Abstract: A lubricant applicator includes a solid lubricant, a lubricant applying member to apply the solid lubricant to a target object, a biasing member to bias the solid lubricant toward the lubricant applying member, and a regulating member to regulate the solid lubricant, which is biased toward the lubricant applying member by the biasing member, to prevent the lubricant from separating from the lubricant applying member by more than a predetermined distance. The regulating member is switchable between a regulating state for regulating the solid lubricant not to separate from the lubricant applying member by more than the predetermined distance and a non-regulating state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member to bear a toner image, a waste toner storage mechanism to store residual toner, and an intermediate transfer unit detachable from the image forming apparatus. The intermediate transfer unit includes an intermediate transfer member onto which the toner image is transferred, a cleaning device to remove residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer member after the toner image is transferred to a recording medium, and a connecting mechanism to connect the cleaning device and the waste toner storage mechanism. The connecting mechanism includes a movable connecting tube and a moving device to move the connecting tube between a first position at which the connecting tube engages the cleaning device and the waste toner storage mechanism, and the second position at which the connecting tube separates the cleaning device from the waste toner storage mechanism.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a housing; a conveying belt, and a retaining member. The retaining member retains image bearing members that juxtaposed with and spaced apart from one another. The retaining member is slidingly movable relative to the housing in a direction that the image bearing members are juxtaposed. The retaining member retains the image bearing members to confront the conveying belt. The image bearing members and the conveying belt are arranged in a reference direction. The retaining member includes a cleaning member that removes residual developing agent from the conveying belt, and a guide unit that guides the recording medium to the conveying belt. The guide unit is located on the image bearing member side and the cleaning member is located on the conveying belt side. At least part of the guide unit overlaps at least part of the cleaning member when projected in the reference direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit having a plurality of photoconductor drums arranged in tandem; an intermediate transfer belt arranged opposite to the photoconductor drums and configured to receive developer images formed on the photoconductor drums and to transfer the developer images onto a recording sheet; a cleaning unit comprising a cleaning member positioned in contact with the intermediate transfer belt and configured to collect substance adhering to the intermediate transfer belt, and a receptacle configured to store the substance collected by the cleaning member, wherein the cleaning unit is arranged on the same side as the image forming unit with respect to the intermediate transfer belt; and a support member configured to support the image forming unit and the cleaning unit and to be pulled out from a main body.

Abstract: A powder container includes a housing including a container chamber, a rotation member extending in an axial direction, and a sealing member. The housing includes a first wall portion having a first hole into which an end portion of the rotation member is inserted. The rotation member includes a second wall facing a part of the first wall portion around the first hole with a distance therebetween. The sealing member has a second hole through which the rotation member extends, is interposed between the part of the first wall portion around the first hole and the second wall portion, and includes a foam member that is contractible and a pair of sheet members respectively contacting the part of the first wall portion around the first hole and the second wall portion and having a friction coefficient lower than the foam member.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a transfer belt used to transfer a toner image from the image bearing member to a transfer material; a transfer unit adapted to form a transfer nip in conjunction with the image bearing member through the transfer belt; and a control part adapted to control a rotation direction of the transfer belt, wherein in a cleaning mode, the control part rotates the transfer belt in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the transfer belt during image formation at least by an amount equal to or larger than width of the transfer nip in the rotation direction of the transfer belt. This prevents foreign material from being trapped between the transfer belt such as an intermediate transfer belt or transfer material conveyance belt and a sheet member and thereby reduces density irregularities in a longitudinal direction of the belt.

Abstract: When toner on an intermediate transfer member is picked up by a cleaning unit by transferring the toner to an image bearing member in a recovery operation, pickup conditions are controlled to be changed on the basis of the ambience detected in performing the recovery operation and such that the toner on the intermediate transfer member is picked up by the cleaning unit while being temporarily retained by a secondary transfer roller.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus restrains the scattering of toners in an intermediate transfer member cleaning apparatus thereby to restrain the scattering toners from dirtying the inside of the apparatus. A cleaning container has an anti-scatter portion that enters into a fur brush. The anti-scatter portion blocks a bias roller from a space outside the cleaning apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a transfer portion; a first electrostatic cleaning portion including a first electroconductive member; a second electrostatic cleaning portion including a second electroconductive member; a first detecting portion for outputting first information corresponding to a first current passing through the first electroconductive member; a second detecting portion for outputting second information corresponding to a second current passing through the second electroconductive member; and a controller for controlling, based on the first information and the second information, a transfer voltage so that the voltage is decreased when a decrease amount of the first current is larger than that of the second current and so that the voltage is increased when the decrease amount of the second current is larger than that of the first current.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, an intermediary transfer belt, a first charging device and a second charging device. Residual toner remaining on the intermediary transfer belt is to be electrically charged by the first and second charging devices and then is to be collected by being moved from the intermediary transfer belt to the photosensitive member. The first and second charging devices are successively contacted to the intermediary transfer belt at a determined timing, beginning with the first charging device disposed on an upstream side, thus electrically charging the residual toner. Thereafter, the first and second charging devices are successively spaced from the intermediary transfer belt at a determined timing, beginning with the first charging device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier rotates in a predetermined direction; a correction image forming unit forming correction images on the image carrier in the predetermined direction; and a cleaning roller configured to clean the correction images on the image carrier. With respect to all values ranging from 1 to an arbitrary value n, a positive integer N which satisfies following expression for each of n exists: (T×N+L)/n?R/V?(T×(N+1)?L)/n, where R represents a circumferential length of the cleaning roller, L represents a length of each of the correction images in a moving direction of the image carrier, T represents a formation interval of the correction images in the moving direction of the image carrier, and V represents a ratio of a peripheral speed of the cleaning roller to a moving speed of the image carrier.

Abstract: A wet type image forming apparatus has a primary transfer unit that transfers to an intermediate transfer body a coloring particle image formed on the surface of an image bearing member by using liquid developer. A secondary transfer unit transfers onto a recording medium the coloring particle image transferred to the intermediate transfer body. A cleaning unit recovers liquid developer remaining on the intermediate transfer body after transfer by the second transfer unit. An aggregation promoting agent addition unit is disposed on a downstream side of the secondary transfer unit in a direction of rotation of the intermediate transfer body and on an upstream side of the cleaning unit in a direction of rotation of the intermediate transfer body and adds to the surface of the intermediate transfer body an aggregation promoting agent that promotes aggregation of resin contained in the liquid developer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including, a plurality of image bearing members, a plurality of developing units which includes toner storage containers and a belt transferring toner images onto a transfer material, the image forming apparatus being capable of executing a first cleaning mode and a second cleaning mode to move the toner adhering onto the belt onto the image bearing members and to collect the adhering toner into the toner storage containers, wherein, in the first cleaning mode, the adhering toner is collected into the toner storage container of the developing unit developing a black toner, and in the second cleaning mode, a portion of the adhering toner is collected into the toner storage container corresponding to the image bearing member located at a most upstream position and a rest of the adhering toner is collected into the toner storage container of the developing unit developing the black toner.

Abstract: There is provided a pre-cleaning brush roller being a pre-cleaning member which is disposed on an upstream of a normally-charged-toner cleaning brush roller and an oppositely-charged-toner cleaning brush roller in a surface moving direction of an intermediate transfer belt, is applied with a voltage having a polarity opposite to a normal charge polarity of toner, and electrostatically removes the toner having the normal charge polarity.

Abstract: An image-forming device includes a plurality of developing units, an endless belt, and a cleaning unit. The cleaning unit includes a cleaning member and a conveying unit. The cleaning member contacts the endless belt to clean toner remaining on the endless belt. The conveying unit includes a first conveying unit, a second conveying unit, and a first relaying member. The first relaying member relays the remaining toner conveyed by the first conveying unit to the second conveying unit, and has a relay-axis. The cleaning member pivots about the relay axis to move between a contacting position for contacting the endless belt and a separating position for separating from the endless belt.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that uniformly distributes a material on an image transfer surface is disclosed. The apparatus may include a circulation mechanism to circulate an image transfer surface in a two-dimensional manner around an axis and a retractable blade which is movable between a smoothing position contacting the material on the image transfer surface and a stand-by position departing from the material on the image transfer surface. Additionally, a cam on a lever moves the retractable blade to the stand-by position or to the smoothing position. In an image forming apparatus a retractable blade is used to smooth contamination of unknown distribution on a belt and to move corresponding to the movement of a roller disposed proximate to the belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes multiple image bearing members provided in tandem, multiple developing devices configured to develop the respective electrostatic latent images, an intermediate transfer member onto which the multiple toner images are transferred to form a composite toner image, multiple first lubricant applicators configured to apply a lubricant to the respective image bearing members, and a second lubricant applicator configured to apply a lubricant to the intermediate transfer member. The second lubricant applicator is provided upstream from the extreme upstream image bearing member. The amount of the first lubricant applied from the extreme upstream first lubricant applicator to the extreme upstream image bearing member is based on at least one of an amount of the second lubricant applied from the second lubricant applicator to the intermediate transfer member and an amount of first lubricant applied from each of the other lubricant applicators to the respective image bearing members.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning unit including a shaft portion and contactors, the shaft portion being rotatably provided, the contactors being provided along an outer periphery of the shaft portion so as to contact a member to be cleaned, the contactors being formed of conductive fiber, the cleaning unit cleaning the member to be cleaned by rotating and by electrostatically attracting dirt adhered to the member to be cleaned. The contactors satisfy the following condition: 0<fiber density (kF/inch2)×interference (mm) with respect to the member to be cleaned/fineness (denier)<48.

Abstract: Image forming apparatus includes first cleaning blade for photosensitive drum, wherein the first blade includes first regions and second region with respect to widthwise direction, the first regions being at opposite ends of the first blade, respectively and having first hardness, and the second region being between the first regions and having hardness which is lower than the first hardness; and second cleaning blade for the intermediary transfer member, wherein the second blade includes third regions and fourth region with respect to the widthwise direction, the third regions being at opposite ends of the second blade, respectively and having a second hardness which is the same as or different from the first hardness, and the fourth region being between the third regions and having hardness lower than the second hardness, and wherein the second region is within the fourth region with respect to the widthwise direction.

Abstract: A charging member that charges residual toner on an intermediate transfer belt is a charging brush constituted by conductive fibers including an electric insulating portion and an electric conductive portion. Part of the outer circumferential surface of each conductive fiber is the conductive portion.

Abstract: An endless belt circularly moves to convey a recording medium placed thereon in a conveying direction. A plurality of photosensitive bodies is juxtaposed in the conveying direction with confronting the endless belt. A plurality of process units supplies developer to the plurality of photosensitive bodies to form a developer image thereon, respectively. A first collecting member contacts the endless belt to collect the developer on the endless belt. A second collecting member is capable of collecting from the first collecting member the developer collected on the first collecting member. A control unit applies a bias between the first collecting member and the second collecting member to inhibit the developer collected on the first collecting member from being transferred to the second collecting member when the first collecting member rubs the endless belt with the toner collected on the first collecting member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit including a plurality of photoconductor drums arranged in tandem; a conveyor belt arranged opposite to the photoconductor drums and configured to convey a recording sheet; and a cleaning unit including a cleaning member positioned in contact with the conveyor belt and configured to collect substance adhering to the conveyor belt, and a receptacle configured to store the substance collected by the cleaning member. The cleaning member is arranged on the same side as the image forming unit with respect to the conveyor belt and upstream from the image forming unit as viewed in a sheet conveyance direction along which the recording sheet is conveyed on the conveyor belt, and the image forming unit and the cleaning unit are pulled out together from a main body of the image forming apparatus toward an upstream side of the sheet conveyance direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a rotatable image bearing member; a toner image forming portion; a transfer member; a cleaning blade, provided downstream of the transfer portion and upstream of the toner image forming portion with respect to a rotational direction of the image bearing member; a discharging member, provided downstream of the cleaning blade and upstream of the toner image forming portion with respect to the rotational direction; and a thin plate-like member provided downstream of the discharging member and upstream of the toner image forming portion with respect to the rotational direction. An end of the thin plate-like member is contacted to a surface of the image bearing member toward an upstream side with respect to the rotational direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is configured to form an image on a recording sheet by transferring toner onto the recording sheet. The image forming apparatus may include a container having an inlet configured to receive waste toner, the container defining a storage area having a horizontal dimension greater than a vertical dimension. Also, the image forming apparatus may include a first pump disposed adjacent to the inlet of the container on an inlet side, the first pump configured to feed waste toner from the inlet to an outlet side of the first pump, and a second pump disposed adjacent to the outlet side of the first pump, the second pump configured to feed the waste toner fed by the first pump to an outlet side of the second pump on a side opposite the inlet in the storage area.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; a transfer body; a leading-end holding member that holds a leading-end portion of the recording medium so that the recording medium is wrapped around an outer circumferential surface of the transfer body; a trailing-end holding member that is movable in a circumferential direction of the transfer body, the trailing-end holding member holding a trailing-end portion of the recording medium wrapped around the transfer body such that the trailing-end portion lies along the outer circumferential surface of the transfer body by bringing a holding surface of the trailing-end holding member into contact with the trailing-end portion; and a cleaning portion that contacts the holding surface of the trailing-end holding member, which moves relative to the transfer body, in order to clean the holding surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cleaning member for an image forming apparatus, including: an axle; and a belt-like elastic medium that is wound on the outer circumferential surface of the axle in a spiral shape and that includes a first edge portion in at least one of both ends in the width direction thereof and a second edge portion coming in contact with a surface to be cleaned at an angle different from that of the first edge portion.

Abstract: When at least one of first image data and second image data is captured, according to a moving speed of an object while an image sensor is capturing an image, exposure time for capturing the image is controlled to decrease a difference between object blur widths in a direction in which the object moves.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a chassis having a first opening on a first side, a cover, movable between an open position and a closed position, a plurality of photosensitive members, an intermediate transfer belt, a plurality of primary-transfer members, a secondary-transfer roller, a first feed roller, a cleaner device, a waste toner container, which is removably installed in the chassis through the first opening and settled in a position opposite from the plurality of photosensitive members across the intermediate transfer belt, to store residual toner collected by the cleaner device, a connector, a first feeding path, a second feeding path, and a second feed roller. The second feed roller is rotatably supported by the cover and movable along with the cover to yield the first opening to the waste toner container when the cover is in the open position.

Abstract: A developer collecting device includes a housing provided with an opening opposed to a developer carrying member, a collecting member provided on a support member and capable of coming into contact with and separating from the developer carrying member, a suction path provided between the opening and a suction member for sucking developer removed from the developer carrying member, an opening-closing plate that opens or closes the suction path, an urging member that urges the opening-closing plate, a retaining member that retains the opening-closing plate, and an opening-closing unit including a rotating member and an elastic member whose ends are connected to the rotating member and the support member. The elastic member is pulled so as to rotate the rotating member in association with a movement of the collecting member, thereby rotating the opening-closing plate so as to open or close the suction path.

Abstract: Brush rollers rotate in a direction indicated by an arrow while being in contact with an image formation surface to remove toner remaining on the image formation surface from an intermediate transfer belt. The brush rollers each mainly include a rotational shaft and a brush. The brush rollers face the intermediate transfer belt with brush winding directions being opposite from one another. The brush rollers rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow. Thus, seams of the brush rollers can be prevented from being in contact with the same portion on the image formation surface of the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit having a plurality of photoconductor drums arranged in tandem; an intermediate transfer belt arranged opposite to the photoconductor drums and configured to receive developer images formed on the photoconductor drums and to transfer the developer images onto a recording sheet; a cleaning unit comprising a cleaning member positioned in contact with the intermediate transfer belt and configured to collect substance adhering to the intermediate transfer belt, and a receptacle configured to store the substance collected by the cleaning member, wherein the cleaning unit is arranged on the same side as the image forming unit with respect to the intermediate transfer belt; and a support member configured to support the image forming unit and the cleaning unit and to be pulled out from a main body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a chassis, a cover, photosensitive members, an intermediate transfer belt, primary-transfer members, a secondary-transfer roller, a first feed roller, a cleaner device, a waste toner container, which is movable along the predetermined direction to be removably installed in the chassis through a first opening and stores residual toner, a connector, a first feeding path, a second feeding path being a path for a recording sheet inserted through a sheet inlet and includes a sheet guide to guide the recording sheet, and a second feed roller. The second feed roller is movable along with at least a part of the sheet guide. The waste toner container is movable through space, which is occupied by the second feed roller in an upper position, and the first opening when the second feed roller is in a lower position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image carrying member supported in a body housing and forming a visible image by a developing agent; a transfer unit including a driving roller supported in the body housing and an intermediate transfer belt rotated by the driving roller in a first direction on which the visible image on the image carrying member is intermediately transferred to when a printing process is conducted on a recording medium; a cleaning blade in contact with the intermediate transfer belt to clean a remaining developing agent on the intermediate transfer belt rotating in the first direction; the intermediate transfer belt being rotated in an opposite direction to the first direction, for a preset period of time before the visible image is intermediately transferred and rotating the intermediate transfer belt in the first direction so that the visible image is intermediately transferred when the printing process starts.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a control method include a photosensitive unit having a photosensitive drum, an exposure unit to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum, a developing unit to form a toner image by sequentially supplying a plurality of color toners to the electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive drum, an intermediate transfer unit having an intermediate transfer belt to perform a first transfer of the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum in a sequential manner by color, a transfer roller configured to perform a second transfer of the toner image on a printing medium , a transfer belt cleaning unit to perform a cleaning task to remove a waste toner that remains on the intermediate transfer belt after the second transfer is performed, and a control unit to start performing idling of the intermediate transfer belt when an exposure with respect to one page toner image is completed and the first transfer is in progress, and to start the second transfer b

Abstract: A cleaning device including a normally charged toner cleaning member provided in contact with a cleaning target at a contact position to remove normally charged toner from the cleaning target, a reversely charged toner cleaning member provided in contact with the cleaning target at a contact position upstream from the normally charged toner cleaning member to remove reversely charged toner from the cleaning target, and a pre-cleaning member provided in contact with the cleaning target at a contact position upstream from both the normally and reversely charged toner cleaning members to remove normally charged toner from the cleaning target. The contact position between the pre-cleaning member and the cleaning target has a width wider than a width of the contact position between the normally charged toner cleaning member and the cleaning target and a width of the contact position between the reversely charged toner cleaning member and the cleaning target.

Abstract: An image forming device in a continuous mode forms monochrome images on a plurality of recording media in succession. A transfer member is disposed in confrontation with a plurality of photosensitive members. In the continuous mode, a control unit controls a reverse-transfer unit to perform a reverse-transfer operation on at least one of a plurality of collecting members such that the excrescences are transferred from the at least one of the photosensitive members onto the transfer member in a medium interval. A switching unit sets a contact state to a first contact state during the reverse-transfer operation in the continuous mode such that one of the developing rollers for black contacts one of the photosensitive members for black and that remaining ones of the developing rollers are separated from remaining ones of the photosensitive members.

Abstract: A belt device includes an endless belt including at least a base layer and a coat layer, the coat layer formed on the base layer and configuring an upper most surface of the belt; a driving member that rotates the belt and that is provided at one end of the belt to bias an inner circumferential surface of the belt; and a driven member that rotates the belt and that is provided at other end of the belt to bias the inner circumferential surface of the belt. Wherein the base layer has a mirror specularity of 20-60.

Abstract: An intermediate transfer member for electrophotography includes a substrate and a non-ceramer polyurethane compliant layer. Disposed directly on the compliant layer is an outermost surface layer consisting essentially of a non-particulate, non-elastomeric ceramer or fluoroceramer and nanosized inorganic particles that are distributed within the non-particulate ceramer or fluoroceramer in an amount of at least 5 and up to and including 50 weight % of the outermost surface layer. This intermediate transfer member can be incorporated into a suitable imaging apparatus for forming a toned image on a receiver element.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a cleaning blade provided on an intermediate transfer member to which a toner image formed on at least one image forming section is primary transferred and on a secondary transfer section which transfers the toner image transferred on the intermediate transfer member onto a transfer material, respectively, which cleans the toner image remained thereon, respectively; a bias power source which is electrically connected to the secondary transfer section; and a controller which causes the image forming section to form a patch toner image onto a non-image area on the image carrier corresponding to an area between adjoining two transfer materials, and causes the bias power source to conduct a power control in synchronization with a positional movement timing of the patch toner image, to supply selectively the patch toner image to the intermediate transfer member and the secondary transfer section.

Abstract: Supply distribution of toner bands is varied in accordance with an image rate. Provided is image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit; a movable image bearing member; a movable conveying belt; a transfer member; a power supply; a first blade member; a second blade member; and an execution unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include a sheet conveying belt that conveys a sheet to a position opposed to an image carrier, and a cleaning unit that cleans the sheet conveying belt. The sheet conveying belt may be driven by a first driving unit such as a first motor while the cleaning unit may be driven a second driving unit such as a second motor. In one or more arrangements, the second driving unit is independent from the first driving unit. Additionally or alternatively, the first driving unit may also be configured to drive an image carrier and/or a developing unit.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes at least one first cleaning member that removes residual substances that remain on a surface of an endless belt by being in contact with the surface of the endless belt while rotating in a direction that is opposite to a movement direction in which the endless belt moves; a second cleaning member that is brought into contact with and separated from the surface of the endless belt at a predetermined timing and removes the residual substances that remain on the surface of the endless belt; and a switching unit that switches a rotation direction of the first cleaning member to a direction the same as the movement direction of the endless belt when the second cleaning member is brought into contact with the surface of the endless belt and cleans the surface.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes first to third cleaning members that clean a surface of an endless belt that is looped over rollers including a driving roller. The first cleaning member is brought into contact with and separated from the surface at a predetermined timing. The second cleaning member is disposed upstream of the first cleaning member and downstream of the driving roller in a movement direction of the endless belt. The second cleaning member is in contact with the endless belt so as to prevent a tension variation of the endless belt caused by the first cleaning member from affecting the driving roller. The third cleaning member is disposed downstream of the first cleaning member. A contact state in which the third cleaning member is in contact with the endless belt is switched from a first contact state to a second contact state so as to reduce the tension variation.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a rotatable intermediate transfer belt wound around and stretched between a pair of rollers, facing a plurality of image bearing members bearing toner images, a plurality of transfer members facing the image bearing members through the intermediate transfer member, to transfer overlappingly the toner images onto the intermediate transfer member forming a composite toner image, a lubricant applicator disposed upstream from the image bearing members in a direction of rotation of the intermediate transfer belt and on the same plane as the image bearing members, to apply a lubricant on the intermediate transfer member, an opposing member disposed opposite the lubricant applicator, to contact the lubricant applicator through the intermediate transfer member, and a pressure member disposed upstream from the image bearing members and downstream from the lubricant applicator in the direction of rotation of the intermediate transfer belt, to press against the intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a casing; an endless belt; a cleaning unit configured to collect a waste toner remaining on the endless belt; a first cartridge including a first accommodating portion to accommodate toner to be supplied to a first photosensitive member; a second cartridge including a second accommodating portion to accommodate toner to be supplied to a second photosensitive member, and a waste toner retainer to accommodate waste toner collected by the cleaning unit; a waste toner conveying unit configured to convey the waste toner collected by the cleaning unit to the waste toner retainer; and a moving member configured to support the first cartridge, the second cartridge, and the cleaning unit, the moving member being movable in a first direction from an inner position in the casing to an outer position out of the casing.

Abstract: An image forming method includes transferring images carried by an image carrier to a transfer material by a transfer roller coming in contact with the image carrier via the transfer material, the transfer roller having a concaved portion in its circumferential surface and contacting with or being separated from the image carrier due to its rotation, separating the transfer roller from the image carrier by the rotation of the transfer roller after transferring the images to the transfer material, stopping the transfer roller in a state where the transfer roller is separated from the image carrier, and moving the image carrier and cleaning the image carrier using a cleaning member while the transfer roller is stopped.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a first cleaning member, a first opposing member, a second cleaning member, a second opposing member, and a pressing member. The first and second cleaning members clean an outer surface of a belt member by coming into contact with the outer surface. The first and second opposing members are in contact with an inner face of the belt member at positions that are opposite the first and second cleaning members. The pressing member is disposed between the first and second opposing members and is in contact with the outer surface of the belt member. The pressing member presses a portion of the belt member that is located between the first and second opposing members from an outer surface side of the belt member toward an inner face side of the belt member.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus configured to form an image by using photosensitive drums, the image forming apparatus including an apparatus main body, an endless belt, a drawing member which rotatably supports cartridges, and is movable to a mounting position at which the photosensitive drums oppose the endless belt and to a separation position at which the photosensitive drums are more spaced from the endless belt than at the mounting position, and a cleaning unit including a first housing having a collecting member which is configured to contact the endless belt to collect developer on the endless belt, and a second housing having an accommodating part which is configured to accommodate therein the developer collected by the collecting member. The first housing is provided to the apparatus main body and the second housing is provided to the drawing member.

Abstract: Provided are a transfer roller cleaning apparatus that has a supply roller that is immersed in the carrier liquid in a carrier liquid vessel; a cleaning roller that is rubbed and rotated on the supply roller and the transfer roller, and supplies the carrier liquid received from the supply roller to a surface of the transfer roller; and a carrier liquid circulation device which includes the carrier liquid vessel, supplies the carrier liquid in a storage tank to the carrier liquid vessel using a pump, and sends the carrier liquid overflowed from the carrier liquid vessel back to the storage tank via an overflow liquid recovery path, so as to constitute a carrier liquid circulation path and an electronic photograph printer configured by providing the same.

Abstract: A removable unit includes an endless belt-like member; a first contact member that contacts an inner surface of the belt-like member; a second contact member disposed upwardly of the first contact member in a direction of gravitational force when the removable unit is mounted to a body of an image forming apparatus; a first cleaning member disposed between the first contact member and the second contact member; and a second cleaning member disposed between the first cleaning member and the second contact member. The first cleaning member prevents an adherent cleaned off by the second cleaning member from moving downward in the direction of gravitational force along an inner peripheral surface of the belt-like member.