Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer member configured to rotate an image bearing member by contacting and operating the image bearing member, an image bearing member drive unit configured to drive the image bearing member, a control unit configured to output a torque instruction value to the image bearing member drive unit to control an assist torque generated by the image bearing member drive unit, and a measurement unit configured to measure a maximum speed and a minimum speed of the surface of the image bearing member, wherein the control unit controls the image bearing member drive unit using a new torque instruction value determined based on torque instruction values respectively corresponding to a maximum speed and a minimum speed when controlling the image bearing member drive unit so that the maximum speed and the minimum speed are included in a range.

Abstract: In an embodiment, provided is a lubricant supplying device that includes: a solid lubricant; a supplying member that supplies lubricant of the solid lubricant to a lubricant supplying target; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects an amount of the solid lubricant being at a given amount or less. The remaining amount detecting unit is provided on a downstream side in a rubbing direction of the supplying member with respect to the solid lubricant.

Abstract: Provided is a cleaning unit including a removing member that contacts with a surface of a cleaning target and removes adherent matters on the surface of the cleaning target, a storage section that stores the adherent matters removed by the removing member, and a supply member that has a blade and rotates the blade in the storage section to supply some of the adherent matters stored in the storage section to the surface of the cleaning target.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging member having a surface, a delivery member that is spaced apart from the imaging member, and a power source for generating an electric field between the imaging member surface and the delivery member. A functional material is electrohydrodynamically transferred from the delivery member to the imaging member surface when the electric field is generated.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms a color image, and includes an endless intermediate transfer belt which rotates and carries a toner image and plural image forming units for plural colors arranged in tandem along the intermediate transfer belt. Each of the image forming units includes an image carrier which rotates and carries a latent image, a charging device which charges the image carrier, a development device which develops the latent image into a toner image, and a cleaning device which cleans the image carrier after the toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt. The charging device of the extreme upstream image forming unit in the belt direction of rotation is a non-contact charging device not in contact with the image carrier. The extreme downstream image forming unit in the belt direction or rotation includes a lubricant application device which applies a lubricant to the image carrier.

Abstract: A protective layer forming device, including: a powdery image bearer protecting agent formed of a granulated product containing a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant; and a roller-shaped protecting agent supplying member configured to supply the powdery image bearer protecting agent to a surface of an image bearer.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including: an image bearing member on which a toner image is formed electrophotographically; and a lubricant applying section that applies a lubricant to a surface of the image bearing member. The lubricant applying section includes two columnar solid lubricants that contain a larger number of residual gas bubbles at one end than the other end thereof, and are produced by the same production method. The two solid lubricants are placed along an axial direction of the image bearing member such that the respective one and the other ends thereof are opposite to each other.

Abstract: Methods for lubricating an imaging member include applying lubricant-containing capsules to the surface of the imaging member via a non-contact applicator. The capsules are applied upstream of a cleaning blade after image transfer to another substrate, such that the cleaning blade ruptures the capsules, thereby releasing the lubricant contained therein.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a lubricant applying member located opposite a contact portion of a cleaning blade with an image bearing member below in the vertical direction, an opposed position of the lubricant applying member opposite the contact portion of the cleaning blade with the image bearing member below in the vertical direction being located upstream of a contact position of the lubricant applying member with a cleaning member in the rotational direction of the lubricant applying member, and a carrying member configured to carry the toner removed from the lubricant applying member, the carrying member being disposed at a position on a tangent to an outer circumference of the lubricant applying member at a contact position with the cleaning member and on a vertical line extending from a contact position of the lubricant applying member with a solid lubricant member.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electrophotographic photoreceptor including a conductive support, a photosensitive layer on the conductive support and a surface layer on the photosensitive layer. The surface layer includes a cured resin prepared by polymerization of a compound having two or more radically polymerizable functional groups per molecule, the cured resin containing an organic resin fine particle and a metal oxide fine particle, and the organic resin fine particle comprising a resin containing a structural unit derived from at least one of melamine and benzoguanamine, the organic resin fine particle having a number average primary particle size of 0.01 to 3.00 ?m.

Abstract: A protecting agent-supplying device including: a rotation member configured to rotate in a certain direction; an image bearing member-protecting agent containing a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant, and being in the form of a solid, wherein the agent is scraped off by the rotation of the rotation member, supplied to an image bearing member for protection thereof, and disposed to have a surface facing the rotation member, which surface has a width G in a direction along the certain direction, and wherein the position X (a center of the width G) is located upstream in the direction along the certain direction from the position Y (a line of intersection between the surface facing and a line extended from the rotational center of the rotation member perpendicular to the surface facing), and a distance d between these positions satisfies a formula 0<d?G/2.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a rotary member, a sheet member, and a toner conveying member. The rotary member is held in contact with a cylindrical surface of an image carrier above a rotation axis of the image carrier. The sheet member is in contact at a distal end thereof with the cylindrical surface of the image carrier above the rotation axis of the image carrier and upstream of a contact position of the rotary member with the cylindrical surface of the image carrier in a direction of rotation of the image carrier. The toner conveying member is disposed above the sheet member and facing the peripheral surface of the rotary member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed, including an image bearing member and a protective layer forming unit. In an embodiment, the protective layer forming unit includes a protective agent supplying member which rotatably contacts a surface of the image bearing member and an image bearing member protective agent. The image bearing member protective agent includes at least a metal salt of a fatty acid and an inorganic lubricant. The protective agent supplying member includes a core material and a foam layer formed on an outer periphery of the core material and including a plurality of cells. Finally, a drive torque of the image bearing member and a drive torque of the protective agent supplying member satisfy a formula.

Abstract: There is described an image forming apparatus that includes an imaging member having a charge retentive-surface for developing an electrostatic latent image thereon. The imaging member includes a substrate and photoconductive member disposed on the substrate. The image forming apparatus includes a charging unit for applying an electrostatic charge on the imaging member to a predetermined electric potential wherein the charging unit is spaced from the photoconductive member a distance of from about 3 ?m to about 300 ?m. The image forming apparatus includes a delivery member in contact with the surface of the photoconductive member. The delivery member includes an elastomeric matrix impregnated with a liquid lubricant wherein the delivery member applies a layer of liquid lubricant to the surface of the photoconductor wherein in the layer has a thickness of from about 1 nm to about 15 nm during steady state operation.

Abstract: Fiber bundle forms loops protruding beyond a surface side of a base member with constant spaces therebetween, in at least one of opposite ends located in a direction perpendicular to a weaving direction (W) of a ribbon brush, a weft extending between neighboring loops passes under a warp, and a weft extending through the loop passes above the warp.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a contact-separation mechanism configured to change over from a fully separated position in which an intermediate transfer member is separated from a first and a second image bearing members to a partly contacted position in which the intermediate transfer member is separated from the first image bearing member in contact with the second image bearing member to a fully contacted position in which the intermediate transfer member is in contact with the first and the second image bearing members; and a control portion configured to rotationally drive the first image bearing member when the contact-separation mechanism passes through the fully contacted position in association with an image formation for forming a toner image by only the second image bearing member in the partly contacted position.

Abstract: The presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to image forming systems comprising imaging apparatus members and toner compositions. More specifically, the present embodiments relate to an improved BCR xerographic system comprising (1) a cleaning blade comprising a material having a certain Share A Hardness; (2) a photoreceptor having a surface with a specified Young's Modulus and; and (3) a toner lubricant additive. The combined system demonstrates a significant increase an overall service life of the system.

Abstract: A blade member having; a contact layer in contact with a surface of an image carrier; and a support layer superimposed on the contact layer, wherein a first curve indicating a relation between loss tangent and temperature of the contact layer and a second curve indicating a relation between loss tangent and temperature of the support layer intersect with each other in a temperature range of not lower than 25° C. and not higher than 45° C.

Abstract: A lubricant supplying device includes a compressing spring that has one end coming into contact with a holding member in order to bias a solid lubricant toward a lubricant supplying roller and a casing that covers the outside of the device. Then, the casing includes an opening portion that allows the other end of the compressing spring, having the one end coming into contact with the holding member, to be exposed therethrough, and the casing further includes a cover member that is installed in the opening portion in a removable manner so that the cover member comes into contact with the other end of the compressing spring.

Abstract: A protective agent block including metal soap; and boron nitride, wherein the weight ratio Mr of boron nitride to the metal soap is calculated from the relationship 1 based on Raman spectrum measured at each of multiple places on the protective agent block and the average of the measured weight ratios Mr ranges from 0.050 to 0.330 with a variation coefficient of 0.075 or less: Mr=(log(ABN/ASP)+1.3588)/7.7374??Relationship 1 where ABN represents a peak area in a range of from a wavenumber of 1377.837 cm?1 to 1354.695 cm?1 and ASP represents a peak area in a range of from a wavenumber of 1481.012 cm?1 to 1420.264 cm?1.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a rotative image carrier and transferring the image onto an object, including: a cleaning unit removing a residual material from the image carrier; and a lubricant applying unit applying lubricant to a circumferential surface of the image carrier, the lubricant applying unit including: a rotative transporter picking up and retaining lubricant, transporting the lubricant to a lubricant application point, and supplying a portion of the lubricant to the image carrier at the lubricant application point; an ejector causing the transporter to eject a portion of the lubricant retained by the transporter; a collector collecting the portion of the lubricant ejected from the transporter; and a controller controlling ejection of the portion of the lubricant so as to maintain the amount of the lubricant retained by the transporter as no greater than a predetermined upper limit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt, a driving source commonly and rotationally driving the intermediate transfer belt and a second image carrier, a first cleaning blade rubbing at a first rubbing position, and a second cleaning blade rubbing a second image rubbing position. The image forming apparatus includes a lubricant supplying portion capable of supplying lubricant to the first or second rubbing position, a load detecting portion detecting a driving load of the driving source, and a control portion capable of executing a lubricant supplying mode of supplying lubricant to either one of the first and second rubbing positions on a basis of processing contents of a most recent predetermined number of times of image forming operations in a case where the driving load detected by the load detecting portion exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging member having a surface, a delivery member that is spaced apart from the imaging member, and a power source for generating an electric field between the imaging member surface and the delivery member. A functional material is electrohydrodynamically transferred from the delivery member to the imaging member surface when the electric field is generated.

Abstract: A transfer device comprises a freely rotatable transferring member contacting an image bearing member to form a transfer nip therebetween; a transfer bias applying member to apply a first bias created by superimposing an alternating current component on a direct current component to the transferring member to transfer a toner image borne on the image bearing member to a recording medium in the transfer nip; and an applicator to apply a protective agent to a surface of the transferring member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus configured to apply a necessary amount of a lubricant to an image bearing member while preventing the lubricant from being excessively consumed. An intermediate transfer belt drive motor controlled by a PID controller drives an intermediate transfer belt. A brush rotation controller for controlling an application brush drive motor detects fluctuation in a frictional force between a cleaning blade and the intermediate transfer belt, and controls the application brush drive motor such that an amount of lubricant to be applied is an amount corresponding to the detected fluctuation in the frictional force.

Abstract: A renewable energy resource management system manages a delivery of a power requirement from a multi-resource offshore renewable energy installation to an intelligent power distribution network. The installation includes multiple renewable energy resource components and is capable of variably and independently generating power from each to microgrids comprising the intelligent power distribution network so that the entire power requirement is satisfied from renewable energy resources. An electricity grid infrastructure is also disclosed in which power production is balanced with power consumption so that power storage requirements are minimized.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a cleaning unit includes: a cleaning blade that scrapes off untransferred toner remaining on an image support; an application brush that contacts the image support on the downstream side in the rotational direction of the image support relative to the cleaning blade, the application brush rotating in a counter direction at a contact position with the image support, thereby scratching off lubricant particles from a solid lubricant provided at its periphery, and supporting and feeding the lubricant particles toward the contact position with the image support; and a moving force providing unit that provides the lubricant being fed by the application brush with an electrical moving force toward the image support, on the upstream side in the rotational direction of the application brush relative to the contact position of the image support and the application brush.

Abstract: A cleaning blade lubricant including an acicular shape lubricant is provided. The cleaning blade lubricant is applied to a cleaning blade of an electrophotographic printing device for improving the cleaning performance of a cleaning blade of an electrophotographic printing device.

Abstract: A solid lubricant supply system includes a solid lubricant supplier to receive and supply solid lubricant to a solid lubricant supplying target. A pair of first and second moveable planar electrodes is opposed to each other. The second moveable planar electrode is partially moved toward the first moveable planar electrode as the solid lubricant is consumed. A residual solid lubricant quantity detecting unit is provide to detect a quantity of the residual solid lubricant at a first stage, in which the residual solid lubricant quantity is below a given level, by detecting electric conduction between the pair of first and second moveable planar electrodes when the pair of first and second moveable planar electrodes contacts each other. The first moveable planar electrode is enabled to further move together with the second moveable planar electrode when it is contacted and pressed by the second moveable planar electrode.

Abstract: A lubricant supplying device includes: lubricant; a supplying member; a housing case; a pushing mechanism that includes a pair of swing members supported swingably in the housing case and a biasing unit urging the pair of swing members to swing; and a remaining amount detecting unit that detects that a remaining amount of the lubricant is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount. The remaining amount detecting unit includes: first detection members provided at respective positions different from respective sliding areas of the member on which the swing members slide, on which sliding areas the respective swing members slide, and second detection members attached to the respective swing members such that the second detection members abut or face the respective first detection members when swing postures of the respective swing members reach respective swing postures corresponding to that the remaining amount of the lubricant is the predetermined amount.

Abstract: Methods and devices provide an electrostatically chargeable surface within a printing apparatus and cause a movable lubricant applicator to contact the electrostatically chargeable surface. The movable lubricant applicator is movable to be in contact with the electrostatically chargeable surface, or out of contact with the electrostatically chargeable surface. Such methods control the movable lubricant applicator to be in intermittent contact with the electrostatically chargeable surface during printing operations of the printing apparatus.

Abstract: There is described a delivery member for use in an image forming apparatus. The delivery member comprises a support member and a layer comprising a elastomeric matrix disposed on the support member. The elastomeric matrix has dispersed therein a mixture of paraffin oil and 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methyl phenol.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes at least: an image bearing member; a protective layer forming unit including at least a protective agent supplying member and an image bearing member protective agent; and a rotational speed controlling unit. In at least one embodiment, the protective agent supplying member includes a core material and a foam layer including a plurality of cells, and a number of cells n existing at a contact portion between a surface of the image bearing member and the protective agent supplying member is greater than 9 and less than 23. Further, a traveling speed V of the cells with respect to the surface of the image bearing member at the contact portion is greater than 837 cells/mm2/s and less than 4,670 cells/mm2/s.

Abstract: A transfer device comprises a freely rotatable transferring member contacting an image bearing member to form a transfer nip therebetween; a transfer bias applying member to apply a first bias created by superimposing an alternating current component on a direct current component to the transferring member to transfer a toner image borne on the image bearing member to a recording medium in the transfer nip; and an applicator to apply a protective agent to a surface of the transferring member.

Abstract: An image forming device includes an image carrying member that is rotatable, a development unit that develops an image on the image carrying member, a transfer unit that transfers a developed toner image from the image carrying member to a transferred member, a cleaning unit making contact with the surface of the image carrying member, a lubricant application unit that applies a lubricant to the surface of the image carrying member; and a switching control unit that switches a development condition of the development unit between a first mode in which the lubricant applied to the surface of the image carrying member is unlikely to be moved to the development unit and a second mode other than the first mode. The development condition is set at the first mode at a time of no image formation such that the lubricant is applied to the image carrying member.

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

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image forming section having a intermediate transfer body to carry a toner image on a photoreceptor and transfer the toner image onto a sheet of paper; a cleaning section for removing residual toner on the intermediate transfer body by bringing a cleaning blade into close contact with the intermediate transfer body; and a control section for controlling a rotation of the intermediate transfer body so as to carry out a return action of a blade configuration which stops or reverses the rotation of the intermediate transfer body, when a rotation amount reaches a predetermined value, wherein the control section carries out the return action when the rotation amount reaches a value smaller than the predetermined value, in a case where a plurality of previous printing jobs is determined to be intermittent printing.

Abstract: The presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to image forming systems comprising imaging apparatus members and toner compositions. More specifically, the present embodiments relate to an improved BCR xerographic system comprising (1) a cleaning blade comprising a material having a certain Share A Hardness; (2) a photoreceptor having a surface with a specified Young's Modulus and; and (3) a toner lubricant additive. The combined system demonstrates a significant increase an overall service life of the system.

Abstract: A method applicable to an image forming apparatus with a lubricant to be applied to a surface of a photoreceptor for measuring surface roughness of the surface of the photoreceptor after lubricant application, the method including: a first step of measuring a surface profile of the photoreceptor and obtaining first data indicating the surface profile; a second step of generating second data on the basis of the first data, the second data indicating arithmetic mean roughness Ra within a predetermined range; and a third step of calculating a difference value ?Ra between second data before lubricant application and second data after lubricant application obtained by performing the first and second steps both before and after the lubricant is applied to the photoreceptor.

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

Abstract: Methods and devices provide an electrostatically chargeable surface within a printing apparatus and cause a movable lubricant applicator to contact the electrostatically chargeable surface. The movable lubricant applicator is movable to be in contact with the electrostatically chargeable surface, or out of contact with the electrostatically chargeable surface. Such methods control the movable lubricant applicator to be in intermittent contact with the electrostatically chargeable surface during printing operations of the printing apparatus.

Abstract: A loop brush includes a shaft and a ribbon having loop-shaped fiber bundles arranged regularly on a base cloth. The ribbon is wound around the shaft at a prescribed angle. An arrangement angle that is an angle of an arrangement line, which is a straight line connecting adjacent fiber bundles, with respect to a longitudinal direction of the ribbon differs from a winding angle that is an angle of the longitudinal direction of the ribbon with respect to a circumferential direction of the shaft.

Abstract: There is described a delivery member for use in an image forming apparatus. The delivery member includes a support member and a first layer including an elastomeric matrix, a porous material and a functional material dispersed therein. The first layer is disposed on the support member.

Abstract: The rotating speed of the coating brush of the image forming apparatus fluctuates between the upper limit speed and the lower limit speed across the standard speed. Consequently, the positional relation of the contact between the brush textile of the coating brush and the surface of the photographic sensitive drum varies for a wider range compared to a case where the rotating speed of the coating brush does not vary. Since the thin area of the brush textile moves for a wider range of the surface of the photographic sensitive drum in the axial direction of the rotating shaft of the photographic sensitive drum, the area where the coating amount of the lubricant is less is evened out by the area where the coating amount of the lubricant is rich, thus improving the unevenness of coating of the lubricant on the photographic sensitive drum.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member having a photosensitive layer and a sub-surface layer having a charge transportability, overlying the photosensitive layer wherein the sub-surface layer is formed of a cured material formed of a radical polymerizable monomer having three or more functional groups with no charge transport structure and a radical polymerizable compound having a charge transport structure, wherein the arithmetical mean roughness WRa of about each of frequency components of HMH, HML, and HLH obtained by wavelet conversion of values measured by a surface texture and the contour form measuring device ranges from 0.0002 ?m to 0.005 ?m and WRa (LLH) is 0.05 ?m or less, wherein the sub-surface layer contains at least one of a particular oxazole compound or a particular diamine compound.

Abstract: A cleaning device, including, a first blade to slidably contact with a surface of an image carrier to which a toner including an external additive adheres, a second blade to slidably contact with the surface of the image carrier and to be provided downstream of the first blade in a rotation direction of the image carrier, and a lubricant applying mechanism section to apply a lubricant to the surface of the image carrier, wherein hardness of the first blade is equal to or more than hardness of the second blade.

Abstract: An applying device includes an applying member that applies an applying material to an outer peripheral surface of a fixing member that rotates, while a peripheral velocity difference is caused to exist between a peripheral velocity of the fixing member and a peripheral velocity of the applying member. The applying material contains a fluorocarbon resin material.

Abstract: The presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to an image forming apparatus including a delivery member for delivering a functional material in contact with an intermediate transfer belt such that functional material is transferred onto one or more imaging members via the intermediate transfer belt. Embodiments also pertain to an improved electrophotographic imaging member comprising a very thin outer layer on the imaging member surface, where the outer layer comprises functional materials, such as paraffin, that act as a lubricant and or a barrier against moisture and/or surface contaminants. The improved imaging member exhibits improved xerographic performance, such as reduced friction and deletions in high humidity conditions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a member (drum), a charging device, an exposure device, a developing device, a transfer device, a cleaning blade, a selecting device for selecting an execution mode from an image forming mode and a recovery mode, and a controller for controlling a peak-to-peak voltage applied to the charging device in the operation in the recovery mode. When the recovery mode is selected, the controller effects control so that a band-like toner image is formed on the drum and is supplied to the cleaning blade and so that a peak-to-peak voltage of the AC voltage larger than that of the AC voltage applied to the charging device in the operation in the image forming mode is applied to the charging device in a predetermined period after a leading end of the band-like toner image subjected to removal by the cleaning blade passes through the charging device.

Abstract: A cleaner is provided. The cleaner includes a cleaning blade having an edge to be contacted with a surface of a member to be cleaned while moving relative to the member to clean the surface of the member. The cleaning blade includes the edge, and first and second side surfaces, wherein the edge is disposed between the first and second side surfaces. When the cleaning blade is not contacted with the surface of the member to be cleaned, the first side surface is opposed to the surface of the member, and when the cleaning blade is contacted with the surface of the member, the edge, and the first and second side surfaces of the cleaning blade are contacted with the surface of the member.