JP3254371B2 - Electrophotographic photoreceptor - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member for forming an electrostatic latent image on a surface used in an electrophotographic device such as a copying machine and a laser printer, an electrophotographic photosensitive device provided with the photosensitive member, and The present invention relates to an electrophotographic apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electrophotographic photosensitive member used in an electrophotographic process such as a copying machine or a laser printer is formed by forming a photosensitive layer such as an organic material on the surface of a conductive tube. . This conductive element tube is processed, for example, by cutting an aluminum pipe into an appropriate length and then polishing the surface of the pipe to make it usable as an electrophotographic photosensitive member.

[0003] In the above-mentioned conventional tube of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, aluminum as a material is expensive, and it takes time to perform processing such as cutting and polishing. Collection and reuse of waste require time-consuming sorting and other processes.

Another prior art for solving this problem is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-152194. In this prior art, a drum which is a raw tube is formed using a synthetic resin. It is the amount of resin used that greatly affects the cost of a molded product. Particularly, in a resin drum used as a photoconductor, an expensive resin is used. Therefore, it is necessary to make a drum as thin as possible. However, a drum having a small thickness is weak in impact and strength. In addition, the use of a resin drum tends to weaken the adhesiveness of the fitting portion between the drum tube and the flange as compared with the current aluminum.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic photoreceptor which is inexpensive, solves the problem of recovery and reuse, uses as little material as possible, and has improved strength. Another object of the present invention is to provide a photosensitive device and an electrophotographic device using the photosensitive member.

[0006]

According to the present invention, a plurality of convex portions and a plurality of respective convex portions are provided at an axial end of a substantially cylindrical synthetic resin support having a photosensitive layer formed on an outer peripheral surface. A driven portion formed with the concave portions alternately adjacent to each other is provided facing the outside in the axial direction, and near the driven portion of the support,
A conical guide surface is formed in which the inner diameter increases toward the outside in the axial direction, and the support is solid only in the vicinity of the end portion, and is detachably engaged with the convex portion and the concave portion of the driven portion. An electrophotographic photoreceptor, wherein the support is driven to rotate about the axis by a driving unit including a coupling member having the same axis as the support. Further, according to the present invention, a plurality of convex portions and a plurality of concave portions are alternately adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction at an axial end of a substantially cylindrical synthetic resin support having a photosensitive layer formed on an outer peripheral surface. The formed driven part is
A guide surface is provided facing the outside in the axial direction, and the driven portion of the support has a guide surface whose inner diameter increases as it goes outward in the axial direction. The plurality of convex portions and the plurality of concave portions are formed alternately adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction at positions inward in the axial direction facing outward in the axial direction, and the support is solid only in the vicinity of the end portions. Wherein the support is rotatably driven about the axis by a driving means including a coupling member which is detachably engaged with the projection and the recess of the driven portion, respectively, and has a same axis as the support. Photoreceptor. Further, according to the present invention, a plurality of convex portions and a plurality of concave portions are alternately adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction at an axial end of a substantially cylindrical synthetic resin support having a photosensitive layer formed on an outer peripheral surface. The formed driven part is provided facing the outside in the axial direction, and the driven part of the support has a radially inner side than the convex part and the concave part, and an outer diameter as it goes outward in the axial direction. A conical guide surface which is reduced in size is formed, and the support is solid only in the vicinity of the end portion, and is detachably engaged with the convex portion and the concave portion of the driven portion, respectively, and is a coupling member having the same axis as the support. The electrophotographic photoreceptor is characterized in that the support is driven to rotate about an axis by a driving means having: Further, the present invention is characterized in that each convex portion protrudes outward in the axial direction, and is tapered as it goes outward in the axial direction. Further, according to the present invention, a plurality of convex portions and a plurality of concave portions are alternately adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction at an axial end of a substantially cylindrical synthetic resin support having a photosensitive layer formed on an outer peripheral surface. The formed driven portion is provided facing outward in the axial direction, and each convex portion protrudes outward in the axial direction, and is formed in a tapered shape as it goes outward in the axial direction, and rotation of the convex portion is performed. The surface on the upstream side in the direction is substantially parallel to the rotation axis or inclined so as to be located on the upstream side in the rotation direction toward the outside in the axial direction, and the support is solid only in the vicinity of the end. The supporting member is rotatably driven about the axis by a driving means having a coupling member having the same axis as the supporting member, which is detachably engaged with the convex portion and the concave portion of the driven portion. It is a photoconductor. The present invention also provides
The convex portion of the driven portion of the support is formed to protrude inward in the radial direction of the support. Further, the present invention is characterized in that a reinforcing layer having an outer diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the photosensitive layer is formed on the outer peripheral surface near the driven portion. Further, the invention is characterized in that the driven parts are provided at both ends in the axial direction of the support. Further, the present invention is characterized in that a support recess having an inner peripheral surface concentric with the outer peripheral surface of the support body is formed at the center of the driven portion facing outward in the axial direction. According to the present invention, there is further provided (a) the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and (b) a driving unit, which is detachably meshed with the convex and concave portions of the driven portion. A coupling member having the same axis as the support, a spring for applying a spring force in a direction in which the driven portion of the support and the coupling member approach each other, and a drive source for rotating the coupling member about a rotation axis. And a driving unit. Further, according to the present invention, in the driven portion of the support, a conical guide surface whose outer diameter decreases radially inward from the convex portion and the concave portion and becomes smaller outward in the axial direction is formed, and the coupling member is And a conical receiving surface which is fitted to the guide surface and in which the axis of the support and the axis of rotation of the coupling member are in a straight line in the fitted state. Further, according to the present invention, a conical guide surface having an inner diameter that increases toward the outside in the axial direction is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the support near the driven portion, and the coupling member is fitted to the guide surface. Further, a guide projection having an outer diameter smaller than that of the guide surface is provided so that a gap is formed between the guide surface and the inner surface of the guide surface in the fitted state. Further, in the present invention, the coupling member has a recess formed by being recessed in the axial direction in which the driven portion of the support is fitted,
A driving concave portion and a driving convex portion are formed at the bottom of the concave portion so as to be engaged with the convex portion and the concave portion of the driven portion, respectively. In addition, the present invention provides, in the center of the driven portion,
A support recess having an inner peripheral surface concentric with the outer peripheral surface of the support facing outward in the axial direction is formed, and the coupling member has a support convex portion that fits into the support recess and supports the support. It is characterized by. Further, the invention is characterized in that the support having the driven portion is made of a conductive synthetic resin, and the coupling member is made of a conductive material. Further, the invention is characterized in that the support having the driven portion is made of a material softer than the coupling member. Further, according to the present invention, the driving concave portion and the driving convex portion formed on the coupling member meshing with the convex portion and the concave portion of the driven portion are formed a plurality of times the number of the convex portions and the concave portions of the driven portion. The coupling member can be shared by a plurality of types of driven parts. Further, the present invention forms an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor provided in a photosensitive device,
In an electrophotographic apparatus in which the electrostatic latent image is visualized by a developer of a developing device and the visualized image is transferred onto a recording sheet and fixed, the photosensitive device includes a photoconductor and a driving unit. The body is the electrophotographic photoreceptor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a reinforcing layer is formed on an outer peripheral surface near a driven portion, and an outer diameter of the photosensitive layer and the reinforcing layer is substantially equal to each other. Equally, the driving means is detachably engaged with the convex portion and the concave portion of the driven portion, respectively, and has a coupling member having the same axis as the support, and a spring in a direction in which the driven portion and the coupling member of the support come close to each other. The developing device includes a spring that applies a force and a drive source that drives the coupling member to rotate about the rotation axis. Contact the photoconductive layer and the reinforcing layer on the upstream side of the photoconductor in the rotation direction of the roller That prevent the developer scattering sheet for an electrophotographic apparatus characterized in that it is attached.

According to the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, the convex portion and the concave portion are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction at the axial end of the substantially cylindrical support made of synthetic resin on which the photosensitive layer is formed on the outer peripheral surface. Is provided adjacent to the driven member, and the driven member is engaged with the driven member to rotate the support member about its axis, so that the synthetic resin material is used. It is possible to realize a photoreceptor with a simple configuration without reducing the mechanical strength as much as possible without increasing the usage amount. The driven portion may be a part formed by integral molding of the support, but may be manufactured separately to fix the support and the driven portion.

Further, since the support is solid only in the vicinity of the end, it is possible to prevent cracks and cracks from being generated due to stress transmitted from the coupling member when the driven portion is rotationally driven. Improvement can be achieved. Not only the end of the support but also the other end may be solid, in such a configuration, for example, by molding using centrifugal force or by using a gas pressure such as air. By molding, a support having a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole and solid at both ends can be obtained by blow molding.

In particular, according to the first aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 14, a conical guide surface is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the driven portion, so that the driven portion and the coupling member are formed. Can be smoothly engaged.

In particular, according to the invention of claim 2, each of the projections and each of the projections are provided at an intermediate position of the guide surface along the axial direction of the support or at a position inside the guide surface along the axial direction of the support. The formation of the concave portion allows the position of transmission of the rotational force from the coupling member to the driven portion to be closer to the inside of the support in the radial direction, thereby reducing rotational unevenness. it can. With such a configuration, the axes of the driven portion and the coupling member are made to coincide with each other by the guide surface located radially outward of each of the convex portions and the concave portions, and thus stable driving is possible. Moreover, the number of each convex portion and each concave portion is smaller than that of the configuration formed at the radially outer position of the driven portion, so that the driven portion and the coupling member can be accurately engaged. , Rattling is eliminated, and this also enables stable driving.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, a guide surface that is a conical or frustoconical outer peripheral surface is formed radially inward of the convex portion and the concave portion of the driven portion. The strength of the driven portion is improved so that power can be reliably transmitted in the meshing state between the driven portion and the coupling member, and the driven portion and the coupling member are smoothly moved by the guide surface. Being guided, it is possible to smoothly engage both. Furthermore, by forming such a smooth guide surface at the time of molding the support, the flow of the synthetic resin at the time of injection molding is good, and there is also an effect that molding is easy.

In particular, according to the present invention of claims 4 and 5, each convex portion is formed to be tapered as it goes outward in the axial direction, and even if it is substantially triangular when expanded in the circumferential direction. Well, this makes it possible for the convex portion and the concave portion of the driven portion to mesh with the driving concave portion and the driving convex portion formed on the coupling member of the driving means without rattling, and therefore, it is possible to disengage from the coupling member. Torque can be reliably transmitted to the driven parts.

In particular, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the surface on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the projection is formed substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the support, or When power is transmitted from the coupling member to the driven portion by forming a surface that is inclined so as to become upstream in the rotational direction as it goes outward in the direction, the coupling member and the driven portion move in a direction away from each other. With no force acting, the coupling member and the driven portion can be reliably coupled to each other to transmit rotational power. Further, with this configuration, it is also possible to smoothly perform the engagement when the convex portion and the concave portion of the driven portion are coupled to the driving concave portion and the driving convex portion of the coupling member.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, since the tip of the convex portion and the bottom of the concave portion are formed to be curved, the driven portion and the coupling member can be smoothly engaged. In addition, since the tip of the convex portion is not sharply formed and has an R shape, that is, the curved portion is formed as described above, the scraping and cracking do not occur due to deterioration. The operation of the electrophotographic apparatus will not be abnormal due to the part that breaks or breaks falling inside the electrophotographic apparatus, preventing stress concentration and preventing the occurrence of cracks in the driven portion of the support, and It is possible to prevent the quality from deteriorating. If the tip of the projection is sharp, there is a problem that the driven portion and the support may be broken by a slight impact force. However, the problem is avoided in the present invention.

[0015] The bottom of the concave portion is curved, that is, not formed in an acute angle, so that cracks due to stress concentration can be prevented. Further, by forming the concave portion and the convex portion in a curved shape as described above, it is possible to prevent the driven portion and the support from cracking due to stress generated by transmission of rotational power from the coupling member to the driven portion. Scattering and long life can be achieved.

According to the present invention, by forming the projecting portion of the driven portion so as to protrude inward in the radial direction, the strength can be improved without increasing the usage amount of the synthetic resin material as much as possible. Become.

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the strength by forming a reinforcing layer on the outer peripheral surface near the driven portion.
The reinforcing layer may be fixed by winding a synthetic resin tape such as polyethylene terephthalate called a mylar tape, for example, or may be formed by a conductive coating layer. According to the conductive coating layer, it is also possible to improve the electrical connection between the conductive support and the conductive driven member.

The reinforcing layer is formed at a position shifted in the axial direction other than the image forming area of the photosensitive member, and does not adversely affect the formation of the electrostatic latent image.

The outer diameter of the reinforcing layer is made substantially the same as the outer diameter of the photosensitive layer, thereby preventing the developer from leaking and scattering upstream of the developing roller in the developing device in the rotation direction of the photosensitive member. For example, the photosensitive layer and the reinforcing layer can come into contact with a sheet made of, for example, a flexible synthetic resin film having elasticity, thereby preventing the developer from scattering in the electrophotographic apparatus. The reinforcing layer and the photosensitive layer are adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the support and are formed without any gap therebetween, so that the scattering of the developer due to the contact of the sheet can be surely prevented.

The outer diameter of the support is uniform in the axial direction,
That is, the outer peripheral surface has a right cylindrical shape, and a photosensitive layer is formed on the outer peripheral surface. In an electrophotographic photosensitive device and an electrophotographic device including the same, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive layer. The photosensitive layer is provided only in an image forming area other than the end of the support to which the driven member is fixed, and thus may be formed in non-image areas at both ends of the support during injection molding. There is no danger that the quality of the electrostatic image formed on the photosensitive layer will be degraded due to the adverse effects such as sink marks sometimes generated.

According to the present invention, since the driven parts are provided at both ends in the axial direction of the support, it is easy to mount the connecting member on the driven parts, and the degree of freedom in design is improved.
The degree of freedom of productivity can be improved, and furthermore, the cost can be reduced by making the connecting members supporting both ends in the axial direction of the support body the same structure, for example, and the productivity can be improved. Furthermore, in a configuration in which the support and the coupling member at both ends in the axial direction of the support are electrically conductive, it is ensured that electrical conduction between the two is achieved, and the photosensitive layer formed on the outer peripheral surface of the support is grounded. The occurrence rate of defects can be reduced. Furthermore, by making the structure of the both ends in the axial direction of the support body the same, there is also an effect that the mounting direction of the support body becomes free and maintenance can be facilitated.

According to the present invention, a support recess is formed in the center of the driven portion, whereby the outer peripheral surface of the driven portion of the support is supported, and not only the outer peripheral surface of the driven portion, The inner peripheral surface can also be supported, so that the driven portion can be securely engaged with the coupling member and supported, thereby preventing rattling and rotational unevenness.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the connecting member in the driving means applies a spring force to the driven portion of the support by the spring, so that the connecting member is separated from the photosensitive member against the spring force of the spring. The photosensitive member can be replaced by displacing the photosensitive member in a direction in which the photosensitive member is moved, thereby facilitating maintenance.

According to the present invention, since the convex portion is tapered, the connecting member to which the spring force is applied can reliably and smoothly mesh with the driven portion of the support.

According to the present invention, the conical guide surface of the driven portion of the support and the conical receiving surface of the coupling member are fitted to each other to smoothly guide the support and the coupling member to the driven portion. And the coupling member can be engaged with each other.

According to the invention, the guide projection of the coupling member is
A gap is provided between the guide portion and the guide surface of the driven portion of the support, thereby preventing the driven portion of the support from being pressed against the radially outward pressing force, thereby causing a crack in the driven portion. Prevent that. This gap is, for example, 0.2 to
It may be 0.5 mm. Thus, the photoconductor can be driven to rotate with a large torque.

According to the present invention, the coupling member is provided with a driving concave portion and a driving convex portion which are respectively engaged with the convex portion and the concave portion of the driven portion at the bottom of the concave portion formed in the coupling member. The outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the driven portion of the cylindrical support can be supported to rotate and drive the support, thereby improving the strength and stably driving the support. It is also possible to easily keep the axis of the support and the coupling member in a straight line, thereby improving the quality of the electrostatographic image.

According to the present invention, the outer peripheral surface of the driven portion of the support is supported by the support recess formed at the center of the driven portion, and the inner peripheral surface of the driven portion is further supported. Thus, it is possible to stably support the driven portion on the coupling member, thereby eliminating rattling and rotational unevenness.

According to the present invention, the support and the connecting member are made of a conductive material, the support is made of a conductive synthetic resin, and the connecting member may be made of a conductive synthetic resin. Or any other metal,
In this way, the support can be easily grounded. Moreover, the coupling member can be electrically connected via a spring or the like. In addition, there is no need to use a ground plate or the like for grounding the support, which has been conventionally required, and the cost can be reduced.

According to the invention, the support is made of a synthetic resin material which is softer than the connecting member, in other words, the connecting member is made of a material which is harder than the support, for example, a material such as aluminum and iron. Even if one support is changed, the coupling member can be used for a long time. In this way, the support, which is a consumable, is made of a material softer than the coupling member, and the coupling member requires strength performance equivalent to machine life, so that the driven portion of the support does not deteriorate in a short time. The coupling member may be made of iron, stainless steel, or the like. Therefore, the life of the connecting member can be extended, and
The driven portion of the support can be subjected to strength compensation in consideration of the life as the photoconductor life.

According to the present invention, the number of irregularities formed on the coupling member is an integer multiple of the number of irregularities formed on the driven portion of the support. Can be used. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the number of components of the coupling member for each type of the photoconductor, thereby improving productivity and facilitating maintenance.

According to the present invention, the outer diameter of the photosensitive layer is substantially equal to that of the reinforcing layer adjacent to the photosensitive layer in the axial direction.
The developer scattering prevention sheet of the developing device can reliably prevent the developer from scattering inside the electrophotographic apparatus.

[0033]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an electrophotographic photosensitive member 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electrophotographic photoconductor 1 is used for forming an electrostatic latent image in an electrophotographic apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser printer described below. The photoreceptor 1 basically includes a conductive synthetic resin support 2 and a driving unit 71 driven at one end in the direction of the axis 16. The driving unit 71 includes a coupling member 72. The support 2 is substantially cylindrical, one end 9 in the axial direction is solid and closed, and the other end 12 is open as described later. The inner peripheral surface 8 of the support 2 is drafted such that its inner diameter decreases from the end 12 to the end 9, or is inclined with respect to the axis 16 at a greater angle than the draft. May be
Thereby, the strength of the end portion 9 is improved. In this way, the outer diameter of the support 2 is uniform in the axial direction, and the inner diameter is changed almost continuously in the axial direction so as to become smaller toward the left side of FIG. 1 to obtain, for example, a draft during injection molding. Therefore, the driven portion 9 on the left side in FIG. 1 is thick. The other end 12 of the support 2 may also be solid and closed. Thus, the end portions 9 and 1
In manufacturing the support body 2 in which both are closed, for example, a method of moving a synthetic resin material softened by centrifugal force to the inner peripheral surface of a mold, or a gas pressure such as an air pressure is used. It can be obtained by blow molding. Reference numeral 9 may be described as a driven part in the following description.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the support 2 as viewed from the left in FIG. A plurality of convex portions 18 and concave portions 19 are formed in the driven portion 9 in the circumferential direction alternately adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, and these convex portions 18 and concave portions 19 are located outward (in the direction of the axis 16). It is provided facing the left side of FIG. 1 and the upper side of FIG. 2). The coupling member 72 has a driving concave portion 20 and a driving convex portion 21 that mesh with the convex portion 18 and the concave portion 19, and the coupling member 72 has an axis that is aligned with the axis 16 of the support 2 when installed. A guide portion 131 having a truncated cone shape is formed at the end portion 9 radially inward of the convex portion 18 and the concave portion 19. The outer diameter of the inclined guide surface 132 of the guide portion 131 becomes smaller toward the outer side in the axial direction of the support 2 (to the left in FIG. 1).

FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. A photosensitive layer 5 made of an organic photosensitive material or the like is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the support 2 in the pixel formation region W1. The non-image regions W2 and W3 are connected to both ends of the photosensitive layer 5 in the axial direction. 7 is formed. The photosensitive layer 5 may be, for example, an organic material. The thickness of the photosensitive layer 5 may be, for example, 10 to 30 μm, preferably about 20 μm. The photosensitive layer 5 is formed in an image forming area W1 of the electrophotographic device. In regions W2 and W3 adjacent to the photosensitive layer 5 in the axial direction of the support 2, reinforcing layers 6 and 7 are formed at ends 9 and 12. The thickness of the reinforcing layers 6 and 7 is substantially the same as that of the photosensitive layer 5, so that the outer diameter of the photosensitive layer 5 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the reinforcing layers 6 and 7. This ensures that the developer scattering prevention sheet comes into contact with the photosensitive layer 5 and the reinforcing layers 6 and 7 as described later, and prevents the developer from scattering to the outside from the developing device and leaking out. Image quality can be improved.

The coupling member 72 is provided on the side wall 73 of the electrophotographic apparatus.
Has a fitting portion 75 that fits, for example, in the form of a spline into a drive shaft 74 that is rotated and driven by the spring member 76. The spring force of the coupling member 72 imparts a spring force to the support 2. The drive shaft 74 is driven to rotate about the axis 16 by a drive source 77 such as a gear. A support member 4 is detachably attached or fixed to an end 12 of the support 2 opposite to the driven portion 9. The support member 4 is mounted on a side wall 78 of the electrophotographic apparatus by a bearing 79. It is supported rotatably.

The total length of the support 2 is, for example, 270 to 28
0 mm, outer diameter 30 mmφ, inner diameter 27 near end 9
mmφ and the inner diameter of the other end 12 may be 28 mmφ. The draft may be 0.15 to 0.25 degrees on one side.

The support 2 is composed of a mixture of a synthetic resin, a conductive substance, a light absorbing substance, and a light scattering substance. Examples of the synthetic resin to be used include resins such as polyacetal resin, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, ABS resin, noryl, nylon, polycarbonate, polybutylene terephthalate, and polyethylene fluoride, and mixtures thereof. The substance is not limited to this as long as it is a suitable substance.

Examples of the conductive material include carbon black such as thermal black, acetylene black, furnace black, lamp black, graphite, graphite, etc., tin oxide, antimony oxide, gold, silver, copper, and the like.
Metals such as aluminum and its compounds, inorganic compounds such as zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, calcium carbonate, barium sulfate, mica, potassium titanate, aluminum borate, and silicon carbide, doped with conductive materials No. In addition to the conductive material, a light absorbing material, a light scattering material, or the like may be contained in the resin for the purpose of preventing interference fringes of laser light.

Examples of the light absorbing substance include dyes such as phthalocyanine in addition to the various carbons described above.
It is not limited to this. As a light scattering substance,
Various metal powders are included. Conductive material and light absorbing material,
The light scattering materials may be the same or different. For example, various carbons are not only a good conductive substance but also a good light absorbing substance, have good dispersibility in resin, and are inexpensive.

In the present invention, the synthetic resin contains a conductive substance and the like, but these substances may not be contained. For example, a method may be used in which after forming the support 2 with only a synthetic resin, aluminum is deposited on this surface to form a conductive layer. In this case, steps such as mixing (dispersion) of the resin and the conductive substance can be omitted. In addition to the vapor deposition, there is also a method of forming the support 2 using only a synthetic resin and then forming the conductive layer by coating.

In addition to these substances, for example, glass beads, titanium oxide, barium sulfate, calcium carbonate,
Inorganic pigments such as silica, talc, zinc sulfide and clay, or organic pigments may be added as a filler. Synthetic resin 1
It is preferable that each of the other substances is 5 to 300 parts by weight with respect to 00 parts by weight. These synthetic resin, conductive substance, light absorbing substance, light scattering substance and the like are heated to a melting temperature of the synthetic resin or higher and kneaded, whereby fine particles are uniformly dispersed in the synthetic resin. By injecting this into a mold, the support 2 is preferably injection molded. As the molding, there is a method of forming a drum-shaped support by extrusion molding in addition to the integral molding using a mold. In this case, after the photosensitive layer 5 is formed, the driven member 3 is pressure-bonded, bonded, or the like. It is necessary to assemble the support 2 as described above, and it is preferable to form the support 2 integrally as described above because this is not necessary.

The surface of the mold on which the photosensitive layer 5 is formed is roughened in advance by sandblasting or the like, so that the adhesion between the photosensitive layer 5 and the outer peripheral surface of the support 2 and the light scattering property are improved. It is preferable because it can be performed. The unevenness of the mold surface is preferably roughened so that the surface of the formed support is 1 μm or less. When it is larger than 1 μm,
The formation of the charge generation layer is not preferable because of unevenness and the like. The photosensitive layer 5 is formed on the photosensitive layer forming portion of the support prepared as described above.

The synthetic resin of the support 2 is mainly composed of a cross-linked type polyphenylene sulfide resin,
A high-conductivity carbon black having a volume resistivity of 10 ^-1 Ω · cm or less is added to the mixture, so that the volume resistivity is 10 ⁴ Ω · cm or less, and the average particle size of the carbon black is 20 nm to 50 n.
m, preferably the amount of the cross-linked polyphenylene sulfide resin is at least 40% by weight or more, and the surface of the support is irradiated with ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 180 nm to 255 nm. Thereby, the support 2 is lightweight and has suitable conductivity, is excellent in chemical resistance and heat resistance, can maintain good dimensional accuracy even in a thin and long shape, and can be oxidized in the air. Deterioration does not occur and stable quality can be maintained.

FIG. 4 is a side view for explaining the structure near the driven portion 9 of the support 2 in the present invention. FIG.
As shown in (1), the tip portion 18a of the convex portion 18 of the driven portion 9 and the bottom 19a of the concave portion 19 are curved. Similarly, the bottom 20a and the tip 21a of the driving concave portion 20 and the driving convex portion 21 of the coupling member 72 have a curved configuration. As a result, the convex portion 18 smoothly fits into the driving concave portion 20, and the concave portion 19 smoothly fits into the driving convex portion 21, thereby ensuring the mounting and preventing the support 2 from being damaged.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the tip 18a of the projection 18 and the bottom 19a of the recess 19 are sharpened, and the bottom 20a of the drive recess 20 and the tip 2a of the drive projection 21 are similarly formed.
If the structure 1a is sharp, a crack 80 may occur and a chip 81 may occur, but such a structure shown in FIG. 4B is also included in the spirit of the present invention.

The tip 18a of the projection 18 does not contact the bottom 20a of the drive recess 20, and the tip 21a of the drive projection 21 does not contact the bottom 19a of the recess 19, thereby resulting in damage. Can be more reliably prevented.

The coupling member 72 has a guide recess 133 into which the guide portion 131 is fitted. This guide recess 133
Has a frusto-conical guide surface 134 that contacts the guide surface 132. The outer end of the guide portion 131 in the direction of the axis 16 does not abut on the bottom of the guide recess 133, so that the guide surfaces 132 and 134 are accurately fitted and supported.

FIG. 5 is a side view of another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is similar to the above-described configuration, and corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the surface 1 on the upstream side in the
8b is substantially parallel to the rotation axis 16 or is inclined so as to become more upstream in the rotation direction toward the outside in the axial direction (to the left in FIG. 5). The coupling member 72 is configured to be compatible with the driven part 9. According to the experiment of the present inventor, the angle N formed by the surface 18b on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the protrusion 18 and the surface 18c on the downstream side is preferably, for example, 45 to 90 degrees. With this configuration, even if a torque of 40 kgf · cm or more acting on the support 2 for rotational drive acts, the rotational power can be reliably transmitted from the coupling member 72 to the driven unit 9. FIG. 6 clearly shows the configuration of the convex portion 18 and the concave portion 19 of the driven portion 9.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention. The inner peripheral surface of the driven portion 9 of the support 2 is a substantially conical guide surface 84 whose inner diameter increases as it goes outward in the axial direction (to the left in FIG. 7). Coupling member 72
A guide projection 85 having a substantially conical shape is formed on the guide surface 84.

FIG. 8 shows the driven portion 9 of the support 2 in FIG.
It is the front view seen from the left of 0. The driven portion 9 has the convex portion 1
8 and a concave portion 19 are formed, and this configuration is similar to each of the above-described configurations.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the connecting member 72 as viewed from the right side in FIG. A guide projection 85 is formed radially inward of the projection 18 and the recess 19.

FIG. 10 is a partial sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the convex portion 18 and the concave portion 19 are formed at intermediate positions along the axial direction of the guide surface 84 formed on the drive section 9. A guide projection 85 is formed on the coupling member 72, and the drive concave portion 20 and the drive convex portion 21 are formed at an intermediate position in the axial direction.

FIG. 11 is a front view of the driven portion 9 of the support 2 shown in FIG. 10, and FIG.
2 is a front view as viewed from the right side of FIG. The guide surface 84 has a guide surface 84a that extends further inward in the axial direction (to the right in FIG. 10) than the convex portion 18 and the concave portion 19. Guide surface 84
The leading end 85a of the guide projection 85 is guided and fitted into a.

FIG. 13 is a partial sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that in this embodiment, a gap ΔL is provided between the guide surface 84 formed on the driven portion 9 of the support 2 and the inner peripheral surface of the guide protrusion 85 of the coupling member 72.
1 is present, for example, ΔL1 = 0.2 to 0.5 mm. This gap prevents a radially outward force from acting on the driven portion 9, thereby preventing the driven portion 9 from being damaged.

FIG. 14 is a front view of the end of the support 2 in the embodiment shown in FIG. This driven part 9
Is formed with a convex portion 18 and a concave portion 19 in the same manner as the above-described configuration.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 16 is a front view of the connecting member 72 in the embodiment of FIG. 15 as viewed from the right. The coupling member 72 is formed with a recess 86 that is recessed in the axial direction in which the driven portion 9 of the support 2 is fitted. At the bottom of this recess 86,
A driving concave portion 87 and a driving convex portion 88 are formed to mesh with the convex portion 18 and the concave portion 19 of the driven portion 9, respectively.
According to this configuration, the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the driven portion 9
It is supported by the radially opposed surfaces 89, 90 of the recess 86, thus increasing its support strength. A fitting recess 135 is formed in the driven portion 9, and a support protrusion 136 formed in the guide recess 86 is formed. Fitting recess 13
5, the outer peripheral surface of the driven portion 9 and the inner peripheral surface facing the concave recess 135 are supported by the coupling member 72, and the strength is improved. There is no rattling and stable rotation is achieved.

FIG. 17 is a partial side view of another embodiment of the present invention. The driven portion 9 of the support 2 includes a reinforcing layer 6
Is formed. The reinforcing layers 6 and 7 are, for example, films made of synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate, and are available as, for example, Mylar tape. Such a tape is formed by winding one or more layers on the outer peripheral surface of the end portions 9 and 12 of the support 2. Therefore, since the reinforcing layers 6 and 7 are formed in the non-image area of the support 2 which is not related to image formation, the reinforcing layers 6 and 7 act on the end 9 of the support 2 when the fitting portion 10 of the driven member 3 is fitted. The support 2 is prevented from cracking, cracking, or breaking due to the applied stress, and the strength is improved.

The synthetic resin forming the support 2 generally has a brittle property, and thus has a problem that the strength of the photosensitive body 1 against a load perpendicular to the axis is low. By forming as described above,
Strength can be improved and the problem can be solved. The same applies to the reinforcing layer 7.

In still another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 18, the driven portion 9 is formed of a conductive coating layer of the reinforcing layer 6. The reinforcing layer 6 is made of a conductive coating layer. As a material of the conductive coating layer, a synthetic resin such as polycarbonate, nylon, and acrylic resin having good adhesiveness with the synthetic resin material forming the support 2 is dissolved in a solvent, and carbon black, thermal black, and the like as conductive materials are used. Particles such as acetylene black are dispersed and applied, and the conductive coating layer thus formed is used as the reinforcing layer 6. This enhances the strength, and also achieves the excellent effect of ensuring the electrical connection between the end 9 of the support 2 and the driven member 3.

FIG. 19 is a side view of still another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, both ends 90 and 91 in the axial direction of the support 2 have the same structure, and one end 90 is engaged with the coupling member 72, and the other end 91.
Is engaged with the support member 4.

FIG. 20 is a sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention. The end 90 of the support 2 is the same as that shown in FIG.
16, and the same applies to the mounting structure of the other end 91 and the support member 4. With the configuration shown in FIG.
Is accurately supported by the coupling member 72 and the support member 4, and can perform stable rotation.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an experiment performed by the present inventor. The load F is applied to the support 2 from a direction perpendicular to its axis 16.
Was applied, the magnitude of the breaking load on the driven portion 9 and the coupling member 72 was measured. The results of this experiment are as shown in Table 1.

[0064]

[Table 1]

From Table 1, it was found that in the above-described embodiment, the structure shown in FIG.

FIG. 22 is a partial sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 23, the driven portion 9 of the support 2 is formed with a convex portion 18 and a concave portion 19 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In the coupling member 72, the driving concave portion 20 fitted into the convex portion 18 and the driving convex portion 2 fitted into the concave portion 19
1 is formed.

FIG. 24 is a sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 25, the driven portion 9 of the support 2 is formed with a convex portion 93 protruding radially inward from the inner peripheral surface 8. Fitting portion 94 of coupling member 72
As shown in FIG. 26, a drive convex portion 95 fitted on the inner peripheral surface 8 and a drive concave portion 96 fitted with the convex portion 93 are provided.
Are formed. According to this configuration, the strength can be improved without increasing the usage amount of the synthetic resin material for the support 2 as much as possible.

FIG. 27 is a side view of a coupling member 72 according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 28 is a front view of the coupling member 72 as viewed from the right. The fitting portion 102 that fits into the driven portion 9 of the support 2 includes driving protrusions 103 that are spaced apart in the circumferential direction.
And the driving recess 104 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

The connecting member 72 shown in FIGS. 27 and 28 can be detachably mounted on the supports 2a, 2b, 2c shown in FIGS. 29 (1) to 29 (3), respectively. The projections 18 and the recesses 19 in the driven portions of these supports 2a, 2b, 2c are an integer fraction of the number of the projections 103 and the recesses 104 of the coupling member 72 shown in FIGS. , Are formed symmetrically with respect to a plane of symmetry passing through the axis 16.

FIG. 30 is a front view of a driven portion 9 of a support 2 according to still another embodiment of the present invention. Convex part 1
The recesses 8 and the recesses 19 are formed in plane symmetry at equal intervals a in the circumferential direction. The coupling member 71 shown in FIG. 30 is a support member 2 shown in FIGS. 31 (1) to 31 (4).
d to 2 g can be detachably fitted. The supports 2d to 2g have the concave portions 105 to 108, and FIG.
The recess 105 of (1) is a single unit, and only two adjacent recesses 106 of FIG. 31 (2) are formed.
31 are formed in the diameter line direction, and a total of four fitting recesses 108 in FIG. 31 (4) are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Regarding the use time of the electrostatographic apparatus until the cracks of the supports 2d to 2g shown in FIG. 31 (1) to FIG. 31 (4) occur, in the experiment by the present inventor,
The results as shown in Table 2 were obtained.

[0071]

[Table 2]

As is apparent from Table 2, when the coupling member 72 shown in FIG. 30 is used, a large number of concave and convex fittings are formed at regular intervals in the circumferential direction, which are adapted exactly as shown in FIG. 31 (4). It has been found that the possible configuration enables continuous use for a long period of time.

FIG. 32 is a simplified diagram showing the overall configuration of a copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The light output from the light source 41 irradiates the document 43 on the transparent plate 42,
The original image is slit-exposed on the photosensitive layer 5 on the photosensitive member 1 of the present invention to form an image, whereby an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive layer 5.

The photosensitive member 1 is driven to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow 57. After the surface of the photosensitive layer 1 is uniformly charged by the main charger 46, the photoreceptor 1 is exposed as described above. Therefore, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 1, and the electrostatic latent image is visualized by the developer in the developing device 47. The visualized toner image is fed from a paper feed cassette 48 to a paper feed roller 49 and a registration roller 5.
0 on the recording paper supplied at a predetermined timing,
The image is transferred by the transfer charger 51. The recording paper is peeled off from the surface of the photoconductor 1 by the peeling charger 52, and is transported to the fixing device 54 by the transport belt 53. The fixing device 54 fixes the toner image on the recording paper by heat or the like, and the fixed recording paper is discharged onto a discharge tray 55. The developer remaining after the transfer of the surface of the photoconductor 1 is collected from the surface of the photosensitive layer 5 of the photoconductor 1 by the cleaner 56 and is cleaned. The residual potential on the surface of the photoconductor 1 that has been cleaned by the cleaner 56 is determined by a static elimination lamp 58.
The charge is removed.

FIG. 33 is a sectional view more specifically showing a part of the copying machine shown in FIG. The main charger 46 charges the surface of the photosensitive layer 5. Developing device 47
The developing roller 6 disposed opposite to the photoconductor 45
In a casing 62 surrounding the developing roller 61 and containing the developer, a developer scattering prevention sheet 63 that comes into contact with the photosensitive layer 5 and the reinforcing layers 6 and 7 upstream of the developing roller 61 in the rotation direction 57 of the photoconductor 45 is provided. Mounted.

FIG. 34 is an exploded perspective view of the developing device 47. The casing 62 includes an upper casing portion 62a and a lower casing portion 62b, and the seat 63 is attached to the upper casing portion 62a. Sheet 6
3 is made of an elastic and flexible material such as rubber or synthetic resin. At the ends 9 and 12 of the support 2 on which the reinforcing layers 6 and 7 are formed, a suede member 64 made of a material such as a flexible synthetic resin or rubber is provided, and faces the photoconductor 45 of the casing 62. Opening 65
At both ends of the support 2 in the axial direction.

FIG. 35 is a front view of the vicinity of the photosensitive member 1 in the embodiment shown in FIGS. The opening 65 formed in the casing 62 of the developing device 47 is closed by the sheet 63 and the suede members 64 on both sides. Therefore, the developer in the casing 62 is prevented from scattering inside the laser printer, and the surroundings are prevented from being stained.

[0078]

According to the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, the driven portion is provided at the axial end of the synthetic resin support, and the connecting member of the driving means is provided at the driven portion. As the support is rotated around its axis by meshing, the amount of synthetic resin material used is not increased as much as possible, with a simple configuration, without lowering the mechanical strength,
A photoconductor can be realized.

Further, since the support is solid only in the vicinity of the end, it is possible to prevent cracks and cracks from being generated by the stress transmitted from the coupling member when the driven part is rotationally driven, and the strength is reduced. Improvement can be achieved. Not only the end of the support but also the other end may be solid, in such a configuration, for example, by molding using centrifugal force or by using a gas pressure such as air. By molding, a support having a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole and solid at both ends can be obtained by blow molding.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the conical guide surface is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the driven portion so that the driven portion and the coupling member can be smoothly engaged with each other. Become.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, each convex portion and each concave portion are provided at an intermediate position of the guide surface along the axial direction of the support or at a position inside the guide surface along the axial direction of the support. Is formed, the position of the transmission of the rotational force from the coupling member to the driven portion can be brought closer to the inside in the radial direction of the support, whereby the rotational unevenness can be reduced. . With such a configuration, the axes of the driven portion and the coupling member are made to coincide with each other by the guide surface located radially outward of each of the convex portions and the concave portions, and thus stable driving is possible. Moreover, the number of each convex portion and each concave portion is smaller than that of the configuration formed at the radially outer position of the driven portion, so that the driven portion and the coupling member can be accurately engaged. , Rattling is eliminated, and this also enables stable driving.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, a guide surface, which is a conical or frustoconical outer peripheral surface, is formed radially inward of the convex portion and the concave portion of the driven portion. The strength of the driving unit is improved so that power can be reliably transmitted in the meshing state between the driven unit and the coupling member, and the driven unit and the coupling member are smoothly guided by the guide surface. Then, both can be smoothly engaged. Furthermore, by forming such a smooth guide surface at the time of molding the support, the flow of the synthetic resin at the time of injection molding is good, and there is also an effect that molding is easy.

According to the fourth and fifth aspects of the present invention, each convex portion is formed so as to be tapered toward the outside in the axial direction, so that the convex portion and the concave portion of the driven portion are separated from the driving means. The driving concave portion and the driving convex portion formed on the connecting member can be meshed without rattling, so that torque can be reliably transmitted from the connecting member to the driven portion.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the surface on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the projection is formed substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the support, or in the axial direction. By forming a surface that is inclined so as to become upstream in the rotation direction as it goes outward, when power is transmitted from the coupling member to the driven portion, the coupling member and the driven portion are forced in a direction away from each other. Does not act, and it is possible to reliably transmit the rotational power with the coupling member and the driven portion in the coupled state. In addition, it is also possible to smoothly perform the engagement when the convex portion and the concave portion of the driven portion are coupled to the driving concave portion and the driving convex portion of the coupling member.

Further, since the tip of the projection and the bottom of the recess are formed to be curved, the driven portion and the coupling member can be smoothly engaged with each other. Moreover, since the tip of the convex portion is not sharply formed but is curved, shaving and cracking do not occur due to deterioration, and such a portion that is shaved or broken is an electrophotographic device. It does not cause any abnormality in the operation of the electrophotographic apparatus by dropping into the inside of the device, and also prevents the occurrence of cracks in the driven portion of the support by preventing stress concentration, and also prevents the image quality from deteriorating. be able to. . If the tip of the convex part is sharp, there is a problem that the driven part and the support are broken by a slight impact force,
The present invention avoids that problem.

The bottom of the concave portion is curved, that is, not formed in an acute angle, so that cracks due to stress concentration can be prevented. Further, by forming the concave portion and the convex portion in a curved shape as described above, it is possible to prevent the driven portion and the support from cracking due to stress generated by transmission of rotational power from the coupling member to the driven portion. Scattering and long life can be achieved.

According to the present invention, by forming the convex portion of the driven portion so as to protrude inward in the radial direction, the strength can be improved without increasing the usage amount of the synthetic resin material as much as possible. Become.

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the strength by forming a reinforcing layer on the outer peripheral surface near the driven portion.
By making the reinforcing layer a conductive coating layer, it is also possible to improve the electrical connection between the conductive support and the conductive driven member.

Since the reinforcing layer is formed at a position shifted in the axial direction other than the image forming area of the photosensitive member, it does not adversely affect the formation of the electrostatic latent image.

The outer diameter of the reinforcing layer is made substantially the same as the outer diameter of the photosensitive layer, whereby the scattering of the developer due to the contact of the sheet in the developing device can be surely prevented.

The outer diameter of the support is uniform in the axial direction,
That is, the outer peripheral surface has a right cylindrical shape, and a photosensitive layer is formed on the outer peripheral surface. In an electrophotographic photosensitive device and an electrophotographic device including the same, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive layer. The photosensitive layer is provided only in an image forming area other than the end of the support to which the driven member is fixed, and thus may be formed in non-image areas at both ends of the support during injection molding. There is no danger that the quality of the electrostatic image formed on the photosensitive layer will be degraded due to the adverse effects such as sink marks sometimes generated.

According to the present invention, since the driven parts are provided at both ends in the axial direction of the support, the attachment of the connecting member to the driven parts becomes easy, and the degree of freedom of design is improved.
The degree of freedom of productivity can be improved, and furthermore, the cost can be reduced by making the connecting members supporting both ends in the axial direction of the support body the same structure, for example, and the productivity can be improved. Furthermore, in a configuration in which the support and the coupling member at both ends in the axial direction of the support are electrically conductive, it is ensured that electrical conduction between the two is achieved, and the photosensitive layer formed on the outer peripheral surface of the support is grounded. The occurrence rate of defects can be reduced. Furthermore, by making the structure of the both ends in the axial direction of the support body the same, there is also an effect that the mounting direction of the support body becomes free and maintenance can be facilitated.

According to the present invention, a support recess is formed at the center of the driven part, whereby the outer peripheral surface of the driven part of the support is supported, and not only the outer peripheral surface of the driven part, The inner peripheral surface can also be supported, so that the driven portion can be securely engaged with the coupling member and supported, thereby preventing rattling and rotational unevenness.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the spring of the connecting member of the driving means is applied to the driven portion of the support by the spring, the connecting member is separated from the photosensitive member against the spring force of the spring. The photosensitive member can be replaced by displacing the photosensitive member in a direction in which the photosensitive member is moved, thereby facilitating maintenance.

According to the present invention, since the convex portion is tapered, the coupling member to which the spring force is applied can reliably and smoothly mesh with the driven portion of the support.

According to the present invention, the conical guide surface of the driven portion of the support and the conical receiving surface of the coupling member are fitted to each other to smoothly guide the support and the coupling member to the driven portion. And the coupling member can be engaged with each other.

According to the present invention, the guide projection of the connecting member is
A gap is provided between the guide portion and the guide surface of the driven portion of the support, thereby preventing the driven portion of the support from being pressed against the radially outward pressing force, thereby causing a crack in the driven portion. Prevent that. Thus, the photoconductor can be driven to rotate with a large torque.

According to the present invention, the coupling member is provided with a driving concave portion and a driving convex portion which are respectively engaged with the convex portion and the concave portion of the driven portion at the bottom of the concave portion formed in the coupling member. The outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the driven portion of the cylindrical support can be supported to rotate and drive the support, thereby improving the strength and stably driving the support. It is also possible to easily keep the axis of the support and the coupling member in a straight line, thereby improving the quality of the electrostatographic image.

According to the present invention, the support recess formed in the center of the driven portion supports the outer peripheral surface of the driven portion of the support and further supports the inner peripheral surface of the driven portion. Thus, it is possible to stably support the driven portion on the coupling member, thereby eliminating rattling and rotational unevenness.

According to the present invention, the support and the connecting member are made of a conductive material, the support is made of a conductive synthetic resin, and the connecting member may be made of a conductive synthetic resin. Or any other metal,
In this way, the support can be easily grounded. Moreover, the coupling member can be electrically connected via a spring or the like. In addition, there is no need to use a ground plate or the like for grounding the support, which has been conventionally required, and the cost can be reduced.

According to the present invention, the support is made of a synthetic resin material that is softer than the connecting member, in other words, the connecting member is made of a material that is harder than the support, for example, a material such as aluminum and iron. Even if a certain support is replaced, the coupling member can be used for a long period of time. Therefore, the life of the coupling member can be extended, and the driven portion of the support can be subjected to strength compensation in consideration of the life as the photoconductor life.

According to the present invention, the number of projections and depressions formed on the coupling member is set to be an integral multiple of the number of projections and depressions formed on the driven portion of the support. Can be used. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the number of components of the coupling member for each type of the photoconductor, thereby improving productivity and facilitating maintenance.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the outer diameter of the photosensitive layer is substantially equal to that of the reinforcing layer adjacent to the photosensitive layer in the axial direction.
The developer scattering prevention sheet of the developing device can reliably prevent the developer from scattering inside the electrophotographic apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an electrophotographic photoconductor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a front view of the support 2 as viewed from the left in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a side view for explaining a configuration in the vicinity of a driven portion 9 of the support 2 in the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of another embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a front view showing a configuration of a convex portion 18 and a concave portion 19 of the driven portion 9 of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a front view of the driven portion 9 of the support 2 as viewed from the left in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7;

9 is a front view of the coupling member 72 shown in FIG. 7 as viewed from the right side.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention.

11 is a front view showing the configuration of the vicinity of the driven portion 9 of the support 2 in FIG. 10 as viewed from the left.

FIG. 12 is a front view of the coupling member 72 in FIG.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention.

14 is a front view of the driven portion 9 of the support 2 as viewed from the left in FIG.

FIG. 15 is a partial cross-sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a front view of a coupling member 72 in the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 17 is a side view of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a side view of a part of still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a side view showing still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a side view of still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an experimental situation of the present inventor.

FIG. 22 is a partial cross-sectional view of still another embodiment of the present invention.

23 is a projection 18 of the driven portion 9 in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a front view showing a valley and a concave portion.

FIG. 24 is a side view of still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a sectional view of a driven portion 9 of the support 2 shown in FIG.

26 is a front view showing a fitting portion 94 of the coupling member 72 in FIG.

FIG. 27 is a side view showing a coupling member 72 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a front view showing a fitting portion 99 of the coupling member 72.

FIG. 29 shows a support 2 according to another embodiment of the present invention.
It is a front view in a driven part of a, 2b, 2c.

FIG. 30 is a front view of a driven portion 9 of a support 2 according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 31 is a front view of a driven portion 9 of a support 2 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 32 is a diagram schematically illustrating the overall configuration of a copying machine including the photoconductor 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration near the photoconductor 1 of the copying machine shown in FIG. 32;

34 is an exploded perspective view of the developing device 47. FIG.

35 is a simplified side view showing the photoconductor 1 in the vicinity of the developing device 47. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 electrophotographic photosensitive member 2 conductive synthetic resin support 4 support member 5 photosensitive layer 6, 7 reinforcing layer 8 inner peripheral surface 9 driven portion 12 end 16 axis 18, 93 convex portion 19, 105 to 108 concave portion 20 , 87, 96, 101, 104 Driving recess 21, 88, 95, 100, 103 Driving projection 71 Driving means 72 Coupling member 75, 94, 99, 102 Fitting part 76 Spring 77 Driving source 82 Rotation direction 83 Supporting body 2 84 Guide surface 85 Guide protrusion 89, 90 Surface 90, 91 Both ends in the line direction 98 Concave portion

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takahiro Bito 22-22, Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Inside Sharp Corporation (72) Inventor Keizo Kitamura 22-22, Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Sharp Corporation (72) Inventor Masayuki Sawai 22-22 Nagaike-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Inside Sharp Corporation (72) Inventor Tatsuya Ito 22-22 Nagaike-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Sharp Corporation (72) Inventor Katsuhisa Imae 22-22 Nagaike-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Inside Sharp Corporation (72) Inventor Koichi Takenouchi 22-22, Nagaike-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi Osaka Prefecture (56) Reference Sharp Corporation 6 -130872 (JP, A) Japanese Utility Model Showa 55-105450 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G03G 21/00 350

Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plurality of convex portions and a plurality of concave portions are circumferentially alternately adjacent to an axial end of a substantially cylindrical synthetic resin support having a photosensitive layer formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof. The formed driven portion is provided facing outward in the axial direction,
In the vicinity of the driven portion of the support, there is formed a conical guide surface having an inner diameter that increases toward the outside in the axial direction, and the support is solid only near the end portion, and has a convex shape of the driven portion. An electrophotographic photoreceptor, wherein the support is rotatably driven about an axis thereof by a driving means having a coupling member detachably engaged with the portion and the recess, respectively, and having the same axis as the support. 2. A plurality of convex portions and a plurality of concave portions are circumferentially alternately adjacent to an axial end of a substantially cylindrical synthetic resin support having a photosensitive layer formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof. The formed driven portion is provided facing outward in the axial direction,
In the driven portion of the support, a guide surface whose inner diameter increases as it goes outward in the axial direction is formed, and is located at an intermediate position in the axial direction of this guide surface or at a position inward of the guide surface in the axial direction. The plurality of convex portions and the plurality of concave portions are formed alternately adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, and the support is solid only in the vicinity of the end portion, and the convex and concave portions of the driven portion are formed. A photoreceptor for electrophotography, wherein the support is rotatably driven around the axis by a driving means having a coupling member detachably attached to the support and having the same axis as the support. 3. A plurality of convex portions and a plurality of concave portions are alternately adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction at an axial end of a substantially cylindrical synthetic resin support having a photosensitive layer formed on an outer peripheral surface. The formed driven part is provided facing outward in the axial direction,
In the driven portion of the support, a conical guide surface whose outer diameter decreases radially inward from the protrusions and the recesses and becomes smaller toward the outside in the axial direction is formed, and the support is provided near the end. And the support is rotatably driven around the axis by a driving means having a coupling member which is detachably meshed with the projection and the recess of the driven portion, respectively, and has the same axis as the support. Electrophotographic photoreceptor. 4. The electrophotographic device according to claim 1, wherein each of the projections protrudes outward in the axial direction and is tapered toward the outside in the axial direction. Photoconductor. 5. A plurality of convex portions and a plurality of concave portions are circumferentially alternately adjacent to an axial end of a substantially cylindrical synthetic resin support having a photosensitive layer formed on an outer peripheral surface. The formed driven part is provided facing outward in the axial direction, and each projection is
It protrudes outward in the axial direction, and is formed so as to be tapered as it goes outward in the axial direction, and the surface on the upstream side in the rotation direction of the projection is almost parallel to the rotation axis or becomes outward in the axial direction. The support is inclined so as to be on the upstream side in the rotation direction. The support is solid only in the vicinity of the end, and is detachably engaged with the convex portion and the concave portion of the driven portion so that the support has the same axis as the support. A photosensitive member for electrophotography, wherein the support is driven to rotate about an axis by a driving means having a coupling member having the same. 6. An electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1, and (b) a driving means, wherein said driving means detachably meshes with a convex portion and a concave portion of a driven portion. A coupling member having the same axis as the support, a spring for applying a spring force in a direction in which the driven portion of the support and the coupling member approach each other, and a drive source for rotating the coupling member about a rotation axis. A photosensitive device for electrophotography, comprising: a driving unit. 7. An electrostatic latent image is formed on a photoreceptor provided in a photosensitive device, the electrostatic latent image is visualized by a developer of a developing device, and the visualized image is transferred to a recording paper and fixed. An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising: a photosensitive device having a photoconductor and a driving unit, wherein the photoconductor is the electrophotographic photoconductor according to claim 1, wherein an outer periphery near a driven portion is provided. The reinforcing layer is formed on the surface, the outer diameter of the photosensitive layer and the outer diameter of the reinforcing layer are substantially equal, and the driving means is detachably engaged with the convex portion and the concave portion of the driven portion, respectively, and has the same axis as the support. A developing device, comprising: a member, a spring that applies a spring force in a direction in which the driven portion of the support and the coupling member approach each other, and a drive source that rotationally drives the coupling member about a rotation axis. Housing the developer around the developing roller arranged opposite to , An electrophotographic apparatus, wherein the developer scatter preventing sheet in contact with the reinforcing layer and the photosensitive layer in the upstream side in the rotational direction of the photosensitive member is mounted than the developing roller.