Abstract: Provided is a cleaning blade including an elastic member configured to abut on a surface of a cleaning target member and remove residual material deposited thereon, wherein elastic member satisfies requirements a to c below, a. an abutment part of the elastic member to abut on the surface of the cleaning target member has a reformed layer, b. Martens hardness at a surface of the reformed layer is from 1.5 to 15 N/mm2, and c. a relationship H/L between maximum Martens hardness H among Martens hardnesses H in a region inward from the abutment part thicknesswise and distance L from the surface of the reformed layer is from 0.010 to 0.2 (N/mm2·1/?m), where distance L represents minimum distance among distances to the surface of the reformed layer, from positions at which a measured Martens hardness and a measured elastic power are equal to those of the elastic member.

Abstract: A cleaning blade for an image forming apparatus includes a base and a contact portion disposed on the base that contacts and cleans a surface of an intermediate transfer belt. A Martens hardness of the contact portion of the cleaning blade is at least 2 [N/mm2] and not more than 10 [N/mm2].

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, which contains: an image bearing member; a charging unit; an exposing unit; a developing unit; a transferring unit; and a cleaning unit, wherein the image bearing member contains an electrically conductive support, a photoconductive layer formed on the electrically conductive support, and a surface layer containing a binder resin and particles formed on a surface of the photoconductive layer, or contains the electrically conductive support, and the photoconductive layer formed on the electrically conductive support, wherein the cleaning unit contains a cleaning blade, which contains a cured composition containing a curing agent in a region of the cleaning blade, which is to be in contact with the image bearing member, and wherein the curing agent contains a polycyclic aliphatic hydrocarbon group, and a (meth)acryloyloxy group.

Abstract: A fixing member having a roller shape or a seamless belt shape for fixing toner is provided. The fixing member includes an elastic layer; an adhesive layer located overlying the elastic layer; and a release layer including a particulate material, which is arranged along the surface of the adhesive layer.

Abstract: A cleaning blade includes an elastic member configured to come into contact with a surface of a member to be cleaned and remove residual matter adhering to the surface of the member to be cleaned. The elastic member satisfies the following requirements a and b: a. The elastic member has a contact portion configured to come into contact with the surface of the member to be cleaned and the contact portion includes a modified layer that contains a cured product of an ultraviolet curable composition containing a (meth)acrylate compound; and b. A value obtained by normalizing a peak area ratio SA/SB of a modified portion with a peak area ratio SA?/SB? of a portion outside the modified layer is 1.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging mechanism to charge a surface of the image carrier, an electrostatic latent image forming mechanism to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier, a developing mechanism to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image carrier into a toner image, a transfer mechanism to transfer the toner image on the surface of the image carrier to a transfer body, and a cleaning mechanism including a cleaning blade to clean a transfer residue toner adhering to the surface of the image carrier by contacting the surface of the image carrier. The cleaning blade includes a strip shaped elastic blade and a surface layer formed on an opposing surface of the strip shaped elastic blade opposite the surface of the image carrier.

Abstract: A cleaning blade, including a strip-shaped elastic blade to contact the surface of a member to be cleaned, traveling on an edge line of the elastic blade, to remove a powder from the surface thereof, wherein the edge line of the elastic blade is impregnated with an ultraviolet curable resin including a fluorinated acrylic monomer, a surface layer harder than the elastic blade is formed on each of an under surface thereof, having the edge line as one line of the under surface and facing the member, and an apical surface thereof, having the edge line as one line of the apical surface and being parallel to a direction of the thickness thereof, and the apical surface is impregnated with the ultraviolet curable resin at a depth of from 50 to 150 ?m and the under surface is impregnated therewith at a depth of from 20 to 100 ?m.

Abstract: A fixing member to fix toner on a recording medium includes a heat-resistant elastic layer and a release layer. The release layer includes a particle layer. The particle layer includes heat-resistant fine particles arranged in a surface direction on a surface of the heat-resistant elastic layer.

Abstract: Provided is a cleaning blade formed of an elastic blade and configured to abut on the surface of a cleaning target member, which allows a leading end edge portion of the elastic blade to move on the surface thereof, to remove powder from the surface of the cleaning target member. A blade surface of the elastic blade, which has the leading end edge portion of the elastic blade on one side thereof and faces the surface of the cleaning target member, has a Martens hardness of 1.2 N/mm2 or greater when it is indented by 5 ?m at a location that is 20 ?m away from the leading end edge portion, a Martens hardness of 1 N/mm2 or less when it is indented by 20 ?m at the location, and an elastic power of 70% or greater when it is indented by 5 ?m at the location.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: an image bearing member; a charging unit; an exposure unit; a developing unit; a transfer unit; a fixing unit; and a cleaning unit including a cleaning blade, wherein the charging unit includes a charging roller that is brought into contact with the image bearing member for charging, the charging roller abutting the image bearing member at a pressing force of 10 mN/cm to 1,000 mN/cm, wherein the cleaning blade includes an elastic member that abuts the surface of the image bearing member to remove a residue attached to the surface of the image bearing member, and wherein an abutment part of the elastic member, which abuts the surface of the image bearing member, includes a cured product of an ultraviolet curable composition containing a (meth)acrylate compound having an alicyclic structure having 6 or more carbon atoms in a molecule.

Abstract: A cleaning blade, including a strip-shaped elastic blade to contact the surface of a member to be cleaned, traveling on an edge line of the elastic blade, to remove a powder from the surface thereof, wherein the edge line of the elastic blade is impregnated with an ultraviolet curable resin including a fluorinated acrylic monomer, a surface layer harder than the elastic blade is formed on each of an under surface thereof, having the edge line as one line of the under surface and facing the member, and an apical surface thereof, having the edge line as one line of the apical surface and being parallel to a direction of the thickness thereof, and the apical surface is impregnated with the ultraviolet curable resin at a depth of from 50 to 150 ?m and the under surface is impregnated therewith at a depth of from 20 to 100 ?m.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member having a photosensitive layer and the surface including concave portions having a concave diameter of from 5 to 200 ?m, an irradiation device that irradiates the surface of the image bearing member with light to form a latent electrostatic image thereon, a development device that develops the latent electrostatic image with a development agent containing toner to obtain a visualized image, a transfer device that transfers the visualized image to a transfer medium, a first cleaning brush to which a bias is applied with a polarity reverse to that of the toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member after the visualized image is transferred, and a second cleaning brush to which a bias is applied with the same polarity as that of the toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor including a conductive substrate, a photosensitive layer, and a surface layer, which satisfies the following inequations: 0.005<WRa(LMH)<0.03??(i) 0.010<WRa(LHH)<0.03??(ii) 0.005<WRa(LML)<0.20??(iii) WRa(LLH)>WRa(LMH)??(iv) WRa(LLH)>WRa(LHH)??(v) wherein WRa (?m) represents a center-line average roughness of frequency components LHH, LHL, LMH, LML, LLH, and LLL that are obtained by subjecting a one-dimensional data array of a surface profile of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to wavelet transformation multiresolution analysis so as to be separated into 6 frequency components; thinning a one-dimensional data array of the lowest frequency component so that the number of data array is reduced to 1/40; and subjecting the thinned one-dimensional data array to wavelet transformation multiresolution analysis so as to be separated into the 6 frequency components LHH, LHL, LMH, LML, LLH, and LLL.

Abstract: A corona charger including a corona discharge electrode and a control electrode is provided. A layer including a zeolite, a conductive agent, and a binder resin is formed on a surface of the control electrode.

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 scorotron corona charger including a grid electrode is provided. A layer including a zeolite, a resistance controlling agent, and a binder is formed on the grid electrode. The binder resin has a solubility parameter of 10.0 cal1/2cm?3/2 or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member having a photosensitive layer and the surface including concave portions having a concave diameter of from 5 to 200 ?m, an irradiation device that irradiates the surface of the image bearing member with light to form a latent electrostatic image thereon, a development device that develops the latent electrostatic image with a development agent containing toner to obtain a visualized image, a transfer device that transfers the visualized image to a transfer medium, a first cleaning brush to which a bias is applied with a polarity reverse to that of the toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member after the visualized image is transferred, and a second cleaning brush to which a bias is applied with the same polarity as that of the toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor including a conductive substrate, a photosensitive layer, and a surface layer, which satisfies the following inequations: 0.005<WRa(LMH)<0.03??(i) 0.010<WRa(LHH)<0.03??(ii) 0.005<WRa(LML)<0.20??(iii) WRa(LLH)>WRa(LMH)??(iv) WRa(LLH)>WRa(LHH)??(v) wherein WRa (?m) represents a center-line average roughness of frequency components LHH, LHL, LMH, LML, LLH, and LLL that are obtained by subjecting a one-dimensional data array of a surface profile of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to wavelet transformation multiresolution analysis so as to be separated into 6 frequency components; thinning a one-dimensional data array of the lowest frequency component so that the number of data array is reduced to 1/40; and subjecting the thinned one-dimensional data array to wavelet transformation multiresolution analysis so as to be separated into the 6 frequency components LHH, LHL, LMH, LML, LLH, and LLL.

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 scorotron corona charger including a grid electrode is provided. A layer including a zeolite, a resistance controlling agent, and a binder is formed on the grid electrode. The binder resin has a solubility parameter of 10.0 cal1/2cm?3/2 or less.