JP4136232B2 - Electrophotographic photoreceptor and method for producing the same - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a photoconductor using contact charging as a surface charging method for an electrophotographic photoconductor and a method for manufacturing the photoconductor, and more particularly to a photoconductor having a cylindrical member inside a photoconductor for suppressing charging noise and a method for manufacturing the photoconductor .
[0002]
[Prior art]
An electrophotographic photoreceptor used in an electrophotographic apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser beam printer needs to be uniformly charged at a predetermined potential on the surface of the photoreceptor in order to perform an electrophotographic process. There is a general charging method using corona discharge as the charging means. Recently, instead of corona discharge, in order to reduce the applied voltage for the purpose of miniaturization and prevention of ozone generation, a contact charging method using roller charging as a charging member has been widely used.
[0003]
The contact charging device is a system in which a charging member is brought into direct contact with the surface of an electrophotographic photoreceptor to charge the surface of the photoreceptor. As such a charging member, there is a brush charging method in which charging is performed by contact with a brush in addition to the roller charging method described above. The advantages of this contact charging method are that the applied voltage is lower than that of the charging device of the corona discharge method, so that the amount of ozone generated is significantly reduced as described above, and the structure of the charging device is relatively simple and compact. One of the problems with such a contact charging method is the frequency of the AC voltage applied so that uniform charging can be obtained even when the rotational speed of the photoconductor is increased to increase the processing speed. When the value is increased, there is a problem of charging noise generated by inducing resonance vibration between the photosensitive member and the charging roller above a certain frequency. (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 4-86682) This sound is very uncomfortable in a normal office, and there is a demand in the product market that this charging noise should be suppressed to a level where the uncomfortable feeling is eliminated.
[0004]
In order to suppress such charging noise, it is known that, for example, a cylindrical member 11 as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 2 may be inserted into the cylinder of the photosensitive member. Such a cylindrical member 11 is in close contact with the inner surface of the photoconductor 4 by using the outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the photoconductor 4 and the slit 1 when inserted into the electrophotographic photoconductor 4 shown in FIG. It has been already described in detail in the following literature that it has vibration sound absorption performance by being fixed and arranged as described above. (JP-A-5-35166, JP-A-5-35167, JP-A-5-35048, JP-A-8-54804)
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The above-mentioned resin cylindrical member is fixed inside the photosensitive member by pressing and fixing using the elastic force based on the slit-shaped notch portion of the resin cylindrical member, so the outer diameter of the cylindrical member before insertion is It is an essential requirement that it is larger than the inner diameter of the cylindrical photoconductor, and the cylindrical member is inserted after the outer diameter of the cylindrical member is reduced in advance before the inner diameter of the photoconductor. However, when the entire length of the cylindrical member is inserted into the photosensitive member, the outer diameter of the cylindrical member cannot be reduced thereafter, so that it has been necessary to push in with a force greater than the frictional force. However, depending on the size, material, or surface roughness of the cylindrical member, a larger frictional force may be generated, which requires a larger insertion force in proportion to the frictional force. It was the above problem.
[0006]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve such problems, and to provide an electrophotographic photoreceptor capable of smooth insertion of a cylindrical member, simplifying an insertion tool, and improving insertion workability, and a method of manufacturing the same. Is.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
Problems of the above production method is a method of manufacturing a cylindrical member comprising Ru electronic photosensitive member to be held inside the photoreceptor, the cylindrical member is a slit-shaped notch which is formed over the entire axial length , the pushing member having a bar portion at least in the axially opposite end portions are formed on and peripheral surface on a plurality formed groove, for engaging the plurality of grooves, radial both axial end portions of the cylindrical member The cylindrical member is contracted in the direction to reduce the outer diameter of the cylindrical member from the inner diameter of the photoconductor, the cylindrical member is inserted into the photoconductor, and the rod portion is pulled out from the both end portions, thereby removing the cylindrical member from the both ends. It is attached and held in a predetermined position on the photosensitive body portion is achieved by Rukoto. Further , the object of the electrophotographic photoreceptor is achieved by the electrophotographic photoreceptor produced by the above production method.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cylindrical member according to the present invention. The slit 2 similar to the cylindrical member 11 of FIG. 2 is provided, and the material is made of resin (polypropylene). Here, resin will be described as a material, but the material is not necessarily resin but may be made of metal, for example.
[0009]
In an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of grooves 32, 33, 34 and 35 are provided on the circumferential surface of the cylindrical member 1. As apparent from FIG. 1, these groove portions are formed at both axial ends of the cylindrical member 1 , and in this embodiment, the grooves are formed by connecting both end portions over the entire axial length of the cylindrical member 1. . FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating the method for manufacturing the photoconductor of the present invention, and shows a state in which the cylindrical member 1 is inserted into the photoconductor 4. 4B and 4C show the details of the pushing member 51 used when the cylindrical member 1 is inserted.
When the cylindrical member 1 is inserted into the photoreceptor 4, as is apparent from FIG. 4A, both sides of the groove portions 32-35 formed at both axial ends of the cylindrical member 1 are provided. From FIG. 4 (a), the rod portion 6 of the push-in member 51 shown by the same hatching portion is fitted, and this rod portion 6 is moved in the direction of the central axis indicated by the arrow in FIG. The outer diameter of the cylindrical member 1 is previously reduced below the inner diameter of the photoconductor 4 and then inserted into the photoconductor 4. According to the embodiment of the present invention, both ends of the cylindrical member 1 are simultaneously contracted in the radial direction by the pushing member 51 so as to be smaller than the inner diameter of the photosensitive member 4, and the inner surface of the photosensitive member 4 and the cylindrical member 1 are in sliding contact. And can be smoothly inserted into the photoreceptor 4 without generating a frictional force.
These grooves 32 to 35 have the function of reducing the outer diameter most when arranged on the circumferential surface symmetrically with respect to the diameter passing through the center of the slit-shaped notch 2 in the cylindrical cross section of the cylindrical member 1. This is preferable because it works effectively. The width of the grooves 32 to 35 is 4 mm, the depth is 3 mm with respect to the resin thickness of 4 mm of the cylindrical member 1, and the length is the entire length of the cylindrical member 1 .
In addition, in the said Example, although the groove part 32-35 showed the Example formed over the axial direction full length of the cylindrical member 1, it is what the cylindrical member 1 fits the rod part 6 of the pushing member 51. Since only the axial end portions are provided, the groove portions 32-35 may be formed at least in the axial end portions, and only the both end portions or the entire axial length can be adopted as necessary.
[0010]
On the other hand, the photoreceptor 4 using the conventional cylindrical member 11 shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 requires a pushing force greater than a frictional force for inserting the cylindrical member 11, and the insertion force is 10 kgf. There was also a problem with sex.
[0011]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the manufacturing method of the photoreceptor of the present invention, the cylindrical member is held inside the photoreceptor, and a slit-shaped notch which is formed over the entire axial length, circumference of the cylindrical member A plurality of grooves formed on the surface and at least both ends in the axial direction are provided , and before inserting the cylindrical member into the photosensitive member, the rod portion of the push-in member is engaged with the grooves on both ends to sensitize the outer diameter. By reducing the inner diameter of the body, the cylindrical member can be smoothly inserted without receiving a frictional force when inserted , and the workability is also improved. And the said manufacturing method can provide the high quality electrophotographic photoreceptor which suppressed the charging noise.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cylindrical member held inside a photoreceptor showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conventional cylindrical member.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing that a cylindrical member is pushed into a conventional photoconductor.
4A is a cross-sectional view showing that a cylindrical member is inserted into the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to the present invention, FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the pushing member, and FIG. 4C is a perspective view of the pushing member. .
[Explanation of symbols]
1: cylindrical member, 2, 21: slit-shaped notch, 32, 33, 34, 35: groove, 4: photoconductor, 5, 51: push-in member, 6: rod.

Claims (2)

The method of manufacturing a cylindrical member comprising Ru electronic photosensitive member to be held inside the photoreceptor, the cylindrical member is a slit-shaped notch which is formed over the entire axial length, at least in both axial end portions and a plurality formed groove in formed and the peripheral surface, the pushing member having a rod portion for engaging the plurality of grooves, the cylindrical contract the axial ends of the cylindrical member in the radial direction The outer diameter of the member is made smaller than the inner diameter of the photoconductor, the cylindrical member is inserted into the photoconductor, and the rod portion is pulled out from the both end portions to bring the cylindrical member into a predetermined position inside the photoconductor. production method of an electrophotographic photoreceptor characterized by Rukoto is attached and held. Claim 1 to that electronic photoreceptor characterized in that it is produced by the manufacturing method described.

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