Abstract: A cleaning device includes a fixing portion provided on a frame, a cleaning member, and an accommodating portion. The cleaning member includes a blade portion contacted to an image bearing member (drum) and a supporting member. The supporting member includes one end portion where the blade portion is provided, another end portion including a portion-to-be-fixed for being fixed at the fixing portion, and a bent portion between the one end portion and the other end portion in a side remote from a surface of the drum toward an outside with respect to a line connecting the portion-to-be-fixed and a contact portion where the blade portion is contacted to the drum. The portion-to-be-fixed is provided downstream of the contact portion with respect to movement direction of the drum. Between the frame and the other end portion, a gap for permitting elastic deformation of the other end portion is provided.

Abstract: A cleaning device for use with an image forming apparatus, includes: a frame including a fixing portion; a cleaning member, fixed at the fixing portion, for removing developer from an image bearing member (drum). The cleaning member includes: a blade portion contacted to the drum; and a flexible supporting member for supporting the blade portion, the supporting member including one end portion where the blade portion is provided, another end portion including a portion-to-be-fixed at the fixing portion, and a bent portion between the end portions; and an engaging portion provided on the frame. The engaging portion is engaged, such that the blade portion is not contacted to the drum, with a portion-to-be-engaged provided at the supporting member to position the cleaning member. The engaging portion is spaced from the portion-to-be-engaged in a state in which the blade portion is contacted to the drum.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes: a fixing portion provided on a frame; a cleaning member; and an accommodating portion. The cleaning member includes: a blade portion contacted to an image bearing member (drum); and a supporting member. The supporting member includes one end portion where the blade portion is provided, another end portion including a portion-to-be-fixed for being fixed at the fixing portion, and a bent portion between the one end portion and the another end portion in a side remote from a surface of the drum toward an outside with respect to a line connecting the portion-to-be-fixed and a contact portion where the blade portion is contacted to the drum. The portion-to-be-fixed is provided downstream of the contact portion with respect to movement direction of the drum. Between the frame and the another end portion, a gap for permitting elastic deformation of the another end portion is provided.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a process cartridge. In the case where the process cartridge is a fresh cartridge, after toner (developer) is sufficiently fed to a developer carrying member in the entire longitudinal area of the developer carrying member, an initializing operation for depositing the toner on a contact portion between an image bearing member and a cleaning blade.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearer for carrying a toner image, a charger for contacting a surface of the image bearer, a cleaning blade for contacting the image bearer surface to remove toner thereon after toner image transfer onto a transfer material, and a controller for controlling a voltage applied to the charger. The controller applies to the charger a first potential which includes a peak-to-peak voltage larger than a discharge starting voltage in an image forming operation, and applies to the charger a second voltage which includes a peak-to-peak voltage smaller than the discharge starting voltage, for at least one full rotation of the image bearer, after completion of image formation and before an AC voltage component applied to the charger is shut off.

Abstract: A image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum having a high-lubricity state layer. In an initial rotation operation performed after mounting a process cartridge, in a main assembly of the image forming apparatus, a process cartridge in which lubricating particles are not applied in a contact area between a fresh cleaning blade and the photosensitive drum, toner is supplied only by application of a developing bias after the photosensitive drum and a developing sleeve are driven to supply and stagnate the toner in the contact area between the cleaning blade and the photosensitive drum.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising a rotatable image bearing member for carrying a toner image; a charging member for contacting a surface of the image bearing member to discharge the surface; a cleaning blade for contacting the surface of the image bearing member to remove toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member after a toner image is transferred from said image bearing member onto a transfer material; and a control device for controlling a voltage applied to said charging member; wherein the control device applies to the charging member a first charged potential which includes a peak-to-peak voltage larger than a discharge starting voltage in image forming operation, and applies to the charging member a second voltage which includes a peak-to-peak voltage is smaller than the discharge starting voltage, for at least one full rotation of said image bearing member, after completion of the image forming operation and before an AC voltage component applied to the charging member is shut off

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a process cartridge. In the case where the process cartridge is a fresh cartridge, after toner (developer) is sufficiently fed to a developer carrying member in the entire longitudinal area of the developer carrying member, an initializing operation for depositing the toner on a contact portion between an image bearing member and a cleaning blade.

Abstract: A image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum having a high-lubricity state layer. In an initial rotation operation performed after mounting a process cartridge, in a main assembly of the image forming apparatus, a process cartridge in which lubricating particles are not applied in a contact area between a fresh cleaning blade and the photosensitive drum, toner is supplied only by application of a developing bias after the photosensitive drum and a developing sleeve are driven to supply and stagnate the toner in the contact area between the cleaning blade and the photosensitive drum.

Abstract: A developing apparatus, a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus which form an image whose image density can be maintained, which form a fogged image and which form an image of uneven density within an acceptable range, even when the diameter of a developer carrying member is not more than 12 mm. The apparatus includes a developer carrying member whose outer diameter is in the range of 8 mm to 12 mm, and a magnetic mono-component developer 43 having a saturation magnetization of in a range of 20 Am2/kg to 37 Am2/kg when the magnetic field of 79.6 kA/m (1000 oersteds) is applied, the magnetization of not less than 70% and not more than 80% of the saturation magnetization when the magnetic field is lowered to 55.7 kA/m (700 oersteds), and the magnetization of not less than 50% and not more than 62% of the saturation magnetization when the magnetic field is lowered to 39.8 kA/m (500 oersteds).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forming a preferable image without white dots caused by excessive charging when a halftone image is formed by providing a potential difference between a surface potential of a photosensitive drum immediately before charging by a charging device, and that of the drum after the charging in an image forming area of the drum. At least one of a charging bias and a transfer bias is changed between a first area and a second area. The first area is an area on the drum that passes a transfer portion when a recording medium is not present between the roller and the drum, and on that a latent image is to be formed. The second area is an area on the drum that passes the transfer portion when the medium is present between the roller and the drum, and on that a latent image is to be formed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus allows mounting thereon and dismounting therefrom a plurality of types of cartridges, each of the cartridges including a plurality of process members used for image formation and a storage medium for storing information. The image forming apparatus includes a storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of setting information for setting an image forming condition in accordance with a plurality of characteristics of the cartridges; and a controller that sets the image forming condition based on information regarding a usage amount of each of the plurality of types of cartridges and selection information for selecting one of the plurality of pieces of setting information, the selection information being stored in the storage medium in the cartridge.

Abstract: In an image processing apparatus that includes an order placement means for executing an operation associated with order placement of an expendable used in an image forming apparatus, data associated with image formation is accumulated to have a timing associated with order placement as a trigger, and the operation of the order placement means is controlled on the basis of the accumulated value. In this manner, redundant orders for expendables can be prevented.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forming a preferable image without white dots caused by excessive charging when a halftone image is formed by providing a potential difference between a surface potential of a photosensitive drum immediately before charging by a charging device, and that of the drum after the charging in an image forming area of the drum. At least one of a charging bias and a transfer bias is changed between a first area and a second area. The first area is an area on the drum that passes a transfer portion when a recording medium is not present between the roller and the drum, and on that a latent image is to be formed. The second area is an area on the drum that passes the transfer portion when the medium is present between the roller and the drum, and on that a latent image is to be formed.

Abstract: A developing apparatus, a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus of which the image density can be maintained and the fogged image and the uneven density can be within an acceptable level even when the diameter of a developer carrying member is not more than 12 mm. The outer diameter of the developer carrying member 41 is not less than 8 mm and not more than 12 mm, and a magnetic mono-component developer 43 has a saturation magnetization of not less than 20 Am2/kg and not more than 37 Am2/kg when the magnetic field of 79.6 kA/m (1000 oersteds) is applied, the magnetization of not less than 70% and not more than 80% of the saturation magnetization when the magnetic field is lowered to 55.7 kA/m (700 oersteds), and the magnetization of not less than 50% and not more than 62% of the saturation magnetization when the magnetic field is lowered to 39.8 kA/m (500 oersteds).

Abstract: A developing apparatus having a developer carrying member carrying developer including toner, a developer regulating member regulating the layer thickness of the developer carried on the developer carrying member, and a lubricant provided in a contact portion between the carrying member and the regulating member with the developer being not present on the carrying member, wherein the lubricant includes a first polymer particle which is of a spherical shape having an average degree of circularity of 0.90 or greater and is of a polarity opposite to the charging polarity of the toner, and a second polymer particle of a scalelike shape and of the same polarity as the charging polarity of the toner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member including a first photosensitive layer having a first thickness provided in a first cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of the image forming apparatus or including a second photosensitive layer having a second thickness provided in a second cartridge detachably mountable to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus; a developer carrying member for carrying a developer to develop with a developer an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member; a voltage source for applying a development DC voltage to the developer carrying member; a density changing device for changing a density of the image by changing the development DC voltage, wherein when the density changing device changes a density set level from a standard value to a changed value, an amount of the change of the development DC voltage is different between when the first cartridge is used and when the second cartridge is used.

Abstract: A developing apparatus having a developer carrying member carrying developer including toner, a developer regulating member regulating the layer thickness of the developer carried on the developer carrying member, and a lubricant provided in a contact portion between the carrying member and the regulating member with the developer being not present on the carrying member, wherein the lubricant includes a first polymer particle which is of a spherical shape having an average degree of circularity of 0.90 or greater and is of a polarity opposite to the charging polarity of the toner, and a second polymer particle of a scalelike shape and of the same polarity as the charging polarity of the toner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus allows mounting thereon and dismounting therefrom a plurality of types of cartridges, each of the cartridges including a plurality of process members used for image formation and a storage medium for storing information. The image forming apparatus includes a storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of setting information for setting an image forming condition in accordance with a plurality of characteristics of the cartridges; and a controller that sets the image forming condition based on information regarding a usage amount of each of the plurality of types of cartridges and selection information for selecting one of the plurality of pieces of setting information, the selection information being stored in the storage medium in the cartridge.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus such as a latent image forming apparatus, in which the density of a half tone is stable independent on a write position of a main scanning line, even if a plurality of semiconductor lasers are used. The image forming apparatus has a latent image forming unit for pulse-width-modulating a drive signal of the semiconductor laser in response to the write position of image data. The latent image forming unit has an image sorting circuit for sorting the image data into an odd line and an even line, a memory for storing a turning on position, a pulse generating position control circuit for generating a pulse generating position signal, a PWM circuit for generating a triangular wave in accordance with the pulse generating position signal, and a beam-A-circuit and a beam-B-circuit, which control beams from the semiconductor laser.