Abstract: Objects of the present invention are to provide an image forming method and image forming apparatus which can secure stable toner transferability, prevent reverse transfer of the toner back to a latent image bearing member, have excellent fixing ability and produce high-quality images. The image forming method includes a one-component developing step with a toner and transferring step with an intermediate transfer member, wherein the developing step uses a developing roller having a diameter of 8 mm to 15 mm, and the toner has an adherence Fh (nN) of the toner to a flat surface satisfying the relation represented by the formula (1) and adherence Fr (mN) among the toner particles satisfying the relation represented by the formula (2): 15?Fh?50??(1) 100?Fr?400??(2).

Abstract: A belt member for intermediate transfer, including a crosslinked product of a thermoplastic resin; and an electroconductive particulate material, wherein the belt member satisfies the following formulae (I) and (ii): 6?log(?v200)?10??(i) 0?log(?v10)?log(?v1,000)?2??(ii) wherein ?v200, ?v10 and ?v1,000 represent volume resistivities when the belt member is applied with biases of 200 V, 10 V and 1,000 V, respectively.

Abstract: A development device including a development roller to bear a development agent including toner, a development agent supplying roller which is provided adjacent to the development roller to supply the development agent to the development roller, a regulation applicator to regulate the layer thickness of the development agent on the development roller and a capture device to capture the development agent finely powdered by the regulation applicator.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a latent image bearing member, a charger, an irradiator, a developing member, a transfer device, and a surface potential equalizer. The transfer device includes an intermediate transfer member comprising a high-resistivity body having a surface resistivity of 1013?/? or more under dark conditions, a primary transfer member that transfers the toner image from the latent image bearing member onto the intermediate transfer member at a primary transfer nip, and a secondary transfer member that transfers the toner image from the intermediate transfer member onto a recording medium at a secondary transfer nip. The surface potential equalizer includes a surface potential equalizing member that equalizes a surface potential of the intermediate transfer member at a predetermined positive or negative potential. The surface potential equalizer is provided on a migration path of the intermediate transfer member from the secondary transfer nip to the primary transfer nip.

Abstract: An image forming method for fixing a toner image on a recording medium by passing the recording medium through a fixing nip defined between a first member and a second member under heat and pressure. The toner includes a specific amount of a shear buffer. The first and second members extend along respective first and second longitudinal axes, and have respective at least one convex portion curving outward and at least one concave portion curving inward with respect to each of the respective first and second longitudinal axes. At least one of the first and second members is heated, and the first convex portion engages the second concave portion and the first concave portion engages the second convex portion, to define the fixing nip therebetween.

Abstract: An image forming method for fixing a toner image on a recording medium by passing the recording medium through a fixing nip defined between a first member and a second member under heat and pressure. The toner has a specific loss elastic modulus. The first and second members extend along respective first and second longitudinal axes, and have respective first and second elastic layers whose thickness vary along the respective first and second longitudinal axes to define at least one convex portion curving outward and at least one concave portion curving inward with respect to each of the respective first and second longitudinal axes. The first convex portion engages the second concave portion and the first concave portion engages the second convex portion, to define the fixing nip therebetween.

Abstract: To provide a developer supply roller including: a shaft core; and an elastic layer over the shaft core, wherein the elastic layer is composed of at least a first elastic layer and a second elastic layer, the first elastic layer and second elastic layer made of elastic bodies with different moduli of elasticity, the first layer being an outermost layer of the supply roller, and wherein the relationships 0%?k1?20% and 20%?k2?70% are satisfied, where k1 is the modulus of repulsion elasticity of the first elastic layer and k2 is the modulus of repulsion elasticity (%) of the second elastic layer.

Abstract: A toner including a resin having a polyester skeleton, a coloring agent, a vinyl based copolymer resin, and a releasing agent, wherein the toner is manufactured by dissolving or dispersing a resin including the resin having a polyester skeleton and a mixture of the vinyl based copolymer resin and the releasing agent in an organic solvent to obtain a lysate and/or a dispersion material, dispersing the lysate and/or the dispersion material in an aqueous medium to obtain a liquid dispersion and removing the organic solvent from the liquid dispersion.

Abstract: An image formation method including developing a latent image on an image bearing member with a toner containing a coloring agent and a first binder resin; transferring the toner to a recording medium; transferring a fixing helping particle containing a second binder resin to the recording medium; and fixing the toner and the fixing helping particle on the recording medium, wherein the toner and the fixing helping particle satisfy the following relationships: 6 ?m?Dvc?3 ?m Dvc>10×Dvt Sc<St. In the relationships, Dvc represents the volume average particle diameter of the toner, Dvt represents the volume average particle diameter of the fixing helping particle, Sc represents the average circularity of the toner and St represents the average particle diameter of the fixing helping particle.

Abstract: A toner including a binder resin, a coloring agent, an infrared absorbing agent having at least a maximum absorption wavelength in a wavelength range of from 700 to 1,100 nm, and a fixed surface protective agent, wherein, for a cross section observation of the toner, the infrared absorbing agent which exists in the vicinity of the fixed surface protective agent occupies at least 60% by area based on the entire area of the infrared absorbing agent and is present inside the toner closer to the surface of the toner than to the center area thereof.

Abstract: To provide an image forming method for obtaining excellent image quality under high humidity. The image forming method including charging a surface of a latent electrostatic image bearing member, exposing the charged surface of the latent electrostatic image bearing member so as to form a latent electrostatic image, developing the latent electrostatic image using a developer so as to form a toner image, and transferring the toner image from the latent electrostatic image bearing member to a transfer medium, wherein in the developing step, a toner is used that has an interparticle adhesion force of 500 nN to 1,200 nN when pressed at 500 nN and a volume average particle diameter of 4 ?m to 8 ?m, and in the transferring step, the transfer pressure applied to the transfer medium is 20 N/m to 60 N/m, and wherein a tandem image forming apparatus is used in the image forming method.

Abstract: To provide a developer supply roller including:a shaft core; and an elastic layer over the shaft core, wherein the elastic layer is composed of at least a first elastic layer and a second elastic layer, the first elastic layer and second elastic layer made of elastic bodies with different moduli of elasticity, the first layer being an outermost layer of the supply roller, and wherein the relationships 0%?k1?20% and 20%?k2?70% are satisfied, where k1 is the modulus of repulsion elasticity of the first elastic layer and k2 is the modulus of repulsion elasticity (%) of the second elastic layer.

Abstract: Objects of the present invention are to provide an image forming method and image forming apparatus which can secure stable toner transferability, prevent reverse transfer of the toner back to a latent image bearing member, have excellent fixing ability and produce high-quality images.

Abstract: A developer including a toner and a carrier, wherein the carrier is a ferrite carrier coated with a silicone resin and the following relationships are satisfied: log(?i Q(t)/Q?)=?kobt ?Q(t)=Q??Q(t) ?2.5?log(kob)??1 wherein Q(t) is a charge quantity (?C/g) of the developer after t sec which is a stirring time of the toner and the carrier; Q? is a saturated charge quantity (?C/g) of the developer; and kob is a chargeable speed of the developer.

Abstract: To provide an image forming method that includes supplying a toner to a developing roller using a toner supplying roller, and forming an image by the use of a one-component developer, wherein the toner supplying roller contains a polyurethane foam and is 5 mm to 12 mm in diameter, the polyurethane foam has an repulsion force of 100 g/mm to 400 g/mm, and the average cell diameter, or Dc, of the polyurethane foam and the volume average particle diameter, or Dt, of the toner satisfy the following mathematical expressions: 4?Dt?10 30Dt+50?Dc?30Dt+300 where Dt and Dc are in micrometer.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image receiving sheet for forming a toner image by removably adhering toner thereto. The sheet has an irregular surface including a plurality of concavities in the form of continuous grooves for receiving the toner and ridges extending along the concavities, and a toner image can be formed by removably adhering the toner to the concavities. The ridges of the irregular surface are capable of protecting the toner adhering to the concavities. The continuously grooved concavities have a depth (height of ridges) of 20 ?m to 150 ?m; and a condition of E·A?2 [GPa·?m] can be established wherein E[GPa] means Young's modulus and A [?m] means a width of ridges, the Young's modulus being a value when a material for forming the concavities and ridges is elongated by 1%. The ridges may be reinforced by reinforcing portions for retaining postures of the ridges.

Abstract: In the non-fixing type image forming method and apparatus which allow chargeable toner T to removably adhere to recessed portions R of an image receiving sheet S having an uneven surface s2′ formed with a lot of the recessed portions R capable of housing the chargeable toner by an electrostatic force to form a toner image and allows protrusions P of the uneven surface s2′ to protect the toner T adhering to the recessed portions R, after the toner image is formed on the image receiving sheet S, an amount of electric charges of the toner T on the image receiving sheet is reduced.

Abstract: Convexity-cleaning method and device for removing toner adhering to a convexity or convexities of an irregular surface of a non-fixing type image receiving sheet. When removing the toner, a contact surface of a cleaning member is brought into contact with the convexity or convexities, the irregular surface is moved relatively to the cleaning member at a first surface moving speed, the contact surface of the cleaning member is moved at a second surface moving speed, and a difference is made between the first and second surface moving speeds.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image receiving sheet for forming a toner image by removably adhering toner thereto.

Abstract: To provide a non-fixing type image forming method, of forming a toner image on an image receiving sheet, which holds the toner image onto the image receiving sheet removably without fixing the image like conventional techniques so as to be capable of forming the image, and thus separates and removes the toner from the image receiving sheet on which the toner image is formed so as to enable reusing of the toner or (and) the image receiving sheet, and is capable of forming the toner image remaining on the image receiving sheet onto the image receiving sheet stably with a damage of the image due to an object having electric charges (for example, a sheet having electric charges) which occasionally approaches from an outside being suppressed, and a non-fixing type image forming apparatus which is suitable for carrying out the method.