Abstract: A transfer belt, to be used in a state of being in contact with a cleaning member and an image carrier, and to which a developer image is to be transferred from the image carrier, includes a surface layer and a base layer. The surface layer is in contact with the image carrier and the cleaning member. The base layer disposed at a position more apart from the image carrier and the cleaning member than the surface layer. The surface layer is provided with grooves formed by transferring a predetermined mold shape and extending in a first direction along a moving direction of the transfer belt in an operating state. The arithmetic average roughness of the surface layer in a predetermined region is less than or equal to 0.2 ?m.

Abstract: A fixing member having an endless belt shape or a roller shape includes a base layer and a surface layer. The surface layer contains a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, and has a pore communicating with an opening of an outer surface thereof. Perfluoropolyether is contained in at least a part of the pores. A ratio (E?(1)/E?(2)) is 0.60 to 1.00, where E?(1) is an average value of loss elastic moduli E? of the surface layer in a direction orthogonal to a circumferential direction of the fixing member measured at a frequency of 10 Hz at 100 to 150° C., and E?(2) is an average value of loss elastic moduli E? of the surface layer in a direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the fixing member measured at a frequency of 10 Hz at 100 to 150° C. after removal of the perfluoropolyether contained in the pore.

Abstract: A fixing member having a base layer and a surface layer, wherein the surface layer includes a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, and having at least one pore communicating with an opening on an outer surface thereof. A composition containing perfluoropolyether and a fluoropolymer is contained in at least a part of the at least one pore. The fluoropolymer has a particular repeating unit composed of perfluoropolyether, and at least one structure selected from the group consisting of a T unit of siloxane and a Q unit of siloxane.

Abstract: An electrophotographic belt having an endless shape, has grooves in an outer surface of the electrophotographic belt, and the grooves each are extending in a circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt, wherein the outer surface has at least a first region in which the number of the grooves in a direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt is n, and a second region in which the number of the grooves in the direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt is more than n, and the grooves in the second region include a first groove that has a width gradually decreasing in a first circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt, and a second groove that is adjacent to the first groove and has a width gradually decreasing in a second circumferential direction opposite to the first circumferential direction.

Abstract: An electrophotographic belt having an endless shape, has grooves in an outer surface of the electrophotographic belt, and the grooves each are extending in a circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt, wherein the outer surface has at least a first region in which the number of the grooves in a direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt is n, and a second region in which the number of the grooves in the direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt is more than n, and the grooves in the second region include a first groove that has a width gradually decreasing in a first circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt, and a second groove that is adjacent to the first groove and has a width gradually decreasing in a second circumferential direction opposite to the first circumferential direction.

Abstract: A transfer belt, to be used in a state of being in contact with a cleaning member and an image carrier, and to which a developer image is to be transferred from the image carrier, includes a surface layer and a base layer. The surface layer is in contact with the image carrier and the cleaning member. The base layer disposed at a position more apart from the image carrier and the cleaning member than the surface layer. The surface layer is provided with grooves formed by transferring a predetermined mold shape and extending in a first direction along a moving direction of the transfer belt in an operating state. The arithmetic average roughness of the surface layer in a predetermined region is less than or equal to 0.2 ?m.

Abstract: An electrophotographic belt that, despite long-term usage, is not susceptible to unevenness in cleaning by a cleaning blade in a width direction. The electrophotographic belt has an endless shape and has grooves on an outer circumferential surface thereof, the grooves each extending in a circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt, when equally dividing a groove-formed area of the outer circumferential surface into three areas in a direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the electrophotographic belt, and calculating average values of depths of the grooves contained in the three areas respectively to obtain Dm, De1 and De2, where Dm is an average value of depths of the grooves in a central area, De1 and De2 are average values of depths of the grooves contained in both ends areas, Dm, De1 and De2 satisfy equations (1) and (2): Dm<De1??(1) Dm<De2??(2).

Abstract: Provided an electrophotographic belt that, despite long-term usage, is not susceptible to unevenness in cleaning by a cleaning blade in a width direction.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic belt sustainably excellent in toner removal performance. The electrophotographic belt has an endless shape and has grooves on an outer surface thereof, each of the grooves extending in a circumferential direction and being in non-parallel with the circumferential direction, and the outer surface is composed only of a first region in which the number of the grooves in a direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction is “n” and a second region in which the number of the grooves in the direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction is larger than the “n”, the first region and the second region being arranged alternately in the circumferential direction, and the “n” being an integer of 1 or more.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt includes, on a surface in contact with a photosensitive drum and a cleaning blade, a plurality of grooves formed along a moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt in a width direction which intersects the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt. Further, the intermediate transfer belt includes a plurality of first regions in which adjacent grooves in the width direction are arranged at a predetermined interval, and a second region which is positioned between the plurality of first regions and in which an interval between adjacent grooves in the width direction is different from the predetermined interval. The second region is arranged outside, in the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt, a range in which a patch toner is to be formed in concentration correction.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer belt includes, on a surface in contact with a photosensitive drum and a cleaning blade, a plurality of grooves formed along a moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt in a width direction which intersects the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt. Further, the intermediate transfer belt includes a plurality of first regions in which adjacent grooves in the width direction are arranged at a predetermined interval, and a second region which is positioned between the plurality of first regions and in which an interval between adjacent grooves in the width direction is different from the predetermined interval. The second region is arranged outside, in the width direction of the intermediate transfer belt, a range in which a patch toner is to be formed in concentration correction.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic belt sustainably excellent in toner removal performance. The electrophotographic belt has an endless shape and has grooves on an outer surface thereof, each of the grooves extending in a circumferential direction and being in non-parallel with the circumferential direction, and the outer surface is composed only of a first region in which the number of the grooves in a direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction is “n” and a second region in which the number of the grooves in the direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction is larger than the “n”, the first region and the second region being arranged alternately in the circumferential direction, and the “n” being an integer of 1 or more.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including: a rotatable photosensitive member; a rotatable charging brush for electrically charging the photosensitive member by injecting electric charges into a surface of the photosensitive member in contact with the surface of the photosensitive member; a power source for applying a voltage to the charging brush; a potential sensor for detecting a surface potential of the photosensitive member; an executing portion for causing the potential sensor to execute detection in such a manner that after a first potential which is the potential of the photosensitive member charged by applying a first voltage to the charging brush is detected by the potential sensor, the electric charges are removed from the photosensitive member by applying a second voltage smaller in absolute value than the first potential to the charging brush, and then a second potential which is the potential of the photosensitive member after removal of the electric charges is detected by the potent

Abstract: To provide a charging device and an image forming apparatus that can restrict generation of a winding-seam irregularity of a roll brush for a long period. A charging device 2 is configured so that, when first and second charging members 21a and 21b perform charging processing on a rotating photosensitive member 3, a region 40a on a surface of the photosensitive member 3 facing a winding seam 35a, which is a seam of a base cloth 31 serving as a base material of the first charging member 21a, is not superposed on a region 40b on the surface of the photosensitive member 3 facing a winding seam 35b, which is a seam of a base cloth 31 serving as a base material of the second charging member 21b.

Abstract: To provide a charging device and an image forming apparatus that can restrict generation of a winding-seam irregularity of a roll brush for a long period. A charging device 2 is configured so that, when first and second charging members 21a and 21b perform charging processing on a rotating photosensitive member 3, a region 40a on a surface of the photosensitive member 3 facing a winding seam 35a, which is a seam of a base cloth 31 serving as a base material of the first charging member 21a, is not superposed on a region 40b on the surface of the photosensitive member 3 facing a winding seam 35b, which is a seam of a base cloth 31 serving as a base material of the second charging member 21b.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic latent image; a charger for electrically charging the image bearing member by contact of electroconductive magnetic particles carried on a magnetic particle carrying member with the image bearing member; a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image by supplying toner to the electrostatic latent image; a layer thickness detecting device for detecting a thickness of a surface layer of the image bearing member; a supplying device for supplying the magnetic particles to the magnetic particle carrying member with predetermined timing; and a control device for controlling a supply amount of the magnetic particles so that the supply amount of the magnetic particles supplied by the supplying device increases with an increase of an amount of change in thickness, in terms of an absolute value, of the surface layer obtained from a detection result of the layer thickness detecting device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic latent image; a charger for electrically charging the image bearing member by contact of electroconductive magnetic particles carried on a magnetic particle carrying member with the image bearing member; a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image by supplying toner to the electrostatic latent image; a layer thickness detecting device for detecting a thickness of a surface layer of the image bearing member; a supplying device for supplying the magnetic particles to the magnetic particle carrying member with predetermined timing; and a control device for controlling a supply amount of the magnetic particles so that the supply amount of the magnetic particles supplied by the supplying device increases with an increase of an amount of change in thickness, in terms of an absolute value, of the surface layer obtained from a detection result of the layer thickness detecting device.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus for allowing a surface of a heated toner image borne on a recording material to be glossed without generating a batter in the heated toner image is provided. In an image heating apparatus (9) including heating means (11 and 12) for heating an unfixed toner image (ta) borne on a recording material (P) and pressure means (21 and 22) for pressurizing an unfixed toner image (tb) heated by the heating means to gloss a surface of the unfixed toner image, the pressure means includes: pressure force changing means (54L and 54R) for changing a pressure force when the pressure means pressurizes the unfixed toner image; temperature detecting means (51 and 52) for detecting a temperature of the pressure means; and pressurization control means (53).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided in which on-surface potential unevenness of an image carrier can be suppressed, and with which an output image having excellent on-surface uniformity of color or the like can be obtained. The image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductive image carrier; charger which charges the image carrier; image exposing unit which exposes an image on a surface of the image carrier after the charging to form a latent electrostatic image; developing unit which develops the latent electrostatic image by adhering toner to the latent electrostatic image to form a toner image; and transfer charger which transfers the obtained toner image to a final supporting member such as plain paper.

Abstract: The present invention further improves gradation characteristics from a highlight region to a high-density region. First, the correction processing receives image data, and an image attribute discrimination discriminates whether the data are related to a character/thin line or others on the basis of attribute information on a pixel of interest. If it is discriminated that the data are related to a character/thin line, a pattern matching to data stored in a line buffer is performed to obtain a pixel distance, and in accordance with the pixel distance, a correction amount is determined on the basis of an LUT set in a correction amount determination. Subsequently, on the basis of the determined correction amount, corrected image data are generated and output to the following step.