Abstract: A technique of reducing temperature unevenness in a heating member which heats a heating target member while reducing heat capacity of the heating member in a fixing device for an image forming apparatus is provided. The fixing device has a heating member having diamond fine particles dispersed and contained at least in its surface layer, a pressurizing member which is pressed in contact with the heating member and nips and carries a sheet in collaboration with the heating member, and a heating unit which heats the heating member.

Abstract: A technology capable of realizing a stable charging performance in an image forming apparatus employing a contact charging system is provided. A charging device is configured to have a charging member to which a prescribed bias voltage is applied and which comes into contact with an image carrying surface of an image carrier to charge the image carrying surface; and a particle supply section configured to supply a charging auxiliary particle made of a conductive particle having a diamond particle contained therein in a portion coming into contact with the image carrying surface in the charging member.

Abstract: There is provided a charging technique in which the generation of ozone is suppressed and charging efficiency can be improved. A charging device includes a contact unit configured to include a magnetic brush coming in contact with a body to be charged, the contact unit including, as a magnetic particle forming the magnetic brush, the magnetic particle containing at least a particle having a negative electronegativity, and a voltage application unit configured to negatively charge the body to be charged by applying a specified bias voltage through the magnetic brush in the contact unit to the body to be charged.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus in which occurrence of defective cleaning is prevented, replacement is easy, and occurrence of toner spillage can also be prevented. A cleaner unit of an image forming apparatus of the invention includes a cleaning member that is brought into contact with a toner bearing body in order to collect toner from the toner bearing body bearing the toner, a toner removal member to remove the toner from the cleaning member, and a waste toner storage part to store the removed toner, the cleaning member, the toner removal member and the waste toner storage part are integrally constructed into a unit structure, and the unit is constructed to be attachable to and detachable from the toner bearing body or a main body of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus in which occurrence of defective cleaning is prevented, replacement is easy, and occurrence of toner spillage can also be prevented. A cleaner unit of an image forming apparatus of the invention includes a cleaning member that is brought into contact with a toner bearing body in order to collect toner from the toner bearing body bearing the toner, a toner removal member to remove the toner from the cleaning member, and a waste toner storage part to store the removed toner, the cleaning member, the toner removal member and the waste toner storage part are integrally constructed into a unit structure, and the unit is constructed to be attachable to and detachable from the toner bearing body or a main body of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A cleaning device excellent in cleaning performance and durability and an image forming apparatus using the same are provided. The cleaning device includes an edge part coming into contact with the surface of the image carrier; the edge part is made of an elastic expanded body having an expanded cell; and number particle size distribution values D10 and D90 of the expanded cell meet the following requirements (1) and (2) against a number particle size distribution value D10 of the toner. (1) The number particle size distribution value D10 of the expanded cell is ¼ times or more of the number particle size distribution value D10 of the toner. (2) The number particle size distribution value D90 of the expanded cell is not more than 50 times of the number particle size distribution value D10 of the toner.

Abstract: A technique of reducing temperature unevenness in a heating member which heats a heating target member while reducing heat capacity of the heating member in a fixing device for an image forming apparatus is provided. The fixing device has a heating member having diamond fine particles dispersed and contained at least in its surface layer, a pressurizing member which is pressed in contact with the heating member and nips and carries a sheet in collaboration with the heating member, and a heating unit which heats the heating member.

Abstract: Carrier particles for a developer used in an image forming apparatus, in which the carrier particles contain a core material containing magnetic particles, and a coating layer formed on a surface of the core material, and the coating layer contains diamond fine particles or diamond-like carbon exposed on a surface of the coating layer.

Abstract: The transfer member in an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention is a transfer member in an image forming apparatus for transferring a toner image obtained by developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier onto a material to be transferred, wherein the transfer member includes a base material having thereon a surface layer for temporarily holding on the surface thereof the toner image to be transferred onto the material to be transferred and comprising a resin containing a diamond fine particle in the range of from about 0.01% to about 40%.

Abstract: The cleaning apparatus according to the invention is concerned with a cleaning apparatus provided with a cleaning blade which removes a developer remaining on the surface of an image carrier, which is characterized in that the cleaning blade is made of a resinous matrix in which at least one of a fullerene and a carbon nano tube is dispersed. In accordance with the cleaning apparatus according to the invention, it is possible to make high durability and good cleaning performance compatible with each other.

Abstract: An image bearing member that holds an image according to one aspect of the invention contains noble metal nanoparticles dispersed in at least a surface of a resin layer of the image bearing member.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a sheet of paper, a technique for achieving adequate toner collection from the photoconductive surface of the photoconductor to suit the situation is provided. An image forming apparatus performs image forming processing using plural image forming stations aligned along a specific direction and each transferring a toner image of a different color onto a transferred body moving in the specific direction, and includes: a toner collection unit provided to at least one image forming station among the plural image forming stations at any of second and subsequent places from an upstream side in the specific direction and configured to collect toner adhering onto a photoconductor in the at least one image forming station near a toner image transfer position of the photoconductor on a downstream side.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide an image forming apparatus and an image forming method that can reduce generation of a waste toner. An image forming apparatus according to the invention includes an image bearing member on which a toner image is formed, a cleaner that transfers a toner image formed on the surface of the image bearing member and, then, removes a part of a toner remaining on the image bearing member and allows the remainder to pass as a passing toner, a passing toner amount detecting unit for detecting or estimating an amount of passing toner that passes the cleaner, and a cleaner control unit that sets, on the basis of an amount of passing toner detected by the passing toner amount detecting unit, a target value of the amount of passing toner and controls a cleaning operation by the cleaner.

Abstract: A cleaning device excellent in cleaning performance and durability and an image forming apparatus using the same are provided. The cleaning device includes an edge part coming into contact with the surface of the image carrier; the edge part is made of an elastic expanded body having an expanded cell; and number particle size distribution values D10 and D90 of the expanded cell meet the following requirements (1) and (2) against a number particle size distribution value D10 of the toner. (1) The number particle size distribution value D10 of the expanded cell is ¼ times or more of the number particle size distribution value D10 of the toner. (2) The number particle size distribution value D90 of the expanded cell is not more than 50 times of the number particle size distribution value D10 of the toner.

Abstract: A technology capable of realizing a stable charging performance in an image forming apparatus employing a contact charging system is provided. A charging device is configured to have a charging member to which a prescribed bias voltage is applied and which comes into contact with an image carrying surface of an image carrier to charge the image carrying surface; and a particle supply section configured to supply a charging auxiliary particle made of a conductive particle having a diamond particle contained therein in a portion coming into contact with the image carrying surface in the charging member.

Abstract: A charging technique in which the generation of ozone is suppressed and charging efficiency can be improved is provided. There are included an elastic body to come in contact with a body to be charged, the elastic body including a portion which comes in contact with the body to be charged and is formed of a material containing a diamond particle, and a voltage application unit to charge the body to be charged by applying a specified bias voltage through the elastic body to the body to be charged.

Abstract: There is provided a charging technique in which the generation of ozone is suppressed and charging efficiency can be improved. A charging device includes a contact unit configured to include a magnetic brush coming in contact with a body to be charged, the contact unit including, as a magnetic particle forming the magnetic brush, the magnetic particle containing at least a particle having a negative electronegativity, and a voltage application unit configured to negatively charge the body to be charged by applying a specified bias voltage through the magnetic brush in the contact unit to the body to be charged.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide an image forming apparatus and an image forming method that can reduce generation of a waste toner. An image forming apparatus according to the invention includes an image bearing member on which a toner image is formed, a cleaner that transfers a toner image formed on the surface of the image bearing member and, then, removes a part of a toner remaining on the image bearing member and allows the remainder to pass as a passing toner, a passing toner amount detecting unit for detecting or estimating an amount of passing toner that passes the cleaner, and a cleaner control unit that sets, on the basis of an amount of passing toner detected by the passing toner amount detecting unit, a target value of the amount of passing toner and controls a cleaning operation by the cleaner.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus in which occurrence of defective cleaning is prevented, replacement is easy, and occurrence of toner spillage can also be prevented. A cleaner unit of an image forming apparatus of the invention includes a cleaning member that is brought into contact with a toner bearing body in order to collect toner from the toner bearing body bearing the toner, a toner removal member to remove the toner from the cleaning member, and a waste toner storage part to store the removed toner, the cleaning member, the toner removal member and the waste toner storage part are integrally constructed into a unit structure, and the unit is constructed to be attachable to and detachable from the toner bearing body or a main body of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A color image forming apparatus in which a developing portion is provided with a mechanism capable of forming a developing agent image and recovering residual developing agent left remained on an image carrier, and an electrification portion of an image-forming unit disposed at a second stage further provided with a developing agent-removing member which is in contact with an electrifying member, thereby enabling a developing agent which is reversely transferred from a transferred image of a preceding stage and recovered by the electrification portion to be removed from the electrification portion.