Abstract: A proximity charger roller is disposed in proximity to a surface of an image carrier and uniformly charges an effective charging area of the image carrier. Abutting portions abut on the image carrier at its both edges which are located on the outer side of the effective charging area, thereby maintaining the proximity distance between the circumferential surface of the proximity charger roller and the image carrier constant. A cleaning roller is longer than the spacing between the abutting portions which are at the both edges, abuts on the abutting portions which are at the both edges, and presses with predetermined pressing force in the direction of the image carrier. The surface of the cleaning roller is made of a soft material and cleans a surface area between the two abutting portions of the proximity charger roller.

Abstract: A cleaning roller for cleaning a charging roller in an image forming apparatus is disposed in contact with an outer peripheral surface of a charging roller to remove foreign matters attached to the outer peripheral surface of the charging roller. The cleaning roller has a metal core and a polyurethane foam layer covering an outer peripheral surface of this metal core. The polyurethane foam layer includes a number of cells. The number of cells per inch is 40 or more and 80 or less, and an open ratio of a wall surface of cells is 3% or more and 50% or less.

Abstract: A process cartridge includes a photosensitive member, a charger, a frame and a block member. The charger charges the photosensitive member and includes a charging wire and a grid electrode, which is provided between the charging wire and the photosensitive member, and which has an opening area in a surface opposing the photosensitive member. The frame supports the photosensitive member and the charger. The block member is provided between the charging wire and an end portion of the grid electrode in a longitudinal direction thereof and prevents a marginal area of the grid electrode from facing the charging wire in a direction with a minimum distance therebetween, the marginal area being defined between an end of the grid electrode and an end of the opening area.

Abstract: A charger includes a frame and a cover member, together defining an internal space. A discharge wire for producing a discharge for a photosensitive drum is disposed within the internal space. A cleaner for cleaning the discharge wire is also disposed within the internal space. When the cover member is open, a user accesses the cleaner and slides the cleaner on the discharge wire, thereby cleaning the discharge wire.

Abstract: A charging member cleaning unit, that contacts a charging member that charges the surface of an image holding member provided in an image forming apparatus, and is used for cleaning the surface of that charging member, has an elastic layer, and has an amine content within the elastic layer of not more than approximately 60 ppm.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is constituted by an image bearing member; a corona charging member including a wire; a heat generating member for generating heat by energization; a shielding member, including the heat generating member, capable of shielding a portion of the corona charging member opposing to the image bearing member from the image bearing member by being moved between the corona charging member and the image bearing member; an energization control member for controlling energization of the heat generating member; and moving member for moving the shielding member to a first position at which the shielding member shields the portion and a second position retracted from the first position. When the shielding member is located at the first position, at least a part of the heat generating member is disposed between the corona charging member and the image bearing member.

Abstract: According to the present invention, at a position where a cleaning member of a corona discharge member reaches the movement end and a belt with teeth is stopped in driving, a drive pulley slides in contact with a slip area of the belt with teeth, thus although the belt with teeth is stopped in driving, even if a motor is driven, a load applied to the motor is small and the motor can be prevented from faults.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a charging roller that charges a body-to-be-charged by press-contacting and is rotated by the rotating body-to-be-charged, a first receiving portion that supports a supporting portion provided at the charging roller, and causes the charging roller to press-contact the body-to-be-charged, a cleaning member that press-contacts a surface of the charging roller and cleans the charging roller, and a second receiving portion that supports a supporting portion provided at the cleaning member, and causes the cleaning member to press-contact the charging roller. At least one of the first and second receiving portions imparts a degree of freedom at a first receiving portion side to the supporting portion of the charging roller in a direction of press-contacting the body-to-be-charged, and imparts a degree of freedom at a second receiving portion side to the supporting portion of the cleaning member in a direction of press-contacting the charging roller.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus which includes a rotating image-bearing body, a charging section, an exposure section, a developing section, a transfer section, and a residue toner-charging section. The charging section charges the image-bearing body. The exposure section forms an electrostatic latent image on the image-bearing body that has been charged. The developing section develops the electrostatic latent image and forms a toner image. The transfer section transfers the toner image to a transfer body. The residue toner-charging section is provided upstream of the charging section and downstream of the transfer section and, after the transfer, charges transfer residue toner to a normal polarity. The transfer residue toner that has been charged to the normal polarity by the residue toner-charging section is recycled at the developing section. The residue toner-charging section is provided with a nonwoven fabric, which features conductivity and touches against the image-bearing body.

Abstract: A device that improves the effectiveness of a corona charging element cleaner by forcing it to travel to the end-limits of the outboard end of the corona charging element to ensure that the corona charging element is completely wiped clean. The device uses a pawl and rack to affect a ratchet-like motion, the direction of which permits travel in the opposite direction only after the limit of travel is reached.

Abstract: A cleaning device cleans a charging roller for charging the outer circumferential surface of a photoconductive drum while being rotated in contact with the photoconductive drum, and is provided with a cleaning brush for cleaning the outer circumferential surface of the charging roller by brushing while being rotated in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the charging roller, a rotational driving mechanism for rotating the cleaning brush while making the circumferential speed thereof differ from that of the charging roller, and a thrust driving mechanism for reciprocating the cleaning brush along a direction of a rotary axis of the charging roller while holding the cleaning brush in sliding contact with the outer circumferential surface of the charging roller.

Abstract: A charging device includes a charging roller for electrically charging a photosensitive member. The charging roller alternately has pits and projections along a circumferential direction thereof. The projections project in an inclined direction in which the projections are inclined with respect to a radial direction of the charging roller. The charging device further includes a roller rotating mechanism for rotating the charging roller to provide a peripheral movement thereof in a sense from the radial direction toward the inclined direction, a brush for cleaning the charging roller, and a brush rotating mechanism for rotating the brush to provide a peripheral movement thereof counterdirectionally with the inclined direction at a position in which the brush and the charging roller contact each other.

Abstract: A charging device, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus are provided. The charging device includes a charging roller configured to charge an image carrier and a cleaning roller configured to clean the charging roller while making contact with a surface of the charging roller. The charging device further includes a bearing member including a first portion configured to rotatably support a rotational shaft of the charging roller and a second portion configured to rotatably support a rotational shaft of the cleaning roller. The charging device also includes an elastic member provided outside of the second portion of the bearing member with respect to an axial direction of the rotational shaft of the cleaning roller such that the charging roller makes contact with the image carrier when the first portion of the bearing member is pressed by the elastic member.

Abstract: Cleaning performance of a cleaning pad for cleaning a charging wire is maintained so that the charging voltage of an image carrier by a charging wire is stabilized. A charging wire cleaning apparatus is provided with a cleaning pad for cleaning a charging wire which charges an image carrier, a slider which is a supporting body for supporting the cleaning pad, and a screw shaft which is a moving mechanism for reciprocating the slider in parallel to the charging wire. When the slider is at a predetermined position of the reciprocation range, the cleaning pad and the charging wire are separated, and the cleaning pad is adapted to be shifted with respect to the charging wire in this state.

Abstract: A charging apparatus includes a charging member to charge a surface of a photoconductive medium, a power unit to supply an electric power as a bias voltage to the charging member, and a resistor unit to reduce a ripple on the surface of the charging member. Accordingly, a stability of the charging apparatus is secured without using a separate power device.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the invention, cleaning sheets that contact and clean a needle electrode are caused to meander along the shape of a slit formed on a guide plate of a needle electrode charger case. Thus, a contact width on the cleaning sheets with the needle electrode is expanded. Unbalanced wear at particular positions on the cleaning sheets is prevented and the life of the cleaning sheets is extended.

Abstract: A charging device includes a charging member that gives an electric charge to an object to be charged by contacting the object, and a cleaning member that cleans the charging member by contacting the charging member. The cleaning member includes a base formed of a polymer material having a foamed structure and a covering film. The covering film is formed of a mixture of a resin having a crosslinked structure and electroconductive particles and covers, near a surface of the base, a structural wall of the formed structure.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning roll and an intervening member. The cleaning roll contacts the surface of a charge roll that charges a photoconductor, rotates, and cleans the surface of the charge roll. The intervening member is intervened between the charge roll and the cleaning roll and causes the charge roll and the cleaning roll to separate from each other. The intervening member may be spacers that are intervened at both end portions of the charge roll and the cleaning roll and form a gap between the charge roll and the cleaning roll. The intervening member may also be a lubricant.

Abstract: A charging apparatus includes a charging roller and a cleaning member. The charging roller charges a surface of an image bearing body. The cleaning member extends in a longitudinal direction parallel to the charging roller and that cleans the charging roller. The charging apparatus includes a bearing and a supporting member. The bearing supports a shaft of the charging roller. The cleaning member is mounted to the supporting member the cleaning member is held between the supporting member and the charging roller. The supporting member includes a surface to which the cleaning member is mounted, the surface being a curved surface configured to a circumferential surface of the charging roller. The supporting member includes a surface to which the cleaning member is mounted, the surface including a flat portion extending upstream with respect to rotation of the charging roller and a curved portion extending downstream.

Abstract: In a xerographic printing apparatus, a charge device is used to apply a charge to a photoreceptor. The charge device includes a wire. A shuttle moves along the charge device, and includes a brush wherein the sides of the bristles contact the wire. When the brush moves along the wire, an accumulation of stray particles on the wire is made relatively smooth.

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 device including: an image holding member; a charging member; a latent image-forming unit; a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the image holding member with a developer including a toner and a carrier, the toner comprising an external additive having first inorganic particles with a volume average particle diameter of 80 nm to 300 nm, and the carrier including a core material having a magnetic powder dispersed in a resin and a resin covering layer that covers the core material; a transfer unit; a removal unit; and an aggregation-forming unit that, by contacting a surface of the charging member and rotating in accordance with rotation of the charging member, removes adherents on the surface of the charging member, including the first inorganic particles, from the surface of the charging member, and forms aggregations in which the removed first inorganic particles are aggregated.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a member to be cleaned, and a cleaning member, formed by foam material having plural foam cells, that cleans the member to be cleaned by contacting the member to be cleaned and rubbing against the member to be cleaned. In any one of the plural foam cells in a surface of the cleaning member, a maximum length A in a rubbing direction and a maximum length B in a direction orthogonal to the rubbing direction satisfy the relationship of A<B.

Abstract: A corotron cleaning assembly includes a self-seating, spring-loaded locating pin drivingly connected to a drive unit that is used to drive a wire cleaning head that is located within a CRU. This assembly allows for easy separation of the drive unit from the cleaner when the CRU that contains the wire is replaced. The bullet shaped pin rides on a worm drive and when the pin is driven into the cleaner head, the bullet hits an inclined ramp and is biased downward until such a point that the pin hits a recessed receptacle. Once the pin is in the receptacle, the pin is capable of driving the wire cleaning head. When the cleaning head is removed, the act of removal separates the pin from the receptacle.

Abstract: A charging device including a charging member configured to charge an image bearing member while the charging member is contacted with or is located so as to be close to the image bearing member when the charging device is set in an image forming apparatus; and a cleaning member configured to clean a surface of the charging member while contacting the surface of the charging member, wherein the pressure A at which the cleaning member is contacted with the charging member when the charging device is set in the image forming apparatus is greater than the pressure B at which the cleaning member is contacted with the charging member before the charging device is set in the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, a charging roller for charging the image carrying member, a charging roller cleaning roller, and first and second shaft bearings. The charging roller cleaning roller contacts and cleans a surface of the charging roller. The first shaft bearing rotatably holds a rotation shaft of the charging roller cleaning roller, while the second shaft bearing rotatably holds a rotation shaft of the charging roller. The second shaft bearing integrally includes a first shaft bearing holding member which movably holds, by use of a resilient member, the first shaft bearing in a direction of moving the charging roller towards and apart from the charging roller cleaning roller.

Abstract: A cleaning device 70 includes: contact and release system 63 which switches a position of a cleaning roller between a position where the cleaning roller 62 is in contact with a charging roller 61 and a position where the cleaning roller 62 is separated from the charging roller 61; and a voltage selecting section 71 which switches a voltage to be applied to the charging roller 61 from a DC voltage to an AC voltage during the rotation of a photoreceptor 11. The contact and release system 63 brings the cleaning roller 62 into contact with the charging roller 61 at the application of the AC voltage to the charging roller 61. This makes it possible to enhance performance on cleaning of the charging roller.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning roll and an intervening member. The cleaning roll contacts the surface of a charge roll that charges a photoconductor, rotates, and cleans the surface of the charge roll. The intervening member is intervened between the charge roll and the cleaning roll and causes the charge roll and the cleaning roll to separate from each other. The intervening member may be spacers that are intervened at both end portions of the charge roll and the cleaning roll and form a gap between the charge roll and the cleaning roll. The intervening member may also be a lubricant.

Abstract: An image forming device has a charging roller including a shaft which is rotatably supported and a cleaning roller that abuts the charging roller. The cleaning roller includes a shaft that is rotatably supported and a porous elastic layer being provided around the shaft. The image forming device satisfies the relation T×?/100>(R1+R2)?L>B>0, where L [mm] is a separation distance of axial centers of both end portions of the shaft of the cleaning roller and the shaft of the charging roller, R1 [mm] is a radius of the charging roller, T [mm] is a thickness of the porous elastic layer, R2 [mm] is a radius of the cleaning roller, B [mm] is a flexure amount of an axial direction central portion of the shaft of the cleaning roller, and ? [%] is a maximum allowable compression rate in accordance with a stress-flexure curve.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier and a charging device. The image carrier supplied with a lubricant carries an electrostatic latent image and a toner image formed by making the electrostatic latent image visible with toner including toner particles and inorganic fine particles. The charging device uniformly charges a surface of the image carrier without contacting the image carrier to form the electrostatic latent image on the image carrier. The toner particles have a volume average particle size in a range of from about 3 ?m to about 8 ?m, a ratio Dv/Dn between a volume average particle size Dv and a number average particle size Dn in a range of from about 1.00 to about 1.40, a shape factor SF-1 in a range of from about 100 to about 180, and a shape factor SF-2 in a range of from about 100 to about 180.

Abstract: A charging device (37) includes a discharge wire (85) to which a charging bias is applied, a box-like shield (84) surrounding the discharge wire (85) and having an opening (86) the body surface, a grid (87) mounted to the opening (86) and applied with a grid voltage, a moving base (94) movable along the discharge wire (85), a drive unit (95) for moving the moving base (94), and a cleaning member (96) mounted on the moving base (94) to clean a surface of the grid (87) facing the discharge wire (85) in accordance with movement of the moving base (94). The cleaning member (96) is provided with a plurality of bristles (K) each having an end that is so formed as to have a loop-like shape. The loop-like end comes in contact with the grid surface facing the discharge wire (85).

Abstract: Dust collection portions are installed at both ends of a holding plate installed on a shield plate of a charger. On the other hand, in a cleaning device, a dust collection member is installed so as to make contact with the shield plate and holding plate. Dust such as discharge products and toner occurred when moving the cleaning device and cleaning a sawtooth discharge electrode falls on the side of the charger where the holding plate of the shield plate is installed. The cleaning device, since the dust collection member is installed, cleans the sawtooth discharge electrode, simultaneously collects dust such as discharge products and toner on the shield plate by the dust collection member, and can collect dust in the dust collecting portions installed at both ends of the holding plate. By doing this, the grid can be prevented from adhering of dust and the print quality is prevented from lowering.

Abstract: A discharger includes: a discharge electrode member that is placed opposedly to a member to be charged; an opposed electrode member that is placed opposedly to the discharge electrode member; and a power source circuit that applies a discharge voltage for generating a discharge between the discharge electrode member and the opposed electrode member, and the electrode member having a surface that includes a covered layer covered by a covering material is formed on a surface opposed thereto, and the covering material containing a carbon atom, or a carbon atom and another atom or other plural atoms as a main component, and having an SP3 structure by a carbon atom.

Abstract: In a charging device having saw-tooth electrodes for generating corona discharges, an amount of dust, toner, or paper dust attached to the tip end portions of saw-tooth electrodes is reduced. First to third pairs of saw-tooth electrode plates are disposed in a side-by-side fashion along the periphery of a photosensitive drum in which the first pair is disposed at an upstream side with respect to a direction in which the photosensitive drum rotates, the third pair at a downstream side, and the second pair at a central portion between the remaining two. A current flowing per a unit length of the second pair is set to 1.3 to 3 times as much as a current flowing per a unit length of each of the first and third pairs. The currents flowing per a unit length of the first and third pairs are set to be equal to each other.

Abstract: The present invention is related to preventing dust agglomeration on a sharp electrode which is used for generating corona. According to certain aspects, the invention includes a dust shroud which decreases or prevents dust accumulation on the sharp electrodes. The dust shroud changes the gas flow path so as to reduce the amount of gas passing near the sharp electrode. An advantage of the shroud is that it prevents dust from building up on the electrodes. The shroud is a simple, passive addition to the electrostatic pump, such that the pump is otherwise able to operate normally throughout its life. In embodiments, the shroud can be used to protect a corona electrode used in heat sink applications especially in electronics cooling. It can also be used in electrostatic precipitators for cleaning dust or chemical or microbe particles from air.

Abstract: A corona charging device cleaning apparatus and method of cleaning a corona charging device includes a support member that includes two side surfaces that face in opposite directions. A side shield cleaning member is attached to each side surface to clean an inner surface of a side shield of a corona device. The support member of the corona charging device cleaning apparatus may also include a concavity and a cavity portion. A screen grid cleaning member may be attached to the concavity of the support member to clean a screen grid of the corona charging device. A charging-component cleaning member may be disposed inside the cavity portion of the support member to clean a charging component of the corona charging device.

Abstract: A cleaning device is provided and includes: three or more cleaning members for cleaning a wire member, the three or more cleaning members being separately disposed along a longitudinal direction of the wire member and including a pair of side cleaning members and an intermediate cleaning member, the intermediate cleaning member being disposed opposite to the pair of side cleaning members with respect to the wire member and disposed between the side cleaning members in the longitudinal direction of the wire member; a mechanism that moves at least one of the cleaning members so as to contact all of the cleaning members with the wire member or separate all of the cleaning members from the wire member; and a mechanism that moves all of the cleaning members along the longitudinal direction of the wire member in a state where all of the cleaning members are contacted with the wire member.

Abstract: In a xerographic printing apparatus, a charge device is used to apply a charge to a photoreceptor. The shuttle includes a wiper that cleans a sidewall of the charge device. A tab is disposed adjacent the sidewall to retain toner or dirt accumulated by the scraper. The tab is electrically insulative, and effectively covers the accumulated toner or dirt, to lower the possibility of arcing within the charge device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of maintaining cleaning performance of a cleaning brush and downsizing the apparatus main body. Transfer residual toner accumulated on the cleaning brush is transferred onto a photoreceptor by an electrostatic force, hence the cleaning brush becomes clean and the cleaning performance thereof improves. Therefore, the photoreceptor and a charging roller can be cleaned well by the cleaning brush over a long period of time, and the photoreceptor can be charged well by the charging roller over a long period of time. Moreover, because the transfer residual toner that is transferred from the cleaning brush onto the photoreceptor is recovered by a developing device, it is not necessary to provide the apparatus main body with a toner recovery portion that is specially designed for recovering the transfer residual toner, hence the apparatus main body can be downsized.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus in which the cleaning performance of a cleaning brush is preserved over time while affording a smaller apparatus main body. During a print job, toner recovered from a charging roller to a cleaning brush is transferred from the cleaning brush to a cleaning auxiliary roller, thereby preventing excessive accumulation of toner in the cleaning brush. During non print job times, toner accumulated in the cleaning brush is transferred to the charging roller directly and via the cleaning auxiliary roller, whereby the cleaning brush becomes clean while preserving its cleaning performance. Also, toner transferred to the charging roller is transferred to a photosensitive unit is recovered into a developing device, which does away with the need for a dedicated recovery toner holding portion for recovering residual toner, thereby reducing the size of the apparatus main body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member which carries an electrostatic latent image; a charger comprising a charging wire extended in a direction parallel to an axial direction of the photosensitive member, the charger serving to charge the photosensitive member, and a promoting unit which is provided on at least one side of a region of the charger which is opposite to an image forming region in which the electrostatic latent image is formed, the promoting unit promoting a leakage current of the charger; detecting unit which detects a leakage current of the charger; and a correction unit which corrects the charging wire if the leakage current is detected.

Abstract: Electrophotographic charging devices and methods for charging a receptor with a solid state charging device are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the solid state charging device can include a dielectric layer, a first electrode disposed adjacent to a first surface of the dielectric layer, and a second electrode having a first surface disposed adjacent to a second surface of the dielectric layer. The solid state charging device can further include a plurality of nanostructures each having an end in electrical contact with a second surface of the second electrode. The exemplary solid state charging devices including the nanostructures can use less voltage than conventional charging devices, produce a reduced amount of oxidizing agents, such as, ozone and NOx, and/or operate at a lower temperature.

Abstract: A charging device includes: a charged body; a charging member that extends parallel to the surface of the charged body, a charging voltage being applied between the charging member and the charged body; a cleaning member that is in contact with the charging member, and that moves in an extending direction of the charging member to remove matters adhering to the charging member; and an air introduction path that introduces airflow flowing in one orientation with respect to the extending direction of the charging member at a position along the charging member, the cleaning member being in contact with the charging member in a case where the cleaning member moves in the one orientation, and the cleaning member being separated from the charging member in a case where the cleaning member moves in an orientation opposite to the airflow in a state in which the airflow is generated.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charging roller that continuously rotates and uniformly charges a photoconductor for forming an electrostatic latent image thereon, a cleaning roller that contacts a peripheral surface of the charging roller and cleans the charging roller while being driven by rotation of the charging roller, wherein a peripheral surface of the cleaning roller is formed of a melamine resin foam, and a cleaning roller shifting unit that causes the cleaning roller to contact the charging roller for a predetermined time at predetermined intervals of image formation while movably holding the cleaning roller.

Abstract: A charging device includes a long electrode, a cleaning member, a timing device, a drive source, a load measuring device, and a control device. The drive source moves the cleaning member in the outward direction for a first time period after the outward passage time and then reverses the cleaning member in the homeward position. The load measuring device measures driving load imposed on the drive source while the cleaning member is being moved. The control device controls motion of the drive source to turn the cleaning member from the outward direction to the homeward direction at a predetermined objective point near the second end, based on sum of driving loads imposed on the drive source while the cleaning member is being moved from the first point to a second point located along the outward direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to printing devices and particularly to devices and a method for the reduction of contamination on a charging device. A cleaning member is supplied that has a cleaning material affixed to a substrate. The cleaning material is positioned to contact the charge roller and the substrate is flexed to provide an elastic response.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cleaning device including a cleaning member that cleans a surface of a rotating cylindrical element to be cleaned, and whose length in a longitudinal direction is longer than a length of the maximum operating region of the element to be cleaned, a length of a contact part of the cleaning member at which the cleaning member contacts with the element to be cleaned being shorter than the length in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning member, and the contact part being moved in the longitudinal direction of the element to be cleaned.

Abstract: High torque causing machine failures and motor damage are corrected by the embodiments of this invention. Springs are put on both ends of the lead shaft and the windings around the lead shaft are reduced to substantially reduce the torque created during a power on-power off situation in addition to during normal operations.

Abstract: The cell wall removal ratio of an elastic foam body is set such that developer or other fouling material adhering to a rotatable member can be continuously absorbed through the cells of the elastic foam body during a single maintenance cycle of an image forming apparatus. For example, the cell wall removal ratio of the elastic foam body is set to at least 60% or at least 80%. When the cell wall removal ratio of the elastic foam body is set to at least 60%, good image quality can be maintained reliably until the number of sheets recorded by the image forming apparatus reaches 20000. Furthermore, when the cell wall removal ratio of the elastic foam body is set to at least 80%, good image quality can be maintained reliably until the number of sheets recorded by the image forming apparatus reaches 30000.

Abstract: A cleaning device has: a cleaning member contacting a body-to-be-cleaned at a predetermined nip width, and cleaning a surface of the body-to-be-cleaned; and a supporting member supporting a peripheral surface of the cleaning member. The cleaning member is supported with predetermined degrees of freedom by the supporting member and a surface of the body-to-be-cleaned.