# US 2017/0285497 A1 · Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0285497 A1 - Document ID: US20170285497A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/506,319 - Filed: 2015-09-30 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2014-09-30 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Wataru Kitamura; Kenichi Ikari - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170285497A1 ## CPC - G03G 5/047: characterised by the charge-generation layers or charge transport layers {(G03G5/0433 and G03G5/0436 take precedence)} - G03G 5/147: Cover layers - G03G 15/75: {Details relating to xerographic drum, band or plate, e.g. replacing, testing (electrographic recording members per se G03G5/00)} - G03G 15/751: {relating to drum (G03G15/757 takes precedence)} - G03G 15/754: {relating to band, e.g. tensioning (G03G15/757 takes precedence)} - G03G 21/1814: {Details of parts of process cartridge, e.g. for charging, transfer, cleaning, developing (G03G21/1835 takes precedence)} - G03G 5/07: Polymeric photoconductive materials - G03G 2215/00957: Compositions - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract In an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a circumferential surface 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, 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cylindrical electrophotographic photosensitive member to be rotatably driven in an electrophotographic apparatus, 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 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein an area of a opening surfaces of the concave portions in a square region having a side of 500 μm is 100000 μm2 or more when the square region having a side of 500 μm is disposed in any position of the circumferential surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, the opening surface being an ideal surface formed when each of the concave portions is flushed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein when each of the concave portions is viewed in the axial direction, an angle formed by a straight line connecting the deepest point and the apex in the contour and a opening surface is 8.5° or less, the opening surface being an ideal surface formed when each of the concave portions is flushed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein when each of the concave portions is viewed in the axial direction, a largest angle formed by a line connecting the deepest point and the apex in the contour and a opening surface is 8.5° or less, the opening surface being an ideal surface formed when each of the concave portions is flushed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the angle α is more than 0° and 58° or less. ### Claim 6 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. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 6, wherein an area of a opening surfaces of the concave portions in a square region having a side of 500 μm is 100000 μm2 or more when the square region having a side of 500 μm is disposed in any position of the circumferential surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, the opening surface being an ideal surface formed when each of the concave portions is flushed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 6, wherein when each of the concave portions is viewed in the axial direction, an angle formed by a straight line connecting the deepest point and the apex in the contour and a opening surface is 8.5° or less, the opening surface being an ideal surface formed when each of the concave portions is flushed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 6, wherein when each of the concave portions is viewed in the axial direction, a largest angle formed by a line connecting the deepest point and the apex in the contour and a opening surface is 8.5° or less, the opening surface being an ideal surface formed when each of the concave portion is flushed. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 6, wherein the angle α is more than 0° and 58° or less. ### Claim 11 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. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The process cartridge according to claim 11, wherein an area of a opening surfaces of the concave portions in a square region having a side of 500 μm is 100000 μm2 or more when the square region having a side of 500 μm is disposed in any position of a contact area between the circumferential surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member and the cleaning blade, the opening surface being an ideal surface formed when each of the concave portions is flushed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The process cartridge according to claim 11, wherein when each of the concave portions is viewed in the axial direction, an angle formed by a straight line connecting the deepest point and the apex in the contour and a opening surface is 8.5° or less, the opening surface being an ideal surface formed when each of the concave portions is flushed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The process cartridge according to claim 11, wherein when each of the concave portions is viewed in the axial direction, a largest angle formed by a line connecting the deepest point and the apex in the contour and a opening surface is 8.5° or less, the opening surface being an ideal surface formed when each of the concave portions is flushed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The process cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the angle α is more than 0° and 58° or less. ### Claim 16 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. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 16, wherein an area of a opening surfaces of the concave portions in a square region having a side of 500 μm is 100000 μm2 or more when the square region having a side of 500 μm is disposed in any position of a contact area between the circumferential surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member and the cleaning blade, the opening surface being an ideal surface formed when each of the concave portions is flushed. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 16, wherein when each of the concave portions is viewed in the axial direction, an angle formed by a straight line connecting the deepest point and the apex in the contour and a opening surface is 8.5° or less, the opening surface being an ideal surface formed when each of the concave portions is flushed. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 16, wherein when each of the concave portion is viewed in the axial direction, a largest angle formed by a line connecting the deepest point and the apex in the contour and a opening surface is 8.5° or less, the opening surface being an ideal surface formed when each of the concave portion is flushed. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the angle α is more than 0° and 58° or less.