Abstract: A fixing member for use in a fixing assembly of an image-forming apparatus of an electrophotographic or electrostatic recording system has a conductive layer and a releasing layer formed on the conductive layer. In the releasing layer, any one or both of medium-resistance particles and medium-resistance whiskers are dispersed, and the releasing layer has a surface resistivity of 1.0×108 &OHgr; or below and a volume resistivity of 1.0×108 &OHgr;cm or above. The fixing assembly having such a fixing member may be provided in an image-forming apparatus having the fixing assembly, and the fixing member has a superior anti-offset properties and proofness to smeared image trailing edges.

Abstract: ? A fixing member for use in a fixing assembly of an image-forming apparatus of an electrophotographic or electrostatic recording system; the fixing member comprising a conductive layer and a releasing layer formed on the conductive layer. In the releasing layer, any one or both of medium-resistance particles and medium-resistance whiskers are dispersed, and the releasing layer has a surface resistivity of 1.0×108 &OHgr; or below and a volume resistivity of 1.0×108 &OHgr;cm or above. Also disclosed are a fixing assembly having such a fixing member and an image-forming apparatus having the fixing assembly.

Abstract: A charging member is disposed in contact with an electrophotographic photosensitive member and charges the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member electrostatically upon application of a voltage. The charging member has a conductive support, a base layer and a surface layer which are formed on the conductive support. The surface layer contains fluorine resin particles as a filler and a fluorine resin as a binder resin.

Abstract: A charging member includes an electroconductive base for being supplied with a voltage; a first resin layer; a second resin layer; wherein said first and second resin layers are produced by applying and drying paint-like material including resin material dispersed in aqueous material.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having at least: an image carrying member for carrying an electrostatic latent image, the image carrying member having a photosensitive layer on a conductive substrate; a developer for developing the electrostatic latent image carrying member on the image carrying member; a developer carrying member for carrying the developer and conveying it to a development area; a control member making contact with the developer carrying member for controlling the coating amount of the developer; and a cleaning member for cleaning the surface of the photosensitive layer of the image carrying member by making contact with the surface of the image carrying member with a contact pressure of 0.15N (15 gf) to 0.89N (90 gf). The photosensitive layer contains at least one kind of polycarbonate resin (I) having a viscosity average molecular weight of 1.5×104 or less and at least one kind of polycarbonate resin (II) having a viscosity average molecular weight of more than 1.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes, an image bearing member, a charger which may be a main charger and auxiliary charger for charging the image bearing member, a developing unit for forming a toner image by developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member using a toner having the same polarity as that of the charger, a transfer electrode, having a width different from that of the charger and contacting a transfer material, for applying a bias voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the charger to the transfer material, the cleaning blade contacting the image bearing member in a counter direction relative to a moving direction of the image bearing member in order to scrape and remove toner particles remaining on the image bearing member after the image transfer due to the potential of the image bearing member, and a member for reducing a charging potential difference between the charger and the transfer electrode generated on the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for detecting the useful life of an image bearing member includes an image bearing member; a charging member contactable to the image bearing member for charging the image bearing member, the charging member being supplied with a voltage. The image forming apparatus also includes a discharging member for electrically discharging the image bearing member, the discharging member discharging a first region of the image bearing member and a second region of the image bearing member, different from the first region in a direction of a generating line of the image bearing member; and a detecting device for detecting a current flowing through the charging member when the charging member is supplied with a predetermined voltage and charges the first region having been discharged by the discharging member and when the charging member also charges the second region having been discharged by the discharging member.

Abstract: A charging member contactable to a member to be charged and capable of being supplied with a voltage to charge the member to be charged, the charging member including a core member having a stepped portion to provide a smaller diameter portion at an end portion side than at a longitudinally central side; and an elastic member supported by the core member, the elastic member covering the stepped portion.

Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a developer carrying member for carrying developer, opposed to an image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic image; a regulating member for regulating an amount of the developer to be applied on the developer carrying member; and electric field generator for generating an oscillating electric field between the developer carrying member and the regulating member; wherein the amount of the developer to be applied on the developer carrying member is regulated to no less than 0.6 mg/cm.sup.2 and no more than 1.5 mg/cm.sup.2 by the regulating member.

Abstract: A cleaning device for an electrophotographic apparatus including an image carrier has a cleaning blade with an edge slidably contracting with an image carrier to remove foreign matter remaining on a surface of the image carrier. A lubricant including indefinite-form lubricant particles is applied to zones on the edges of the cleaning blade near both longitudinal ends of the cleaning blade and a lubricant including spherical lubricant particles is applied to a zone on the edge of the cleaning blade between the zones to which the lubricant including indefinite-form lubricant particles has been applied. A process cartridge includes the cleaning device, and an image forming apparatus incorporates the process cartridge.