JPS62299855A - Manufacture of electrophotographic sensitive body - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To form an adhered layer without sticking adhesive liquid on the dipped-side end part and inner peripheral part of a substrate by providing a covering member for the prevention of adhesive liquid sticking in an area extending from one end edge of a cylindrical base to the outer peripheral part and inner peripheral part of the base and dipping the base in the adhesive liquid from one end edge side. CONSTITUTION:The part of a stepped cylinder part 21 which is smaller than the internal diameter of the base is fitted in the base. Further, an adhesive tape 31 is stuck on the periphery of the abutting part between the edge of the base and the end part 21a of the stepped cylinder part over the outer peripheral surfaces of the end part of the base 11 and the end part 21a of the stepped cylinder part to prevent the adhesive liquid from entering the inside from the gap of the abutting part. The base 11. etc., is dipped slowly in a tank 81 which contains the adhesive liquid from the side of the end part 21a. The base 11 is dipped normally by about 0.5-1cm from its upper end although the dipping depth varies with design. Then, the adhesive tape 31 is peeled off and the stepped cylinder part is removed. Consequently, no adhesive film is formed on the internal surface of the base 11 of a photosensitive body.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention 3. Detailed Description of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) This invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor, and in particular, it relates to a method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor, and in particular, it relates to a method of manufacturing a photoreceptor substrate using a dip coating method. The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electronic rtJ photosensitive body by forming adhesion layers such as a photosensitive layer and a photosensitive layer.

(Prior art) Photoreceptors used in electronic photoconductors are used in electronic copying machines, laser printers, etc.
It is disclosed in various documents including Publication No. 8.

Recently, there has been a trend toward the use of functionally separated photoreceptors that have a laminated structure in which charge generation and charge transport are shared by each layer. It is provided with an adhesion layer such as a resin layer or a photosensitive layer provided on the sheet. A detailed explanation of the structure of the photoreceptor and the materials used therein will be omitted, but suitable materials such as aluminum are used as the substrate, and suitable materials are used for forming the adhesion layer. Depending on the design of the photoreceptor, for example, a deposition liquid containing various resins such as polyester or a charge generating substance such as indium phthalocyanine in an organic solvent or the like is used.

Various methods have been proposed for manufacturing such electrophotographic photoreceptors.

Among them, the dip coating method can be said to be one of the superior manufacturing methods when considering productivity, cost, quality of the photoreceptor after manufacturing, etc.

In this dip coating method, the substrate of an electrophotographic photoreceptor is immersed in a coating liquid for forming a resin layer as an undercoat layer, and then the substrate is pulled up at a specified speed to coat the surface of the substrate with the coating liquid. is applied. According to this method, the deposited liquid can be seamlessly formed into a uniform film on the surface of the substrate, and each photosensitive layer, such as a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer, can be further coated on this resin layer. It is possible to sequentially laminate layers using a liquid. Therefore, it is considered to be a method suitable for manufacturing a cylindrical electrophotographic photoreceptor.

By the way, the outer periphery of both ends of the base of the photoreceptor for photographic use is usually subjected to conductive treatment, or for the purpose of maintaining a constant distance between the base and, for example, a developing device. Since various abutting objects and the like are brought into contact with each other, it is preferable that no adhesion layer, ie, a resin layer, a photosensitive layer, etc., be formed in this portion.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing a preferred electrophotographic photoreceptor; in this case, an area other than the band-shaped portions 11a and llb at both ends of a cylindrical base 11 having openings at both ends. An adhesion layer 13 such as a resin layer or a photosensitive layer is formed in the area except for.

However, when manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor using the above-mentioned dip coating method, generally, one end of a substrate 11 having openings at both ends as shown in FIG. 6 is held and the other end of this substrate 11 is It is immersed from the side into the adhering liquid up to a predetermined position.

When such a substrate 11 is used, since the substrate 11 is hollow, there is an advantage that the change in the liquid level of the adhered liquid before and after the substrate 11 is immersed in the adhered liquid is small, but if no countermeasure is taken. However, as shown in FIG. 7, there was a drawback that the coating liquid 13 was also applied to the immersed end of the substrate 11. Further, when the 111 body 11 is immersed in the adherend liquid, the adherend liquid may also be applied to the inner surface side (inside the cylinder) of the base body 11, thereby changing the inner diameter dimension of the base body 11. When such a dimensional change occurs, it becomes impossible to insert a shaft for connection to a drive source for rotating the base body 11 into the inner surface of the base body 11.

In order to improve these drawbacks, various methods have been proposed in the past when using the dip coating method.

For example, according to the method proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-170858, after dip coating is completed, the coated liquid (coating film) on the edge of the substrate is coated before it dries. The paint film in this area is mechanically removed by rubbing a flexible plate.

Further, if necessary, a solvent that dissolves the coating film is used in combination with the above-mentioned plate to remove the coating film.

Furthermore, according to a method proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 60-168154, a substrate with one end closed is immersed in the adherent liquid from the other end to reduce the amount of adherend liquid that enters the inside of the substrate. The adhered liquid that has entered some areas is removed by the solvent that flows out from the nozzle.

Furthermore, in order to prevent the deposited liquid from penetrating the inner surface of the substrate, a method as shown in FIG. 8 can be considered. This jig consists of an upper end coating jig 17a and a first end coating jig 17b which are respectively provided at the openings at both ends of the base I+ via packings 15 such as O-rings, and these coating jigs are connected to each other at both ends of the base. The I-1' application jig prevents the adhered liquid from entering the inside of the base 11.

In addition, in the dip coating method, in order to obtain a uniform photoreceptor with good yield, changes in the surface of the deposited liquid before and after the substrate is immersed in the deposited liquid cannot be ignored. For this reason,
As in the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 0-158456, the level of the deposited liquid is detected by a level detector before the substrate is immersed, and the height of the liquid level is always kept constant. Alternatively, the height of the liquid level is always kept constant by causing the deposited liquid to overflow. This method covers a base that is cylindrical and has one end closed, or a base that has both ends closed with a jig as already explained using FIG. This is effective when the liquid level changes significantly before and after immersion, such as when immersing in liquid.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, as mentioned above, conventional techniques such as mechanically removing unnecessary deposits on both ends of the substrate and removing deposits on the inner surface of the substrate with a solvent The method requires 1 for removal, and 11Q for adhesion necessary for the photoreceptor.
The solvent may also affect the parts, which raises the problem of increasing manufacturing costs and lowering reliability.

Furthermore, when using a substrate with one end closed and a substrate with both ends closed, it is certainly possible to reduce and prevent the coating liquid from entering the inner surface of the substrate, but There was a problem in that the level of the liquid that landed on the liquid varied greatly. Therefore, in order to cause the adhered liquid to overflow and maintain the level of the liquid at a constant level, the amount of overflow liquid must be increased, which results in an increase in the size of the apparatus.

Further, when a jig as shown in FIG. 8 is actually used, the liquid adheres to the outer periphery of the end on the side where the substrate is immersed, so a step of removing this is necessary. Furthermore, the base 1
1 and the coating jigs 17a and 17b, it becomes difficult to remove the coating jigs, and cleaning the coating jigs itself after use is time-consuming, but it is also easy to remove the gasket. The problem was that it wasn't.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to immerse a substrate in a liquid to which it is applied, without causing the liquid to adhere to the end of the immersed side of the substrate and the inner circumference of the substrate. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor that can form an adherent layer.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve this object, according to the method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention, a cylindrical substrate is immersed in an adhering liquid, and an adhering layer is applied to the substrate. When producing an electrophotographic photoreceptor by forming a cylindrical substrate, a layer is applied to prevent liquid from adhering to an area extending from the bottom edge of the cylindrical substrate to the outer and inner peripheries of the substrate. The present invention is characterized in that a cover member is provided, and the base body provided with the cover member is immersed in the above-mentioned adherent liquid from the above-mentioned one end edge side.

The above-mentioned cover member used in the present invention has openings at both ends, and the outside diameter of one end is substantially the same as the outside diameter of the base body described above, and the outside diameter of the other end is substantially the same as that of the base body. a stepped cylindrical portion whose outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the aforementioned base;
It is preferable to use an adhesive tape. The stepped cylindrical portion may be made of metal or other suitable material, but it is also possible to use materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, etc., which have excellent resistance to organic solvents and are inexpensive. Furthermore, it is preferable to coat at least the inner surface of the stepped cylindrical portion with a material such as polytetrafluoroethylene (hereinafter referred to as Teflon (trade name of DuPont)) that is difficult to adhere to. It is. Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a taper on the inner circumferential surface of the stepped cylindrical portion on the end side where the outer diameter increases, in order to improve the flow of the deposited liquid when the substrate is pulled up after dip coating.

In addition, if the base body is a cylinder with both ends open]1, it is preferable that the total length of the stepped cylindrical portion, which is smaller than the inner diameter of the base body by 1-measure, be longer than the total length of the base body. .

When manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor using such a stepped cylindrical part, the part of the stepped cylindrical part that is smaller than the inner diameter (J-method) of the above-mentioned base is fitted into the above-mentioned base, and then, The end edge of this base body and the abutment part with this stepped cylindrical part are covered with the above-mentioned adhesive tape over the mutual outer peripheral surfaces of these base body and stepped cylindrical part.Then, the base body is attached from this end side. It is preferable to immerse the substrate in the liquid to which the other end is partially exposed, and then pull the substrate out of the liquid at a prescribed speed.

(Function) The covering member for preventing adhesion of liquid used in the method of manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention covers the outer periphery of at least one end of the substrate and the edge (bottom) of this end. , and the inner periphery of the base body to prevent the deposited liquid from adhering to this region.

In addition, if a base body with both ends open and the above-mentioned step A 1 cylindrical part with both ends open is used, the base body and cover member are pipe-shaped, so it is difficult to remove them. Even if it is immersed in the adhered liquid, the change in the height of the liquid level can be reduced.

Also, it is very easy to attach the stepped cylinder and the adhesive tape to the base and to remove them from the base.

In addition, by coating the inner surface of the stepped cylindrical part with Teflon, it becomes difficult for the adhered liquid to adhere to this surface, so that the adhered liquid adhering to the stepped cylindrical part can be easily cleaned after the adhered layer is formed. I can do it. Furthermore, if the stepped cylindrical portion is made of polyethylene or the like, it is inexpensive and the cover member can be made disposable. Furthermore, by providing a taper on the stepped cylindrical portion, it is believed that the deposited liquid flows up uniformly when the substrate is pulled up after immersion, and a uniform deposited film can be obtained.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the method for manufacturing an electro-photographic photoreceptor of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. It should be noted that these figures are only schematic representations to the extent that the present invention can be understood, and the method, shape, and arrangement relationship of each component are not limited to the illustrated examples. Furthermore, in these figures, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals.

The present invention relates to a method for producing an electrophotographic photoreceptor by immersing a cylindrical substrate in an adhering liquid to form an adhesion layer on the substrate, in which at least one end of the cylindrical substrate is immersed in an adhering liquid. A covering member for preventing adhesion of a liquid is provided in a region extending from the edge to the outer circumference and inner circumference of the base, and the base is immersed in the liquid from the end side where the cover member is provided. For example, it forms an undercoat layer, a charge generation layer, a charge transport layer, etc.

Figure 1 (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the basic structure of a cover member suitable for use in the electrophotographic photoreceptor manufacturing method of the present invention and the arrangement relationship between the cover member and the photoreceptor substrate. It is.

In FIG. 1(A), reference numeral 11 indicates a cylindrical base having openings at both ends. 21 is a cylindrical part that is a part of the cover member, and in this case has openings at both ends.
The outer diameter of the base 11 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the base 11 (and the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion other than this end 21a). The inner diameter (indicated by φ2) is smaller than the inner diameter of the base body 11.
In this case, the total length of the portion of the stepped cylindrical portion 21 that is smaller than the inner diameter of the base body 11 is made longer than the total length of the base body 11. Further, 23 indicates a hanging part for hanging the base body and the stepped cylindrical part, and 3I indicates an adhesive tape which is a part of the covering member.

Further, this stepped cylindrical portion 21 is formed by fitting a portion of the cylindrical portion smaller than the inner diameter of the aforementioned base body into the inside of the aforementioned base body. Further, around the abutting portion between the edge of the base body and the end portion 21a of the stepped cylindrical portion, the above-mentioned material is applied over the outer circumferential surfaces of the end portion of the base body 11 and the end portion 21a of the stepped cylindrical portion. Adhesive tape 31 is pasted to prevent the adhered liquid from entering through the gap between the abutting portions. As this adhesive tape, it is preferable to use a material with excellent solvent resistance such as polyimide, Teflon, etc. In this case,
Polyimide tape with adhesive (manufactured by Nitto Denko) was used.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an example of a coating apparatus suitable for use in the dip coating method.

The old one is the tank containing the deposited liquid, 82 is part of the deposited liquid overflow, 83 is the deposited liquid circulation pump, 84 is the filter,
85 is a sub tank for the deposited liquid, 86 is a stirrer for the deposited liquid, 87
Reference numeral 88 indicates a coating liquid supplying vibrator, 88 indicates a diluting liquid supplying vibration for the coating liquid, and 89 indicates a substrate holding portion of a coating device for raising and lowering the substrate. The formation of an adhesion layer for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor will be explained with reference to this figure. It is clear that the method of the present invention can be realized not only by this coating device but also by using other suitable devices.

The base body 11 and cover member 21 (hereinafter abbreviated as the base body 11 etc.) as described above are fixed to the base body holding part 89 of the coating device via the hanging part 23. Next, the substrate 11 and the like are gently immersed from the end portion 21a side into the tank 81 containing the adherend liquid. Although it varies depending on the design, the substrate II is usually immersed to a position of 0.5 to 1 cmF from one end. Thereafter, by pulling up the substrate 11 etc. at a prescribed speed, an adhered layer such as a resin layer, a charge generation layer, a charge transport layer, etc. can be obtained with a constant thickness. By changing the type of depositing liquid and performing the same operation, various deposited layers can be laminated.

Thereafter, the adhesive tape 31 is peeled off and the stage A-1 cylindrical portion is removed. No adhesion film was formed on the inner surface of the substrate 11 of the photoreceptor obtained by such a method, and furthermore, no adhesion film was formed on the area where the adhesive tape 31 was attached and the area on the edge of the substrate that was not soaked. Since no film is formed, a desired electrophotographic photoreceptor as already explained in FIG. 5 can be easily obtained.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1(B), by adding a bar to the inner surface of the end portion 21a of the stepped cylindrical portion 21,
After the substrate 11, etc. is immersed in the deposited liquid, the flow of the deposited liquid when it is pulled out will occur as shown below, so the thickness of the deposited film can be made uniform. I can do it. For this purpose, it is conceivable to make the lower end of the stepped cylindrical part a downwardly convex conical shape (see Fig. 1 (C)), but with such a structure, the cylindrical It becomes impossible for the department to become independent. On the other hand, this example is explained in Figure 1 (
If the substrate is as shown in B), the substrate It etc. can be easily made to stand on its own, so that workability in manufacturing the photoreceptor can be improved.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a cover member and a base body for explaining a second embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, in addition to the same configuration as in embodiment 1, a covering member is provided between the stepped cylindrical portion 21 and the end of the base 11 on the opposite side from the side to be immersed in the adhering liquid. An upper end fixing jig 33 is provided which also serves as a section, and an adhesive tape 31 is further provided so as to cover the gap between the fixing jig 33 and the base 11.
It is pasted. With this configuration, the base 11 and the like can be immersed in the adhered liquid up to the vicinity of the toe end of the fixing jig 33. The adherend layer formed by the dip coating method 1i is usually thick at the beginning of coating and gradually becomes thinner, and the thickness becomes constant from 1 to 4 cm away from the coating start position. Therefore, the adhesion layer that can actually be used as a photoreceptor is located 2 to 5 crn from the edge toward the center. However, as in this example, if the deposited film is also formed on the fixing jig part, the film thickness will be uneven in this part, so the deposited film on the substrate should be kept at a constant thickness. It can be made into Therefore, in the past, it was not possible to use the photosensitive layer in a portion of 3 to 6 am out of the total length of the substrate for a photoconductor, but with this embodiment, it is possible to use the photoconductor up to the vicinity of both ends of the substrate. . Therefore, it is possible to shorten the total length of the photoreceptor, and it is also possible to downsize the device in which the photoreceptor is mounted.

[-Since the base body and cover member used in the first and second embodiments as described above both have a hollow structure, when the base body 11 etc. is immersed in the tank fi+ containing the adherend liquid, It is possible to reduce the change in the liquid level of the deposited liquid in the tank during flashing. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of deposited liquid that overflows. As a result, the amount of circulation of the deposited liquid can be reduced, and it is also possible to prevent defects in the deposited layer due to bubbles in the deposited liquid caused by air entrainment in the piping.

Razor Fork 1 FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a base body and a cover member for explaining a third embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the base body 11 is closed at one end. In such a case, if the base body 11 is immersed in the adherend liquid from the opening side, the adherend liquid will only penetrate to a certain position within the base body due to the influence of the air inside the base body 11. Therefore, even if the total length of the stepped cylindrical portion 21 is shorter than the total length of the base, the liquid will not adhere to the inner periphery of the base. Furthermore, if the end of the substrate 11 on the side that is not immersed in the adherent liquid is covered with adhesive tape as in the first embodiment, the adherend liquid will adhere to the end of the substrate as in the first embodiment. This can be prevented.

However, in the case of such a substrate, the liquid level of the deposited liquid changes greatly before and after the substrate is immersed.

Furthermore, by coating the inner surface of the stepped cylindrical part used in each of the above-mentioned examples with Teflon coating, it becomes difficult for the adhering liquid to adhere to this surface. Adhering liquid can be easily cleaned.

Furthermore, if the stepped cylindrical portion is made of polyethylene or the like, it is inexpensive and the cover member can be made disposable.

Furthermore, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the stepped cylindrical part is described as an integral cylindrical part, but the present invention can also be modified, for example, by dividing it into two parts at the stepped part, or by making it thinner toward the upper end. The shape and structure can be changed within the scope of the purpose.

Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to various materials including those conventionally used in electrophotographic photoreceptors, regardless of the materials of the substrate and the coating liquid.

Furthermore, the cover member according to the present invention can also be applied to the manufacture of products that require a structure similar to this electrophotographic photoreceptor.

(Effects of the Invention) As is clear from the above description, the covering member for preventing adhesion of adhered liquid used in the method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention has an outer circumference of at least one end of the substrate. , to cover the region extending between the edge (bottom) on the end side and the inner peripheral portion of the base body to prevent the adhered liquid from adhering to this region.

Further, the cover member as described in the embodiments is very easy to attach and detach, and can fully achieve its purpose as a cover member.

Therefore, when a substrate is immersed in a coating liquid, an electrophotographic photosensitive material can form an adhesive layer without adhering the coating liquid to the immersed end of the substrate and the inner circumference of the substrate. It is possible to provide a method for manufacturing a body.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1A to 1C are cross-sectional views showing the arrangement relationship between a cover member and a photoreceptor substrate for explaining a first embodiment of the method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor according to the present invention; 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a dip coating apparatus for explaining the method of manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention; FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a second embodiment of the method of manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a third embodiment of the method for producing an electrophotographic photoreceptor according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a preferred electrophotographic photoreceptor, and FIG. 6 is a photoreceptor for electrophotography. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a conventional photoreceptor after dip coating has been completed. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional dip coating jig. 11--Base 21--Covering member (stepped cylindrical part) 23--Hanging part 31--Covering member (adhesive tape) 33--(N member) top end fixing jig. Patent applicant Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. TLF Saipi 1 Jaku no 8, Tatank δ6. 12 a
Overflow into the pickle (P δ74 peel 1 drop A
System combination via ``δ3 Ebi brochure''
δ and 4 anti-1 fan's zero and the remaining liquid is taken away ha・zu7 δ4
) Zuruta δq Name of a certain seijo of saliva and equipment? δy & Retankushi Reception Niomachi Yoshishi 1yt-'s Blind Rabbit Ashizuki 2] Fig. 2 33 N1, Sound Recording Hajizui Solid Transport Field Tools) This Invention's Second Implementation y'1 Fortune Aimei m No. 3 Figure 2 Invention 3・4 Kushirogen No. 5
Figure 6 A dog in winter (4 cows with heather in mind) Figure 7

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) When producing an electrophotographic photoreceptor by immersing a cylindrical substrate in an adhering liquid to form an adhesion layer on the substrate, from at least one edge of the cylindrical substrate to the outer periphery of the substrate. A method for producing an electrophotographic photoreceptor, comprising: providing a cover member for preventing adhesion of a liquid to a region extending from the inner circumferential portion thereof to the inner peripheral portion; and immersing the substrate in the liquid from the one edge side. (2) The cover member has openings at both ends, the outer diameter of one end is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the base, and the outer diameter of the other end is the same as the base. A stepped cylindrical part having a size smaller than the inner diameter of the base body and an adhesive tape, and after the stepped cylindrical part is fitted to the base body, the end edge of the base body and the stepped cylindrical part covering the abutting portions of the substrate and the stepped cylindrical portion with the adhesive tape over their mutual outer circumferential surfaces, and then immersing the substrate in the adherent liquid from the one edge side. A method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1. (3) The method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 2, wherein the inner peripheral surface of the stepped cylindrical portion is coated with polytetrafluoroethylene. (4) The method for manufacturing an electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the stepped cylindrical portion is made of polyethylene. (5) The stepped cylindrical portion according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein a taper is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the end portion where the outer diameter increases. A method for manufacturing a photoreceptor for electrophotography.