Xerographic imaging member having photoconductive material in interlocking continuous paths

Claim 1

A XEROGRAPHIC IMAGING MEMBER WHICH INCLUDES A PHOTOCONDUCTIVE INSULATING LAYER, SAID LAYER COMPRISING AN ELECTRICALLY INSULATING ORGANIC RESIN MATRIX AND A PHOTOCONDUCTIVE MATERIAL IN THE FORM OF A MATRIX OF ELECTRICALLY ACTIVE ORGANIC MATERIAL CONTAINING FINELY DIVIDED PHOTOCONDUCTIVE PARTICLES THEREIN, SAID ELECTRICALLY INSULATING ORGANIC RESIN MATRIX AND SAID ELECTRICALLY ACTIVE ORGANIC MATERIAL BEING NOT SUBSTANTIALLY MISCIBLE OR SOLUBLE IN EACH OTHER, SAID ELECTRICALLY ACTIVE ORGANIC MATERIAL BEING SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSPARENT TO IMAGING LIGHT, SAID ELECTRICALL ACTICE ORGANIC MATERIAL CAPABLE OF ACCEPTING INJECTION OF PHOTO-EXCITED CARRIERS AND ALLOWING TRANSPORT OF SAID CARRIERS THROUGH SAID MATERIAL, SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE PHOTOCONDUCTIVE MATERIAL IN SAID MEMBER BEING IN THE FORM OF A MULTIPLICITY OF INTERLOCKING PHOTOCONDUCTIVE CONTINUOUS PATHS THROUGH THE THICKNESS OF SAID LAYER, SAID PHOTOCONDUCTIVE PATHS BEING PRESENT IN A VOLUME CONCENTRATION, BASED ON THE VOLUME OF SAID LAYER, OF FROM ABOUT 1 TO 25 PERCENT, WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID LAYER COMPRISING ORGANIC RESIN MATERIAL.

Claim 9

A method of imaging which comprises: a. providing a xerographic imaging member which includes a photoconductive insulating layer, said layer comprising an electrically insulating organic resin matrix and a photoconductive material in the form of a matrix of electrically active organic material containing finely divided photoconductive particles therein, said electrically insulating organic resin matrix and said electrically active organic material being not substantially miscible or soluble in each other, said electrically active organic material being substantially transparent to imaging light, said electrically active organic material capable of accepting injection of photo-excited carriers and allowing transport of said carriers through said material, substantially all of the photoconductive material in said member being in the form of a multiplicity of interlocking photoconductive continuous paths through the thickness of said layer, said photoconductive paths being present in a volume concentration, based on the volume of said layer, of from about 1 to 25 percent, with the outer surface of said layer comprising organic resin material; b. forming a developable latent electrostatic image on said member; and c. developing said latent image to form a visible image.

Claim 10

A method of imaging which comprises: a. providing a xerographic imaging member which includes a photoconductive insulating layer, said layer comprising an electrically insulating organic resin matrix and a photoconductive material in the form of a matrix of electrically active organic material containing finely divided photoconductive particles therein, said electrically insulating organic resin matrix and said electrically active organic material being not substantially miscible or soluble in each other, said electrically active organic material being substantially transparent to imaging light, said electrically active organic material capable of accepting injection of photo-excited carriers and allowing transport of said carriers through said material, substantially all of the photoconductive material in said member being in the form of a multiplicity of interlocking photoconductive continuous paths through the thickness of said layer, said photoconductive paths being present in a volume concentration, based on the volume of said layer, of from about 1 to 25 percent, with the outer surface of said layer comprising organic resin material; b. forming a developable latent electrostatic image on said member; and c. developing said latent image to form a visible image.

Claim 11

A method of imaging which comprises: a. providing a xerographic imaging member which includes a supporting substrate having thereon a photoconductive insulating layer, said layer comprising an electrically insulating organic resin matrix containing therein photoconductive particles, said photoconductive particles being made up of a core member whIch comprises at least one photoconductive particle and an outer shell portion which comprises an electrically active organic material, said electrically insulating organic resin matrix and said electrically active organic material being not substantially miscible or soluble in each other, said electrically active organic material being substantially transparent to imaging light, said electrically active organic material being capable of accepting injection of photo-excited carriers and allowing transport of said carriers through said material, substantially all of the photoconductive particles being in substantial particle-to-particle contact in said member in the form of a multiplicity of interlocking photoconductive paths through the thickness of said layer, said photoconductive paths being present in a volume concentration, based on the volume of said layer, of from about 1 to 25 percent, with the outer surface of said layer comprising organic resin material; b. uniformly electrostatically charging said member, c. exposing said member to a pattern of activating radiation to form a latent electrostatic image; and d. developing said latent image to form a visible image.

Claim 12

A method of imaging which comprises: a. providing a xerographic imaging member which includes a supporting substrate having thereon a photoconductive insulating layer, said layer comprising an electrically insulating organic resin matrix containing therein photoconductive particles, said photoconductive particles being made up of a core member whIch comprises at least one photoconductive particle and an outer shell portion which comprises an electrically active organic material, said electrically insulating organic resin matrix and said electrically active organic material being not substantially miscible or soluble in each other, said electrically active organic material being substantially transparent to imaging light, said electrically active organic material being capable of accepting injection of photo-excited carriers and allowing transport of said carriers through said material, substantially all of the photoconductive particles being in substantial particle-to-particle contact in said member in the form of a multiplicity of interlocking photoconductive paths through the thickness of said layer, said photoconductive paths being present in a volume concentration, based on the volume of said layer, of from about 1 to 25 percent, with the outer surface of said layer comprising organic resin material; b. uniformly electrostatically charging said member, c. exposing said member to a pattern of activating radiation to form a latent electrostatic image; and d. developing said latent image to form a visible image.