Abstract: A wiper for wiping a nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid from the nozzle is provided. The wiper comprises a plurality of layers including at least a first layer, and the first layer has a surface that contacts the nozzle surface. The surface that contacts the nozzle surface has a maximum height of waviness Wz of from 100 to 600 ?m.

Abstract: A wiping device includes a wiping member configured to wipe a nozzle surface of a discharging head configured to discharge a liquid composition from nozzles formed on the nozzle surface. The wiping member contains fiber with projections present in a cross section perpendicular to an axis of the fiber and continuous in a direction of the axis of the fiber.

Abstract: A wiping method for wiping a nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head includes the step of relatively moving the liquid discharge head and a wiper impregnated with a cleaning fluid. The cleaning fluid contains a lactone compound in an amount of 5% by mass or more. The wiper includes a first layer configured to contact the nozzle surface and one or more layers other than the first layer. The first layer has a thickness of t1, the one or more layers other than the first layer have a total thickness of t2, and t1 is smaller than t2. A void ratio of the first layer is smaller than a void ratio of at least one of the one or more layers other than the first layer.

Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes: an ink composition containing 2-pyrrolidone and an alcohol having a main chain having 6 or less carbon atoms; a liquid discharge unit configured to discharge the ink composition from a nozzle formed in a nozzle surface; and a wiping unit configured to wipe the nozzle surface. The wiping unit includes a wiping member including protrusion-shape fibers. Each of the protrusion-shape fibers has a protruded portion in a cross-section orthogonal to a fiber axis thereof. The protruded portion is continuous in a direction along the fiber axis.

Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes: an ink composition containing a resin in an amount of 6.0% by mass or more; a liquid discharge unit configured to discharge the ink composition from a nozzle formed in a nozzle surface; and a wiping unit configured to wipe the nozzle surface. The wiping unit includes a wiping member including protrusion-shape fibers. Each of the protrusion-shape fibers has a protruded portion in a cross-section orthogonal to a fiber axis thereof. The protruded portion is continuous in a direction along the fiber axis.

Abstract: A wiper for wiping a nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid from the nozzle is provided. The wiper comprises a plurality of layers including at least a first layer, and the first layer has a surface that contacts the nozzle surface. The surface that contacts the nozzle surface has a maximum height of waviness Wz of from 100 to 600 ?m.

Abstract: A liquid discharging device includes a liquid discharging head including a nozzle and having a nozzle forming surface, the liquid discharging head configured to discharge a liquid through the nozzle, a wiping member configured to wipe the nozzle forming surface, the wiping member having a first layer configured to be brought into contact with the nozzle forming surface and at least one more layer, and a cleaning liquid that is applied to the nozzle forming surface, wherein the static surface tension of the cleaning liquid is greater than the static surface tension of the liquid.

Abstract: A wiping device includes a wiping member configured to wipe a nozzle forming surface of a liquid discharging head that discharges a liquid from a nozzle, the wiping member having a first layer configured to be brought into contact with the nozzle forming surface and at least one more layer, and a cleaning liquid that is applied to the nozzle forming surface, the cleaning liquid containing a compound represented by the following Chemical formula 1 and a glycol ether compound, where R1 represents an alkyl group having one to four carbon atoms.

Abstract: A wiping member to wipe a nozzle surface of a liquid discharging head includes a first layer configured to be brought into contact with the nozzle surface and one or more other layers, wherein the following relation is satisfied: t1<t2, where t1 represents the thickness of the first layer and t2 represents the thickness of the one or more other layers, wherein the porosity of the first layer is smaller than the porosity of at least one of the one or more other layers.

Abstract: A wiping device includes a wiping member configured to wipe a nozzle forming surface of a liquid discharging head that discharges a liquid from a nozzle, the wiping member containing fabric; and a pressing member configured to press the wiping member to the liquid discharging head, wherein the wiping member satisfies the following relationship 1: 0.8<(Sb/Ss)<1.2, relationship 1, where, at 60 seconds after a coloring liquid containing a coloring material and distilled water is dripped onto a surface of the wiping member in contact with the nozzle forming surface and Ss represents a spreading area of the coloring material on the surface of the wiping member in contact with the nozzle forming surface and Sb represents a spreading area of the coloring material on a surface of the wiping member not in contact with the nozzle forming surface.

Abstract: A wiping member that wipes a nozzle surface of a liquid discharging head, includes a first region having an average porosity P1, a second region disposed on the first region, having an average porosity P2 greater than P1, and a third region disposed on the second region having an average porosity P3 greater than P2, wherein the wiping member has a thickness t in the direction perpendicular to the surface that contacts the nozzle surface and each of the first region, the second region, and the third region has a thickness of t/3 in the direction, wherein P2/P1 is from 1.1 to 1.4.

Abstract: A wiping device includes a wiping member configured to wipe a nozzle forming surface of a liquid discharging head that discharges a liquid from a nozzle, the wiping member containing fabric; and a pressing member configured to press the wiping member to the liquid discharging head, wherein the wiping member satisfies the following relationship 1: 0.8<(Sb/Ss)<1.2, relationship 1, where, at 60 seconds after a coloring liquid containing a coloring material and distilled water is dripped onto a surface of the wiping member in contact with the nozzle forming surface and Ss represents a spreading area of the coloring material on the surface of the wiping member in contact with the nozzle forming surface and Sb represents a spreading area of the coloring material on a surface of the wiping member not in contact with the nozzle forming surface.

Abstract: A wiping device includes a wiping member configured to wipe a nozzle forming surface of a liquid discharging head that discharges a liquid from a nozzle, the wiping member having a first layer configured to be brought into contact with the nozzle forming surface and at least one more layer, and a cleaning liquid that is applied to the nozzle forming surface, the cleaning liquid containing a compound represented by the following Chemical formula 1 and a glycol ether compound, where R1 represents an alkyl group having one to four carbon atoms.

Abstract: A liquid discharging device includes a liquid discharging head including a nozzle and having a nozzle forming surface, the liquid discharging head configured to discharge a liquid through the nozzle, a wiping member configured to wipe the nozzle forming surface, the wiping member having a first layer configured to be brought into contact with the nozzle forming surface and at least one more layer, and a cleaning liquid that is applied to the nozzle forming surface, wherein the static surface tension of the cleaning liquid is greater than the static surface tension of the liquid.

Abstract: A wiping member that wipes a nozzle surface of a liquid discharging head, includes a first region having an average porosity P1, a second region disposed on the first region, having an average porosity P2 greater than P1, and a third region disposed on the second region having an average porosity P3 greater than P2, wherein the wiping member has a thickness t in the direction perpendicular to the surface that contacts the nozzle surface and each of the first region, the second region, and the third region has a thickness of t/3 in the direction, wherein P2/P1 is from 1.1 to 1.4.

Abstract: A cleaning blade includes a support and an elastic member with a flat shape. The elastic member has a secured end secured to the support and a free end. A ridgeline of the free end contacts a cleaning target to remove substances adhering to a surface of the cleaning target. The elastic member includes a base and a surface layer made of a cured product of a curable composition. The surface layer is disposed on at least a part of an opposite face disposed to oppose a downstream side of the cleaning target downstream from a contact portion of the elastic member with the cleaning target in a direction of movement of the cleaning target. A thickness of the surface layer progressively decreases toward the secured end along a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the surface layer.

Abstract: A cleaning blade including an elastic member configured to be in contact with a surface of a cleaning-target member to remove deposited matter deposited on the surface of the cleaning-target in member, wherein the elastic member includes a base and a surface layer formed of a cured product of a curable composition, the surface layer is formed on at least part of a bottom surface of the base including a contact part to be in contact with the cleaning-target member, where the bottom surface of the base is a surface of the base facing a downstream side along a traveling direction of the cleaning-target member relative to the contact part, and an average film thickness of the surface layer at the contact part is 10 ?m or greater but 100 ?m or less.

Abstract: A cleaning blade includes a support and an elastic member with a flat shape. The elastic member has a secured end secured to the support and a free end. A ridgeline of the free end contacts a cleaning target to remove substances adhering to a surface of the cleaning target. The elastic member includes a base and a surface layer made of a cured product of a curable composition. The surface layer is disposed on at least a part of an opposite face disposed to oppose a downstream side of the cleaning target downstream from a contact portion of the elastic member with the cleaning target in a direction of movement of the cleaning target. A thickness of the surface layer progressively decreases toward the secured end along a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the surface layer.

Abstract: A method for producing a cleaning blade including at least a strip-shaped elastic blade, the method including: (1) a step of producing an elastic blade preform formed of a polyurethane rubber; (2) a step of impregnating at least a part, which is to contact an image bearer, of the elastic blade preform with an ultraviolet-curable composition including a (meth)acrylate compound; (3) a step of immersing the part impregnated of the elastic blade preform in a washing solvent to remove the ultraviolet-curable composition including the (meth)acrylate compound remaining on a surface of the impregnated part; and (4) a step of curing the ultraviolet-curable composition including the (meth)acrylate compound that has impregnated the elastic blade preform to produce an elastic blade.

Abstract: Provided is a cleaning blade including an elastic member, wherein a spin-spin relaxation time (T2) of the elastic member obtained by a solid echo method in a pulse NMR analysis is longer than or equal to 0.60 msec but shorter than or equal to 1.0 msec, and wherein the elastic member has a contact part to contact a surface of a cleaning target member, and the contact part contains a cured product of a curable composition.