Abstract: A toner bearer including an electroconductive substrate; an insulating layer located on the electroconductive substrate; multiple electrodes located on the insulating layer at regular intervals; an outermost layer located on the multiple electrodes; and a voltage applicator to apply a voltage between the electroconductive substrate and the multiple electrodes to form a periodically reversed electric field therebetween so that toner particles on the outermost layer hop, thereby forming a toner cloud above the outermost layer. The insulating layer includes a crosslinked material having a unit obtained from a fluorine-containing resin and a crosslinking agent. The fluorine-containing resin is selected from the group consisting of copolymers having a unit obtained from fluoroethylene having at least three fluorine atoms and a unit obtained from a vinyl ether monomer and copolymers including a unit obtained from tetrafluoroethylene and a unit obtained from a vinyl monomer.

Abstract: A toner bearer including an electroconductive substrate; an insulating layer located on the electroconductive substrate; multiple electrodes located on the insulating layer at regular intervals; an outermost layer located on the multiple electrodes; and a voltage applicator to apply a voltage between the electroconductive substrate and the multiple electrodes to form a periodically reversed electric field therebetween so that toner particles on the outermost layer hop, thereby forming a toner cloud above the outermost layer. The insulating layer includes a crosslinked material having a unit obtained from a fluorine-containing resin and a crosslinking agent. The fluorine-containing resin is selected from the group consisting of copolymers having a unit obtained from fluoroethylene having at least three fluorine atoms and a unit obtained from a vinyl ether monomer and copolymers including a unit obtained from tetrafluoroethylene and a unit obtained from a vinyl monomer.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor includes an electroconductive substrate, a charge generation layer, and a charge transport layer formed by using a halogen-free solvent, arranged in this order, in which the charge generation layer contains a charge generation material having an average particle diameter smaller than a surface roughness of a plane where the electroconductive substrate is arranged, and a polyvinyl acetal resin having a ratio Mw/Mn of a weight-average molecular weight Mw to a number-average molecular weight Mn is 2.2 or more.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a photoreceptor having an electroconductive substrate, a photosensitive layer overlying the electroconductive substrate, and a protection layer including an inorganic filler in an amount of from 3 to 25% by weight based on total weight of the protection layer and a binder resin, and overlying the photosensitive layer. The apparatus further including a charger, an irradiator, an image developer, and a transferer transferring a toner image onto a transfer material. The apparatus also includes a cleaner cleaning the photoreceptor, including a rotatable core and a looped brush fiber provided on the surface of the rotatable core so as to contact the photoreceptor. A top of the looped brush fiber is positioned on an upstream side from a root of the looped brush fiber relative to a rotating direction of the rotatable core.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a photoreceptor having an electroconductive substrate, a photosensitive layer overlying the electroconductive substrate, and a protection layer including an inorganic filler in an amount of from 3 to 25% by weight based on total weight of the protection layer and a binder resin, and overlying the photosensitive layer. The apparatus further including a charger, an irradiator, an image developer, and a transferer transferring a toner image onto a transfer material. The apparatus also includes a cleaner cleaning the photoreceptor, including a rotatable core and a looped brush fiber provided on the surface of the rotatable core so as to contact the photoreceptor. A top of the looped brush fiber is positioned on an upstream side from a root of the looped brush fiber relative to a rotating direction of the rotatable core.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a photoreceptor having an electroconductive substrate, a photosensitive layer overlying the electroconductive substrate, and a protection layer including an inorganic filler in an amount of from 3 to 25% by weight based on total weight of the protection layer and a binder resin, and overlying the photosensitive layer. The apparatus further including a charger, an irradiator, an image developer, and a transferer transferring a toner image onto a transfer material. The apparatus also includes a cleaner cleaning the photoreceptor, including a rotatable core and a looped brush fiber provided on the surface of the rotatable core so as to contact the photoreceptor. A top of the looped brush fiber is positioned on an upstream side from a root of the looped brush fiber relative to a rotating direction of the rotatable core.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a photoreceptor having an electroconductive substrate, a photosensitive layer overlying the electroconductive substrate, and a protection layer including an inorganic filler in an amount of from 3 to 25% by weight based on total weight of the protection layer and a binder resin, and overlying the photosensitive layer. The apparatus further including a charger, an irradiator, an image developer, and a transferer transferring a toner image onto a transfer material. The apparatus also includes a cleaner cleaning the photoreceptor, including a rotatable core and a looped brush fiber provided on the surface of the rotatable core so as to contact the photoreceptor. A top of the looped brush fiber is positioned on an upstream side from a root of the looped brush fiber relative to a rotating direction of the rotatable core.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a photoreceptor having an electroconductive substrate, a photosensitive layer overlying the electroconductive substrate, and a protection layer including an inorganic filler in an amount of from 3 to 25% by weight based on total weight of the protection layer and a binder resin, and overlying the photosensitive layer. The apparatus further including a charger, an irradiator, an image developer, and a transferer transferring a toner image onto a transfer material. The apparatus also includes a cleaner cleaning the photoreceptor, including a rotatable core and a looped brush fiber provided on the surface of the rotatable core so as to contact the photoreceptor. A top of the looped brush fiber is positioned on an upstream side from a root of the looped brush fiber relative to a rotating direction of the rotatable core.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes an electroconductive substrate. A charge generation layer overlies the electroconductive substrate. A first charge transport layer overlying the charge generation layer includes a first charge transport material (D1) and a first binder resin (R1). A second charge transport layer overlying the first charge transport layer includes a filler, a second charge transport material (D2) and a second binder resin (R2). The first and second charge transport layers have a total thickness of from 5 to 25 ?m. A weight ratio (D1/R1) of the first charge transport material (D1) to the first binder resin (R1) in the first charge transport layer is greater than a weight ratio (D2/R2) of the second charge transport material (D2) to the second binder resin (R2) in the second charge transport layer.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor including an electroconductive substrate; a photosensitive layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate and including a resin; and a surface layer including a filler and a binder resin, wherein the surface layer and the photosensitive layer have a continuous structure, and wherein the surface layer satisfies the following relationship: ??D/5, wherein D represents an average of maximum thicknesses of the surface layer in units of micrometers in 20 segments of 5 ?m wide when a portion of a cross section of the photoreceptor of 100 ?m wide is divided into the 20 segments, and ? represents a standard deviation of the 20 maximum thicknesses.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a photoreceptor which includes an electroconductive substrate, a photosensitive layer including a charge generation material and a charge transport material and located overlying the electroconductive substrate, and a protective layer including an inorganic filler having an average particle diameter (d) and a binder resin; and an imagewise light irradiator configured to irradiate the photoreceptor with a laser light beam having a wavelength of (&lgr;) to form a light spot having a diameter (L) in the minor axis direction thereof on a surface of the photoreceptor, wherein the relationship 0.1<3.75×10−3L/&lgr;<d/&lgr;<0.5 is satisfied. An image forming method is also provided which includes irradiating a surface of the photoreceptor with a laser beam such that the above-mentioned relationship is satisfied.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor includes an electroconductive substrate, a charge generation layer, and a charge transport layer formed by using a halogen-free solvent, arranged in this order, in which the charge generation layer contains a charge generation material having an average particle diameter smaller than a surface roughness of a plane where the electroconductive substrate is arranged, and a polyvinyl acetal resin having a ratio Mw/Mn of a weight-average molecular weight Mw to a number-average molecular weight Mn is 2.2 or more.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor including an electroconductive substrate; a photosensitive layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate and including a resin; and a surface layer including a filler and a binder resin, wherein the surface layer and the photosensitive layer have a continuous structure, and wherein the surface layer satisfies the following relationship: &sgr;≦D/5, wherein D represents an average of maximum thicknesses of the surface layer in units of micrometers in 20 segments of 5 &mgr;m wide when a portion of a cross section of the photoreceptor of 100 &mgr;m wide is divided into the 20 segments, and &sgr; represents a standard deviation of the 20 maximum thicknesses.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a photoreceptor having an electroconductive substrate, a photosensitive layer overlying the electroconductive substrate, and a protection layer including an inorganic filler in an amount of from 3 to 25% by weight based on total weight of the protection layer and a binder resin, and overlying the photosensitive layer. The apparatus further including a charger, an irradiator, an image developer, and a transferer transferring a toner image onto a transfer material. The apparatus also includes a cleaner cleaning the photoreceptor, including a rotatable core and a looped brush fiber provided on the surface of the rotatable core so as to contact the photoreceptor. A top of the looped brush fiber is positioned on an upstream side from a root of the looped brush fiber relative to a rotating direction of the rotatable core.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes an electroconductive substrate. A charge generation layer overlies the electroconductive substrate. A first charge transport layer overlying the charge generation layer includes a first charge transport material (D1) and a first binder resin (R1). A second charge transport layer overlying the first charge transport layer includes a filler, a second charge transport material (D2) and a second binder resin (R2). The first and second charge transport layers have a total thickness of from 5 to 25 &mgr;m. A weight ratio (D1/R1) of the first charge transport material (D1) to the first binder resin (R1) in the first charge transport layer is greater than a weight ratio (D2/R2) of the second charge transport material (D2) to the second binder resin (R2) in the second charge transport layer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a photoreceptor which includes an electroconductive substrate, a photosensitive layer including a charge generation material and a charge transport material and located overlying the electroconductive substrate, and a protective layer including an inorganic filler having an average particle diameter (d) and a binder resin; and an imagewise light irradiator configured to irradiate the photoreceptor with a laser light beam having a wavelength of (&lgr;) to form a light spot having a diameter (L) in the minor axis direction thereof on a surface of the photoreceptor, wherein the relationship 0.1<3.75×10−3L/&lgr;<d/&lgr;<0.5 is satisfied. An image forming method is also provided which includes irradiating a surface of the photoreceptor with a laser beam such that the above-mentioned relationship is satisfied.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor including an electroconductive substrate; a photosensitive layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate and including a resin; and a surface layer including a filler and a binder resin, wherein the surface layer and the photosensitive layer have a continuous structure, and wherein the surface layer satisfies the following relationship: &sgr;≦D/5, wherein D represents an average of maximum thicknesses of the surface layer in units of micrometers in 20 segments of 5 &mgr;m wide when a portion of a cross section of the photoreceptor of 100 &mgr;m wide is divided into the 20 segments, and &sgr; represents a standard deviation of the 20 maximum thicknesses.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor including an electroconductive substrate; a photosensitive layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate and including a resin; and a surface layer including a filler and a binder resin, wherein the surface layer and the photosensitive layer have a continuous structure, and wherein the surface layer satisfies the following relationship: &sgr;≦D/5, wherein D represents an average of maximum thicknesses of the surface layer in units of micrometers in 20 segments of 5 &mgr;m wide when a portion of a cross section of the photoreceptor of 100 &mgr;m wide is divided into the 20 segments, and &sgr; represents a standard deviation of the 20 maximum thicknesses.

Abstract: A thermosensitive recording medium capable of forming a visible image thereon when subjected to thermal printing, which has a transparent support, a thermosensitive recording layer provided on the transparent support, containing a dye and a color developer capable of inducing a color in the dye upon the application of heat thereto in the course of the thermal printing, and a mat layer, containing a granular thermosensitive recording layer, containing a granular filler and a binder resin, the mat layer having a surface smoothness of 100 to 2000 sec before subjected to the thermal printing, and a portion of the mat layer subjected to the thermal printing having a surface smoothness of 5,000 sec or less at most.