Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor; a charger to charge a surface of the photoreceptor; a circulating agent applicator to apply a circulating agent to the surface of the photoreceptor while contacting the surface of the photoreceptor to form a film of the circulating agent on the surface of the photoreceptor; and a contact member contacted with the surface of the photoreceptor. The acting force, which is generated by contact of the contact member with the photoreceptor and includes a tangential force Ft, which is a force in a tangential direction at a contact portion of the contact member with the surface of the photoreceptor, and a normal force Fn, which is a force in a normal direction at the contact portion, satisfies the following relationships, 0.90?Ft/Fn?0.96, and 1.15 kgf?Ft?1.35 kgf.

Abstract: There is described an applicator for use in an image forming apparatus. The applicator comprises a blade applicator comprising an elastomeric matrix and a functional material dispersed therein. The applicator blade is positioned in a trailing position with respect to a surface and wherein the functional material diffuses from the elastomeric matrix to the surface.

Abstract: A cleaning device comprises: a rotational brush disposed to touch an image holder and a lubricant, the brush which scrapes the lubricant and applies the scraped lubricant to the image holder, the brush including: a rotational axis; and a plurality of looped bristles disposed around the rotational axis, wherein a contact length of the bristles to the lubricant is longer than a contact length of the bristles to the image holder.

Abstract: There is described a delivery member for use in an image forming apparatus. The delivery member includes a support member, an inner layer comprising a elastomeric matrix and a functional material dispersed therein, the inner layer disposed on the support member and an outer layer disposed on the inner layer. A method for manufacturing the delivery member and its function are described.

Abstract: A solid lubricant-coating device is provided with a solid lubricant to be applied to the surface of a latent image-supporting member; a supply roller for scraping and supplying the solid lubricant onto the surface of the latent image-supporting member by self rotation; a pressing unit for pressing the solid lubricant onto the supply roller; a flattening unit for forming a thin film of the supplied solid lubricant on the surface of the latent image-supporting member; and a cleaning unit for removing the residual toner on the surface of the latent image-supporting member and recovering the solid lubricant thin film on the surface of the latent image-supporting member, wherein, when a thickness of the solid lubricant thin film immediately before the supply roller in the rotation direction of the latent image-supporting member is designated as thickness A (nm) and a thickness immediately after the flattening unit is designated as thickness B (nm), the thicknesses A and B satisfy the following relational formulae

Abstract: A cleaning device to remove untransferred toner from a surface of an image carrier rotatable in a predetermined direction. The cleaning device includes a lubricant supply roller contacting the surface of the image carrier to supply a lubricant carried thereon to the surface of the image carrier, a first blade provided upstream from the lubricant supply roller in the direction of rotation of the image carrier, and a second blade provided downstream from the lubricant supply roller. The first blade contacts the surface of the image carrier to level the untransferred toner attaching to the surface of the image carrier to a thin layer. The second blade contacts the surface of the image carrier to level the lubricant supplied to the surface of the image carrier by the lubricant supply roller to a thin layer and to remove the untransferred toner from the surface of the image carrier.

Abstract: A lubricant coating device includes a photoconductor and a leveling blade that levels a lubricant applied on a surface of the photoconductor, the leveling blade configured to abut the photoconductor in a trail direction with respect to a rotational direction of the photoconductor, wherein a hardness of a tip of the leveling blade, the tip being positioned on a side that abuts the surface of the photoconductor, is higher than hardness of a non-abutting portion that does not abut the surface of the photoconductor.

Abstract: In an image forming device, an image formation unit operated in a monochrome mode includes a lubricant applying unit and a charging device to supply a DC voltage superimposed with an AC voltage to an image carrier, and each of image formation units operated only in a color mode includes a charging device to supply a DC voltage to an image carrier, and one of the image formation units arranged on a downstream side of the image formation unit operated in the monochrome mode in a moving direction of an intermediate transfer member includes a cleaning device having a blade member in which a proximal edge portion contacts the image carrier to remove residual toner from the image carrier, and the proximal edge portion is made of an elastic rubber having a 100% modulus value of 6 MPa or greater at 23° C.

Abstract: In a fixing device for thermally fixing a developer image transferred onto a recording sheet, a nip plate is disposed on an inner surface of a tubular flexible fusing member which is flexibly deformable in such a manner that permits the fusing member to slide along the nip plate, and configured to be heated by a heating element disposed inside the fusing member. The fusing member is nipped between the nip plate and a backup member to form a nip portion between the fusing member and the backup member. The nip plate is bent to form a recessed portion which opens on the inner surface of the fusing member and holds a lubricant.

Abstract: A lubricant supply device including a solid lubricant, a lubricant supply roller, a detector, and a varying device is provided. The lubricant supply roller is adapted to supply the lubricant to a toner image bearing member and is rotatable in a predetermined direction while slidably contacting both the solid lubricant and the toner image bearing member. The detector is adapted to detect an absolute humidity around the lubricant supply device. The varying device is adapted to vary an amount of the lubricant to be supplied to the toner image bearing member based on the absolute humidity detected by the detector.

Abstract: A lubricant supplying device includes a lubricant supplying roller configured to rotate in a certain direction and makes a sliding contact with an image carrier on which a toner image is carried; a solid lubricant arranged to slide in contact with the lubricant supplying roller; a changing unit configured to change a revolution of the lubricant supplying roller to adjust an amount of the solid lubricant supplied onto the image carrier; and a calculation unit configured to obtain a product life or total consumption of the solid lubricant from a total running distance or total operating time of the image carrier or the lubricant supplying roller, the product life or the total consumption of the solid lubricant being corrected based on the amount of the solid lubricant supplied onto the image carrier.

Abstract: A lubricant coating device related to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a lubricant supply unit 12 which supplies a lubricant 11 onto an outer peripheral surface of an image carrier 1 that is driven to rotate and a lubricant smoothing unit 13 which is disposed on the downstream side in a rotating direction of the image carrier 1 of the lubricant supply unit 12 and smoothes the lubricant 11 supplied onto the outer peripheral surface. In the lubricant coating device, the lubricant smoothing unit 13 rotates while being in surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the image carrier 1 and thereby smoothes the lubricant 11 supplied onto the image carrier 1 by the lubricant supply unit 12.

Abstract: Provided is an image bearing member protecting agent which contains a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant, wherein an aspect ratio (average major axis length/average minor axis length) of the inorganic lubricant is 60 to 400, and a mass ratio of the fatty acid metal salt to the inorganic lubricant (fatty acid metal salt/inorganic lubricant) is 98/2 to 85/15.

Abstract: There is described an applicator for use in an image forming apparatus. The applicator includes an applicator comprising an elastomeric matrix and a functional material dispersed therein. The applicator includes an actuator for moving the applicator between a first position having the applicator in contact with a surface, and a second position. The actuator moves the applicator from the first position to the second position at a frequency of from about 10?5 Hz to about 10 kHz wherein the functional material diffuses from the elastomeric matrix to the surface.

Abstract: A conductive coating is described, suitable for coating a developer, charge or transfer roller in a developing apparatus to give a charge providing layer. The coating comprises a conductive polymer in a matrix. A roller is also described, suitable for a developing apparatus comprising, from the center to the periphery, a conductive mandrel, a conductive elastic base layer and a charge providing layer.

Abstract: To provide a protecting agent supplying member, containing a core, and a foam layer formed on a periphery of the core, wherein the protecting agent supplying member is in the shape of a roller, and wherein the foam layer has concavities regularly arranged in a surface thereof.

Abstract: A lubricant applying device includes a solid lubricant, and a rotatable applying member scraping lubricant off the solid lubricant and applying the scraped lubricant onto an application subject. In the lubricant applying device, a pressing unit applies that applies an applying pressure of pressing the solid lubricant against the applying member and that varies the applying pressure in accordance with a rotation speed of the applying member.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to instructing deposition of a service patch for different toners, and determining the respective different toner amounts as a function of toner coverages on at least one previous media unit.

Abstract: A lubricant applicator includes: a lubricant application unit that is arranged so as to be in contact with a surface of an image carrier, scrapes a solid lubricant, and applies the solid lubricant onto the surface of the image carrier while moving a surface of the lubricant application unit; a lubricant holding member that holds the solid lubricant; and a lubricant biasing unit that biases the solid lubricant against the lubricant application unit. The lubricant biasing unit is housed in a housing under a state that one end of the lubricant biasing unit is held by the lubricant holding member so that a position of the one end of the lubricant biasing unit is restricted, and another end of the lubricant biasing unit is held by a biasing-unit holding member that is provided to restrict a position of the another end of the lubricant biasing unit.

Abstract: There is provided a protective agent feeding member, which contains a core and a foam layer provided on an outer periphery of the core, in which the protective agent feeding member is in the shape of a roller, and the foam layer has a roughened surface and has a maximum height Ry of 400 ?m to 1,630 ?m.

Abstract: A novel protective agent supply device is provided including a protective agent block including a metal salt of a fatty acid; a rotatable foamed roller having a foamed layer having open cells, that is in continuous contact with both the protective agent block and an outer peripheral surface of an image bearing member that bears a toner image, and that scrapes the protective agent block and supplies the scraped protective agent to the outer peripheral surface of the image bearing member during rotation of the foamed roller; and a pressing unit that presses the protective agent block against the foamed roller.

Abstract: A lubricant applicator includes a block of lubricant, a supply member contactable against the block of lubricant to scrape the block of lubricant, and a lubricant gauge to detect whether a remaining amount of lubricant is less than a threshold value. The lubricant gauge includes a rotary member rotatable about a pivot, a pressing member disposed opposite the rotary member to rotate the rotary member by pressing a contact part of the rotary member as the block of lubricant is consumed, and a detection part of the rotary member opposite to the contact part across the pivot of the rotary member. A length of the rotary member from the pivot to the detection part is longer than a length of the rotary member from the pivot to the contact part.

Abstract: A lubricant applicator includes a block of lubricant, a supply member contactable against the block of lubricant to scrape the block of lubricant, and a lubricant gauge including a first electrode and a second electrode. The lubricant gauge is electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode to detect whether an amount of lubricant remaining is less than a threshold value based on establishment of electrical continuity between the first electrode and the second electrode. One of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a projection projecting toward the other one of the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: A lubricant applicator includes a lubricant, a supply member contactable against the lubricant to supply the lubricant to a target, and a lubricant gauge to detect whether an amount of lubricant remaining is less than a threshold value. The lubricant gauge includes a rotary member rotatable about a shaft, a pressing member to press and rotate the rotary member as the lubricant is consumed, a contact part of the rotary member pressed by the pressing member, and a detection part of the rotary member opposite to the contact part across the shaft of the rotary member.

Abstract: An image bearing member includes a substrate, a photosensitive layer overlying the substrate; and a surface layer overlying the photosensitive layer, wherein the surface layer includes a cross-linked layer formed by curing a radical polymerizable monomer having no charge transport structure and a radical polymerizable compound having a charge transport structure, wherein a protective agent is supplied to the surface layer by a protective agent supplying member which is arranged facing the surface layer and includes a roller having a core material and a foam layer thereon to form a protective layer on the surface layer.

Abstract: A pressing mechanism that presses a solid lubricant against a brush roller includes two movable members that receive the biasing force of a single biasing unit, rotate around a fulcrum, and press places of the solid lubricant at the symmetric positions with respect to the center of a contact portion of the solid lubricant. The curvature of a portion of a curve shape of the movable member that contacts a casing inner wall is set such that the pressing force in a pressing direction of the solid lubricant in the last stage becomes greater than the pressing force in an intermediate stage, from the initial stage to the last stage after the solid lubricant of the predetermined amount or more is scraped off via the intermediate stage.

Abstract: An image carrier surface treatment device is disposed opposite an image carrier rotatable in a first rotation direction and carrying a toner image. The image carrier surface treatment device includes a roller rotatable in a second rotation direction while contacting an outer circumferential surface of the image carrier. The roller includes a shaft projecting from each lateral end of the roller in an axial direction thereof. A rolling-element bearing is fitted on the shaft of the roller to support and position the roller inside the image carrier surface treatment device.

Abstract: In the lubricant application device, including a brush roller which rotates while contacting an image carrying member and a solid lubricant, shaves the solid lubricant and applies the shaved solid lubricant onto the image carrying member, and a flicker which abuts against the brush roller and knocks off a developer adhering to the brush roller through a rotation of the brush roller, the brush roller has looped bristles implanted in a state of endless loop, and the flicker has a contact surface which forms an acute angle.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a rotatable image bearing member; and a brush roller that rotates in a counter direction to a rotational direction of the image bearing member with a bristle portion being in sliding contact with an image bearing surface of the image bearing member. The bristle portion is inclined forward in the rotational direction of the brush roller.

Abstract: There is described an applicator for use in an image forming apparatus. The applicator includes an applicator comprising an elastomeric matrix and a functional material dispersed therein. The applicator includes an actuator for moving the applicator between a first position having the applicator in contact with a surface, and a second position. The actuator moves the applicator from the first position to the second position at a frequency of from about 10?5 Hz to about 10 kHz wherein the functional material diffuses from the elastomeric matrix to the surface.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including: an image bearing member on which a toner image is formed electrophotographically; and a lubricant applying section that applies a lubricant to a surface of the image bearing member. The lubricant applying section includes two columnar solid lubricants that contain a larger number of residual gas bubbles at one end than the other end thereof, and are produced by the same production method. The two solid lubricants are placed along an axial direction of the image bearing member such that the respective one and the other ends thereof are opposite to each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; a charging unit; an electrostatic latent image forming unit; a development unit that houses an electrostatic latent image developer containing toner particles and inorganic particles added thereto and that develops the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image; an intermediate transfer body to which the toner image is transferred and the surface of which contains a resin material and fluorocarbon resin particles; a first transfer unit that first transfers the toner image to the surface of the intermediate transfer body; a second transfer unit that second transfers the transferred toner image to a recording medium; and a cleaning unit that cleans the surface of the intermediate transfer body after the toner image is second transferred to the recording medium, the cleaning unit including a cleaning blade provided in contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer body.

Abstract: The presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to an image forming apparatus including: a) an imaging member, and b) a delivery member in contact with a surface of the imaging member, the delivery member has a surface layer comprised of an elastic material impregnated with a functional healing material, and the functional healing material is transferred onto the imaging member by diffusion through the elastic material to the surface of the imaging member. Embodiments also pertain to an improved electrophotographic imaging member including a very thin outer layer on an imaging member surface, where the very thin outer layer includes functional healing materials that act as a lubricant and/or a barrier against moisture and/or surface contaminants. The improved imaging member exhibits improved xerographic performance, such as reduced friction and deletions in high humidity conditions.

Abstract: An image forming method including forming a latent electrostatic image borne on an image bearing member, developing the latent electrostatic image with a development agent accommodated in a development unit, the development agent containing toner, applying or attaching a protective agent to the surface of the image bearing member by a protective agent supplying device including a foam roller, and supplying particulates having a true spherical form between the surface of the image bearing member and a surface of the foam roller.

Abstract: A lubricant applicator includes a solid lubricant, a lubricant applying member to apply the solid lubricant to a target object, a biasing member to bias the solid lubricant toward the lubricant applying member, and a regulating member to regulate the solid lubricant, which is biased toward the lubricant applying member by the biasing member, to prevent the lubricant from separating from the lubricant applying member by more than a predetermined distance. The regulating member is switchable between a regulating state for regulating the solid lubricant not to separate from the lubricant applying member by more than the predetermined distance and a non-regulating state.

Abstract: A lubricant supplying device comprises a solid lubricant, a lubricant applicator to scrape and supply the lubricant to a target, and a pressing mechanism to press the solid lubricant against the lubricant applicator. An amount of pressure applied to the solid lubricant by the pressing mechanism increases until one of a thickness of the solid lubricant and a number of printed sheets reaches a prescribed level after the lubricant starts being consumed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a cleaning device having a cleaning member that comes into contact with a surface of the image carrier, and a lubricant applying device provided on the downstream side of the cleaning member. The lubricant applying device includes a solid lubricant, a lubricant supply roller, and a trailing type lubricant smoothing blade that is provided on the downstream side of the lubricant supply roller, and comes into belly contact with the surface of the image carrier. After image carrier is stopped, constantly or under a predetermined condition, the surface of the image carrier is moved in a direction opposite to an image forming direction. The opposite movement distance is equal to or more than the shortest distance between a contact point between the lubricant supply roller and the image carrier and a contact point between the lubricant smoothing blade and the image carrier.

Abstract: An image carrier unit includes an image carrier that carries a toner image developed with a developer containing a toner on a surface thereof before the toner image is transferred to a transfer member in a transfer region; a supply section that supplies a lubricant containing a fluorocarbon resin to a surface of the image carrier such that the weight fraction of the fluorocarbon resin contained in the lubricant supplied after a period of time has elapsed since a predetermined point in time is higher than the weight fraction of the fluorocarbon resin contained in the lubricant supplied at the predetermined point in time; and a removing member that is disposed in contact with the surface of the image carrier and that removes the developer remaining without being transferred to the transfer member from the surface of the image carrier.

Abstract: A process unit including a first housing detachably attachable to an image forming apparatus, an image carrier to carry an image on a surface of the image carrier, a charger to charge the surface of the image carrier, a developing device to form the image on the surface of the image carrier, a cleaning device to remove toner from the surface of the image carrier, a lubricant to be supplied to the surface of the image carrier, a lubricant container to contain the lubricant, and a waste toner container to store the toner removed from the surface of the image carrier. The first housing includes the image carrier and at least one of the charger, the developing device, and the cleaning device. The lubricant, the lubricant container, and the waste toner container together are detachably attachable to the first housing.

Abstract: A lubricant supplying device includes: lubricant; a supplying member; a housing case; a pushing mechanism that includes a pair of swing members supported swingably in the housing case and a biasing unit urging the pair of swing members to swing; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects that a remaining amount of the lubricant is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount. The remaining amount detecting unit includes: first detection members provided at respective positions different from respective sliding areas of the member on which the swing members slide, on which sliding areas the respective swing members slide, and second detection members attached to the respective swing members such that the second detection members abut or face the respective first detection members when swing postures of the respective swing members reach respective swing postures corresponding to that the remaining amount of the lubricant is the predetermined amount.

Abstract: To provide an electrophotographic photoconductor including: a conductive substrate; a photosensitive layer; and a surface layer having grooves which do not intersect each other, the photosensitive layer and the surface layer being laid over the conductive substrate, wherein the grooves each have a width of 60 ?m to 100 ?m and a depth of 0.2 ?m to 2 ?m, wherein the standard deviation of the depths of the grooves is 1/10 or less of the average value of the depths of the grooves measured at any four places, and wherein the grooves are formed in a direction which diagonally crosses a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction of the electrophotographic photoconductor.

Abstract: There is described an applicator for use in an image forming apparatus. The applicator comprises a blade applicator comprising an elastomeric matrix and a functional material dispersed therein. The applicator blade is positioned in a trailing position with respect to a surface and wherein the functional material diffuses from the elastomeric matrix to the surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: an image bearing member; and a protective layer forming unit which includes a protective agent supplying member which rotatably contacts a surface of the image bearing member and an image bearing member protective agent, wherein the image bearing member protective agent includes at least a metal salt of a fatty acid and an inorganic lubricant, wherein the protective agent supplying member includes: a core material; and a foam layer formed on an outer periphery of the core material and including a plurality of cells, and wherein drive torque of the image bearing member and drive torque of the protective agent supplying member satisfy Formula (1) below: 1.47×10?4?[(A1+B1)?(A0+B0)]/L[N·m/mm]?1.

Abstract: In an embodiment, provided is a lubricant supplying device that includes: a solid lubricant; a supplying member that supplies lubricant of the solid lubricant to a lubricant supplying target; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects an amount of the solid lubricant being at a given amount or less. The remaining amount detecting unit is provided on a downstream side in a rubbing direction of the supplying member with respect to the solid lubricant.

Abstract: There is described a delivery member for use in an image forming apparatus. The delivery member includes a support member and a first layer comprising an elastomeric matrix, a porous material and a functional material dispersed therein. The first is layer disposed on the support member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes multiple image bearing members provided in tandem, multiple developing devices configured to develop the respective electrostatic latent images, an intermediate transfer member onto which the multiple toner images are transferred to form a composite toner image, multiple first lubricant applicators configured to apply a lubricant to the respective image bearing members, and a second lubricant applicator configured to apply a lubricant to the intermediate transfer member. The second lubricant applicator is provided upstream from the extreme upstream image bearing member. The amount of the first lubricant applied from the extreme upstream first lubricant applicator to the extreme upstream image bearing member is based on at least one of an amount of the second lubricant applied from the second lubricant applicator to the intermediate transfer member and an amount of first lubricant applied from each of the other lubricant applicators to the respective image bearing members.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a cleaning unit includes: a cleaning blade that scrapes off untransferred toner remaining on an image support; an application brush that contacts the image support on the downstream side in the rotational direction of the image support relative to the cleaning blade, the application brush rotating in a counter direction at a contact position with the image support, thereby scratching off lubricant particles from a solid lubricant provided at its periphery, and supporting and feeding the lubricant particles toward the contact position with the image support; and a moving force providing unit that provides the lubricant being fed by the application brush with an electrical moving force toward the image support, on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the application brush relative to the contact position of the image support and the application brush.

Abstract: A lubricant supplying device includes: lubricant; a supplying member that supplies the lubricant to a lubricant supply target; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects that a remaining amount of the lubricant is equal to or smaller than a certain amount. The remaining amount detecting unit includes a first electrode member and a second electrode member. The lubricant supplying device further comprises a member that causes at least a part of the second electrode member to move and causes the second electrode member to abut the first electrode member with an increase in consumption of the lubricant.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a rotation member being held rotatably while making contact with an image carrier, a solid lubricant pressed so as to make contact with the rotation member, and a potential application unit for applying a potential to the rotation member, wherein the material of the solid lubricant and the material of the rotation member are selected so that the charged polarity of the solid lubricant charged due to the friction between the rotation member and the solid lubricant becomes identical with the charged polarity of toner, and the potential to be applied to the rotation member is set so as to be higher or lower than the surface potential of the neutralized image carrier so that the charges having the same polarity as the charged polarity of the solid lubricant are attracted from the rotation member to the neutralized image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including at least: an image bearing member; a protective layer forming unit including at least a protective agent supplying member and an image bearing member protective agent; and a rotational speed controlling unit, wherein the protective agent supplying member includes a core material and a foam layer including a plurality of cells, wherein a number of cells n existing at a contact portion between a surface of the image bearing member and the protective agent supplying member is greater than 9 and less than 23, and wherein a traveling speed V of the cells with respect to the surface of the image bearing member at the contact portion is greater than 837 cells/mm2/s and less than 4,670 cells/mm2/s.