Abstract: A lubricant supplying device includes: lubricant; a supplying member that supplies the lubricant to a lubricant supply target; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects that a remaining amount of the lubricant is equal to or smaller than a certain amount. The remaining amount detecting unit includes a first electrode member and a second electrode member. The lubricant supplying device includes a member that causes at least a part of the second electrode member to move and causes the second electrode member to abut the first electrode member with an increase in consumption of the lubricant.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller and multiple image forming units each of which includes an image bearer, a toner image forming device to form a toner image on the image bearer, a transfer device to transfer the toner image from the image bearer onto a transfer medium, a cleaning device to remove toner from a surface of the image bearer, a waste-toner tube through which toner removed by the cleaning device is transported, and a toner conveying member to transport toner by rotation and disposed inside the waste-toner tube. The controller changes a rotation speed of the toner conveying member for each of the multiple image forming units according to toner type including a first toner and a second toner having poorer flow properties than the first toner, and at least one image forming units uses the second toner and the rest use the first toner.

Abstract: A detachable device, which can be included in an image forming apparatus, includes a unit drive mechanism, and a cover disposed at one end and an opposite end in the given attachment/detachment direction to cover the unit drive mechanism thereof. The cover includes a first cover and a second cover. The first cover includes at least one first inlet port to intake air from the apparatus body and guide the air to the detachable unit. The second cover includes a second inlet port to intake the air guided into the detachable unit and an air outlet port to exhaust the air introduced from the second inlet port to the apparatus body.

Abstract: A lubricant supplying device includes: lubricant; a supplying member that supplies the lubricant to a lubricant supply target; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects that a remaining amount of the lubricant is equal to or smaller than a certain amount. The remaining amount detecting unit includes a first electrode member and a second electrode member. The lubricant supplying device includes a member that causes at least a part of the second electrode member to move and causes the second electrode member to abut the first electrode member with an increase in consumption of the lubricant.

Abstract: An image carrier includes a tubular image carrier body to carry an image on an outer circumferential surface thereof, a shaft disposed inside the image carrier body, a first flange mounted on the shaft, and a second flange spaced apart from the first flange in an axial direction of the image carrier and mounted on the shaft. Each of the first flange and the second flange includes a through-hole contacting the shaft, a first engagement portion to engage a lateral end of the image carrier body in the axial direction of the image carrier, and a second engagement portion, constituting at least a part of the through-hole, to engage the shaft. The second engagement portion is disposed inboard from the first engagement portion in the axial direction of the image carrier.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including multiple image forming units; a waste-toner container; and a waste-toner conveyance device including a common conveyance channel member disposed in an arrangement direction of the image forming units and provided with toner inlets to receive the waste toner from toner outlets of the cleaning units, communicating channel members identical in structure and respectively disposed between the toner outlets and the toner inlets of the common conveyance channel member, and a rotatable conveying member to transport the waste toner inside the common conveyance channel member linearly along a rotation axis thereof. The common conveyance channel member is shaped to equalize relative positions of each of the toner outlets and a corresponding one of the toner inlets of the common conveyance channel member among the multiple image forming units among which a distance from the toner outlet to the rotation axis differs.

Abstract: In the present invention, a lubricant supplying device includes a lubricant end determining unit that determines that a solid lubricant is in an end state when the amount of a lubricant supplying operation reaches a threshold after a residual amount detecting unit detects that the residual amount of the solid lubricant is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount. The lubricant end determining unit makes a threshold of the amount of the lubricant supplying operation at temperature or humidity of equal to or lower than a predetermined value lower than a threshold of the amount of the lubricant supplying operation at temperature or humidity of higher than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A lubricant supply device includes a solid lubricant, a lubricant holder to hold the solid lubricant, a lubricant supply member to supply lubricant to a lubrication target, a pressing member to press the solid lubricant toward the lubricant supply member, and a pressing force adjuster to change an amount of pressing force exerted by the pressing member.

Abstract: A detachable device, which can be included in an image forming apparatus, includes a unit drive mechanism, and a cover disposed at one end and an opposite end in the given attachment/detachment direction to cover the unit drive mechanism thereof. The cover includes a first cover and a second cover. The first cover includes at least one first inlet port to intake air from the apparatus body and guide the air to the detachable unit. The second cover includes a second inlet port to intake the air guided into the detachable unit and an air outlet port to exhaust the air introduced from the second inlet port to the apparatus body.

Abstract: An image carrier includes a tubular image carrier body to carry an image on an outer circumferential surface thereof, a shaft disposed inside the image carrier body, a first flange mounted on the shaft, and a second flange spaced apart from the first flange in an axial direction of the image carrier and mounted on the shaft. Each of the first flange and the second flange includes a through-hole contacting the shaft, a first engagement portion to engage a lateral end of the image carrier body in the axial direction of the image carrier, and a second engagement portion, constituting at least a part of the through-hole, to engage the shaft. The second engagement portion is disposed inboard from the first engagement portion in the axial direction of the image carrier.

Abstract: An image bearing member having an electroconductive substrate, a photosensitive layer overlying the electroconductive layer, and a cross-linked surface layer overlying the photosensitive layer, which contains a cross-linked polymer and a first compound consisting essentially of a nitrogen atom and a phenyl group, biphenyl group, and condensed polycyclic hydrocarbon group, or a second compound consisting essentially of a nitrogen atom and hydrogen atoms, halogen atoms, alkyl groups, alkoxy groups, or aryl groups, substituted or non-substituted alkyl groups, substituted or non-substituted alkoxy groups, substituted or non-substituted aralkyl groups, substituted or non-substituted aryl group, substituted or non-substituted alkylene groups, cyano groups, nitro groups, or —OCO?CH2R16, in which R16 represents a hydrogen atom, a substituted or non-substituted alkyl group, a substituted or non-substituted alkoxy group, or a substituted or non-substituted aryl group.

Abstract: In the present invention, a lubricant supplying device includes a lubricant end determining unit that determines that a solid lubricant is in an end state when the amount of a lubricant supplying operation reaches a threshold after a residual amount detecting unit detects that the residual amount of the solid lubricant is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount. The lubricant end determining unit makes a threshold of the amount of the lubricant supplying operation at temperature or humidity of equal to or lower than a predetermined value lower than a threshold of the amount of the lubricant supplying operation at temperature or humidity of higher than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A lubricant supplying device includes: lubricant; a supplying member that supplies the lubricant to a lubricant supply target; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects that a remaining amount of the lubricant is equal to or smaller than a certain amount. The remaining amount detecting unit includes a first electrode member and a second electrode member. The lubricant supplying device further comprises a member that causes at least a part of the second electrode member to move and causes the second electrode member to abut the first electrode member with an increase in consumption of the lubricant.

Abstract: A photoreceptor including an electroconductive substrate; a photosensitive layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate; and a crosslinked outermost layer located overlying the photosensitive layer and including a crosslinked material and a specific carbazole compound serving as a charge transport material. An image forming apparatus including the photoreceptor; a charger to charge the photoreceptor; an irradiator to irradiate the charged photoreceptor to form an electrostatic latent image thereon; a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image with a developer including a toner to form a toner image on the photoreceptor; and a transferring device to transfer the toner image onto a recording material.

Abstract: An image bearing member having an electroconductive substrate, a photosensitive layer overlying the electroconductive layer, and a cross-linked surface layer overlying the photosensitive layer, which contains a cross-linked polymer and a first compound consisting essentially of a nitrogen atom and a phenyl group, biphenyl group, and condensed polycyclic hydrocarbon group, or a second compound consisting essentially of a nitrogen atom and hydrogen atoms, halogen atoms, alkyl groups, alkoxy groups, or aryl groups, substituted or non-substituted alkyl groups, substituted or non-substituted alkoxy groups, substituted or non-substituted aralkyl groups, substituted or non-substituted aryl group, substituted or non-substituted alkylene groups, cyano groups, nitro groups, or —OCO?CH2R16, in which R16 represents a hydrogen atom, a substituted or non-substituted alkyl group, a substituted or non-substituted alkoxy group, or a substituted or non-substituted aryl group.

Abstract: A photoreceptor including an electroconductive substrate; a photosensitive layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate; and a crosslinked outermost layer located overlying the photosensitive layer and including a crosslinked material and a specific carbazole compound serving as a charge transport material. An image forming apparatus including the photoreceptor; a charger to charge the photoreceptor; an irradiator to irradiate the charged photoreceptor to form an electrostatic latent image thereon; a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image with a developer including a toner to form a toner image on the photoreceptor; and a transferring device to transfer the toner image onto a recording material.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member to bear an electrostatic latent image, which includes an outermost layer comprising a cross-linked resin composition; a toner developing mechanism to develop the electrostatic latent image into a toner image with a toner comprising a binder resin; a toner transferring mechanism to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member onto a recording medium; and a fixing liquid applying mechanism to apply a fixing liquid to the recording medium onto which the toner image has been transferred or is to be transferred. The fixing liquid dissolves or swells at least a part of the binder resin to soften the toner.