Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus

A cylindrical electrophotographic photosensitive member,

• wherein,
• a circumferential surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member has concave portions that are independent one another,
• each of the concave portions has an opening,
• a contour of the opening has an apex having an angle α of more than 0° and 90° or less on at least one of circumferential directions of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and has a largest width in an axial direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member of 20 μm or more and 80 μm or less, a width of the contour in the axial direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member decreasing from a portion having the largest width toward the apex,
• and wherein,
• when viewing each of the concave portions in the axial direction, each of the concave portions has a depth that decreases from a deepest point of each of the concave portions toward the apex.

A process cartridge to be detachably attached to a main body of an electrophotographic apparatus,

• wherein,
• the process cartridge comprises:
• a cylindrical electrophotographic photosensitive member to be rotatably driven in the electrophotographic apparatus, and
• a cleaning blade disposed in contact with a circumferential surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member,
• and wherein,
• the circumferential surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member has concave portions that are independent one another,
• each of the concave portions has an opening,
• a contour of the opening has an apex having an angle α of more than 0° and 90° or less on at least an upstream side of a rotational direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and has a largest width in an axial direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member of 20 μm or more and 80 μm or less, a width of the contour in the axial direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member decreasing from a portion having the largest width toward the apex,
• and wherein,
• when viewing each of the concave portions in the axial direction, each of the concave portions has a depth that decreases from a deepest point of each of the concave portions toward the apex.

An electrophotographic apparatus comprising:

• a cylindrical electrophotographic photosensitive member to be rotatably driven in the electrophotographic apparatus, and
• a cleaning blade disposed in contact with a circumferential surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member,
• wherein,
• the circumferential surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member has concave portions that are independent one another,
• each of the concave portions has an opening,
• a contour of the opening has an apex having an angle α of more than 0° and 90° or less on at least an upstream side of a rotational direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and has a largest width in an axial direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member of 20 μm or more and 80 μm or less, a width of the contour in the axial direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member decreasing from a portion having the largest width toward the apex,
• and wherein,
• when viewing each of the concave portions in the axial direction, each of the concave portions has a depth that decreases from a deepest point of each of the concave portions toward the apex.