Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming section that uses a toner containing flat pigment particles; a second image forming section that uses a toner not containing the flat pigment particles; and a fixing section that fixes an image formed on a recording medium to the recording medium using heat. The quantity of heat that the fixing section applies to the image is increased in the case where the image formed on the recording medium using the toner containing the flat pigment particles is to be fixed compared to a case where the image formed on the recording medium using the toner not containing the flat pigment particles is to be fixed.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes: a removing unit that removes a toner on an image holder by coming into contact with the image holder that rotates; a transporting unit provided above the removing unit and adapted to cause the toner removed by the removing unit to be axially transported as the transporting unit rotates; and an accommodating container in which the transporting unit is provided and which accommodates the removed toner, and the transporting unit is movable in a direction in which the transporting unit moves away from the removing unit.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming mechanism including: an image carrier containing a lubricant in a photosensitive layer that is formed on a surface of the image carrier, and on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developing section developing the electrostatic latent image into a visible image by a developer that contains the lubricant; and a cleaning member formed with a first layer that contacts the photosensitive layer, and a second layer that is formed of a material having a lower modulus of repulsion elasticity than the first layer and that is layered with the first layer and that does not contact the surface of the image carrier.

Abstract: A cleaning unit includes a cleaner. The cleaner includes: a support member; a toner scraping member; and a toner storing mechanism. The toner storing mechanism includes: a toner catching member provided in a vicinity of a leading end of the toner scraping member so as to catch the toner scraped off; and a swingably supporting mechanism which supports swingably the toner catching member with a middle portion of the toner catching member as a swing fulcrum. A free end portion of the toner catching member protruding from the toner scraping member in the moving direction is a storage moving portion which moves based on an amount of the stored toner, and a portion opposite to the free end portion with respect to the swing fulcrum is a press portion which presses the toner scraping member toward the cleaned member based on a moving amount of the storage moving portion.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes: a removing unit that removes a toner on an image holder by coming into contact with the image holder that rotates; a transporting unit provided above the removing unit and adapted to cause the toner removed by the removing unit to be axially transported as the transporting unit rotates; and an accommodating container in which the transporting unit is provided and which accommodates the removed toner, and the transporting unit is movable in a direction in which the transporting unit moves away from the removing unit.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming mechanism including: an image carrier containing a lubricant in a photosensitive layer that is formed on a surface of the image carrier, and on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developing section developing the electrostatic latent image into a visible image by a developer that contains the lubricant; and a cleaning member formed with a first layer that contacts the photosensitive layer, and a second layer that is formed of a material having a lower modulus of repulsion elasticity than the first layer and that is layered with the first layer and that does not contact the surface of the image carrier.

Abstract: A cleaning unit includes a cleaner. The cleaner includes: a support member; a toner scraping member; and a toner storing mechanism. The toner storing mechanism includes: a toner catching member provided in a vicinity of a leading end of the toner scraping member so as to catch the toner scraped off; and a swingably supporting mechanism which supports swingably the toner catching member with a middle portion of the toner catching member as a swing fulcrum. A free end portion of the toner catching member protruding from the toner scraping member in the moving direction is a storage moving portion which moves based on an amount of the stored toner, and a portion opposite to the free end portion with respect to the swing fulcrum is a press portion which presses the toner scraping member toward the cleaned member based on a moving amount of the storage moving portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image using a toner to form a toner image, and a cleaning unit that removes the toner remaining on the image carrier after transferring the toner image to a recording medium.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus includes image forming units, an intermediate transfer body, and cleaning units. The image forming units form toner images of different colors. Each image forming units includes a developing unit supplying toner of each color. The toner images of the respective colors formed by the image forming units are primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer body in a superposed manner. A toner image having been transferred onto the intermediate transfer body is secondarily transferred onto a recording medium. The cleaning units remove a residual toner on the intermediate transfer body. The cleaning units include first and second cleaning units. The first cleaning unit removes from the intermediate transfer body the largest amount of foreign matters, among all the cleaning units. A residual toner removed by at least the second cleaning unit is returned to one of developing units that supplies a black toner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent-image carrier, a developing unit, a transfer unit, a cleaning unit, a recovered-toner supply unit, and a foreign-matter collecting unit. The developing unit carries a developer containing a toner and develops an electrostatic latent image on the latent-image carrier with the toner. The transfer unit transfers the toner developed on the latent-image carrier to a recording material directly or via an intermediate transfer body. The cleaning unit removes a toner remaining on at least one of the latent-image carrier and the intermediate transfer medium after the transfer. The recovered-toner supply unit supplies a toner removed by the cleaning unit to the developing unit again. The foreign-matter collecting unit collects a foreign matter, which is mixed into the toner supplied from the recovered-toner supply unit and moved onto the latent-image carrier by the developing unit, before the transfer by the transfer unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image using a toner to form a toner image, and a cleaning unit that removes the toner remaining on the image carrier after transferring the toner image to a recording medium.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus includes image forming units, an intermediate transfer body, and cleaning units. The image forming units form toner images of different colors. Each image forming units includes a developing unit supplying toner of each color. The toner images of the respective colors formed by the image forming units are primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer body in a superposed manner. A toner image having been transferred onto the intermediate transfer body is secondarily transferred onto a recording medium. The cleaning units remove a residual toner on the intermediate transfer body. The cleaning units include first and second cleaning units. The first cleaning unit removes from the intermediate transfer body the largest amount of foreign matters, among all the cleaning units. A residual toner removed by at least the second cleaning unit is returned to one of developing units that supplies a black toner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a cleaning device and a developing device. The cleaning device recovers a toner remaining on the image carrier. The toner recovered by the cleaning device is supplied to the developing device. The cleaning device includes a conductive brush member and an elastic blade. The conductive brush member is disposed on upstream of the image carrier in a rotation direction of the image carrier so as to be in contact with the image carrier. The conductive brush member recovers the toner remaining on the image carrier electrostatically. The elastic blade is disposed on downstream of the image carrier so as to be in contact with the image carrier. A toner recovered by the conductive brush member is supplied to the developing device and used in image formation again. A toner recovered by the elastic blade is discarded.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent-image carrier, a developing unit, a transfer unit, a cleaning unit, a recovered-toner supply unit, and a foreign-matter collecting unit. The developing unit carries a developer containing a toner and develops an electrostatic latent image on the latent-image carrier with the toner. The transfer unit transfers the toner developed on the latent-image carrier to a recording material directly or via an intermediate transfer body. The cleaning unit removes a toner remaining on at least one of the latent-image carrier and the intermediate transfer medium after the transfer. The recovered-toner supply unit supplies a toner removed by the cleaning unit to the developing unit again. The foreign-matter collecting unit collects a foreign matter, which is mixed into the toner supplied from the recovered-toner supply unit and moved onto the latent-image carrier by the developing unit, before the transfer by the transfer unit.