US 6,040,100 AGranted

Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus

AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsMasato Tanaka, Hideyuki Takai, Kouichi Nakata

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An electrophotographic photosensitive member is formed of a support, and a photosensitive layer disposed on the support. The photosensitive layer is characterized by containing an azo pigment having an organic group represented by formula (1) below: wherein A denotes a residue group of formula (1A) below: ##STR1## and k.sub.1, k.sub.2, Z.sub.1, Z.sub.2, D; R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are defined in the text. The group of the formula (1) may provide at least one of up to 4 azo-substituents of the azo pigment having an entire structure represented by ##STR2## wherein Ar denotes an aromatic or heterocyclic core unit, Cp denotes a coupler residue group, and --(N.dbd.N--Cp) denotes such an azo-substituent. The photosensitive member can exhibit good electrophotographic performances including high and stable sensitivity on repetitive use.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An electrophotographic photosensitive member, comprising a support, and a photosensitive layer disposed on the support;

said photosensitive layer containing an azo pigment having an organic group represented by formula (1) below:
##STR28## wherein each B independently denotes a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, nitro group, cyano group, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, or substituted or unsubstituted amino group;
Z.sub.1 denotes an oxygen or sulfur atom;
k.sub.1 is 0 or 1;
A denotes a residue group of formula (1A) below:
##STR29## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently denote a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, or a group forming a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic group by a combination of the groups R1 and R2 together with the nitrogen (N) atom in the formula (1A);
Z.sub.2 denotes an oxygen atom or sulfur atom;
k.sub.2 is 1 or 2;
D denotes a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group, substituted or unsubstituted alkenylene group or --(CONH).sub.k3 --;
and k.sub.3 is 0 or 1.

7 more elements

A process cartridge, comprising:

an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least one means selected from the group consisting of charging means, developing means and cleaning means;
said electrophotographic photosensitive member and said at least one means being integrally supported to form a unit which is detachably mountable to a main assembly of electrophotographic apparatus;
wherein said electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises a support, and a photosensitive layer disposed on the support;
said photosensitive layer containing an azo pigment having an organic group represented by formula (1) below:
##STR33## wherein each B independently denotes a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, nitro group, cyano group, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, or substituted or unsubstituted amino group;
Z.sub.1 denotes an oxygen or sulfur atom;
k.sub.1 is 0 or 1;
A denotes a residue group of formula (1A) below:
##STR34## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently denote a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, or a group forming a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic group by a combination of the groups R1 and R2 together with the nitrogen (N) atom in the formula (1A);
Z.sub.2 denotes an oxygen atom or sulfur atom;
k.sub.2 is 1 or 2;
D denotes a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group, substituted or unsubstituted alkenylene group or --(CONH).sub.k3 --;
and k.sub.3 is 0 or 1.

10 more elements

An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising:

an electrophotographic photosensitive member, charging means, exposure means, developing means, and transfer means;
wherein said electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises a support, and a photosensitive layer disposed on the support;
said photosensitive layer containing an azo pigment having an organic group represented by formula (1) below:
##STR37## wherein each B independently denotes a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, nitro group, cyano group, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, or substituted or unsubstituted amino group;
Z.sub.1 denotes an oxygen or sulfur atom;
k.sub.1 is 0 or 1;
A denotes a residue group of formula (1A) below:
##STR38## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently denote a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, or a group forming a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic group by a combination of the groups R1 and R2 together with the nitrogen (N) atom in the formula (1A);
Z.sub.2 denotes an oxygen atom or sulfur atom;
k.sub.2 is 1 or 2;
D denotes a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group, substituted or unsubstituted alkenylene group or --(CONH).sub.k3 --;
and k.sub.3 is 0 or 1.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.