Abstract: A cleaning blade, including a reed-shaped elastic blade configured to move an edge of the elastic blade on the surface of a member to be cleaned while contacting the edge to the surface thereof to remove a powder therefrom, wherein surface layers harder than the elastic blade are formed on an distal face having the edge as one of its lines facing the member to be cleaned and an proximal face having the edge as one of its lines parallel in a thickness direction of the blade, respectively, and wherein a friction coefficient between the surface layer on the distal face of the blade and the member to be cleaned is lower than that between the surface layer on the proximal face of the blade and the member to be cleaned.

Abstract: A cleaning blade for removing fine particles from a cleaning target by contact with the cleaning target, a method of using the cleaning blade, and an image forming apparatus and process cartridge using the cleaning blade. The cleaning blade includes an elastic blade. A leading edge of the elastic blade includes a friction coefficient of 0.5 or less. The cleaning blade also includes a surface layer that covers the leading edge of the elastic blade. A thickness of the surface layer is between 1 to 50 ?m at a position 50 ?m away from the leading edge, and a hardness of the surface layer is greater hardness than the elastic blade.

Abstract: A cleaning blade, including a reed-shaped elastic blade configured to move an edge of the elastic blade on the surface of a member to be cleaned while contacting the edge to the surface thereof to remove a powder therefrom, wherein surface layers harder than the elastic blade are formed on an distal face having the edge as one of its lines facing the member to be cleaned and an proximal face having the edge as one of its lines parallel in a thickness direction of the blade, respectively, and wherein a friction coefficient between the surface layer on the distal face of the blade and the member to be cleaned is lower than that between the surface layer on the proximal face of the blade and the member to be cleaned.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor, including an electroconductive substrate; and a photosensitive layer, located overlying the electroconductive substrate, wherein an outermost layer of the electrophotographic photoreceptor includes an amine compound and a charge transport material, and wherein the amine compound includes an amine site having an electrostatic potential with a dimensionless unit not greater than ?0.27.

Abstract: A cleaning blade for use in an image forming apparatus including a holder, and an elastic blade attached to the holder and in contact with an image bearing member, the elastic blade being impregnated with an acrylate polymer from at least one surface to a depth of from 5 to 100 ?m.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a process cartridge have high-durability and stably form high quality images under long-term use without reducing image density even when concentration of discharge products at the surface of an electrophotographic photoconductor becomes uneven in a discharge region of a charging unit. The apparatus employs an image forming method and has a corona discharge type charging unit discharging in a non-contact manner, the photoconductor placed to face the charging unit and the outermost surface layer thereof contains a filler and an amine compound with a specific structure, and an airflow adjusting device which carries air taken from the outside of the apparatus to the vicinity of the charging unit or the photoconductor so that ozone concentration and unevenness thereof are maintained at an average of 30 ppm or less and 15 ppm or less respectively at the surface of the photoconductor in the discharge region.

Abstract: A cleaning blade for removing fine particles from a cleaning target by contact with the cleaning target is provided. The cleaning blade includes an elastic blade A leading edge of the elastic blade includes a friction coefficient of 0.5 or less. The cleaning blade also includes a surface layer that covers the leading edge of the elastic blade. A thickness of the surface layer is between 1 to 50 ?m at a position 50 ?m away from the leading edge, and a hardness of the surface layer is greater hardness than the elastic blade.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a process cartridge have high-durability and stably form high quality images under long-term use without reducing image density even when concentration of discharge products at the surface of an electrophotographic photoconductor becomes uneven in a discharge region of a charging unit. The apparatus employs an image forming method and has a corona discharge type charging unit discharging in a non-contact manner, the photoconductor placed to face the charging unit and the outermost surface layer thereof contains a filler and an amine compound with a specific structure, and an airflow adjusting device which carries air taken from the outside of the apparatus to the vicinity of the charging unit or the photoconductor so that ozone concentration and unevenness thereof are maintained at an average of 30 ppm or less and 15 ppm or less respectively at the surface of the photoconductor in the discharge region.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus that has high-durability and can prevent image degradation that could be caused by an increase in residual potential on a photoconductor, occurrence of image blur and incidental images and can stably form a high-quality image even when repetitively used for long hours, and includes at least an electrophotographic photoconductor, a non-contact type corona discharge charging unit, an exposing unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit and a charge eliminating unit configured to eliminate a residual charge on the photoconductor by irradiating the electrophotographic photoconductor with light, wherein the outermost surface layer of the electrophotographic photoconductor contains at least a filler and an is amine compound having a specific structure, and the exposure dose of the charge eliminating unit is controlled at at least two stages during a time from the start of image forming operation to the end of the image forming operation.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus which has high durability and allows for preventing occurrence of image blur and suppressing image degradation caused by a reduction in image density near a charging unit used under a high-humidity condition and stably forming high-quality images even when repetitively used for a long hours.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor, including an electroconductive substrate; and a photosensitive layer, located overlying the electroconductive substrate, wherein an outermost layer of the electrophotographic photoreceptor includes an amine compound and a charge transport material, and wherein the amine compound includes an amine site having an electrostatic potential with a dimensionless unit not greater than ?0.27.