Abstract: An image forming method including: forming an electrostatic latent image on an image bearing member; developing the latent image with a toner; transferring the toner image onto a receiving material; and fixing the toner image. The image bearing member includes a substrate, and a charge generation layer, a charge transport layer and a crosslinked charge transport layer, wherein the crosslinked charge transport layer includes a compound obtained from radical polymerizable monomers including a monomer having three or more functional groups and no charge transport structure and a monomer having one functional group and a charge transport structure. The toner includes a binder resin, a colorant, and a release agent, wherein tetrahydrofuran-soluble components of the binder resin have a molecular weight distribution such that at least one peak is observed in a range of from 1,000 to 10,000 and the half-width of the molecular weight distribution curve is not greater than 15,000.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus that employs a system of charging by adjacent discharge, not only can degradation of the photoreceptor surface caused by adjacent discharge be prevented, but also there is no side effect on the developer, and at the same time size reduction is achieved. The image forming apparatus comprises an object to be charged whose surface moves; a charging device for charging the object to be charged using an electrical discharge generated by applying a voltage comprising an alternating current component to a charging member provided in contact with or in proximity to the object to be charged; a latent image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the object charged by the charging device; and a developing device for causing a two-component developer to come into contact with the image portion of the electrostatic latent image formed by the latent image forming device and affixing toner thereto.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an image forming process which can form a stable image for a long term without causing an image blur, an image failure in the form of a stripe or a dot, and an image fluctuation due to an environmental fluctuation.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus comprising at least a moving body to be charged, a charging device for charging the body to be charged using discharge caused by applying a voltage to a charging member provided in contact with or proximity to the body to be charged, a latent image formation device for forming a latent image on a surface of the body to be charged which is charged by the charging device, and a development device for depositing toner on an image portion of the latent image formed by the latent image formation device, wherein an elastic displacement ratio ?e for the surface of the body to be charged is equal to or greater than 40% which is defined by the following formula, elastic displacement ratio ?e(%)=[(maximum displacement)?(plastic displacement)]/(maximum displacement)×100, and the image formation apparatus further comprises a protective material feeding device for depositing a protective material on at least a discharge area of the surface of the body to be charged.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a movable body to be charged and a charger including a charging member that contacts or adjoins the body to be charged and applies a voltage, including an AC component, to the charging member for thereby charging the body. A protection substance for protecting the surface of the body from deterioration ascribable to charging is caused to exist on the body. The number of particular elements, contained in the protection substance and detected by an X-ray photon spectral analyzer (XPS) in a zone where the charging member charges the body, is held in a particular ratio to the total number of all elements constituting the outermost surface of the body and also detected by the XPS.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive stencil including a porous support, and a thermoplastic resin film laminated on the support and having a surface smoothness of at least 10,000 seconds. The stencil is fabricated by bonding a thermoplastic resin film to a porous support with an adhesive having a specific viscosity and a specific volatile matter content, while maintaining each of the support and the film under a specific tension. The stencil may also be fabricated by applying a coating composition containing a resin and first and second solvents having a specific solubility and specific evaporation rates, and drying the applied composition to form a porous support. A printing master is produced by heating the above stencil imagewise by a thermal head with a heating energy of not greater than 0.05 mJ/dot.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive stencil including a porous support, and a thermoplastic resin film laminated on the support and having a surface smoothness of at least 10,000 seconds. The stencil is fabricated by bonding a thermoplastic resin film to a porous support with an adhesive having a specific viscosity and a specific volatile matter content, while maintaining each of the support and the film under a specific tension. The stencil may also be fabricated by applying a coating composition containing a resin and first and second solvents having a specific solubility and specific evaporation rates, and drying the applied composition to form a porous support. A printing master is produced by heating the above stencil imagewise by a thermal head with a heating energy of not greater than 0.05 mJ/dot.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor is disclosed, which comprises an electroconductive substrate, a photoconductive layer formed on the electroconductive substrate, and a protective layer formed on the photoconductive layer, the protective layer comprising a binder resin and finely-divided particles of at least one metal oxide with the surface thereof being coated with a coupling agent selected from the group consisting of a titanate-type coupling agent, a fluorine-containing silane coupling agent, and an acetoalkoxyaluminum diisopropylate, dispersed in the binder resin.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of manufacturing a photosensitive member including an electrically conductive support and a photoconductive layer formed on said support for use in electrophotography is characterized by including the steps of introducing a reacting gas containing predetermined components for forming said photoconductive layer on said support into said reaction chamber and irradiating ultraviolet light to activate said predetermined components while maintaining said support at a predetermined temperature thereby causing said predetermined components to be deposited onto said support.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor is disclosed, which comprises a support material, an intermediate layer, a photosensitive layer and a surface protection layer for protecting the photosensitive layer, which are successively overlaid on the support material, and the photosensitive layer comprises an amorphous silicon carbon nitride containing at least hydrogen or halogen having the formula of a-Si:C:N(H.X), where X represents halogen, or an amorphous silicon carbon nitride of the formula of a-Si:C:N:O(H.X) (where X represents halogen) which contains at least hydrogen or halogen.