Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Tetsuo Hino

Kazuhiro Yamauchi

Kenji Takashima

Sotomitsu Ikeda

Yuichi Kikuchi

Norifumi Muranaka

Jun Yamamoto

Sakae Suda

Satoru Nishioka

Masaki Yamada

Satoru Yamada

Takayuki Teshima

Takumi Furukawa

Kaori Yasufuku

Masahiro Watanabe

Hiroaki Watanabe

Yuya Tomomizu

Masafumi Kyogaku

Kenya Terada

Mikio Shimada

Naoyuki Koketsu

Toshimitsu Nakazawa

Yasuhiro Fushimoto

Akiko Takei

Amita Goyal

Hiroshi Inoue

Yukio Hanyu

Masaaki Shibata

Koji Otsuka

Masaki Imoto

Provided is an electrophotographic electro-conductive member including a support having an electro-conductive outer surface, and an electro-conductive layer. The electro-conductive layer has a matrix containing a crosslinked product of a first rubber and domains containing a crosslinked product of a second rubber and an electron conductive agent. When measuring an impedance by applying alternating voltage between the outer surface of the support and a platinum electrode on an outer surface of the electro-conductive layer while changing a frequency, a slope at specific frequencies is &#x2212;0.8 to &#x2212;0.3 in a double logarithmic plot, and an impedance at specific frequency range is 1.0&#xd7;10&#x3a9; to 1.0&#xd7;10&#x3a9;. When measuring an impedance by applying alternating voltage between the outer surface of the support and a platinum electrode on an outer surface of the electrophotographic electro-conductive member while changing a frequency, an impedance at specific frequency range is 1.0&#xd7;10&#x3a9; to 1.0&#xd7;10&#x3a9;.

Electrophotographic electro-conductive member, process cartridge, and electrophotographic image forming device

An electroconductive elastic body includes: a cross-linked product of a first ionic electro-conductive rubber, a cross-linked product of a second ionic electro-conductive rubber, and at least one of a fatty acid and a fatty acid metal salt; wherein the electroconductive elastic body has a matrix that includes the cross-linked product of the first ionic electro-conductive rubber, and a domain that includes the cross-linked product of the second ionic electro-conductive rubber; the cross-linked product of the second ionic electro-conductive rubber includes a polyether skeleton; an electrical resistance of the domain is lower than an electrical resistance of the matrix; in a waveform separation profile of the elastic body as obtained by a small-angle X-ray scattering method, A2 and A1 satisfy a relationship expressed by the following expression (1):0.005&#x2264;(2&#xd7;2/1&#xd7;1)&#x2264;0.030&#x2003;&#x2003;(1).

Electroconductive elastic body, electrophotographic member, process cartridge, and electrophotographic image-forming apparatus

An electro-conductive layer of an electrophotographic electro-conductive member has a matrix-domain structure. The matrix contains a first rubber. The domain contains a second rubber and electro-conductive particles. Where &#x3bc; represents an average of ratios of the cross-sectional area of the electro-conductive particles contained in each of the domains to the cross-sectional area of each of the domains appearing on a cross-section of the electro-conductive layer in a thickness direction, and &#x3c3; represents a standard deviation of the ratios, &#x3c3;/&#x3bc; is 0 or more and 0.4 or less, and &#x3bc; is 20% or more and 40% or less. At least eight of samples with a first cubic shape 9 &#x3bc;m on a side, which are sampled at arbitrary nine positions on the electro-conductive layer, satisfy the specified condition.

Electro-conductive member, method for producing same, process cartridge and electrophotographic image forming apparatus

An electrophotographic developing member includes an electro-conductive support and an electro-conductive layer provided on the support, wherein the electro-conductive layer has a matrix containing a first rubber and a plurality of domains dispersed in the matrix, and the domain contains a second rubber and an electronic conductive agent and when a frequency is log-log-plotted on a horizontal axis and an impedance is log-log-plotted on a vertical axis with respect to an impedance measured by applying an alternating current voltage having an amplitude of 1 V on the electro-conductive layer while changing a frequency between 1.0&#xd7;10Hz to 1.0&#xd7;10Hz under a specific environment, an inclination of an impedance on a high frequency side is &#x2212;0.8 or more and &#x2212;0.3 or less and an impedance on a low frequency side is 1.0&#xd7;10&#x3a9; to 1.0&#xd7;10&#x3a9;.

Developing member, process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus

Provided is a polymer nanofiber sheet having high delamination resistance, a high mechanical strength, and a high specific surface area. Specifically, provided is a polymer nanofiber sheet, including polymer nanofibers, the polymer nanofibers being laminated and three-dimensionally entangled with each other, in which: at least part of the polymer nanofibers are crosslinked at a crosslinked part having crosslinking portions and a non-crosslinking portion; and the crosslinked part contains a low-molecular weight epoxy compound having a molecular weight of from 100 to 3,000.

Method of producing a polymer nanofiber sheet

Provided is a rubber composition for producing a rubber molded article that is improved in fouling resistance while being reduced in tackiness and frictional force despite the presence of the rubber in its surface. The rubber composition includes: a rubber A; and a plastic B, in which: the rubber A includes a non-fluorine-based rubber material; a difference in elastic modulus between the rubber A and the plastic B is 50 MPa or more; a sea-island structure having a sea portion containing the rubber A and a plurality of island portions each containing the plastic B is formed; the plastic B is contained at a content of more than 0 vol % and 50 vol % or less with respect to a total amount of the rubber A and the plastic B; and 90% or more of the plurality of island portions each have a volume of 4,000 &#x3bc;mor less.

Rubber composition

Provided is a sliding member, which is reduced in friction under sliding conditions of high load and high speed under an oilless condition, and is excellent in wear resistance. The sliding member includes: a shaft; and at least one intervening member, in which: the at least one intervening member is located between the shaft and a bearing, and is operable independently of the shaft; and at least one surface of the at least one intervening member on a shaft side includes a sliding surface under one of a radial load and an axial load.

Sliding member and sliding mechanism

A polymer nanofiber sheet including polymer nanofibers having a polymer, the polymer nanofibers being accumulated and three dimensionally entangled. The polymer nanofiber sheet has a low molecular weight organic compound containing at least one 4- or higher-membered ring structure with an ether linkage. The difference between the average solubility parameter of the polymer and the average solubility parameter of the low molecular weight organic compound is less than 8 (J/cm).

Polymer nanofiber sheet and method for producing the same

Provided is a nanofiber sheet that has a high mechanical strength, is excellent in durability, and has a high specific surface area. The nanofiber sheet includes: a plurality of nanofibers; and a bulk portion produced by bonding of the nanofibers, in which 7&#xd7;10portion/&#x3bc;mor more of the bulk portion satisfying the following formula is contained:0.5&#x3c0;&#x2264;5 &#x3bc;m&#x2003;&#x2003;(1)where X represents a diameter (&#x3bc;m) of each of the nanofibers and Y represents an area (&#x3bc;m) of an inscribed circle of the bulk portion when viewed from a surface.

Nanofiber sheet and method of producing the sheet

Provided is a nanofiber accumulated body having a high mechanical strength and excellent in durability, the polymer nanofiber accumulated body including polymer nanofibers each containing a polymer material, the polymer nanofibers being accumulated and three-dimensionally entangled with each other to form the accumulated body, in which: the polymer nanofibers each have a fiber diameter of 3 &#x3bc;m or less; and the polymer nanofibers each contain 5 wt % to 30 wt % of a low-molecular weight organic compound having at least one &#x3b1;,&#x3b2;-unsaturated ester structure, with respect to a total weight of the polymer nanofibers.

Polymer nanofiber accumulated body and method of producing the same

A polymer nanofiber structural body of the present invention is a polymer nanofiber structural body in which polymer nanofibers are integrated, including a first layer and a second layer different from each other in polymer nanofiber existence ratio, in which: both the first layer and the second layer are laminated through a buffer region; the buffer region includes a region in direct contact with both the first layer and the second layer; and a polymer nanofiber existence ratio of the region continuously changes from a polymer nanofiber existence ratio of the first layer to a polymer nanofiber existence ratio of the second layer in a direction from the first layer to the second layer.

Polymer nanofiber structural body and method of producing the same

Provided is a glossy member, including: a polymer substrate; and a polymer fiber assembly disposed on the polymer substrate, in which: the polymer fiber assembly has polymer fibers oriented in a given direction; an absolute value of a difference between an average solubility parameter of a constituent material for the polymer substrate and an average solubility parameter of a polymer material of the polymer fibers is less than 5 (J/cm); the polymer fibers have an orientation degree of 90% or more; the polymer fibers have fiber diameters of 0.05 &#x3bc;m or more and 5 &#x3bc;m or less; and in at least part of a repeating unit structure in the polymer material, a dipole moment is 0 D or more and 3.50 D or less, and an absolute value of a SOMO is 9 eV or more and 12 eV or less.

Glossy member and method of producing the member

To provide, between separated first sliding surfaces (DLC), a material of which frictional coefficient is higher than that of DLC at a temperature of 25&#xb0; C. and a humidity of 45% as a second sliding surface.

Sliding member, sliding device including sliding member, and electrophotographic image forming apparatus including sliding device

An electroconductive member of the present invention includes an electroconductive support layer and a surface layer formed on the circumference of the electroconductive support layer and having a network structure containing an electroconductive fiber, and the electroconductive fiber has ion conductivity, and has an arithmetic mean value of top 10% fiber diameters of 0.2 &#x3bc;m or more and 15.0 &#x3bc;m or less. The surface layer always satisfies specific conditions.

Electroconductive member for electrophotography, process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus

Provided is an electroconductive member for electrophotography capable of charging an electrically chargeable body stably over a long period of time. The electroconductive member includes an electroconductive support and a surface layer on the electroconductive support. The surface layer has a skeleton that is three-dimensionally continuous and a pore that communicates in a thickness direction, and when any region measuring 150 &#x3bc;m per side of a surface of the surface layer is photographed and equally divided into 60 parts in a vertical direction and 60 parts in a horizontal direction to form 3,600 squares, the number of squares including through holes is 100 or less. The skeleton is non-electroconductive and includes a plurality of particles connected to each other through a neck, and an average value D1 of circle-equivalent diameters of the particles is 0.1 &#x3bc;m or more and 20 &#x3bc;m or less.

Growing community of inventors

Yamato, Japan

Tetsuo Hino