or from an object, whereby electrostatic illustration is made possible. The sleeve has high stability and high elasticity due to the above-mentioned characteristics and it can be charged or discharged as desired. The sleeve can be easily mounted on the drum core due to its light weight and high elasticity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventors: Udo Drager, Detlef Schulze-Hagenest
  • Publication number: 20040072088
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a flexible electrostatographic imaging member. The electrostatographic imaging member contains an optically transparent thermoplastic anti-curl back coating, which enables the imaging member to maintain desirable structural flatness, mechanical robustness, flexibility, longevity, and copy image qualities over extended use. The present invention also relates to a process of fabricating a flexible electrostatographic imaging member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Robert C.U. Yu
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20040048180
    Abstract: There is provided an electrophotographic method, in which influence on an image quality attributable to the conditions of the photoreceptor surface is reduced and much sharper and high image quality having high resolution is obtained, when a spot size of the exposure light is made finer as progress is made in high resolution. In a digital exposure system electrophotographic method of a BAE system which performs scan-exposing for an image formation on a photoreceptor, a photoreceptor comprising a supporting member 401 comprising aluminum or an aluminum alloy and a photosensitive layer 402 deposited on the supporting member surface by applying surface treatment using water on its surface, on which a convex structure is formed corresponding to a boundary portion of a crystal grain boundary of the supporting member surface is used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2003
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Kojima, Koji Yamazaki, Toshiyuki Ehara, Kazuhiko Takada, Masaya Kawada, Hironori Ohwaki
  • Patent number: 6699550
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cylindrical resinous base-body for a photosensitive drum, and a photosensitive drum that includes the resinous base-body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Suzuki, Munenori Iizuka, Kunio Machida
  • Publication number: 20040033429
    Abstract: An imaging element comprising: a support; at least one image forming layer; and an antistat layer, wherein said antistat layer comprises: a chlorinated polyolefin and a conductive agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Publication date: February 19, 2004
    Inventors: Richard A. Castle, Janglin Chen, Debasis Majumdar
  • Patent number: 6656652
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a support, and a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer provided on the support in this order. The charge generation layer contains a charge-generating material in an amount of more than 2 parts by weight and not more than 5 parts by weight based on 1 part by weight of a binder resin, and the support has a surface roughness in which a maximum height RmaxD, a 10-point average roughness Rz, an arithmetic-mean roughness Ra and an unevenness average distance Sm fulfill the following conditions: 1.2 &mgr;m≦RmaxD≦5.0 &mgr;m, 1.2 &mgr;m≦Rz≦3.0 &mgr;m, 0.15 &mgr;m≦Ra≦0.5 &mgr;m, 30 &mgr;m<Sm≦80 &mgr;m. Also disclosed are a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus which have the electrophotographic photosensitive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuji Ishii, Kazushige Nakamura, Noriyuki Takagi
  • Publication number: 20030190539
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a photoreceptor, wherein the photoreceptor includes an image forming portion having two ends substantially parallel to the rotating direction and a gap forming member located outside of each of the two ends of the image forming portion; a charging roller configured to charge the photoreceptor, wherein the charging roller contacts the gap forming members of the photoreceptor to form a gap g between the surface of the image forming portion and the peripheral surface thereof; an imagewise light irradiator; an image developer; and an image transfer device, wherein the relationship t≧2g is satisfied, where g represents the gap and t represents a distance between an inside edge of one of the gap forming members and nearer one of the two ends of the image forming portion of the photoreceptor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2002
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Inventor: Tatsuya Niimi
  • Patent number: 6627371
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a process for forming an image is provided whereby problems in an image such as interference fringes can be eliminated even at a higher resolution to improve image quality. An image forming apparatus of this invention has a configuration wherein an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposing an electrophotographic photoreceptor having a photosensitive layer 18 formed via a undercoating layer 16 on a conductive support 110 with the maximum surface roughness defined by the equation: (0.0006x+0.34) &mgr;m≦Rmax≦2.5 &mgr;m wherein x=a resolution; visualizing the latent image with a toner to give a visualized image; and transferring the visualized image to a transfer medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Hasegawa, Nobuhiko Nakano, Shigeyuki Wakada, Rikiya Matsuo
  • Patent number: 6620570
    Abstract: An electrophotographic method which uses a single-layer organic photosensitive material drum having a single organic photosensitive layer of a thickness of not smaller than 25 &mgr;m formed on an electrically conducting blank tube with a surface roughness Ra of not larger than 0.6 &mgr;m and rotates the photosensitive material drum at a peripheral speed of not smaller than 400 mm/sec, in order to execute an image-forming processing that includes electric charging, exposure to image-bearing light, developing, transfer, cleaning by a blade and removal of electric charge. Though the photosensitive material drum rotates at a high speed and a large frictional force is exerted on the cleaning blade, damage to the blade is effectively suppressed, and image is stably formed for extended periods of time without permitting the cleaning to become defective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Kyocera-Mita Corporation
    Inventors: Keizo Kimoto, Nobuyuki Kashiwagi, Hiroshi Shiomi
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20030137576
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, which includes a photoreceptor having a substrate whose surface having been subjected to a surface processing with a cutting tool, and a photosensitive layer formed on the substrate; an exposure device for exposing an image on the photoreceptor to form a latent image, having a light source for emitting a light beam, and carrying out exposure in a manner of dot arrangement through a main scanning by the deflection of the light beam and a sub-scanning by a movement of the photoreceptor; a developing device; and a transfer device. The apparatus is characterized in that the exposure device carries out scanning exposure with a spatial frequency of dot arrangement pitch of not less than 4 dots/mm in the main scanning direction, and surface roughness Rz of the substrate in the main scanning direction is not greater than 1.5 &mgr;m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Applicant: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Miho, Shigetaka Kurosu, Hiroshi Morimoto, Satoshi Nishida, Masashi Saito
  • Publication number: 20030134210
    Abstract: An electrostatographic imaging member having a substrate support material which eliminates the need for an anticurl backing layer, a substrate support layer and a charge transport layer having a thermal contraction coefficient difference in the range of from −2×10−5/° C. to about +2×10−5/° C. a substrate support material having a Glass Transition Temperature (Tg) of at least 100° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2002
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation.
    Inventor: Robert C. U. Yu
  • Publication number: 20030134212
    Abstract: An imaging element comprising: a support; at least one image forming layer; and an antistat layer, wherein said antistat layer comprises: a chlorinated polyolefin and a conductive agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2001
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Applicant: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Richard A. Castle, Janglin Chen, Debasis Majumdar
  • Publication number: 20030129511
    Abstract: An image forming method wherein a surface of a photoconductor having a photoconductive layer provided on a conductive support is scanned at least along a main scanning direction of the photoconductor with a writing light beam having a wavelength of &lgr; &mgr;m and a spot diameter &phgr; &mgr;m to form an electrostatic latent image thereon. The surface of the photoconductor has such a roughness that the sectional curve thereof along the main scanning direction is represented by a function y=f(x) when the main scanning direction and the direction of the vertical height are assumed to be the X-axis and the Y-axis, respectively. The maximum height of the sectional curve in a region from an arbitral position x on the X-axis to a position (x+&phgr;) on the X-axis is at least &lgr;/2n &mgr;m where n is a refractive index of the photoconductive layer at the wavelength of the light beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2002
    Publication date: July 10, 2003
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Kabata, Toshio Fukagai
  • Patent number: 6586149
    Abstract: A light-receiving member comprising a conductive substrate, and formed superposingly thereon a photosensitive layer and a surface protective layer in order. The light-receiving member has a surface roughness Ra of from 15 nm to 100 nm. Also disclosed is an image-forming apparatus having such a light-receiving member, and an image-forming method of rendering visible an electrostatic pattern formed on the light-receiving member. The light-receiving member promises stable formation of images over a long period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunimasa Kawamura, Shigenori Ueda, Toshiyuki Ehara, Junichiro Hashizume, Ryuji Okamura, Masaya Kawada, Tetsuya Karaki, Hironori Ohwaki
  • Publication number: 20030113646
    Abstract: An imaging method utilizing an imaging member containing a supporting substrate, a layer of a charge carrier injecting surface, a hole blocking layer, an optional adhesive layer, a layer of a charge carrier transport material, a layer of an charge carrier generating material, an optional charge trapping layer, a crossed linked silicone rubber, and an electrically insulating overcoating layer. The member is first charged with electrostatic charges of a first polarity, charged a second time with electrostatic charges of a polarity opposite to said first polarity in order to substantially neutralize the charges residing on the electrically insulating surface of the member and exposed to an imagewise pattern of activating electromagnetic radiation whereby an electrostatic latent image is formed. The electrostatic latent image may be developed to form a visible image which may be transferred to a receiver member. The imaging member may be reused after erasure and cleaning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2001
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Merlin E. Scharfe, Richard L. Schank, William W. Limburg, Damodar M. Pai, Dale S. Renfer, John F. Yanus, Paul J. DeFeo
  • Publication number: 20030073014
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a multi-layered type electrophotographic photoreceptor in which a low-cost porthole tube is used as an electrically conductive support, and an electrophotographic apparatus using the electrophotographic photoreceptor. In the electrophotographic photoreceptor having the multi-layered type photosensitive layer, the porthole tube is used as the electrically conductive support, and an undercoat layer containing titanium oxide and a polyamide resin is provided between the porthole tube and the photosensitive layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Publication date: April 17, 2003
    Inventors: Sayaka Fujita, Masanori Matsumoto, Koichi Toriyama, Satoshi Katayama, Masayuki Sakamoto, Akihiko Kawahara
  • Patent number: 6541172
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrophotographic photosensitive member wherein a maximum height (RmaxD) of a surface roughness of a support portion is 1.2 &mgr;m RmaxD≦5.0 &mgr;m, an average roughness (Rz) of 10 points is 1.2 &mgr;m≦Rz≦3.0 m, an arithmetic average roughness (Ra) is 0.15 &mgr;m≦Ra≦0.5 &mgr;m, and an irregularity average interval (Sm) is 30 &mgr;m≦Sm≦80 &mgr;m. The photosensitive member's charge generation layer contains a phthalocyanine compound, its charge transport layer has a thickness which is at least 9 &mgr;m but not larger than 18 &mgr;m, the electrophotographic photosensitive member in every 1 cm2 area has an electrostatic capacity (C) of 130 pF or more. This invention also provides a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus containing the electrophotographic photosensitive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideaki Nagasaka, Kazushige Nakamura, Noriyuki Takagi
  • Publication number: 20030050489
    Abstract: A method for purifying an electronic item material, which comprises dissolving an electronic item material or its intermediate product in an organic solvent and having the solution contacted with activated clay at a temperature of 65° C. to 200° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Applicant: Hodogaya Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsumi Abe, Tomonori Nishimura, Takanobu Watanabe, Susumu Suzuka
  • Patent number: 6531253
    Abstract: An a-Si photosensitive member and an image forming apparatus are provided which prevent fusion bonding in digital copying machines and attain satisfactory image formation. Specifically, in order that even when uneven abrasion occurs on a drum surface layer, it may not substantially affect the image, a photosensitive member formed by successively stacking on a conductive substrate a photoconductive layer comprising amorphous Si and a surface protective layer comprised of an amorphous material is provided such that the spectral reflectance (%) satisfies the relation of 0≦(Max−Min)/(Max+Min)≦0.20, and a center line average roughness Ra1 of the interface on the surface side of the photoconductive layer and the center line average roughness Ra2 of the outermost surface of the surface layer, within the range of 10 &mgr;m×10 &mgr;m, satisfy the relations of Ra1/Ra2≧1.3 and 22 nm≦Ra1≦100 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Ehara, Koji Yamazaki, Masaya Kawada, Tetsuya Karaki, Hironori Ohwaki, Kunimasa Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20030027914
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cylindrical resinous base-body for a photosensitive drum, and a photosensitive drum that includes the resinous base-body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Publication date: February 6, 2003
    Applicant: Bridgestone Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Suzuki, Munenori IIzuka, Kunio Machida
  • Publication number: 20030013031
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member is disclosed which has an aluminum substrate and a photosensitive layer. The substrate contains aluminum, oxygen and titanium, or aluminum, oxygen and zirconium, at the surface portion on the side of the photosensitive layer. Also, a process for producing the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus using the photosensitive member are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kimura, Yoichi Kawamorita, Shintetsu Go, Hideaki Nagasaka
  • Publication number: 20020160286
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are presented for electrophotographic copying of original information. One cycle of the copying method consists of the following. An electrostatic image of the copying information is recorded onto a recording photoreceptor, and the recording photoreceptor is used to form a latent electrostatic image on an intermediate information carrier. The latent electrostatic image is developed on the intermediate information carrier, and the developed image is transferred onto a final information carrier. The intermediate information carrier is a photoreceptor of a kind capable of, when being charged, storing the charge during a period of time required for producing a desired number of copies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2001
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Applicant: Elfotek Ltd.
    Inventor: Genadi Berlin
  • Publication number: 20020119383
    Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus utilizes a photoconductor which avoids a concentration of electric field due to the voltage applied from the charging member to the irregular spot on the outer surface of the cylindrical conductive substrate, and as a result, electrical breakdown of the photosensitive layer is suppressed and lowering of the charged voltage is prevented, so that a critical printing fault, such as a black spot on the printed material, does not occur. The photoconductor includes a cylindrical conductive substrate and an organic photosensitive layer on the outer surface of the substrate, and is used in an electrophotographic system including a contact charging process, wherein the outer surface of the substrate is finished to a mirror surface by means of surface cutting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Inventors: Hidetaka Yahagi, Mikio Takashima, Seizo Kitagawa, Mizuhiro Shimizu