Abstract: A blade includes an elastic member including a tip ridgeline to contact the surface of a member to contact. The tip ridgeline includes an impregnation layer impregnated with a cured compound comprising an acrylate or methacrylate compound having an alicyclic structure including 6 or more carbon atoms in its molecule, and has an elastic power in the range of 50% to 80%.

Abstract: A charging roller to apply voltage to a target to charge the target has a surface having a color set in one of a range according to CIE L*a*b* color space and a range according to CIE XYZ color space, and the range according to CIE L*a*b* color space is defined as 32.6?L*?50.9, 0.51?a*?1.12, and 6.0?b*?8.4; and the range according to CIE XYZ color space is defined as 8.8?X?21.0, 9.1?Y?21.3, and 5.7?Z?11.8.

Abstract: A cleaning blade includes a blade member formed of a strip-shaped rubber material and having a leading-edge ridge line portion to contact a moving surface of a cleaning target member and remove adhering matter from the surface of the cleaning target member. The blade member has a Martens hardness of 1.0 N/mm2 or more in a vicinity of the leading-edge ridge line portion measured from an opposing surface of the blade member, the opposing surface including the leading-edge ridge line portion and opposing the cleaning target member, or measured from a leading-edge surface of the blade member, the leading-edge surface including the leading-edge ridge line portion and disposed adjacent to the opposing surface of the blade member.

Abstract: A cleaner is provided. The cleaner includes a cleaning blade having an edge to be contacted with a surface of a member to be cleaned while moving relative to the member to clean the surface of the member. The cleaning blade includes the edge, and first and second side surfaces, wherein the edge is disposed between the first and second side surfaces. When the cleaning blade is not contacted with the surface of the member to be cleaned, the first side surface is opposed to the surface of the member, and when the cleaning blade is contacted with the surface of the member, the edge, and the first and second side surfaces of the cleaning blade are contacted with the surface of the member.

Abstract: A cleaning blade includes a blade member formed of a strip-shaped rubber material and having a leading-edge ridge line portion to contact a moving surface of a cleaning target member and remove adhering matter from the surface of the cleaning target member. The blade member has a Martens hardness of 1.0 N/mm2 or more in a vicinity of the leading-edge ridge line portion measured from an opposing surface of the blade member, the opposing surface including the leading-edge ridge line portion and opposing the cleaning target member, or measured from a leading-edge surface of the blade member, the leading-edge surface including the leading-edge ridge line portion and disposed adjacent to the opposing surface of the blade member.

Abstract: A disclosed image forming apparatus forms a toner image on a surface of a surface moving image bearing body and eventually transfers and fixes the toner image onto a recording medium to form an image on the recording medium and removes, by a cleaning apparatus, an adhered matter which is adhered to the surface of the image bearing body after the transferring. In the image forming apparatus, a glass transition temperature (Tg) of a toner is 40-60° C., and the cleaning apparatus causes a tip ridgeline portion of a blade member to be abutted against the surface of the image bearing body to remove the adhered matter from the surface of the image bearing body, and the tip ridgeline portion of the blade member is made of elastic rubber whose 100% modulus value at 23° C. is at least 6 MPa.

Abstract: A cleaner is provided. The cleaner includes a cleaning blade having an edge to be contacted with a surface of a member to be cleaned while moving relative to the member to clean the surface of the member. The cleaning blade includes the edge, and first and second side surfaces, wherein the edge is disposed between the first and second side surfaces. When the cleaning blade is not contacted with the surface of the member to be cleaned, the first side surface is opposed to the surface of the member, and when the cleaning blade is contacted with the surface of the member, the edge, and the first and second side surfaces of the cleaning blade are contacted with the surface of the member.

Abstract: In an image forming device, an image formation unit operated in a monochrome mode includes a lubricant applying unit and a charging device to supply a DC voltage superimposed with an AC voltage to an image carrier, and each of image formation units operated only in a color mode includes a charging device to supply a DC voltage to an image carrier, and one of the image formation units arranged on a downstream side of the image formation unit operated in the monochrome mode in a moving direction of an intermediate transfer member includes a cleaning device having a blade member in which a proximal edge portion contacts the image carrier to remove residual toner from the image carrier, and the proximal edge portion is made of an elastic rubber having a 100% modulus value of 6 MPa or greater at 23° C.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearer, a charging member to contact a surface of the image bearer and charge the image bearer, an exposure device to expose the image bearer and form a latent image, a developing device to develop the latent image on the image bearer into a toner image, a transfer device to transfer the toner image from the image bearer onto a transfer medium, and a cleaning blade to contact the surface of the image bearer and remove toner from the image bearer after image transfer. The charging member has surface unevenness created by projections and recesses extending in a direction of rotation of the image bearer. The cleaning blade is configured to abrade projections formed on the surface of the image bearer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a cleaning device having a cleaning member that comes into contact with a surface of the image carrier, and a lubricant applying device provided on the downstream side of the cleaning member. The lubricant applying device includes a solid lubricant, a lubricant supply roller, and a trailing type lubricant smoothing blade that is provided on the downstream side of the lubricant supply roller, and comes into belly contact with the surface of the image carrier. After image carrier is stopped, constantly or under a predetermined condition, the surface of the image carrier is moved in a direction opposite to an image forming direction. The opposite movement distance is equal to or more than the shortest distance between a contact point between the lubricant supply roller and the image carrier and a contact point between the lubricant smoothing blade and the image carrier.

Abstract: A lubricant applicator includes a lubricant and a rotatable lubricant application member. The rotatable lubricant application member contacts the lubricant and an application target to apply the lubricant to the application target while rotating. The lubricant application member includes a core member, a first wound portion including a bristle member wound spirally around the periphery of the core member in a first direction, and a second wound portion including a bristle member wound spirally around the periphery of the core member in a second direction opposite the first direction in an axial direction of the core member. A process unit includes the lubricant applicator. A transfer device includes the lubricant applicator. An image forming apparatus includes at least one of the process unit and the transfer device and the lubricant applicator.

Abstract: A cleaning roller cleaning a surface of a cleaning component, wherein the cleaning roller is provided in a roller configuration having a cylindrical shape and has a portion in contact with the cleaning component, the portion being made of a melamine resin foam having a continuous foam structure, the melamine resin foam being provided by heating compression from an original configuration in a radial direction, and wherein the portion in contact with the cleaning component has a continuous foam structure and a tensile strength in a range of 1.7±0.5 kg/cm2, and an image forming apparatus incorporating the same.

Abstract: A charging device includes a charging roller, a drive transmission device, and a charging roller cleaner. The charging roller opposes an image carrier driven to rotate and rotates to charge the image carrier. The charging roller cleaner contacts the charging roller to clean the charging roller. The drive transmission device transmits torque from the image carrier to the charging roller, and includes an image carrier gear and a driven gear. The image carrier gear and the driven gear form a gear train to drive the charging roller in response to rotation of the image carrier. The charging roller cleaner is disposed facing a rear surface of the charging roller to prevent displacement of the charging roller due to a force generated by a pressure angle formed between the image carrier gear and the driven gear when the charging roller rotates in response to rotation of the image carrier.

Abstract: In a toner conveyance device, a first agitator contacts a helical outer circumferential surface of a blade of a conveyance member for conveying toner, and swings in coordination with rotation of the conveyance member to agitate the toner. The first agitator includes a body for bending and swinging in a bending direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the conveyance member, and a protrusion for protruding from the body in a protrusion direction opposite the bending direction of the body. The protrusion includes a basal portion adjacent to the body, a convex portion protruding from the basal portion, and a protrusion front edge surface having a distance from the body changing in a toner conveyance direction, and contacts the helical outer circumferential surface of the helical blade of the conveyance member.

Abstract: A cleaning roller cleaning a surface of a cleaning component, wherein the cleaning roller is provided in a roller configuration having a cylindrical shape and has a portion in contact with the cleaning component, the portion being made of a melamine resin foam having a continuous foam structure, the melamine resin foam being provided by heating compression from an original configuration in a radial direction, and wherein the portion in contact with the cleaning component has a continuous foam structure and a tensile strength in a range of 1.7±0.5 kg/cm2, and an image forming apparatus incorporating the same.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a cleaning device having a cleaning member that comes into contact with a surface of the image carrier, and a lubricant applying device provided on the downstream side of the cleaning member. The lubricant applying device includes a solid lubricant, a lubricant supply roller, and a trailing type lubricant smoothing blade that is provided on the downstream side of the lubricant supply roller, and comes into belly contact with the surface of the image carrier. After image carrier is stopped, constantly or under a predetermined condition, the surface of the image carrier is moved in a direction opposite to an image forming direction. The opposite movement distance is equal to or more than the shortest distance between a contact point between the lubricant supply roller and the image carrier and a contact point between the lubricant smoothing blade and the image carrier.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charging device which comprises a charging roller (14a) and a cleaning component (14b). The charging roller charges a surface of an image-recording medium (11) with a voltage which is applied from an external source. The cleaning component cleans a surface of the charging roller. The charging roller includes a resistance adjustment layer which is made of a resin composite and formed on an outer periphery of a core metal. The hardness of the charging roller is 45 degrees or more in JIS D hardness. The cleaning component has a portion which is in contact with the charging roller. This portion is made of resin foam which has a continuous foam structure. The density of the resin foam is 5 to 15 kg/m3 and its tensile strength is 1.7±0.5 kg/cm2.

Abstract: A lubricant applying unit that applies lubricant to a photosensitive element includes solid lubricant blended with fatty acid metal salt, a lubricant supplying brush roller, a lubricant applying blade, and a biasing unit of the solid lubricant. In addition, a lubricant applying unit that applies lubricant to an intermediate transfer belt includes solid lubricant blended with inorganic lubricant, a lubricant supplying brush roller, a lubricant applying blade, and a biasing unit of the solid lubricant blended with the inorganic lubricant.

Abstract: A lubricant applicator includes a lubricant and a rotatable lubricant application member. The rotatable lubricant application member contacts the lubricant and an application target to apply the lubricant to the application target while rotating. The lubricant application member includes a core member, a first wound portion including a bristle member wound spirally around the periphery of the core member in a first direction, and a second wound portion including a bristle member wound spirally around the periphery of the core member in a second direction opposite the first direction in an axial direction of the core member. A process unit includes the lubricant applicator. A transfer device includes the lubricant applicator. An image forming apparatus includes at least one of the process unit and the transfer device and the lubricant applicator.

Abstract: A lubricant applicator, which is included in a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus, includes a fur brush disposed downstream from a cleaning member in a direction of rotation of the image carrier that moves in the direction of rotation of the image carrier, scrape a solid lubricant disposed opposite to the image carrier while rotating, and apply powder scraped from the solid lubricant to the surface of the image carrier; a lubricant fixing member to fix the powder to the surface of the image carrier; and a first guide member disposed between the lubricant fixing member and the fur brush to convey the powder scattered from the fur brush to the surface of the image carrier.