JP3562273B2 - Method of removing end coating layer of electrophotographic photoreceptor - Google Patents
Method of removing end coating layer of electrophotographic photoreceptor Download PDFInfo
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- JP3562273B2 JP3562273B2 JP32432097A JP32432097A JP3562273B2 JP 3562273 B2 JP3562273 B2 JP 3562273B2 JP 32432097 A JP32432097 A JP 32432097A JP 32432097 A JP32432097 A JP 32432097A JP 3562273 B2 JP3562273 B2 JP 3562273B2
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Description
【０００１】
【発明の属する技術分野】
本発明は、静電複写機やレーザープリンター等に使用される電子写真感光体の、端部に形成された不要な塗布層を除去する方法に関する。
【０００２】
【従来の技術】
一般に、電子写真感光体は、アルミニウム、アルミニウム合金等からなる円筒状導電性基体上に、電荷発生物質及び電荷輸送物質からなる感光層を形成させてなるものであるが、画像形成不良を防止するため、基体と感光層の間を絶縁するための金属酸化物を含有する絶縁層を、感光層の下引き層として形成することが知られている。感光層或いは下引き層等は、通常、電荷発生物質や電荷輸送物質或いは金属酸化物を、結着樹脂と溶媒に分散した塗布液に浸漬塗工して形成する方法が多く採用されている。
【０００３】
円筒状の電子写真感光体の端部は、複写機又はプリンター内でローラーをあてるため、塗布層が形成されていない方が好ましいが、上記の如き浸漬塗工による場合は、下端は必ず、塗布層が形成されるため、塗布後、塗布層を除去する必要がある。塗布層の除去方法としては、機械的に剥離する方法や、溶剤を含むブラシにより拭き取る方法が一般的であった。
【０００４】
しかして、電子写真感光体はその用途上、厳しい品質が要求されるので、機械的剥離方法は、基体表面を傷つけやすく好ましくない。溶剤を使用する方法においては、塗布層を溶解しやすい溶剤を用いると、溶剤中に溶け出た成分が再付着して拭き取り部に残膜として残り、逆に、やや溶け難い溶剤を用いると、溶解不良のため、拭き際（除去端部）に析出物が残る結果、特に拭き際が粉っぽくなり、溶解性が悪い溶剤ほど、この傾向が顕著であった。更に溶解性の悪い溶媒では、全く除去できない結果となった。（比較例５〜９参照）。
【０００５】
また、溶剤による除去は、塗布層の形成から拭き取り操作までの時間によっても影響される。溶かしやすい溶媒を用い、塗布後短時間（３分以内）に拭き取りを行うと、溶媒が、拭き取り部分の上部の塗布層に浸透していき、拭き際が大きく乱れ曲線状になる現象が現れる。また、塗布後３分以上経過後、やや溶け難い溶媒を使用すると、塗布層が乾いた状態であるため、極端に除去が難しくなり、残膜が多量に発生する結果となった。この様に、塗布層を溶剤により拭き取る方法は、満足な結果が得られなかった。
【０００６】
このため、塗布層の除去方法に関して、いくつかの方法が提案されている。
例えば、特開昭６０−１９４４５９号は、塗布層を溶解できる溶剤中に浸漬した後、溶剤を含浸したクリーニングテープで清拭する方法を提案している。この方法は、方式の異なる拭き取り装置が２台必要になり、装置が複雑且つコスト高になる。特公平６−６４３５０号は、メンテナンスが高い払拭部材の使用を避けるため、感光体を第１の溶剤槽に浸漬し、感光層を溶解除去し、次いで、溶解されずに残った感光層の薄膜や、一旦溶解した後流れ落ちて感光体下端に再付着した感光層を除去するため、第２の溶剤槽に浸漬距離を浅くして浸漬する方法を提案しているが、溶剤に浸漬するだけでは十分満足な除去結果は得られない。また、特開平８−６２６８号は、溶解パラメーター値が８．５〜９．５の有機溶媒を使用して、塗布層下端部を除去する方法を提案している。この方法は、塗布層、具体的にはポリカーボネートを結着樹脂とする電荷輸送層の形成に用いた溶媒より樹脂を溶解し難い溶媒を使用することにより、塗布層除去の際に見られた気泡の生成を防止するというものである。而して、やや溶解性の悪い溶剤を使用した場合、上述の様に、溶解不良により、拭き際に析出物が残存する場合がある。また結着樹脂がポリカーボネート以外の場合の効果は不明である。
【０００７】
【発明が解決しようとする課題】
上述の如く、感光体端部の塗布層除去の方法には、種々の問題があり、十分満足な結果を得ることが出来なかった。
本発明の目的は、この様な事情に鑑み、複雑で高価な装置を使用することなく、感光体端部の塗布層を均一にムラなく除去する方法を提供することにある。
【０００８】
【課題を解決するための手段】
本発明者等は、上記目的を達成するため、鋭意検討した結果、溶解度の異なる２種類の溶剤を使用する本発明方法に到達した。即ち、本発明の要旨は、電子写真感光体の端部塗布層を、該端部塗布層を形成する樹脂に対する溶解力が異なる２種の溶剤であって、且つ、溶解力が小さい方の第１溶剤の溶解パラメーター（ＳＰ１）と第１溶剤より溶解力が大きい第２溶剤の溶解パラメーター（ＳＰ２）とが下式（１）の関係にある溶剤で、順次拭き取ることを特徴とする電子写真感光体の端部塗布層の除去方法に存する。
【数２】
０．５＜｜ＳＰ１−ＳＰ２｜＜２．０ （１）
【０００９】
本発明方法によれば、第１回目の拭き取りで、塗布層を形成する樹脂の溶解性がやや低い第１溶剤を使用し、塗布層を溶かしすぎないようにする。そのため、溶けやすい溶剤を使用したときに見られる残膜の生成を防止することが出来ると共に、塗布後の経過時間が短い状態で溶けやすい溶剤を使用したときに生じる拭き際の大きな乱れを防止することが出来る。
次いで第２回目の拭き取りで、樹脂を溶かしやすい第２溶剤を使用し、第１回目の拭き取りで残った拭き際の析出物を拭き取る。この第２回目の拭き取りでは、溶かしやすい溶剤を使用するが、塗布層の大部分を第１回目の拭き取りで除いてあるので、拭き取りの負担が少なく、拭き取り部に残膜が生じることがなく、また、塗布後の時間が経過しているので、拭き際の乱れも生じない。
【００１０】
【発明の実施の形態】
本発明において、除去の対象は、下引き層、感光層など結着樹脂を用いて電子写真感光体基体上に形成された塗布層である。特に、従来の方法で拭き取りが良好に行われ難かった下引き層の除去に好ましく適用される。拭き取りに使用する溶剤の中、２回目の拭き取りに使用する溶剤は、塗布層樹脂の良溶媒であることが必要であり、塗布溶媒或いはそれとほぼ同等の溶解力を有する溶剤を使用することが好ましい。第１回目の拭き取りに使用する第１溶剤は、その溶解パラメーターＳＰ１と、第２溶剤の溶解パラメーターＳＰ２が、前記（１）式の関係となる溶剤から選択される。
【００１１】
拭き取りの方法は、特に限定されるものではなく、従来から使用されている方法で行うことが出来る。たとえば、本発明に規定する溶剤を含浸させた樹脂ブラシを使用する方法、或いはブラシに代えて溶剤を含浸させたテープを使用する方法等が挙げられる。
本発明方法においては、塗布層樹脂に対する溶解力が小さい方の溶剤を第１溶剤として使用することが重要であって、逆の場合は、溶解パラメーターが前記（１）式に相当する２種の溶剤を使用しても、所望の効果を達することは出来ない。また、本発明方法の第１回目の拭き取りは、塗布層形成後、約３分以内に実施することが必要である。
【００１２】
【実施例】
以下、本発明を実施例により、更に具体的に説明するが、本発明はその要旨を超えない限り以下の実施例に制約されるものではない。なお、以下の例における「部」は「重量部」を意味する。
実施例１
アルミニウム製円筒状基体に下記組成の下引き層塗布液を塗布し、膜厚２．５μｍの下引き層を形成した。
【００１３】
（下引き層塗布液組成）
【表１】
アルコール可溶性ナイロン Ｎ−４７２（三菱化学製） ５．７部
酸化チタン １４．３部
メタノール ５６ 部
ｎ−プロパノール ２４ 部
【００１４】
次いで、第１の拭き取り溶媒としてエタノールを使用し、第２の溶媒として塗布液溶媒であるｎ−プロパノールを使用し、順次、塗布層の拭き取りを行った。その結果、残膜が生じることなく、また拭き際に析出物が形成されることなく塗布層はきれいに除去された。第１溶媒と第２溶媒の溶解パラメーターの差は０．８であった。また、第１回目の拭き取りは、塗布層形成後３分以内、第２回目の拭き取りは約３分経過後であった。
【００１５】
比較例１〜４
溶解パラメーターの異なる２種の溶媒を使用して、実施例１と同様にして、塗布層の拭き取りを行い、除去状態（残膜及び拭き際の状態）を観察し、結果を実施例の結果と併せて下記第１表に示した。
【００１６】
【表２】
比較例５〜９
種々の溶解パラメーターを有する単独の溶媒を使用して、それぞれ、塗布層形成後３分以内と３分経過後に実施例１と同様にして塗布層の拭き取りを行い、除去状態を観察し、結果を下記第２表に示した。
【００１８】
【表３】
【発明の効果】
本発明方法によれば、溶解パラメーターの異なる２種の溶媒を使用して、塗布層の拭き取りを行うことにより、残膜の生成や、拭き際に析出物が生成することなく塗布層を除去することが出来る。本発明の方法は、塗布後比較的短時間で拭き取りを実施することが出来、スループット時間の短い効率的な電子写真感光体の生産を行うことが出来る。[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for removing an unnecessary coating layer formed on an end portion of an electrophotographic photosensitive member used for an electrostatic copying machine, a laser printer, or the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, an electrophotographic photoreceptor is obtained by forming a photosensitive layer composed of a charge generating substance and a charge transporting substance on a cylindrical conductive substrate composed of aluminum, an aluminum alloy or the like. Therefore, it is known that an insulating layer containing a metal oxide for insulating the substrate and the photosensitive layer is formed as a subbing layer of the photosensitive layer. The photosensitive layer, the undercoat layer, and the like are usually formed by dip coating a charge generating substance, a charge transporting substance, or a metal oxide in a coating liquid dispersed in a binder resin and a solvent.
[0003]
The end of the cylindrical electrophotographic photoreceptor is preferably coated with a roller in a copier or a printer, so it is preferable that the coating layer is not formed.However, in the case of dip coating as described above, the lower end must be coated. Since a layer is formed, it is necessary to remove the applied layer after application. As a method of removing the coating layer, a method of mechanically peeling off and a method of wiping with a brush containing a solvent have been common.
[0004]
Since the electrophotographic photosensitive member is required to have strict quality for its application, the mechanical peeling method is not preferable because the surface of the substrate is easily damaged. In the method using a solvent, if a solvent that easily dissolves the coating layer is used, components dissolved out in the solvent are reattached and remain as a residual film on the wiping part, and, on the contrary, when a solvent that is slightly insoluble is used. As a result of poor dissolution, precipitates remain at the time of wiping (removed edge), and in particular, the wiping becomes powdery, and this tendency is more pronounced in a solvent having poor solubility. Further, in the case of a solvent having poor solubility, it was impossible to remove the solvent at all. (See Comparative Examples 5 to 9).
[0005]
The removal by the solvent is also affected by the time from the formation of the coating layer to the wiping operation. When wiping is performed in a short time (within 3 minutes) after application using a solvent that is easily soluble, the solvent penetrates into the coating layer above the wiping portion, and a phenomenon occurs in which the wiping is greatly disturbed and a curved shape appears. Further, when a solvent that is slightly insoluble is used after elapse of 3 minutes or more after application, since the applied layer is in a dry state, it is extremely difficult to remove the solvent, resulting in a large amount of residual film. Thus, the method of wiping the coating layer with the solvent did not provide satisfactory results.
[0006]
For this reason, several methods have been proposed for removing the coating layer.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-194449 proposes a method in which a coating layer is immersed in a solvent capable of dissolving the same and then wiped with a cleaning tape impregnated with the solvent. This method requires two wiping devices of different types, which makes the device complicated and costly. In Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-64350, a photosensitive member is immersed in a first solvent bath to dissolve and remove the photosensitive layer, and then a thin film of the photosensitive layer which remains undissolved in order to avoid the use of a wiping member having high maintenance. Also, in order to remove the photosensitive layer that has flowed down once and then re-adhered to the bottom of the photoreceptor, a method has been proposed in which the immersion distance is reduced in the second solvent tank to reduce the immersion distance. A sufficiently satisfactory removal result cannot be obtained. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-6268 proposes a method for removing the lower end of a coating layer using an organic solvent having a solubility parameter value of 8.5 to 9.5. This method uses a solvent in which the resin is less soluble than the solvent used to form the coating layer, specifically, the charge transport layer using polycarbonate as a binder resin, and thus the bubbles observed when the coating layer is removed. Is generated. Thus, when a solvent having slightly poor solubility is used, as described above, a precipitate may remain during wiping due to poor dissolution. The effect when the binder resin is other than polycarbonate is unknown.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, the method of removing the coating layer at the end of the photoreceptor has various problems, and a satisfactory result cannot be obtained.
In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for uniformly and uniformly removing a coating layer at an end of a photoreceptor without using a complicated and expensive device.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present inventors have conducted intensive studies to achieve the above object, and as a result, have reached the present invention method using two kinds of solvents having different solubilities. That is, the gist of the present invention is that the end coating layer of the electrophotographic photoreceptor is formed of two types of solvents having different dissolving powers for the resin forming the end coating layer, and having the smaller dissolving power. An electrophotographic photoreceptor characterized in that the solubility parameter of one solvent (SP1) and the solubility parameter of a second solvent (SP2) having a higher dissolving power than the first solvent have a relationship represented by the following formula (1), and are sequentially wiped off. It consists in the method of removing the end coating layer on the body.
(Equation 2)
0.5 <| SP1-SP2 | <2.0 (1)
[0009]
According to the method of the present invention, in the first wiping, the first solvent having a slightly lower solubility of the resin forming the coating layer is used so that the coating layer is not excessively dissolved. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the formation of a residual film that is observed when a solvent that is easily soluble is used, and to prevent a large turbulence at the time of wiping that occurs when a solvent that is easily soluble in a state where the elapsed time after application is short is used. I can do it.
Next, in the second wiping, a second solvent that easily dissolves the resin is used, and the deposits remaining during the first wiping are wiped off. In the second wiping, a solvent that easily dissolves is used. However, since most of the coating layer is removed by the first wiping, the burden of wiping is small, and no residual film is formed on the wiping part. In addition, since the time after the application has elapsed, there is no disturbance during wiping.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
In the present invention, an object to be removed is a coating layer formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member substrate using a binder resin such as an undercoat layer and a photosensitive layer. In particular, it is preferably applied to the removal of the undercoat layer, which has been difficult to wipe well by the conventional method. Among the solvents used for wiping, the solvent used for the second wiping needs to be a good solvent for the coating layer resin, and it is preferable to use a coating solvent or a solvent having substantially the same dissolving power as the solvent. . The first solvent used for the first wiping is selected from solvents in which the solubility parameter SP1 and the solubility parameter SP2 of the second solvent satisfy the relationship of the above-described formula (1).
[0011]
The wiping method is not particularly limited, and can be performed by a conventionally used method. For example, a method using a resin brush impregnated with the solvent specified in the present invention, a method using a tape impregnated with a solvent instead of the brush, and the like can be mentioned.
In the method of the present invention, it is important to use a solvent having a lower dissolving power for the coating layer resin as the first solvent. The use of solvents does not achieve the desired effect. Further, the first wiping of the method of the present invention needs to be performed within about 3 minutes after the formation of the coating layer.
[0012]
【Example】
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples unless it exceeds the gist. In the following examples, “parts” means “parts by weight”.
Example 1
An undercoat layer coating solution having the following composition was applied to an aluminum cylindrical substrate to form an undercoat layer having a thickness of 2.5 μm.
[0013]
(Undercoat layer coating composition)
[Table 1]
Alcohol-soluble nylon N-472 (manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) 5.7 parts Titanium oxide 14.3 parts Methanol 56 parts n-propanol 24 parts
Next, the coating layer was sequentially wiped using ethanol as the first wiping solvent and n-propanol as the coating liquid solvent as the second solvent. As a result, the coating layer was cleanly removed without forming a residual film and without forming a precipitate upon wiping. The difference between the solubility parameters of the first and second solvents was 0.8. The first wiping was performed within 3 minutes after the formation of the coating layer, and the second wiping was performed after about 3 minutes.
[0015]
Comparative Examples 1-4
Using two solvents having different dissolution parameters, the coating layer was wiped in the same manner as in Example 1, and the removed state (remaining film and state at the time of wiping) was observed. The results are shown in Table 1 below.
[0016]
[Table 2]
Comparative Examples 5 to 9
Using a single solvent having various dissolution parameters, the coating layer was wiped off within 3 minutes and 3 minutes after the formation of the coating layer in the same manner as in Example 1, and the removal state was observed. The results are shown in Table 2 below.
[0018]
[Table 3]
【The invention's effect】
According to the method of the present invention, by wiping the coating layer using two kinds of solvents having different solubility parameters, the coating layer is removed without forming a residual film or generating a precipitate upon wiping. I can do it. According to the method of the present invention, wiping can be performed in a relatively short time after application, and an efficient electrophotographic photosensitive member having a short throughput time can be produced.
Claims (4)
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP32432097A JP3562273B2 (en) | 1997-11-26 | 1997-11-26 | Method of removing end coating layer of electrophotographic photoreceptor |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP32432097A JP3562273B2 (en) | 1997-11-26 | 1997-11-26 | Method of removing end coating layer of electrophotographic photoreceptor |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| JPH11160893A JPH11160893A (en) | 1999-06-18 |
| JP3562273B2 true JP3562273B2 (en) | 2004-09-08 |
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| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP32432097A Expired - Fee Related JP3562273B2 (en) | 1997-11-26 | 1997-11-26 | Method of removing end coating layer of electrophotographic photoreceptor |
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| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JP3562273B2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US7232635B2 (en) | 2002-02-04 | 2007-06-19 | Konica Corporation | Image forming method, image forming apparatus, and processing cartridge |
| US7316876B2 (en) | 2004-06-07 | 2008-01-08 | Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. | Electrophotographic photoreceptor and a manufacturing method thereof |
| JP2006259765A (en) * | 2006-05-11 | 2006-09-28 | Mitsubishi Chemicals Corp | Electrophotographic receptor and image forming apparatus using same |
-
1997
- 1997-11-26 JP JP32432097A patent/JP3562273B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JPH11160893A (en) | 1999-06-18 |
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