US 12,346,052 B2
Electrophotographic electro-conductive member, electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and process cartridge
Hirobumi Takahashi, Shizuoka (JP); Shota Segawa, Shizuoka (JP); and Syoji Inoue, Shizuoka (JP)
Assigned to CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Mar. 17, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/655,228.
Application 17/655,228 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2020/038641, filed on Oct. 13, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-191550 (JP), filed on Oct. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0206426 A1, Jun. 30, 2022
Int. Cl. G03G 15/00 (2006.01); C08L 9/02 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/751 (2013.01) [C08L 9/02 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electrophotographic electro-conductive member, comprising:
a support having an electro-conductive outer surface; and
an electro-conductive layer on the outer surface of the support, the electro-conductive layer comprising a matrix including a cross-linked product of a first rubber, and domains dispersed in the matrix;
the domains comprising a cross-linked product of a second rubber different from the first rubber and carbon black; and
the cross-linked product of the second rubber comprising, in a molecule, a structural unit represented by formula (I)
[—(CH2)n—O—] (I), where n is an integer of 1 to 3, wherein
when L is a longitudinal direction length of the electro-conductive layer is denoted and T is a thickness of the electro-conductive layer is denoted, for each cross-section of the electro-conductive layer in a thickness direction at three locations of a center of the electro-conductive layer in a longitudinal direction and L/4 from both ends toward the center of the electro-conductive layer, and
when 15 μm square observation regions are placed at three arbitrary locations in a thickness region from an outer surface of the electro-conductive layer to a depth of 0.1-0.9 T, at least 80% of the number of the domains observed in each of the total of nine observation regions satisfy (1) and (2)
(1) a ratio of a cross-sectional area of the carbon black included in the domain with respect to a cross-sectional area of the domain is at least 20%, and
(2) A/B is 1.00 or more to 1.10 or less when A is a perimeter of the domain and B is an envelope perimeter of the domain.