Abstract: A cleaning device may include a polishing roller, an ejection member, and a conveying member. In some embodiments, the polishing roller may be configured to remove and collect a residual substance adhering to a surface of an image bearing member while rotating in contact with the image bearing member. In an embodiment, the ejection member may be configured to eject the substance collected by the polishing roller to the outside of the cleaning device. An embodiment may include a conveying member configured to follow the rotation of the polishing roller by being in contact with the polishing roller and to convey toner in the cleaning device on a surface of the polishing roller in an axial direction of the polishing roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image forming section that forms an image with a recording material on a recording medium to an edge thereof, and a cleaning section that cleans off the recording material adhering to an edge surface of the recording medium after the image forming section forms the image thereon.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier that carries an image; a developing unit that develops the image on the image carrier into a toner image; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image carried on the image carrier onto a transfer medium; and a cleaning unit that cleans residual toner, having not been transferred by the transfer unit, from the image carrier. The cleaning unit includes a cleaning roller member provided in contact with the image carrier and supplied with a predetermined bias voltage, having a surface layer of a conductive fiber cloth, and a conductive roller member provided in contact with the cleaning roller member and supplied with a predetermined bias voltage.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, which comprises an image bearing member on which a toner image is formed, a sweep roller for removing residual toner particles from the image bearing member, and a recovery roller for recovering the toner particles from the sweep roller. The recovery roller has a diameter of 10 mm or less, and a surface roughness Rz of 1.6 ?m to 6.4 ?m.

Abstract: This is a cleaning roll for a xerographic cleaning station. The roll comprises a compliant foam layer covered with a fabric overcoating. The cleaning station also contains a detoning roll which contacts the cleaning roll to attract residual toner for disposal out of the station. There is an electrical connection in the station to a biasing structure which will bias both the fabric overcoating and the detoning roll. The conductive fabric has an average roughness (RA) not exceeding about 8 ?m to 10 ?m and the fabric comprises yarns of similar size to provide thereby a smooth and uniform surface texture.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging roll that charges the image bearing member by rotating in contact with the image bearing member, and a cleaning member that removes materials adhered to the surface of the charging roll by contacting the surface of the charging roll. The cleaning member includes a foam body having an average cell diameter of 0.18 mm to 1.0 mm, and a ten point height of irregularities (Rz: JIS B0601-1982) of the charging roll is 1 ?m to 17 ?m.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes: a first shaft; a cleaning roller which is operable to come into contact with a surface of a photosensitive drum, and is integrally rotated with the first shaft; a pressing member for pressing the cleaning roller against the surface of the photosensitive drum; a second shaft; a spiral roller which is integrally rotated with the second shaft, and is operative to collect toner residues from the surface of the photosensitive drum; a driving force transmitting mechanism for transmitting a driving force of the photosensitive drum to the first shaft and the second shaft; and a pair of arm members which are pivotally interlocked with the second shaft, and are pivotally interlocked with the first shaft. The cleaning device allows for suppressing image jitter or noise resulting from jitter of the photosensitive drum.

Abstract: Toner having spindle-shaped particles is used to form images in an image forming apparatus. Each spindle-shaped particle has a ratio of a length in a minor axis to a length in a major axis in a range from 0.5 to 0.8 and a ratio of a thickness to the length in the minor axis in a range from 0.7 to 1.0. A charging device applies an electric charge onto an electrostatic latent-image carrier of the image forming apparatus. The charging device includes a charging roller, a surface roughness of which is equal to or smaller than 10 micrometers.

Abstract: A cleaning device has: a cleaning member contacting a body-to-be-cleaned at a predetermined nip width, and cleaning a surface of the body-to-be-cleaned; and a supporting member supporting a peripheral surface of the cleaning member. The cleaning member is supported with predetermined degrees of freedom by the supporting member and a surface of the body-to-be-cleaned.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning component that cleans the surface of a charging component that charges an image carrier that has a surface on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed. The cleaning component is a hollow body that cleans the surface of the charging component while being rotated by rotation of the charging component.

Abstract: A cleaning roller has a core and a polyurethane foam layer covering the core to form a peripheral surface of the cleaning roller adapted to be in contact with a peripheral surface of the toner image bearing member. The polyurethane foam is designed so that the number of cell per inch thereof is 30 or more and 60 or less and an open ratio of cell walls thereof is 3% or more and 50% or less.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a first cleaning member that includes a surface layer formed by a cloth made of conductive fibers, contacts an image carrier holding an image and cleans the image carrier with a predetermined voltage applied to the first cleaning member; a second cleaning member that contacts the image carrier and cleans the image carrier with a predetermined voltage applied to the second cleaning member; a first collection member that contacts the first and second cleaning members and collects adhering substances from the first and second cleaning member with a predetermined voltage applied to the first collection member; and a second collection member that contacts the second cleaning member and collects adhering substances form the second cleaning member with a predetermined voltage applied to the second collection member.

Abstract: A photosensitive cartridge includes a housing comprising an opening; a photosensitive drum supported by the housing, an electrostatic latent image being formed on the photosensitive drum; a charger that is supported by the housing and charges the photosensitive drum; a cleaning member that is supported by the housing and catches foreign substances from the photosensitive drum; and a cover that is exposed through the opening so as to be flush with an outer surface of the housing at a periphery of the opening, and catches foreign substances from the cleaning member.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus and an image forming method capable of effectively suppressing the occurrence of image deletion etc. and thus stably obtaining a high-quality image and stably reducing the influence of titanium oxide particles on image quality. The image forming apparatus includes an amorphous silicon photoconductor drum having a heater provided therein; a charging device; and a rotating member that cleans the surfaces of the amorphous silicon photoconductor drum using titanium oxide particles included in toner particles. In the image forming apparatus and the image forming method using the same, the heater controls a difference between the surface temperature of the amorphous silicon photoconductor drum and the outdoor temperature within a predetermined range, and slide friction between the amorphous silicon photoconductor drum and the rotating member and the average primary particle diameter of the titanium oxide particles are set in predetermined ranges.

Abstract: There is provided a cleaning device for an image-forming device configured so as to be capable of preventing the image quality from deteriorating by being able to prevent the deterioration of the charging state caused by deposits of foreign matter without increasing costs. There is also provided a cleaning member that can make contact with the cleaning target-members. The cleaning member has a portion composed of melamine resin foam for making contact with at least the cleaning target members, and the melamine resin foam has an Asker F hardness of 5 to 25 points and a hardness variation of 5 points or less, and is used on the cleaning target members in a state obtained by heat compression from the original shape. The pressing member is furthermore disposed in contact with the cleaning member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a sheet cassette are provided. The image forming apparatus includes a first tray that accommodates sheets; a first transfer path; a forming unit; an arm that can be pivoted; a roller that is rotatably provided at a leading end of the arm and feeds the sheets; a second tray that is provided on the first tray to form a two-stage structure, and can slide in a direction in which the second tray comes into contact with or is separated from the arm; and a cleaning member that is provided on the second tray and cleans the roller. The arm changes posture between a first posture in which the roller is supported upward by the first tray and a second posture in which the roller comes into pressure contact with the cleaning member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cleaning member which can be produced at low cost and which maintains excellent cleaning performance for a long period of time. The cleaning member has a lower layer formed through winding a double-faced tape formed of a sponge member having an adhesive layer on each side thereof around the surface of a core member, and an upper layer provided on the outer surface of the lower layer. The upper layer is formed of at least one fiber layer made of woven fabric or knitted fabric.

Abstract: Provided is a cleaning roll (conductive roll) including a core, a coating layer formed thereon, and a shaft along the axis of the core, wherein the coating layer contains a bismaleimide resin and a conductive agent. Also provided are a cleaning unit, a process cartridge, and an image-forming apparatus employing the conductive roll. The invention provides a conductive roll, comprising a core and a coating layer containing a bismaleimide resin and a conductive agent formed on the external peripheral surface of the core.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a photosensitive drum (2), a transfer roller (5) above photosensitive drum (2), a transport line (14) that passes between photosensitive drum (2) and the transfer roller (5), a cleaning unit (6) below the transport line (14) and downstream of the photosensitive drum (2), and provided with a cleaning blade (11) and a polishing roller (10) to polish a surface of photosensitive drum (2), and rotation-direction selector (21) to selectively change a rotation direction of the polishing roller (10). The polishing roller (10) is above the cleaning blade (11) and rotationally upstream of photosensitive drum (2) relative to the cleaning blade (11). The rotation-direction selector (21) allows the polishing roller (10) to rotate in the same direction as the photosensitive drum (2) during a polishing mode for polishing the surface of photosensitive drum (2), and in a reverse direction at other times.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a first cleaning member that includes a surface layer formed by a cloth made of conductive fibers, contacts an image carrier holding an image and cleans the image carrier with a predetermined voltage applied to the first cleaning member; a second cleaning member that contacts the image carrier and cleans the image carrier with a predetermined voltage applied to the second cleaning member; a first collection member that contacts the first and second cleaning members and collects adhering substances from the first and second cleaning member with a predetermined voltage applied to the first collection member; and a second collection member that contacts the second cleaning member and collects adhering substances form the second cleaning member with a predetermined voltage applied to the second collection member.

Abstract: A component for an image forming apparatus may include a seamless knit fabric which may be applied to a shaft. Both the fabric and the shaft may be electrically conductive. The fabric and the shaft may be separated by foam. The component may be employed in an image forming apparatus or in an image forming device cartridge.

Abstract: The invention provides an image forming apparatus that, even when a downward transfer method is adopted, can prevent a toner in a cleaning device from excessively charging and an air gap from occurring, and thereby can effectively suppress occurrence of black spots due to a leakage current from the cleaning device, and an image forming method therewith. Provided are an image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier for transferring a toner carried on a surface thereof from downward to a transfer body; and a cleaning device provided with a rotation member for cleaning the surface of the latent image carrier, a resistance of an elastic layer formed on an outer periphery part of the rotation member being set to a value in the range of 1×102 to 1×107?, and an image forming method.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus is used for cleaning the surface of a photoconductive body. Residual toner on a rotating photoconductive body is collected after transferring a toner image from the photoconductive body onto a print medium, the apparatus includes a first cleaning member, a second cleaning member, and a toner transporting member. The first cleaning member engages the photoconductive body to brush away the residual toner. The second cleaning member is disposed downstream of the first cleaning member with respect to rotation of the photoconductive body. The second cleaning member scrapes the residual toner off the photoconductive body. The toner transporting member is disposed between the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member along a circumferential surface of the photoconductive body. The toner transporting member is positioned with a gap between the photoconductive body and the toner transporting member and transporting the residual toner removed from the photoconductive body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier that carries an image; a developing unit that develops the image on the image carrier into a toner image; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image carried on the image carrier onto a transfer medium; and a cleaning unit that cleans residual toner, having not been transferred by the transfer unit, from the image carrier. The cleaning unit includes a cleaning roller member provided in contact with the image carrier and supplied with a predetermined bias voltage, having a surface layer of a conductive fiber cloth, and a conductive roller member provided in contact with the cleaning roller member and supplied with a predetermined bias voltage.

Abstract: An image forming device includes an image forming unit that includes an image carrier which carries an electrostatic latent image, a developing unit which forms a developing nip by contacting with the image carrier and develops the latent image by using toner, a transfer unit which forms a transferring nip by contacting with the image carrier and transfers a toner image onto a recording paper, and a first driving unit which rotates the image carrier, the developing unit and the transfer unit. The image forming device also includes a laser scanner unit that includes a polygon mirror and a second driving unit which rotates the polygon mirror.

Abstract: A cleaning member includes a contact portion that is in contact with a cleaning target, at least the contact portion is made of melamine resin foam that is obtained by heating and compressing an original form. Because the heated and compressed melamine resin foam is used, the wearing out of the cleaning target member is extremely less, and the cleaning capability is maintained at an adequate state for a long period of time.

Abstract: It is intended to provide an image forming apparatus capable of conducting charge adjustment of post-transfer residual toner appropriately by securing a contact area of a temporarily-collecting member and an electrode, without applying excessive deformation load to the temporarily-collecting member. There are arranged a brush roller for temporarily collecting post-transfer residual toner, and an electrode of which inwardly-curved face being in contact with the brush roller in a toner charge apparatus. Thereby, charged-in-opposite-polarity toner, out of post-transfer residual toner, is collected by the brush roller, polarity of the toner is reversed to original polarity, and then, returned to a photosensitive drum. The inner face of the electrode, i.e., a contact face of the electrode and the brush roller is formed in an inwardly-curved face. Thereby, a large contact area and light pushing force of the electrode to the brush roller can go together.

Abstract: When superimposing toner images of a plurality of colors on an image supporting member to form a color image, a free phase ion in a precedent image is removed without distorting the toner image precedently formed on the image supporting member, thereby improving reproducibility of image dots of the toner images having second and subsequent colors to obtain a high-definition color image with high contrast.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus with multiple toner image-forming units that form toner images by developing electrostatic latent images by means of a developer containing a nonmagnetic toner and a magnetic carrier. Each of the toner image-forming units has a photoreceptor, a developing device that develops an electrostatic latent image borne on the surface of the photoreceptor, and multiple cleaning rolls, which have a magnetic particle layer of magnetic particles at the surface that are located in the state freely rotatable and in contact with or in the neighborhood of the surface of the photoreceptor. Furthermore, the cleaning rolls absorb nonmagnetic toners present on the surface of the photoreceptor on the magnetic particle layer thereof by rotation and the photoreceptor is rotating at a peripheral velocity of approximately 200 mm/sec or more.

Abstract: A conductive rubber member having a rubber layer, disposed in an outermost layer thereof, formed by using a rubber composition containing an ionic-conductive rubber, the rubber composition further containing a dielectric loss tangent-adjusting filler. The conductive rubber member has a dielectric loss tangent of not less than 2.0 nor more than 5.0, when an alternating voltage of 5V with a frequency of 100 Hz is applied to the conductive rubber member.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrically conductive member including a core and a resin layer provided on an outer peripheral surface of the core, wherein the resin layer is made of a resin composition in which an electrically conductive agent is dispersed, and the abrasion amount of the resin composition, measured by JIS K6902, is 20 mg or less. Moreover, the present invention provides a unit for cleaning an image holding member, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus each using the electrically conductive member.

Abstract: An electro-conductive roll is provided that makes contact with a body to be charged in a state in which a voltage is applied thereto, and charges the body to be charged, a surface of the electro-conductive roll satisfying the following conditions (a) and (b): (a) the surface of the electro-conductive roll has a 10-point average roughness of 5 ?m or less; and (b) the surface of the electro-conductive roll has a dynamic ultra-microhardness in the range of 0.04 to 0.5.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a brush roller that removes deposit from a surface of a member to be cleaned by rotating due to a movement of the surface of the member. The brush roller includes a rotary shaft element and a brush provided on the rotary shaft element. The brush abuts the surface of the member due to a weight of the brush roller. The brush includes filaments, and the brush roller satisfies the inequation Y/X?2.8, where Y is a diameter (denier) of each of the filaments, and X is a length (mm) of each of the filaments. The filaments slant with respect to a normal direction of the rotary shaft element.

Abstract: A charging device including a charging roller having a metallic cylinder with an elastic layer disposed thereon, and a cleaner for cleaning the surface of the charging roller. The cleaner includes a driving shaft and a cleaning roller rotatably mounted on the driving shaft. The cleaning roller is made of a non-cellular foam resin having a density of from 5 to 15 kg/m3 and a tensile strength of from 1.2 to 2.2 kg/cm2.

Abstract: An improved thermal development apparatus is used to remove uncured photopolymer from the imaged surface of a flexographic printing element. The apparatus typically comprises one or more heatable rolls that are contactable with an imaged surface of a flexographic printing element; and means for maintaining contact between the one or more heatable rolls and the imaged surface of the flexographic printing element. The one or more heatable rolls are heated and is moved over at least a portion of the imaged surface of the flexographic printing element, and non-crosslinked polymer on the imaged surface of the flexographic printing element is melted and removed by the one or more heatable rolls.

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: An apparatus for forming an image that can stably provide an image for a long period of time is provided by using an electrophotographic photoreceptor having, as the outermost layer, a hard film containing one or more of a charge transporting organic silicon compound. It is an apparatus for forming an image containing a photoreceptor having, as an outermost layer, a hard film containing one or more of a charge transporting organic silicon compound represented by the following general formula (I), the outermost layer having a wear rate of about from 5 to 30 nm per 1,000 revolutions of the photoreceptor: F-[D-A]b.

Abstract: A process unit and an image forming apparatus including an image holding member that holds an image thereon, a first cleaning roller that contacts a surface of the image holding member, a second cleaning roller that contacts a surface of the first cleaning roller, and a bearing member that integrally forms a first bearing and a second bearing on a base element, the first bearing supporting the first cleaning roller rotatably and the second bearing supporting the second cleaning roller rotatably.

Abstract: A device included in an image forming apparatus for removing a substance that disfigures an image. The device includes an adsorbent support that supports an adsorbent. The absorbent has a molecular structure including voids that have a diameter great enough to pass molecules of the disfiguring substance which is deposited on the surface of an image carrier and contain water.

Abstract: A cleaner includes a first roller and a second roller. The first roller is for removing foreign matter from a photosensitive body of an image forming device. The second roller is disposed in confrontation with the first roller. An electric field developed between the first roller and the second roller moves foreign matter having a predetermined charge polarity from the surface of the first roller to the surface of the second roller.

Abstract: A cleaning device is provided with a conductive fur brush kept in contact with a transfer belt, a conductive brush kept in contact with the transfer belt upstream of the fur brush in the feed direction, and a single of constant-current d.c. power supply. The fur brush is connected to the constant-current d.c. power supply, and the conductive brush is grounded. A current flows from the constant-current d.c. power supply via the transfer belt to the conductive brush.

Abstract: The present invention provides a conductive member used for a charging unit a development unit, a transfer unit, and a cleaning unit, which are used for electrophotographic apparatus or an electrostatic recording process. The conductive member includes an elastic layer and a resin layer, wherein the resin layer is formed on the outer side of the elastic layer directly or indirectly via another layer. When the surface of the resin layer being in a state not containing any conductive agent is charged due to corona discharge generated by applying a voltage of 8 kV to a corona discharger disposed with a gap of 1 mm put between the surface of the resin layer and the corona discharger, a surface potential of the resin layer after an elapse of 0.3 sec is in a range of 50 V or less and a surface potential of the resin layer after an elapse of 10 sec is in a range of 5 V or less.

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 of the present invention includes a brush roller having a brush held in contact with the surface of a body to be cleaned. The brush contacts the surface of the body to be cleaned due to the weight of the brush roller and rotates by following the movement of the above surface. A flicker is held in contact with the brush in order to remove toner deposited on the brush. A casing forms a chamber therein for storing the toner removed by the flicker. The brush roller maintains an expected cleaning ability even when impurities deposited on the brush absorb moisture in a high-humidity environment and cannot be easily removed or when a great amount of toner deposits on the brush at a time.

Abstract: A cleaning device of an image forming machine including a pair of arm members each having one end portion pivotable about a support shaft, a cleaning roller rotatably supported between front end portions of the arm members via a shaft, helical compression springs for urging the arm members so as to bring the cleaning roller into contact under pressure with the surface of a photoconductor drum, a drive gear of the photoconductor drum, and a driven gear of the cleaning roller in mesh with the drive gear. Each of the arm members is disposed axially outwardly of the photoconductor drum. The center of the support shaft of each of the arm members is either placed on an extension of a line of action passing the point of engagement between the drive gear and the driven gear, or placed on an extension of a straight line passing the point of engagement, the straight line being within an angular range of some angle to the line of action.

Abstract: A cleaning device including a housing disposed above a photoconductor drum and having an opening portion open downward toward the circumferential surface of the photoconductor drum, a cleaning blade disposed in the housing so as to be located in the opening portion downstream in the direction of rotation of the photoconductor drum, and a cleaning roller disposed in the housing so as to be located in the opening portion upstream from the cleaning blade in the direction of rotation of the photoconductor drum; and an image forming apparatus equipped with the cleaning device. In the housing of the cleaning device, a spiral roller for letting out a toner recovered into the housing is disposed above the cleaning blade. A partition wall is disposed between the cleaning blade and the spiral roller, and a toner movement space for moving the toner recovered into the housing is formed between the front end of the partition wall and the circumferential surface of the cleaning roller.

Abstract: A device for engaging and disengaging an object in one direction and a photosensitive medium cleaning device of a liquid printer using the same are provided. The device for engaging and disengaging includes a housing, a driving motor disposed at the housing, a rotating bracket, rotatably disposed at the housing, for supporting the object, and a cam unit, capable of rotating and moving linearly by a rotating force of the driving motor, for transferring the rotating bracket to one side by being rotated after being moved linearly to the rotating bracket while the driving unit is rotating in one direction, the cam unit being separated from the rotating bracket enabling the rotating bracket to return to an initial position while the driving motor is rotating reversely.

Abstract: A process unit and an image forming apparatus including an image holding member that holds an image thereon, a first cleaning roller that contacts a surface of the image holding member, a second cleaning roller that contacts a surface of the first cleaning roller, and a bearing member that integrally forms a first bearing and a second bearing on a base element, the first bearing supporting the first cleaning roller rotatably and the second bearing supporting the second cleaning roller rotatably.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus structured with an image carrier; a developing device for making a toner image by using a toner having resin particles, which are obtained through particle formation in an aqueous medium; a transfer device for transferring the toner image onto a transfer material; and a cleaning device for removing residual toner remaining on the image carrier after transferring, wherein the cleaning device has: a cleaning roller having a conductive or semi-conductive resilient body; a cleaning blade made of a resilient material and provided downstream the cleaning roller; a power source to apply a bias voltage on the cleaning roller; and a collecting member to collect the toner removed by the cleaning roller; and wherein the absolute value of the charge amount of the toner used in the image forming apparatus is between 20-50 &mgr;C/g.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charging member for charging a body to be charged by bringing the charging member into contact with the body to be charged and applying a voltage between the body to be charged and the charging member. The charging member includes an elastic layer and a resin layer containing a conductive agent, wherein the resin layer is formed on the outer side of the elastic layer directly or indirectly via another layer. When the surface of the resin layer being in a state not containing any conductive agent is charged due to corona discharge generated by applying a voltage of 8 kV to a corona discharger disposed with a gap of 1 mm put between the surface of the resin layer and the corona discharger, a surface potential of the resin layer after an elapse of 0.3 sec is in a range of 50 V or less and a surface potential of the outermost resin layer after and elapse of 10 sec is in a range of 5 V or less. The present invention also provides a charging unit using the charging member.