Abstract: A switching controller is provided to switch from a developer replenishment prohibition mode to a developer replenishment permission mode when the replenishment detection device detects that the developer containing section does not store the developer, and from the developer replenishment permission mode to the developer replenishment prohibition mode when a prescribed operation is executed upon completion of replenishment of the developer from the developer containing bottle to the developer containing section. The developer replenishment prohibition mode prohibits the developer replenishment device from replenishing the developer to the developer containing section, while the developer replenishment permission mode permits the developer replenishment device to replenish the developer to the developer containing section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an latent image carrier configured to carry a latent image thereon, a developing unit disposed facing the latent image carrier to develop the latent image with developer, a developer container containing the developer and attachable to the image forming apparatus, a developer detector configured to detect the presence of the developer in the developing unit, and a developer supply controller. The developer supply controller prohibits supply of the developer from the developer container to the developing unit when the developer detector detects that the developer is present in the developing unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member, a charging member, and a measuring member. The image forming member is configured to bear an image. The charging member is configured to charge a surface of the image bearing member when a direct current bias voltage is added to at least an alternating bias voltage which is applied to the charging member, and has a frequency fc of the alternating bias voltage. The measuring member is configured to measure a potential of the surface of the image bearing member, and has a drive frequency fvsen. The relationship of the frequency fc and the drive frequency fvsen is expressed as fc?fvsen×n and fc×n?fvsen.

Abstract: A lubricant supplying device including a molded lubricant having a Martens hardness of about 40 N/mm2 to about 70 N/mm2 measured with a test force of 50 mN and a load-applying period of 30 seconds, a rotative member including a fibrous brush of a thickness of about 5 deniers to about 15 deniers in a circumference of a rotative supporting axis of the rotative member with a density of about 20,000 fibers to about 100,000 fibers per square inch, and configured to apply lubricant shavings of the molded lubricant to an image bearing member held in contact with a cleaning member and to remove the lubricant shavings remaining on the surface of the image bearing member, and a pressing member configured to press the molded lubricant against the rotative member at a pressure force ranging from about 2 N/m to about 12 N/m.

Abstract: A lubricant supplying device including a molded lubricant having a Martens hardness of approximately 40 N/mm2 to approximately 70 N/mm2 measured with a test force of 50 mN and a load-applying period of 30 seconds, a rotative member including a fibrous brush of a thickness of approximately 5 deniers to approximately 15 deniers in a circumference of a rotative supporting axis of the rotative member with a density of approximately 20,000 fibers to approximately 100,000 fibers per square inch, and configured to apply lubricant shavings of the molded lubricant to an image bearing member held in contact with a cleaning member and remove the lubricant shavings remaining on the surface of the image bearing member, and a pressing member configured to press contact the molded lubricant with the rotative member at a pressure force ranging from approximately 2 N/m to approximately 12 N/m.

Abstract: A charge apparatus charges by uniformly superimposing an alternate current bias voltage with a fixed frequency over a direct current bias voltage as the charge bias voltage on a photosensitive member. An exposure apparatus exposes the surface of the charged photosensitive member based on image data, and writes a latent image, and a developing apparatus supplies toner to and makes visible the latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive member. A transfer apparatus transfers the visible image on the photosensitive member to a transfer medium, and a cleaning apparatus cleans the surface of the photosensitive member after transfer.

Abstract: A cleaning device, a process cartridge, an image forming apparatus, and toner to maintain improved cleaning performance for a long time. The cleaning device includes a cleaning blade, a lubricant applying part, and a toner removing part. The cleaning blade is disposed in contact with a surface of an image bearing member. The lubricant applying part coats a solid lubricant on the surface of the image bearing member, and is disposed in an upstream side from the cleaning blade with respect to a rotational direction of the image bearing member. The toner removing part removes toner particles, and is disposed in an upstream side from the lubricant applying part with respect to the rotational direction of the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member configured to bear an electrostatic latent image on a surface thereof, a developing mechanism configured to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image bearing member into a toner image with toner, a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member to an image receiver, and a cleaning mechanism including a cleaning blade configured to scrape a residual toner on the surface of the image bearing member after the toner image is transferred to the image receiver, the cleaning blade disposed in contact with the image bearing member and having a JIS-A hardness equal to or more than 70 and a repulsion elasticity equal to or less than 30%, and a friction reducing member configured to reduce a coefficient of friction on the surface of the image bearing member.

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: In an image forming apparatus, an area applied with a lubricant, i.e., an area of a lubricant layer having a uniform thickness, is obtained by spreading the lubricant by a lubricant smoothing blade. The area applied with a lubricant covers an area cleaned by a cleaning blade, i.e., a contact portion of the cleaning blade with a photoconductor.

Abstract: A lubricant supplying device including a molded lubricant having a Martens hardness of approximately 40 N/mm2 to approximately 70 N/mm2 measured with a test force of 50 mN and a load-applying period of 30 seconds, a rotative member including a fibrous brush of a thickness of approximately 5 deniers to approximately 15 deniers in a circumference of a rotative supporting axis of the rotative member with a density of approximately 20,000 fibers to approximately 100,000 fibers per square inch, and configured to apply lubricant shavings of the molded lubricant to an image bearing member held in contact with a cleaning member and remove the lubricant shavings remaining on the surface of the image bearing member, and a pressing member configured to press contact the molded lubricant with the rotative member at a pressure force ranging from approximately 2 N/m to approximately 12 N/m.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member, a charging member, and a measuring member. The image forming member is configured to bear an image. The charging member is configured to charge a surface of the image bearing member when a direct current bias voltage is added to at least an alternating bias voltage which is applied to the charging member, and has a frequency fc of the alternating bias voltage. The measuring member is configured to measure a potential of the surface of the image bearing member, and has a drive frequency fvsen. The relationship of the frequency fc and the drive frequency fvsen is expressed as fc?fvsen×n and fc×n?fvsen.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that can prevent the generation of filming with the simplest possible configuration even if a plurality of photosensitive member linear velocities are provided and the AC frequency of the charge apparatus is fixed. A charge apparatus that charges by uniformly superimposing on a photosensitive member an alternate current bias voltage with a fixed frequency over a direct current bias voltage as the charge bias voltage; an exposure apparatus that exposes the surface of the charged photosensitive member based on image data, and writes a latent image; a developing apparatus that supplies toner to and makes visible the latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive member; a transfer apparatus that transfers the visible image on the photosensitive member to a transfer medium; and a cleaning apparatus that cleans the surface of the photosensitive member after transfer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having an image support body configured to support a latent image, a charging member configured to provide a substantially uniform charge to a surface of the image support body and a spacer coupled to the charging member and configured to contact the image support body to maintain a gap between the image support body and the charging member. A cleaning part is configured to clean the surface of the image support body after developer is applied to the image support body and transferred to a recording medium. The cleaning part is configured to satisfy the relationship A+B?C, where A is a width of the effective charging area of the charging member that charges a surface of the image support body, B is a total width of the spacer that contacts the image support body, and C is a width of cleaning part that contacts the image support body.

Abstract: A cleaning device, a process cartridge, an image forming apparatus, and toner to maintain improved cleaning performance for a long time. The cleaning device includes a cleaning blade, a lubricant applying part, and a toner removing part. The cleaning blade is disposed in contact with a surface of an image bearing member. The lubricant applying part coats a solid lubricant on the surface of the image bearing member, and is disposed in an upstream side from the cleaning blade with respect to a rotational direction of the image bearing member. The toner removing part removes toner particles, and is disposed in an upstream side from the lubricant applying part with respect to the rotational direction of the image bearing member.

Abstract: A charging apparatus, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus with which current fluctuation values in the charging current can be suppressed, and image defects caused by filming and the like can be prevented, by specifying a permissible gap fluctuation value by quantitatively ascertaining the relationship between the fluctuation value in charging current and the fluctuation value in the gap between the photosensitive body and the charging roller. In a charging apparatus equipped with a charging roller provided at a minute gap away from a photosensitive body, for performing charging, the relationship Gmax?Gmin?30 (?m) is satisfied when the gap (?m) between the charged side of the photosensitive body and the charging side of the charging roller has a maximum value Gmax (?m) and a minimum value Gmin (?m).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member configured to bear an electrostatic latent image on a surface thereof, a developing mechanism configured to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image bearing member into a toner image with toner, a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member to an image receiver, and a cleaning mechanism including a cleaning blade configured to scrape a residual toner on the surface of the image bearing member after the toner image is transferred to the image receiver, the cleaning blade disposed in contact with the image bearing member and having a JIS-A hardness equal to or more than 70 and a repulsion elasticity equal to or less than 30%, and a friction reducing member configured to reduce a coefficient of friction on the surface of the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided having an image carrier, a charging unit, an exposing unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, a cleaning mechanism, and an application mechanism, in which the developing unit supplies a toner, free from zinc and having an average circularity of at least 0.93, to the latent image to make visible the latent image, and wherein the cleaning mechanism cleans the image carrier, and the application mechanism applies a lubrication agent preferably formed of zinc stearate on the image carrier, such that the zinc amount on the surface of the image carrier after a cleaning process and an application process is from 0.4 to 2.5 atm %.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a revolver type developing unit rotatably mounted on an apparatus body and having a plurality of developing sections, and an intermediate image transfer body having an endless movable surface to which a toner image is transferred from an image carrier. While the intermediate image transfer body is caused to run idle, the apparatus allows a minimum of toner apt to contaminate the background of a recording medium to be transferred from the developing section located at a developing position to the image carrier. Particularly, the apparatus frees the recording medium from contamination in the form of a band extending in the widthwise direction of the medium.