Charging member, manufacturing method therefor, a process cartridge, and electrophotographic apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTakumi Furukawa, Taichi Sato
Life of this patent
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Abstract
To provide a charging member which suppresses the generation of density nonuniformity in an electrophotographic image caused by charge nonuniformity due to adhesion of charged substances, such as toner particles. There is provided a charging member which has a surface layer, the surface layer includes conductive zinc oxide whiskers each formed of a nuclear portion and four needle crystal portions extending radially outward therefrom, and the needle crystal portions are exposed to form convex portions of a surface of the surface layer.
Claims5
A method for manufacturing a charging member provided with a surface layer, wherein the surface layer includes conductive zinc oxide whiskers, wherein each zinc oxide whisker includes a nuclear portion and four needle crystal portions extending radially outward from the nuclear portion, and wherein at least one of the needle crystal portions is exposed on a surface of the surface layer to form a convex portion on the surface of the surface layer, the method comprising:
- (1) forming a resin layer used as a base of the surface layer;
- (2) dispersing the conductive zinc oxide whiskers in a solvent which does not dissolve a resin in the resin layer;
- (3) applying the conductive zinc oxide whiskers dispersed in the solvent to the resin layer;
- and
- (4) melting the resin layer with the applied conductive zinc oxide whiskers to bury a part of the conductive zinc oxide whiskers in the resin layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.