Abstract: Provided is a charging member capable of suppressing adhesion of toner or the like to a surface. The charging member comprises: a support; an elastic layer; and a surface layer, and the surface layer contains a polymer having an Si—O—Sr bond and having a structural unit represented by the following formula (1) and a structural unit represented by the following formula (2).

Abstract: This invention provides an electrically conductive roller capable of forming an image without fogging even in a low humidity environment and an image-forming device. Specifically, the invention relates to an electrically conductive roller has an elastic layer formed on an outer circumferential surface of a shaft and a urethane coat layer formed on an outer circumferential surface of the elastic layer, wherein the urethane coat layer includes a urethane resin, and at least one ionic liquid selected from the group consisting of pyridinium ionic liquids and amine ionic liquids, in an amount from 1 to 20 parts by mass to 100 parts by mass of the urethane resin; and an image-forming device equipped with the electrically conductive roller.

Abstract: Provided is an electrifying roller which is manufactured more easily, and has a good electrical conduction property with a small amount of electrically conductive material. Provided are electrifying rollers (10, 20) comprising a shaft 1, an elastic layer 2 formed on the periphery of the shaft 1, and a surface layer 3 formed on the periphery surface of the elastic layer 2, wherein the elastic layer 2 is formed by an ultraviolet curing resin having a phosphoester group. It is preferred that the ultraviolet curing resin be made of a compound represented by the following Formula (1): (wherein R1 is represented by the following Formula (2): ?CH2?m??(2) (where m is an integer from 1 to 10), R2 is represented by any one of the following Formulae (3) to (9): R3 is represented by any one of the following Formulae (10) to (12): (where r, s and t are an integer from 10 to 150), and n is an integer from 1 to 10).

Abstract: Provided is a charging member, which has excellent follow-up property to the rotation of a photosensitive drum and can charge an electrophotographic photosensitive member more stably. The charging member is a charging member, comprising a mandrel, an elastic layer formed on an outer periphery of the mandrel, and a surface layer formed on an outer periphery of the elastic layer, in which the surface layer comprises at least one selected from hydroxylated fullerene and oxidized fullerene, and a binder.

Abstract: An electrification apparatus includes: an electrification roller that rotates touching an image carrier to electrify a surface of the image carrier; a support member that by means of a bearing portion, supports rotatably a rotation shat which is disposed at an end portion in a shaft direction of the electrification roller; and a cover member that is disposed on the rotation shaft and covers a portion of the rotation shaft which is near the bearing portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a control unit that outputs the state of a belt member on the basis of the result of detection by a toner image detecting unit, of a toner image formed by a developing unit in a charged region of an image bearing member charged by applying a voltage to a transfer unit without charging the image bearing member using a charging unit.

Abstract: A conductive roll having at least one conductive elastic layer on the outer periphery of a core bar, the conductive elastic layer being granted conductivity by carbon black, is provided. The conductive elastic layer is prepared by reacting at least a polyol consisting essentially of a polyether-based polyol with a diisocyanate with the use of a tetravalent organotin-based compound having a tin content of 18.7% or less by weight as a catalyst. A method for producing the conductive roll is also provided.

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 charging roller has a conductive shaft, a charge emission member provided to the shaft, and a gap securing member provided to the shaft. The gap securing member (i) protrudes toward the photoreceptor drum so as to be closer to the photoreceptor drum than the charge emission member is to the photoreceptor drum and (ii) is in contact with the photoreceptor drum so as to secure a gap between the charge emission member and the photoreceptor drum. A conductive part of the gap securing member and the shaft are bonded to each other by electrically releasing adhesive, so that the gap securing member is provided to the shaft.

Abstract: A charging device includes: a charging component, and a cleaning member for the charging component, containing a substrate and an elastic layer that contains a silicone oil and is arranged in a spiral form on an outer surface of the substrate, the charging device being satisfying a following formula: A?6 atomic % wherein A is a maximum value of the contents of Si atom constituting a siloxane skeleton with respect to total atoms at a contact part where the charging component is brought into contact with the elastic layer and at a non-contact part where the charging component is not brought into contact with the elastic layer, in which the contents of Si atom are obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of a surface of the charging component after preparing the elastic layer of the cleaning member for the charging component in an initial state and the charging component in an initial state to bring into contact with each other for 24 hours.

Abstract: A charging member is provided in which a minute gap between an image support body and the charging member is set widely but even so the charging member does not abnormally discharge easily, the charging member includes a conductive support body 903, an electrical resistance adjustment layer 902 disposed on the conductive support body 903 and a surface layer 901 disposed on the electrical resistance adjustment layer 902 in which the surface layer contains at least (a) polyol resin grafted with fluorine or silicon, (b) polyether polyol resin, (c) organic anion salt that contains fluorine and alkali metal or alkali earth metal and (d) polyisocyanate.

Abstract: A charging member is provided in which exudation of a low molecular weight component from an elastic layer to the surface is suppressed, and at the same time, charging performance of the electrophotographic photosensitive member are provided at a high level.

Abstract: A charging member includes a substrate and an outermost layer that is on the substrate, is in contact with a member to be charged, and contains a cross-linking fluorocarbon siloxane rubber composition, wherein the charging member charges the member to be charged by being brought into contact with the member to be charged while a voltage is applied.

Abstract: A charging member includes a conductive metal shaft and a conductive elastic layer. The conductive elastic layer comprises a rubber material containing 50% to 100% by weight of epichlorohydrin rubber containing 56 mol % or more of an ethylene oxide and a calcium oxide having an average particle size D50 of 18 ?m or smaller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, wherein a surface resistivity Rse[?] of a charger and a volume resistivity Rsw [?·cm] of the composition having a low softening point satisfy the following relationship: 0.8×10?1Rse<Rvw<1.5×10Rse is provided. The image forming apparatus contains a photoreceptor; a charger configured to charge the photoreceptor with a charger contacting thereto; an irradiator configured to irradiate the photoreceptor to form an electrostatic latent image thereon; an image developer configured to develop the electrostatic latent image with a toner to form a toner image on the photoreceptor; a transferer configured to transfer the toner image onto a recording material directly or through an intermediate transferer; and a fixer configured to fix the toner image on the recording material, wherein the toner comprises: a binder resin; a colorant; a composition having a low softening point; and an external additive.

Abstract: A conductive member includes a conductive support and an electrical resistance adjusting layer formed on the conductive support. The electrical resistance adjusting layer includes a thermoplastic resin, a polymeric ion conductive material, and a graft copolymer which is compatible with both of the thermoplastic resin and the polymeric ion conductive material. The electrical resistance adjusting layer is formed in a sea-island structure formed from a sea portion made of the polymeric ion conductive material and island portions made of the thermoplastic resin, the island portions being dispersed in the sea portion and each of the island portions is formed in an elongate shape. A layer made of the graft copolymer is formed at boundaries between the thermoplastic resin and the polymeric ion conductive material.

Abstract: A charging device includes a charging roller and a cleaning roller configured to make contact with the charging roller. The cleaning roller is rotated following the charging roller. A dynamic friction coefficient of a surface of the charging roller measured by a Euler belt method is equal to or larger than 0.5.

Abstract: The charging roller has a base layer formed of an electroconductive rubber composition containing (a) a polar rubber having an unsaturated bond or an ether bond, (b) an ion carrier containing one or more phosphonium salts selected from the group consisting of phosphonium salts having the formulae (1) and (2), and (c) a cross-linker, wherein the amount of (b) component ranges from 0.1 to 10 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the (a) component. The formula (1) represents [(H9O4)3(CnH2n+1)P]+(CF3SO2)2N—, and the formula (2) represents [(H9O4)3(CnH2n+1)P]+(CF3SO3)—.

Abstract: Provided is an electroconductive member that can demonstrate stable performance for a long period of time with an electric resistance value being hardly changed even by electrical conduction for a long period of time. An electroconductive member has a conductive mandrel, and a conductive layer provided on the outer periphery of the conductive mandrel. The conductive layer includes an organic polymeric compound as a binder, and a conductive particle dispersed in the organic polymeric compound, and the particle includes an organic-inorganic hybrid polymer having a specific structure.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide bias-able devices for use in electrostato-graphic printing apparatuses using conformable and electrically relaxable rubber materials. The rubber material can include a plurality of nanotubes distributed uniformly and/or spatially-controlled throughout a rubber matrix for providing the rubber material with a uniform mechanical conformability and a uniform electrical resistivity. The rubber material can be used as a functional layer disposed over a conductive substrate such as a conductive core depending on the specific design or engine architecture. Other functional layers can also be disposed over the conductive substrate and/or the rubber material of the bias-able devices including bias charging rolls (BCRs) and bias transfer rolls (BTRs).

Abstract: A charging roller for an imaging device may include a shaft having a shaft length; a cylindrical foam layer partially covering the shaft and having a foam thickness, a first foam end and a second foam end, the cylindrical foam layer having a foam length less than the shaft length; a skin layer covering the cylindrical foam layer; and first and second retention members, the first retention member disposed adjacent to the first foam end and the second retention member disposed adjacent to the second foam end.

Abstract: An electrostatic charging member includes a base material; and an outermost layer that contains a porous filler and a resin and has a gel fraction of at least about 50% and a surface roughness Rz in a range of about 2 ?m to about 20 ?m.

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 object of the present invention is to provide a conductive rubber member which exhibits small environmental dependency and stable electrical resistance. The conductive rubber member is formed of a conductive elastic layer which has been imparted with conductivity by means of a conductivity-imparting agent. The conductive elastic layer has, at a surface portion thereof, a surface-treated layer which has been formed through impregnating the surface with a surface-treatment liquid containing an isocyanate component and an ion-conducting polymer.

Abstract: A roll member includes: a core; and an elastic layer that is formed on the core and constituted with a vulcanized substance of a rubber composition containing a polysulfide polymer (A) and an elastic material (B); wherein the polysulfide polymer (A) includes at least one structural unit selected from —(C2H4OCH2OC2H4—Sx)— and —(CH2CH(OH)CH2—Sx)—, wherein x represents an integer of from 1 to 5, and includes at least one thiol group selected from —C2H4OCH2OC2H4—SH and —CH2CH(OH)CH2—SH at an end thereof, and wherein the elastic material (B) is an elastic material other than the polysulfide polymer and includes at least a double bond in the chemical structure thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed are bias charge rollers having an overcoat layer. The overcoat layer comprises a phenolic resin and a conductive agent. The resulting bias charge rollers have reduced streaking and increased service lifetimes.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has: a positively-charged single layer type electrophotographic photoreceptor; a charging device with a contact charging roller for charging a surface of the photoreceptor; an exposure device for exposing the charged surface to light to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor; a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image; and a transfer device for transferring the toner image to a transferred body. The photoreceptor has a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer that contains a charge generating agent, a charge transport agent and a binder resin. The binder resin has a yield point strain of 9 to 29%, and the contact charging roller has a conductive layer with a thickness of 1 mm to 3 mm. The image forming apparatus is environmentally responsive and having a long-lasting positively-charged single layer type photoreceptor and charging roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having: an image carrier configured by a positively charged single-layer electrophotographic photosensitive body; a charging device which is based on a contact charging method for charging a circumferential surface of the image carrier while making contact with the circumferential surface of the image carrier; a developing roller which is disposed so as to oppose the image carrier and carry and convey toner on the circumferential surface; and a voltage application unit which applies a developing bias to the developing roller, wherein the frequency of an AC component of the developing bias applied by the voltage application unit is 2.6 to 4.2 kHz.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a positively-charged single layer type electrophotographic photoreceptor, a charging device with a contact charging roller for charging a surface of the photoreceptor and an exposure device for exposing the charged surface of the photoreceptor to light to form an electrostatic latent image thereon. A developing device develops the electrostatic latent image into a toner image and a transfer device transfers the toner image to a transferred body. The charging roller is made of electrically conductive rubber having an Asker-C rubber hardness of 62 to 81°. A roller surface roughness of the charging roller has an average distance (Sm) between asperity peaks on a cross-sectional curve of 55 to 130 ?m and that a ten-point average roughness (Rz) is 9 to 19 ?m. The image forming apparatus is capable of preventing carrier trapping, film peeling and uneven charging in the photoreceptor.

Abstract: A charge element includes an element body in parallel to a photoreceptor element and biased to the photoreceptor element by an elastic element, and a gap retainer unit provided on the element body, contacting with an outer face of the photoreceptor element to constantly retain a gap between an outer face of the element body and the outer face of the photoreceptor element, and comprising a first gap retainer element provided on the element body and a second gap retainer element provided on the first gap retainer element and made of a material softer than that of the first gap retainer element and that of the outer face of the photoreceptor element.

Abstract: A charging member having a support, a conductive elastic layer formed on the support and a surface layer formed on the conductive elastic layer, wherein the surface layer contains a polysiloxane having an acrylic group and an oxyalkylene group. This provides a charging member to the surface of which toners and external additives used in the toners can not easily cling even because of repeated use over a long period of time and which therefore enables charging and image reproduction which are stable over a long period of time, even when used in the DC contact charging method; and further provides a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus which have such a charging member.

Abstract: A conductive member includes, a conductive supporting body, an electric resistance-adjusting layer formed in the conductive supporting body, and a space holding member which is formed on each end of the electric resistance-adjusting layer and has a material different from a material of the electric resistance-adjusting layer, the space holding member constantly maintaining a space between an image carrier and the electric resistance-adjusting layer, and the electric resistance-adjusting layer including a resin composition having a thermoplastic resin (A) containing at least an ether group, a fibrous polymer (B), which do not melt in (A) and has an aromatic skeleton in a molecule, and an electrolyte salt (C).

Abstract: The semiconductive roller according to the present invention includes: a roller body having an outer peripheral surface made of a semiconductive rubber composition; and an oxide film covering the outer peripheral surface of the roller body, while the semiconductive rubber composition contains a base polymer and a crosslinking component for crosslinking the base polymer, the base polymer is a mixture of a bicopolymer E containing epichlorohydrin and nitrile-butadiene rubber N, the mass ratio E/N of the bicopolymer E and the nitrile-butadiene rubber N in the mixture is 50/50 to 80/20, and the crosslinking component includes a thiourea-based crosslinking component for crosslinking the bicopolymer E and a sulfur-based vulcanizing component for vulcanizing the nitrile-butadiene rubber N.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a cylindrical body and a film forming layer formed on an outer surface of the cylindrical body, having a photosensitive layer. The electrophotographic photoreceptor is divided into a first region where an electrostatic latent image is formed and second regions provided at both end portions in an axial direction of the cylindrical body. The second regions include inclined annular surfaces whose outer diameters decrease toward end portions in the axial direction.

Abstract: A conductive member includes a conductive supporting member provided facing an image bearing member and including a continuous or discontinuous fixing groove provided in the vicinity of each of both ends of the conductive supporting member in a peripheral direction thereof, an electrical resistance adjusting layer formed on the conductive supporting member and including a step portion which includes at least one step disposed in the vicinity of each of the both ends of the electrical resistance adjusting member, and gap retainers each provided to the step portion and including a cylinder portion which contacts at least one surface of the step portion, and an end plate so that a predetermined gap is formed between the image bearing member and the electrical resistance adjusting layer. The end plate contacts at least one surface of the step portion and fits into the fixing groove.

Abstract: A conductive member (10) includes a conductive supporting body (1), an electric resistance adjusting layer (2), which is formed onto the conductive supporting body (1) and is disposed to face a photoconductor (4), and a pair of space holding members (3, 3) disposed in both ends of the electric resistance adjusting layer (2), so as to have contact with the photoconductor (4) to maintain a predetermined gap (G) between the electric resistance adjusting layer (2) and the photoconductor, and each of the space holding members (3, 3) includes a cylinder portion (3a) attached to the outer circumference surface (2a) of the electric resistance adjusting layer and an end plate (3b) provided in one end portion of the cylinder portion and disposed to have contact with the end surface (2b) of the electric resistance adjusting layer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units arranged in parallel, each image forming unit having an image carrying member and a charging roller disposed face to face with the image carrying member for electrically charging the image carrying member, and a shifting mechanism for selectively shifting at least one charging roller between a first position where the charging roller is brought into contact with the corresponding image carrying member to electrically charge the image carrying member in contact manner and a second position where the charging roller is moved away from the corresponding image carrying member to electrically charge the image carrying member in non-contact manner.

Abstract: A charging device includes a charging roll, a voltage application member and a confronting potential varying unit. The charging roll is disposed so as to be in contact with an image holding body on whose surface an electrostatic latent image is to be formed, and charges the image holding body. The voltage application member is disposed so as to be in contact with the charging roll, and applies a voltage to a surface of the charging roll. The confronting potential varying unit varies a surface potential profile of the charging roll in its axial direction in a contact region between the charging roll and the image holding body according to both the number of image-formed sheets and a wear situation of the image holding body so that a surface potential of the image holding body becomes approximately constant in an axial direction of the image holding body.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a charging member that achieves a high level of compatibility between the suppression of the bleeding of a low-molecular weight component from its elastic layer to its surface and charging performance for an electrophotographic photosensitive member. The charging member has a substrate, an elastic layer, and a surface layer. The surface layer contains a polymer having a Si—O—Ti bond, and the polymer has a constitutional unit represented by the following general formula (1) and a constitutional unit represented by the following general formula (2).

Abstract: Provided are a method of manufacturing an electrifying roller in which a highly precise electrifying roller can be manufactured at a low cost and with more ease and an electrifying roller manufactured by the method.

Abstract: A technology capable of realizing a stable charging performance in an image forming apparatus employing a contact charging system is provided. A charging device is configured to have a charging member to which a prescribed bias voltage is applied and which comes into contact with an image carrying surface of an image carrier to charge the image carrying surface; and a particle supply section configured to supply a charging auxiliary particle made of a conductive particle having a diamond particle contained therein in a portion coming into contact with the image carrying surface in the charging member.

Abstract: Disclosed are bias charge rollers having an overcoat layer. The overcoat layer comprises a phenolic resin and a conductive agent. The resulting bias charge rollers have reduced streaking and increased service lifetimes.

Abstract: Disclosed are bias charge rollers having an overcoat layer. The overcoat layer comprises an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) terpolymer and metal oxide particles optionally doped with a doping agent. The resulting bias charge rollers have reduced streaking and increased service lifetimes.

Abstract: Disclosed are overcoat layers comprising an acrylic resin crosslinked with a glycoluril resin. The overcoat layers are useful in bias charge rollers because they reduce streaking and increase service lifetime.

Abstract: A charging member is provided which has a low electrical resistance, has less non-uniformity or environmental dependence of the electrical resistance, may less undergo electrification deterioration even when used for a long period of time, and is free of any occurrence of faulty images such as horizontal lines attributable to charging. The charging member is formed of a support with a good electrical conductivity and an elastic layer consisting of at least one layer on the support, and the elastic layer is formed of a semiconductive vulcanized rubber in which carbon black has been dispersed as conductive particles in a binder polymer containing a polymer having a butadiene skeleton, having been modified at a molecular terminal thereof with a specific atomic group.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charging device which comprises a charging roller (14a) and a cleaning component (14b). The charging roller charges a surface of an image-recording medium (11) with a voltage which is applied from an external source. The cleaning component cleans a surface of the charging roller. The charging roller includes a resistance adjustment layer which is made of a resin composite and formed on an outer periphery of a core metal. The hardness of the charging roller is 45 degrees or more in JIS D hardness. The cleaning component has a portion which is in contact with the charging roller. This portion is made of resin foam which has a continuous foam structure. The density of the resin foam is 5 to 15 kg/m3 and its tensile strength is 1.7±0.5 kg/cm2.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charging member, a charging device, an image forming apparatus, and a process cartridge that minimize local unevenness in potential of a charged object resulting from soiling of the charging member with soiling microparticles or soiling aggregates, that do not cause image failure such as unevenness in image density and scumming, and that output good images through the life of the charging member. The charging member charges a surface of the object by receiving a voltage while being in contact with the object, and satisfies the condition that Rzjis?30 and Rsk?0, where Rzjis represents the ten-point average roughness of a surface of the charging member in contact with the object and Rsk represents the skewness of a roughness curve.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a photoconductor and a charge roller are in contact with each other and configured to rotate together at linear velocity v (millimeters/second). In this structure, a DC voltage is applied to the photoconductor and the charge roller while they are not rotating. In this state, parameters such as voltage, linear velocity, pressure contact force between the photoconductor and the charge roller are selected so that the ratio w/v (seconds), where w is the interval between two discharge marks occurring on surface of photoconductor, is between 0.005 to 0.035.

Abstract: Provided are a charging member capable of maintaining excellent wear resistance even after repeated use, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus each having the charging member. The charging member is characterized in that its surface layer has a polysiloxane to which a silsesquioxane is bonded.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charging member which can maintain excellent wear resistance even though being used repeatedly. In the charging member having a surface layer, the surface layer is a surface layer constituted by at least one selected from silsesquioxanes having structures represented by a compound (1), a compound (2), a compound (3), a compound (4), a compound (5) and a compound (6), and a polysiloxane having a first unit represented by SiO0.5R1(OR2)(OR3), a second unit represented by SiO1.0R4(OR5) and a third unit represented by SiO1.5R6, wherein the silsesquioxane is contained in the polysiloxane.