Abstract: A cleaning device and process cartridge including the same for an image formation apparatus, which prevents cleaning failures due to toner slipping past a blade, based on an equation for the force of toner particle rotation and the restraining force. Toner on an image carrier is removed by a blade. The relation between the blade and the image carrier satisfies the equation f(?)=?2??1×(Ntp/Nbt+cos?)>0. Here ?1 is the friction coefficient between toner and image carrier, ?2 is the friction coefficient between toner and blade, Ntp is the adhesive force between toner and image carrier, Nbt is the force received by the toner from the blade, and ? is the angle formed by the blade and image carrier (the cleaning angle).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a cleaning brush positioned upstream of a blade nip in the direction of movement of the surface of a photoconductive drum. To prevent toner from accumulating at the blade nip, the surface of the photoconductive drum is moved in the direction opposite to the regular direction for image formation, conveying toner accumulated in a wedge-shaped space upstream of the blade nip 2n to a position where the cleaning brush removes it. With this configuration, the image forming apparatus can stably clear spherical toner particles left on the drum over a long period of time.

Abstract: A cleaning device including an elastic blade whose tip is contacted with a surface of a rotating member in such a manner as to counter the rotated member to remove particles of a toner on the rotated member; and a holder configured to support the elastic blade, wherein a nip formed by longitudinal end portions of the tip of the blade and the surface of the rotated member has a first nip width in a rotation direction of the rotated member, and a nip formed by a central portion of the blade and the surface of the rotated member has a second nip width, and wherein the first nip width is less than the second nip width.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a blade member having an end that touches an image carrier that caries a toner image made with toner, a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed, and a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member in such a manner that the end of the blade member does not curl.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus is disclosed that includes a blade chip having a rubber plate member and a reinforcing plate member that are joined together, a supporting plate supporting the blade chip, and a holder pressing the blade chip against the supporting plate.

Abstract: A cleaning device cleans off a toner from a surface of a member rotating in a first direction. The cleaning device includes a blade made of an elastic material including a tip portion with a slanting portion that is pressed against the surface in a second direction counter to the first direction. A supporter supports the blade. An angle between the slanting portion and a longitudinal direction of the blade is obtuse. The slanting portion is pressed against the surface at a surface pressure of 2.0 MPa or more.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a charging device that charges a surface of the image bearer, a latent image forming device that forms a latent image on the image bearer, a developing device that develops the latent image on the image bearer with a spherical toner into a toner image, a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a transfer material, and a cleaning device that removes the spherical toner remaining on the image bearer after the toner image is transferred to the transfer material. The cleaning device including a cleaning roller that removes the spherical toner on the image bearer while rotating and contacting the image bearer and which has a greater coefficient of static friction than the surface of the image bearer. An electric field is formed between the cleaning member and the image bearer by applying a voltage to the cleaning member so that the spherical toner adhered onto the image bearer is electrostatically attracted to the cleaning member.

Abstract: A cleaner for cleaning a surface of a rotating material, including an elastic blade arranged to counter the rotating material while a tip of the elastic blade is contacted with the surface of the rotating material to clean the surface of the rotating material, wherein the elastic blade has a first surface facing the rotating material, and a second surface opposite to the first surface thereof, and wherein the elastic blade has a recessed portion, which has a bottom surface and a wall, in a rear portion of the second surface; and a support plate configured to support the elastic blade, wherein the support plate has a first surface facing the rotating material, a second surface opposite to the first surface and a tip surface, wherein the elastic blade is connected with the support plate in such a manner that the bottom surface and the wall of the recessed portion of the blade are contacted with the first surface and the tip surface of the support plate, respectively.

Abstract: A cleaning device and process cartridge comprising same for an image formation apparatus, which prevents cleaning failures due to toner slipping past a blade, based on an equation for the force of toner particle rotation and the restraining force. Toner on an image carrier is removed by a blade. The relation between the blade and the image carrier satisfies the equation f(?)=?2??1×(Ntp/Nbt+cos ?)>0. Here ?1 is the friction coefficient between toner and image carrier, ?2 is the friction coefficient between toner and blade, Ntp is the adhesive force between toner and image carrier, Nbt is the force received by the toner from the blade, and ? is the angle formed by the blade and image carrier (the cleaning angle).

Abstract: In a cleaning device cleans off toners from a surface of an image carrier and a collection roller. The toners have a roundness of 0.96 degrees to 1.00 degrees. The cleaning device includes a brush roller that cleans toners from the image carrier, the collection roller that cleans toners from the brush roller, and a cleaning unit that cleans toner from the collection roller. The cleaning unit includes a blade that abuts a surface of the collection roller; a vibrating unit that vibrates the blade; and an oscillating unit that oscillates the vibrating unit. The cleaning unit cleans off toners by a vibration of a portion of the blade in which portion the blade member contacts with the collection roller.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus is disclosed that includes a blade chip having a rubber plate member and a reinforcing plate member that are joined together, a supporting plate supporting the blade chip, and a holder pressing the blade chip against the supporting plate.

Abstract: A cleaning unit for removing toner remaining on the surface of the image carrier of an image-forming apparatus is disclosed. The cleaning unit includes a vibration member, a blade member, and a driving part. The vibration member extends in the direction of the width of the image carrier, and has at least one vibration application part attached thereto. The blade member is attached to at least the end region of the vibration member, extending in the direction of the width of the image carrier. The driving part drives at least one vibration application part at a driving frequency that is a resonance frequency. The vibration member provides vibration to the blade member and a force to press the blade member against the image carrier.

Abstract: A cleaning device of the present invention is configured to remove toner left on an image carrier after the transfer of a toner image from the image carrier to a recording medium. A rotatable cleaning roller contacts the image carrier for removing the toner left on the image carrier. A rotatable brush roller is positioned upstream of the cleaning roller in the direction of rotation of the image carrier and rubs against the surface of the image carrier and that of the cleaning roller. The cleaning device is free from defective cleaning despite the use of spherical, dry toner grains capable of forming high-quality toner images.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a blade member having an end that touches an image carrier that caries a toner image made with toner, a vibratable member to which the blade member is fixed, and a vibrating unit that vibrates the vibratable member in such a manner that the end of the blade member does not curl.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a charging device that charges a surface of the image bearer, a latent image forming device that forms a latent image on the image bearer, a developing device that develops the latent image on the image bearer with a spherical toner into a toner image, a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a transfer material, and a cleaning device that removes the spherical toner remaining on the image bearer after the toner image is transferred to the transfer material. The cleaning device including a cleaning member that removes the spherical toner on the image bearer while rotating and contacting the image bearer. An electric field is formed between the cleaning member and the image bearer by applying a voltage to the cleaning member so that the spherical toner adhered onto the image bearer is electrostatically attracted to the cleaning member.

Abstract: A cleaning device of the present invention is configured to remove toner left on an image carrier after the transfer of a toner image from the image carrier to a recording medium. A rotatable cleaning roller contacts the image carrier for removing the toner left on the image carrier. A rotatable brush roller is positioned upstream of the cleaning roller in the direction of rotation of the image carrier and rubs against the surface of the image carrier and that of the cleaning roller. The cleaning device is free from defective cleaning despite the use of spherical, dry toner grains capable of forming high-quality toner images.

Abstract: An ink jet printing head includes: a plurality of piezoelectric actuators arranged in rows on a substrate, each row including first piezoelectric elements and second piezoelectric elements which are alternately arrayed along the row, the first piezoelectric elements being actuatable to apply a compressive force to ink in accordance with print signals, the second piezoelectric elements being fixed and not actuated; and an ink chamber unit which includes ink chambers located above the first piezoelectric elements and containing ink.

Abstract: An ink jet head used for pulsed droplet ink jet printer uses a grooved piezo-electric element. The piezo-electric element includes a plurality of grooves, diaphrams and actuators. The actuator and two grooves at both sides of the actuator, filled with stuffing material, covers a corresponding one of passages. Therefore, even if the stuffing material moves when the actuator is energized, an interference problem does not occur. Consequently, the flexure force of each actuator can transmit to the corresponding passage to jet ink in the passage via a nozzle.

Abstract: A liquid jet recording head includes a flow path member having a plurality of flow paths, each of the plurality of flow paths having an opening surface which opens on the flow path member, an piezo-electric member having a plurality of grooves and piezo-electric elements, each of the piezo-electric elements being formed between adjacent two grooves of the plurality of grooves, the piezo-electric member being connected to the flow path member so that each of the piezo-electric elements is faced to the opening of one of the plurality of flow paths, an elasticity member being filled in each of the plurality of grooves formed on the piezo-electric member, a liquid guide mechanism guiding, to each of the plurality of flow paths, liquid which is supplied by an external liquid supplying mechanism, and jet orifices, each of the jet orifices being provided to an end portion of one of the plurality of flow paths.

Abstract: An ink jet record apparatus for driving a drop-on-demand ink jet head with a piezoelectric element in a printing apparatus. The ink jet record apparatus includes a first drive part for driving and operating the ink jet head in a first operation mode, a second drive part for driving and operating the ink jet head in a second operation mode, a selection part for changing an operation of the ink jet head from the first operation mode to the second operation mode or vice versa, and a control part for supplying a drive signal to the selection part in accordance with input image information, thus allowing a size of ink dots on paper to be adjusted through selection of either the first operation mode or the second operation mode.