Coating device, coating method, and method for manufacturing photoconductor for suppressing occurrence of bubble defects in coated film

A coating method of applying a coating liquid by using a coating device comprising:

• a housing having a tubular shape;
• a coating liquid holder that is provided with an upper opening and a lower opening and said coating liquid holder holds a coating liquid, and in which a cylindrical body penetrates the upper opening and the lower opening, and the cylindrical body is relatively moved to an upper side of said coating liquid holder in an up-down direction, so that the coating liquid is applied to an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body;
• said coating liquid holder is supported on an upper portion in a vertical direction of the housing;
• a container is provided at a lower portion in the vertical direction of the housing;
• said container accommodates the coating liquid that flows down along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body;
• a circulation part comprising a supply pipe and a pump, that circulates the coating liquid in the container to the coating liquid holder;
• the container includes a cylindrical portion and a recess portion;
• the coating liquid in the container having a liquid level;
• and
• a receiving member is provided in the container, said receiving member comprising an inclined surface inclined in a direction towards the upper opening and the lower opening of the coating liquid holder, wherein the receiving member is disposed in the container above the liquid level of the coating liquid in the container and said receiving member is spaced apart from the cylindrical body in the vertical direction, and the inclined surface of said receiving member located above the liquid level of the coating liquid in the container receives the coating liquid flowing downward along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body and the coating liquid flows down along the inclined surface, so that the coating liquid is collected in the container merging with the liquid level of the coating liquid in the container;
• a width of the receiving member in a direction orthogonal to an axial direction of the receiving member is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical body;
• the coating method comprising:
• moving the cylindrical body upward in the up-down direction relative to the coating liquid holder of the coating device and applying the coating liquid from the coating liquid holder to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body;
• receiving the coating liquid flowing downward along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body with the inclined surface of the receiving member above the liquid level of the coating liquid in the container and accommodating the coating liquid in the container;
• and
• circulating the coating liquid in the container to the coating liquid holder by the circulation part.