Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.

Kiyoshi Hikima

Noriaki Kawata

A cylindrical tubular substrate for an electrophotographic photoconductor is made of a conductive resin. The substrate is smoothly rotatable about its axis of rotation, securely grounded, and easily and inexpensively manufactured. It has a cylindrical tube portion and a flange portion with a gear and a shaft through-hole. These portions can be integrated as a unit of a material containing an electrically conductive resin as the main component. Alternatively, the shaft is integrated unitarily with the substrate by single-step molding. Or further, a flange, made of a resin with high sliding wear resistance and with a gear and a shaft through-hole, or a previously molded flange made of a resin with high sliding wear resistance and with a gear and a shaft insert-molded to the flange, with an electric conductor, is disposed in an assembling molding step at an end of a cylindrical tube made essentially of a conductive resin.

Substrate for an electrophotographic photoconductor

An organic photosensitive member for electrophotography is formed of a cylindrical supporting member and an organic photosensitive layer on an outer surface of the supporting member. The supporting member is formed of a material of 10.sup.4 ohm.cm in volume resistivity containing a cross-linking type polyphenylenesulfide resin as a main component, and a highly conductive carbon black of 10.sup.-1 ohm.cm or less in volume resistivity. Thus, the supporting member has a light weight with good productivity and good chemical and thermal resistance. The supporting member can be made with dimensional accuracy despite its thin and long shape, and also has a uniform surface roughness, stable surface quality and good adhesion.

Method of manufacturing a cylindrical supporting member for

Cylindrical tubular substrates for an electrophotographic conductor can be made with different lengths from an injection-molded plastic cylindrical mother tube. The length of the mother tube is sufficient for the greatest desired length. The mother tube has a slanting inner surface which facilitates removal of the tube from the molding die, and non-slanting inner end surfaces which can be stepped. The desired length is obtained by cutting the mother tube across one of the steps. The resulting non-slanting inner end surface of the substrate provides a spigot joint for tightly receiving a flange.

Method of manufacturing a cylindrical substrate for electrophotography

An organic photosensitive member for electrophotography is formed of a cylindrical supporting member and an organic photosensitive layer on an outer surface of the supporting member. The supporting member is formed of a material of 10.sup.4 ohm.multidot.cm in volume resistivity containing a cross-linking type polyphenylenesulfide resin as a main component, and a highly conductive carbon black of 10.sup.1 ohm.multidot.cm or less in volume resistivity. Thus, the supporting member has a light weight with good productivity and good chemical and thermal resistance. The supporting member can be made with dimensional accuracy despite its thin and long shape, and also has a uniform surface roughness, stable surface quality and good adhesion.

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Saitama, Japan

Kiyoshi Hikima