Abstract: A charging device includes a discharge electrode that extends along an axial direction of a member to be charged; and a potential control plate disposed between the member to be charged and the discharge electrode and curved along a peripheral surface of the member to be charged. The potential control plate includes three or more structural lines that are arranged in a circumferential direction of the member to be charged and that linearly extend along the axial direction, and connecting portions arranged in the axial direction, each connecting portion connecting two or more of the three or more structural lines to each other, the two or more structural lines being next to each other in the circumferential direction. The structural lines connected by one of the connecting portions and those connected by another one of the connecting portions are at least partly different from each other.

Abstract: A blowing target structure includes an opening portion that (a) is an inlet into which the air flow from a blower pipe that has an elongated shape in one direction, (b) is elongated in the same direction as the one direction of an outlet of the blower pipe, (c) has a member that is provided at least on one end side in a lateral direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the opening portion to set an air permeability of a member side region of the opening portion to a value smaller than an air permeability of a region other than the member side region of the opening portion.

Abstract: A blower pipe includes an inlet port, an outlet port, a flow path that connects the inlet port and the outlet port and is bent at least in one location, and plural flow control members that are provided in mutually different regions in a direction in which air in the flow path is caused to flow and that control the flow of the air, wherein a flow control member of the plural flow control members closest to the inlet port (a) cuts off a portion of a bent portion of the flow path while air crossing the portion, (b) makes an elongated gap to pass air, and (c) satisfies following condition; when a virtual straight line which passes through both end portions of the elongated gap is drawn, the virtual straight line lies downstream of an extension line of a wall immediately before the flow path is bent.

Abstract: A charging device includes a discharge electrode that extends along a rotational axis direction of a member to be charged that rotates and has an arc-shaped outer peripheral surface, the discharge electrode being arranged to face the outer peripheral surface; a potential control plate arranged between the outer peripheral surface of the member to be charged and the discharge electrode and extending in the rotational axis direction of the member to be charged, the potential control plate being plastically deformed so as to independently maintain the shape of the potential control plate; and a support member that supports the potential control plate only at both end portions of the potential control plate in a long-side direction of the potential control plate.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning member provided at a first side of a curved grid electrode plate that is curved in a short-side direction, the cleaning member being pressed against the curved grid electrode plate to clean the first side thereof; a receiving member provided at a second side of the curved grid electrode plate, the receiving member receiving a pressing load applied by the cleaning member; and a moving unit that moves the cleaning member and the receiving member in a long-side direction of the curved grid electrode plate. The cleaning member and the receiving member are formed such that a pressure based on the load that is applied to an end portion of the curved grid electrode plate in the short-side direction is higher than that applied to a central portion of the curved grid electrode plate in the short-side direction.

Abstract: A grid electrode that is substantially thin-plate-shaped includes an opening section in which plural openings are formed and a frame section that surrounds the opening section. The grid electrode is curved along a short-side direction thereof and includes portions having different thicknesses, the portions being arranged in the short-side direction.

Abstract: Provided is a blower pipe with an inlet, an outlet, a passage part formed with a passage space to cause air to flow therein, and suppressing parts that are provided in different parts in a direction in which air in the passage space of the passage part is caused to flow and that suppress the flow of the air, wherein an outlet suppressing part constructed so that the passage space in the outlet is closed by a permeable member dotted with ventilation portions is provided in the outlet of the passage part as one of the suppressing parts, and wherein the permeability of an end region present at least at one end in the lateral direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction among regions along the longitudinal direction of the opening shape of the outlet is set to a smaller value than the permeability of regions other than the end region.

Abstract: Provided is an air supply tube including an inlet port that takes in air, an outlet port that is arranged opposite a portion of an elongated target structure in a longitudinal direction, to which air taken in from the inlet port is to be supplied, and has an elongated opening shape, a channel portion in which a channel space for allowing air to flow between the inlet port and the outlet port is formed, and plural suppressing portions that suppress the flow of air, wherein the plural suppressing portions include at least a most downstream suppressing portion, a first upstream suppressing portion that is provided in a part initially located on the upstream side in the air flow direction, and a gap regulating portion that forms an extended gap at the same interval.

Abstract: A blowing device includes a blower that blows air and an air duct including an inlet and an outlet. The air duct takes in the air through the inlet and guiding the air so that the air flows out through the outlet toward a corona discharge unit including a target component toward which the air is to be blown. The outlet of the air duct includes a through-portion in a non-overlapping region thereof, the non-overlapping region being a region of the outlet excluding an overlapping region of the outlet. The overlapping region corresponds to an interposed component of the corona discharge unit, the interposed component being located between the outlet and the target component at a position at which the interposed component overlaps the overlapping region.

Abstract: A blowing device includes a blower and an air duct including an inlet, an outlet, and a body. The outlet faces a longitudinal portion of an oblong target structure toward which air is blown. The outlet allows air to be discharged in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction in which the longitudinal portion extends. The inlet has an opening and the outlet has an oblong opening, and the opening of the inlet and the opening of the outlet having different shapes. The body has a passage space formed therein. Plural restraining portions that restrain airflow are disposed at different positions in the passage space in the direction of airflow. A most downstream one of the restraining portions is formed so as to at least partially cover the passage space with an air-permeable member having plural air passage portions that are distributed the air-permeable member.

Abstract: A charging device includes a discharge electrode that extends along an axial direction of a member to be charged; and a potential control plate disposed between the member to be charged and the discharge electrode and curved along a peripheral surface of the member to be charged. The potential control plate includes three or more structural lines that are arranged in a circumferential direction of the member to be charged and that linearly extend along the axial direction, and connecting portions arranged in the axial direction, each connecting portion connecting two or more of the three or more structural lines to each other, the two or more structural lines being next to each other in the circumferential direction. The structural lines connected by one of the connecting portions and those connected by another one of the connecting portions are at least partly different from each other.

Abstract: A charging device includes a discharge electrode that extends along a rotational axis direction of a member to be charged that rotates and has an arc-shaped outer peripheral surface, the discharge electrode being arranged to face the outer peripheral surface; a potential control plate arranged between the outer peripheral surface of the member to be charged and the discharge electrode and extending in the rotational axis direction of the member to be charged, the potential control plate being plastically deformed so as to independently maintain the shape of the potential control plate; and a support member that supports the potential control plate only at both end portions of the potential control plate in a long-side direction of the potential control plate.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning member provided at a first side of a curved grid electrode plate that is curved in a short-side direction, the cleaning member being pressed against the curved grid electrode plate to clean the first side thereof; a receiving member provided at a second side of the curved grid electrode plate, the receiving member receiving a pressing load applied by the cleaning member; and a moving unit that moves the cleaning member and the receiving member in a long-side direction of the curved grid electrode plate. The cleaning member and the receiving member are formed such that a pressure based on the load that is applied to an end portion of the curved grid electrode plate in the short-side direction is higher than that applied to a central portion of the curved grid electrode plate in the short-side direction.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning blade that contacts an image carrier and cleans residual toner remaining on the image carrier; a toner pool forming member that is disposed on an upstream side of the cleaning blade in a rotational direction of the image carrier, collects the residual toner that has been cleaned, and forms a toner pool that contacts the cleaning blade and the image carrier; and a toner amount adjusting component that makes the pressure of the residual toner that acts on the image carrier substantially uniform across an axis-of-rotation direction of the image carrier by adjusting the amount of the residual toner in the toner pool in the axis-of-rotation direction of the image carrier.

Abstract: A charge roll includes a roll member that contacts an image carrier and rotates, the roll member including a conductive material that charges the surface of the image carrier, and the roll member having particles on the outer circumferential surface of the roll member to have a surface roughness within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A charge roll disposed in an image forming apparatus, for charging an image carrier for carrying an image, and to be cleaned by a cleaning member, the charge roll including: a shaft and an electrically conductive layer provided around the shaft, an axial end portion of the electrically conductive layer in an area in contact with the cleaning member being formed into skin layer portions thinner than other portions of the electrically conductive layer, is provided.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning blade that contacts an image carrier and cleans residual toner remaining on the image carrier; a toner pool forming member that is disposed on an upstream side of the cleaning blade in a rotational direction of the image carrier, collects the residual toner that has been cleaned, and forms a toner pool that contacts the cleaning blade and the image carrier; and a toner amount adjusting component that makes the pressure of the residual toner that acts on the image carrier substantially uniform across an axis-of-rotation direction of the image carrier by adjusting the amount of the residual toner in the toner pool in the axis-of-rotation direction of the image carrier.

Abstract: A charging device includes a charging member that contacts a member to be charged, charges the member with a predetermined voltage applied to the charging member, and includes a surface layer containing a resin solid and a conductive agent of approximately 10 wt. % or more with respect to the resin solid content.

Abstract: A charge roll comprises a roll member that contacts an image carrier and rotates, the roll member comprising a conductive material that charges the surface of the image carrier, and the roll member having particles on the outer circumferential surface of the roll member to have a surface roughness within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A charge roll disposed in an image forming apparatus, for charging an image carrier for carrying an image, and to be cleaned by a cleaning member, the charge roll including: a shaft and an electrically conductive layer provided around the shaft, an axial end portion of the electrically conductive layer in an area in contact with the cleaning member being formed into skin layer portions thinner than other portions of the electrically conductive layer, is provided.