Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member configured to bear an electrostatic latent image; a charging device configured to charge the image bearing member by applying a DC voltage overlapped with an AC voltage to the image bearing member; an AC current detector configured to detect an AC current flowing through the image bearing member on a ground side of the image bearing member; a light irradiating device configured to irradiate the charged image bearing member with imagewise light to form the electrostatic latent image on the image bearing member; a developing device configured to develop the electrostatic latent image with a developer comprising a toner to form a toner image on the image bearing member; a transferring device configured to transfer the toner image onto a receiving material; and a cleaning device configured to clean a surface of the image bearing member.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus that is capable of realizing good cleaning characteristics and transfer characteristics, and obtaining a high quality image using toner having a high average roundness is provided. The imaging apparatus includes an image carrier, a charge unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, and a cleaning unit. The transfer unit may directly transfer a toner image onto a recording medium that is carried by a transfer belt, or transfer the toner image onto the transfer belt first to then transfer the toner image onto the recording medium from the transfer belt. The cleaning unit includes a cleaning blade and a brush roller. The toner used in the imaging apparatus has an average roundness ? within a range of 0.93˜0.99, and a friction coefficient ?s of the image carrier satisfies a condition, friction coefficient ?s?3.6?3.3×average roundness ?.

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: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a charging device including a charge roller formed with annular grooves at opposite end portions thereof and configured to charge an image carrier. Annular gap forming members each are fitted in the annular grooves for forming a gap between the charge roller and the image carrier. The gap forming members each have an area of 1.0×10?6 m2 to 3.0×10?6 m2 in a section containing the axis of the charge roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a charging device including a charge roller formed with annular grooves at opposite end portions thereof and configured to charge an image carrier. Annular gap forming members each are fitted in the annular grooves for forming a gap between the charge roller and the image carrier. The gap forming members each have an area of 1.0×10?6 m2 to 3.0×10?6 m2 in a section containing the axis of the charge roller.

Abstract: A transport apparatus which can properly transmit a rotary driving force of a rotating motor to a transport arm and can correctly detect an angle of rotation of a rotary driving shaft, thereby transporting an object to be transported in a transport unit to a correct position. The transport apparatus includes: a housing having an airtight structure; first to third driving shafts that are provided in the housing to be independently rotatable around a predetermined coaxial rotary shaft; permanent magnets arranged at predetermined positions of the first to third driving shafts, respectively; and electromagnetic coils provided in the housing to correspond to the respective permanent magnets. Driving currents are supplied to the electromagnetic coils based on predetermined information, so as to move the first to third driving shafts. The object to be transported is transported by first and second linkages fixed to the first to third driving shafts.

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: A transport apparatus includes first and second linkages. The first linkage includes first and third arms that can be rotated around a coaxial rotary shaft of first through third driving shafts coaxially arranged, and transports a first carrier. The second linkage includes a second arm and the third arm that can be rotated around the coaxial rotary shaft of the first through third driving shafts, and transports a second carrier. The first and second linkages are arranged to allow the first and second carriers to move beyond the coaxial rotary shaft of the first through third driving shafts without interfering with each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a charging device including a charge roller formed with annular grooves at opposite end portions thereof and configured to charge an image carrier. Annular gap forming members each are fitted in the annular grooves for forming a gap between the charge roller and the image carrier. The gap forming members each have an area of 1.0×10?6 m2 to 3.0×10?6 m2 in a section containing the axis of the charge roller.

Abstract: There is provided a cleaning device for an image-forming device configured so as to be capable of preventing the image quality from deteriorating by being able to prevent the deterioration of the charging state caused by deposits of foreign matter without increasing costs. There is also provided a cleaning member that can make contact with the cleaning target-members. The cleaning member has a portion composed of melamine resin foam for making contact with at least the cleaning target members, and the melamine resin foam has an Asker F hardness of 5 to 25 points and a hardness variation of 5 points or less, and is used on the cleaning target members in a state obtained by heat compression from the original shape. The pressing member is furthermore disposed in contact with the cleaning member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus performs electrophotographic image forming using a toner and 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 in to a toner image by using a toner, a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member to an image receiver, a cleaning mechanism including a cleaning blade and configured to remove a residual toner on the image bearing member after toner image is transferred to the image receiver. The toner includes a binder resin and a colorant, forms a toner powder layer, and satisfies an inequality Y??0.05X+0.029, in which “X” expresses a porosity of the toner powder layer after uniformly compressed at a constant force and “Y” expresses a torque value obtained by rotatably sticking a conical rotor into the toner powder layer.

Abstract: An lubricant for electrophotography is applied to a latent image carrier that is supplied with toner having a sphericity of 0.94 or more. The lubricant for electrophotography is added with an inorganic additive having the following relationship: 2Y/1000?X?Y/10 where Y is a toner particle size (micrometer), and X is an inorganic additive particle size (micrometer).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging unit that charges the image carrier, a latent image forming unit that forms a latent image on the image carrier, a developing unit that develops the latent image to form a toner image, a transferring unit that transfers the toner image to a recording medium, a cleaning unit that cleans toner remaining on the image carrier, a lubricant applying unit that applies a solid lubricant to a surface of the image carrier, and a detecting unit that detects whether the image carrier is brand new. The toner has an average roundness of 0.94 or more. The lubricant applying unit is operated when the detecting unit detects that the image carrier is brand new.

Abstract: A cleaning unit includes a cleaning blade that cleans toner on an image carrier and a brush-shaped roller that applies a lubricant of a molded lubricant on the image carrier. The brush-shaped roller is insulative, and delivers the toner cleaned by the cleaning blade to inside of the cleaning unit.

Abstract: A developing device including a developer containing magnetic toner grains and includes a main pole for development disposed in a sleeve. Flux density generated by the magnetic pole in a direction normal to the surface of the sleeve outside of the surface has an attenuation ratio of 50% or above. The toner grains have a weight mean grain size of 6.0 ?m to 8.0 ?m while the toner grains having grain sizes of 5 ?m and below occupy 40% to 80% of the entire developer. The toner grains have magnetization strength of 10 emu/g to 25 emu/g in a magnetic field of 5 kOe or magnetization strength of 7 emu/g to 20 emu/g in a magnetic field of 1 kOe. The toner grains reduce toner scattering and image defects despite that they are magnetic, thereby implementing ultrahigh resolution.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member configured to form an electrostatic latent image on a surface thereof, and a separating mechanism configured to separate an irregular charge toner from a residual toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member after a completion of an image forming process, to provide an extra travel passage to give a time delay to the irregular charge toner, and to return the irregular charge toner with the time delay to the surface of the image bearing member.

Abstract: A developing device developing a latent image on a latent image carrier with a developer, and including a casing having an opening facing the latent image carrier and a developer carrier. Also included is a magnetic field generating device including a first magnetic pole generating a magnetic field causing the developer to rise on the developer carrier in a form of a magnet brush in a developing region, and a second magnetic pole generating a magnetic field at a downstream side of the first magnetic pole in a rotating direction of the developer carrier. Further, a toner-scattering restraining device is provided on an end portion of the casing at the downstream side of the developing region, and a magnetic member provided on a side of the toner-scattering restraining device facing the latent image carrier. A peak of a magnetic flux density set by the second magnetic pole in its normal direction is located outside of the opening.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a latent image bearing member, a charger, a latent image forming device, a developing device, a surface moving member, a transfer device, a cleaner having a cleaning blade and an irradiating device configured to discharge the latent image bearing member. This developing device is configured to develop images with a toner having a circularity not less than 0.94. The irradiating device is disposed on the upstream from the cleaner relative to the rotation direction of the latent image bearing member.