Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member, a charging member, a developing roller, a transfer roller, and a brush configured to be brought into contact with a surface of the image bearing member on a side downstream of a transfer portion and upstream of a charging portion in a rotation direction of the image bearing member and in which, wherein, after the transfer of a developer image onto a transferred member, a developer remaining on the surface of the image bearing member is collected by the developing roller, the brush is disposed such that, in a cross section perpendicular to a rotation axis of the image bearing member, a contact region of the surface of the image bearing member in contact with the brush overlaps a virtual line containing the rotation axis of the image bearing member and extending upward from the rotation axis in a vertical direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a toner feed body that is an endless belt holding a toner image, or is a transfer member transferring a toner image to a recording medium nipped between the endless belt and the transfer member; an electric charge imparting member that is provided so as to face a surface of the toner feed body and increases an amount of electric charges of toner adhering to the surface of the toner feed body; and a toner attracting member that is provided at a more downstream part of the toner feed body than the electric charge imparting member in a feed direction of the toner feed body and attracts the toner by being applied with a voltage having a polarity opposite to a polarity of the toner adhering to the surface of the toner feed body.

Abstract: A process cartridge includes a seal member contacting an image bearing member upstream in the rotation direction of the image bearing member from a cleaning member and allowing the developer to move from upstream in the rotation direction from the contact part between the seal member and the image bearing to downstream from the contact part while regulating movement from downstream to upstream from the contact part. The developer has surface protrusions containing an organic silicon polymer, wherein either (i) the work function of the seal member is greater than the work function of the developer when the developer has a negative charging polarity and is smaller than the work function of the developer when the developer has a positive charging polarity, or (ii) the absolute value of the difference between the work function of the seal member and the work function of the developer is within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A cleaning unit, which is included in a process cartridge or an image forming apparatus, includes a brush rotary body to remove toner, a toner collecting rotary body to collect the toner, a toner collecting blade to scrape the toner, and a cleaning blade to scrape the toner falling from the brush rotary body. The image carrier, the brush rotary body, and the toner collecting rotary body rotate in the same direction. The cleaning blade, the brush rotary body, and the toner collecting rotary body are located to cause a tangential line passing through a contact area of the brush rotary body and the toner collecting rotary body on an outer peripheral circle around a shaft of the brush rotary body to have an intersection point intersecting a non-contact surface of the cleaning blade disposed opposite to a contact portion of the cleaning blade with the image carrier.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a brush to contact a photoconductive member, a roller to contact the brush, and a blade. The blade is located along the roller in a longitudinal direction. The blade has a first portion, a second portion, and a bent portion between the first portion and the second portion. A contact surface or edge of the first portion contacts a surface of the roller to remove toner therefrom.

Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning a cleaning subject, having: a first cleaning member that rotates in a predetermined direction, thereby removing toner from the cleaning subject; a first collecting member that collects the toner removed by the first cleaning member; and a second collecting member that is positioned downstream from the first collecting member in the predetermined direction and collects the toner removed by the first cleaning member, in which, a potential difference of the first collecting member relative to the first cleaning member is opposite in polarity to a potential difference of the second collecting member relative to the first cleaning member, the first collecting member has a potential equal in polarity to that of the first cleaning member, and the potential of the first collecting member is greater in magnitude than the potential of the first cleaning member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: an image carrier; a holding member that contacts with the image carrier and is configured to carry adhering substance received from the image carrier; a belt that contacts with the image carrier; a collection member that contacts with the belt and is configured to collect adhering substance adhered on the belt; and a control device configured to apply a bias to the collection member, detect an electric resistance of the collection member, and control the bias that is applied to the collection member based on the detected electric resistance of the collection member so that the electric resistance of the collection member is converged within a predetermined range, when a cleaning operation of collecting the adhering substance adhered on the holding member from the holding member to the collection member is not performed.

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: A belt device incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes an endless belt, multiple belt tension rollers disposed in contact with an inner surface of the endless belt, a rotary cleaning member to contact a belt wound area of the endless belt facing an opposing roller to form a cleaning nip between the rotary cleaning member and the endless belt and rotate the rotary cleaning member in a direction opposite the belt moving direction within the cleaning nip, and a voltage applier. The cleaning nip is formed by offsetting a center of the cleaning nip upstream from a center of the belt wound area of the endless belt in the belt moving direction and by at least contacting the rotary cleaning member in a range from the belt wound area to a tensioned belt area located upstream from the belt wound area in the belt moving direction.

Abstract: A fur brush roller electrically absorbs and removes a transferred remaining toner on a surface of an image carrier through bias voltage impression. This fur brush roller includes: a foundation cloth, conductive yarns, and insulation yarns. The insulation yarns are subjected to crimp-texturizing processing. The conductive yarns and the insulation yarns are alternately pile-woven to the foundation cloth.

Abstract: A cleaning device and an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing staying of toner in a brush and reducing stress on a brush by discharge products are provided. A cleaning device includes upstream and downstream cleaning brushes and a cleaning roller, which respectively contact the surface of a secondary transfer belt, and first to third bias applying sections. The first bias applying section applies a bias voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the normal toner to the upstream cleaning brush. The second bias applying section applies a bias voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the normal toner and set to be not less than the absolute value of the bias voltage applied to the upstream cleaning brush, to the downstream cleaning brush. The third bias applying section applies a bias voltage having the same polarity as that of the normal toner to the cleaning roller.

Abstract: A cleaner is provided. The cleaner includes at least two cleaning brush members to electrostatically remove residual toner on an object; a memory; a voltage applicator to apply a voltage to the cleaning brush members based on the setup voltage values stored in the memory; a current detector to detect the amounts of currents flowing through contact portions of the object with the cleaning brush members; and a setup voltage changing device to change the setup voltage values based on the amounts of currents detected by the current detector. The setup voltage changing device performs change of the setup voltage values for the cleaning brush members at a time.

Abstract: A belt device incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes an endless belt, multiple belt tension rollers disposed in contact with an inner surface of the endless belt, a rotary cleaning member to contact a belt wound area of the endless belt facing an opposing roller to form a cleaning nip between the rotary cleaning member and the endless belt and rotate the rotary cleaning member in a direction opposite the belt moving direction within the cleaning nip, and a voltage applier. The cleaning nip is formed by offsetting a center of the cleaning nip upstream from a center of the belt wound area of the endless belt in the belt moving direction and by at least contacting the rotary cleaning member in a range from the belt wound area to a tensioned belt area located upstream from the belt wound area in the belt moving direction.

Abstract: A belt device incorporatable in an image forming apparatus includes an endless belt, multiple belt tension rollers disposed in contact with an inner surface of the endless belt, a rotary cleaning member to contact a belt wound area of the endless belt facing an opposing roller to form a cleaning nip between the rotary cleaning member and the endless belt and rotate the rotary cleaning member in a direction opposite the belt moving direction within the cleaning nip, and a voltage applier. The cleaning nip is formed by offsetting a center of the cleaning nip upstream from a center of the belt wound area of the endless belt in the belt moving direction and by at least contacting the rotary cleaning member in a range from the belt wound area to a tensioned belt area located upstream from the belt wound area in the belt moving direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming device, a plurality of second image forming devices, a first bias voltage supply device, and a second bias voltage supply device. The first image forming device and the second image forming device form a toner image. The first bias voltage supply device applies a bias voltage to a first component of the first image forming device. The second bias voltage supply device applies a bias voltage to a second component of each of the plurality of second image forming devices.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a setting memory storing multiple voltage settings; two or more voltage applying members each contacting a voltage applied member at respective contact positions close to each other, which are simultaneously being applied with respective voltages selected from the voltage settings; two or more current detectors each detecting a current flowing in the respective contact positions; and a setting changer performing a setting changing processing in which the voltage applied to one of the voltage applying members is changed based on the current detected by the corresponding current detector while a predetermined voltage is applied to the other voltage applying members, so that an optimum current flows in the corresponding contact position.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a brush to contact a photoconductive member, a roller to contact the brush, and a blade. The blade is located along the roller in a longitudinal direction. The blade has a first portion, a second portion, and a bent portion between the first portion and the second portion. A contact surface or edge of the first portion contacts a surface of the roller to remove toner therefrom.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a novel system and method for determining printer component velocity variations by analyzing multiple page test patterns. A test pattern, such as ladder chart targets, is produced that extends across multiple pages. Corresponding page sync signals are recorded and used to maintain phase coherence when analyzing scanned images associated with the multiple pages. An algorithm determines the ladder rung positions and the average photoreceptor velocity between each ladder rung on each scanned image for each page. Interpolation is used for proper phase alignment of the velocity data that spans multiple pages. The long assembly of phase coherent velocity data is then analyzed in one embodiment to determine its frequency content and to estimate the photoreceptor motion quality error sources. Based upon these estimated error sources, a trouble condition or pending maintenance problem with the printer is able to be indentified.

Abstract: A cleaning device disposed downstream from a transfer position in a direction of rotation of the image carrier to remove toner from the image carrier. The cleaning device includes a normally-charged toner cleaning member to electrostatically remove normally-charged toner from the image carrier, one of a polarity controller to control the toner on the image carrier to have a normal charging polarity and a reversely-charged toner cleaning member to electrostatically remove reversely-charged toner from the image carrier, a pre-cleaning member to electrostatically remove normally-charged toner from the image carrier, a pre-collection member to electrostatically collect the toner from the pre-cleaning member, and a control unit to reduce a voltage applied to the pre-cleaning member immediately after an untransferred toner image is removed from the image carrier by the pre-cleaning member below a voltage applied to the pre-cleaning member during removal of the untransferred toner image.

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: 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 rotation member being held rotatably while making contact with an image carrier, a solid lubricant pressed so as to make contact with the rotation member, and a potential application unit for applying a potential to the rotation member, wherein the material of the solid lubricant and the material of the rotation member are selected so that the charged polarity of the solid lubricant charged due to the friction between the rotation member and the solid lubricant becomes identical with the charged polarity of toner, and the potential to be applied to the rotation member is set so as to be higher or lower than the surface potential of the neutralized image carrier so that the charges having the same polarity as the charged polarity of the solid lubricant are attracted from the rotation member to the neutralized image carrier.

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: 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: 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: The image forming apparatus is capable of collecting discharged toner satisfactorily even when a power source for discharging toner from a voltage application member to a moving member and a power source for collecting the discharged toner from the moving member onto an image bearing member are provided in common.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging device to charge a surface of the image carrier, disposed across a predetermined gap from the image carrier, a latent image forming device, a developing device to develop a latent image formed on the image carrier into a toner image, a transfer unit to transfer the toner image from the image carrier onto a recording medium, a cleaning member to clean the image carrier after the toner image is transferred therefrom, a lubricant application member to lubricate the image carrier, a polarity adjustor to adjust polarities of the toner and lubricant adhering to the image carrier to be identical to a polarity of a charging bias. The polarity adjustor is disposed facing the image carrier, upstream from the charging device and downstream from the transfer unit in a direction in which the image carrier rotates.

Abstract: An apparatus and method that cleans a photoreceptor in a printing apparatus is disclosed. The method can include setting a voltage bias of an electrostatic cleaning brush in a printing apparatus to a first voltage bias. The method can include generating an image on media using a photoreceptor. The method can include cleaning the photoreceptor using the electrostatic cleaning brush operating at the first voltage bias. The method can include measuring operating conditions of the printing apparatus to determine an expected film accumulation rate on the photoreceptor. The method can include adjusting the voltage bias on the electrostatic cleaning brush to a second voltage bias based on the measured operating conditions.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus including: a normally-charged toner cleaning member that receives a voltage having a polarity reverse to a normal charging polarity of a toner and electostatically removes a toner having the normal charging polarity on a cleaning target; a reversely-charged toner cleaning member that receives a voltage having the same polarity as the normal charging polarity of a toner and electrostatically removes a toner having a polarity reverse to the normal charging polarity on the cleaning target; and a pre-cleaning member that is disposed at an upstream side of the normally-charged toner cleaning member and the reverse-charged toner cleaning member in a surface moving direction of the cleaning target, receives a voltage having a polarity reverse to the normal charging polarity of the toner, and electrostatically removes a toner having the normal charging polarity on the cleaning target, is provided.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a normally charged toner cleaning unit, a reversely charged toner cleaning unit, and a pre-cleaning unit. The normally charged toner cleaning unit has a normally charged toner cleaning member, a normally charged toner recovery member, and a normally charged toner scraping member. The reversely charged toner cleaning unit has a reversely charged toner cleaning member, a reversely charged toner recovery member, and a reversely charged toner scraping member. The pre-cleaning unit has a pre-cleaning member, a pre-recovery member, and a pre-scraping member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member having a photosensitive layer and the surface including concave portions having a concave diameter of from 5 to 200 ?m, an irradiation device that irradiates the surface of the image bearing member with light to form a latent electrostatic image thereon, a development device that develops the latent electrostatic image with a development agent containing toner to obtain a visualized image, a transfer device that transfers the visualized image to a transfer medium, a first cleaning brush to which a bias is applied with a polarity reverse to that of the toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member after the visualized image is transferred, and a second cleaning brush to which a bias is applied with the same polarity as that of the toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises: a rotatable image carrier operable to carry a toner image on a surface thereof; a transfer part operable to electrostatically transfer the toner image carried on the surface of the image carrier, onto a transfer material; a cleaning member that is in contact with the surface of the image carrier and that is operable to clean toner remaining on the surface of the image carrier after transfer by the transfer part; and a voltage supplier operable to apply, to the cleaning member, a bias voltage that is for cleaning the surface of the image carrier and that has a polarity opposite to a normal charging polarity of the toner.

Abstract: A cleaning brush for use in an electrostatographic imaging apparatus, including a plurality of individual electrically conductive fibers secured to a brush core and having fiber tips relatively remote from the brush core, wherein the cleaning brush includes an electrically conductive plane at a surface of the brush core, or between a surface of the brush core and the electrically conductive fibers, effective for inducing an electrical potential to the conductive fibers when an electrical potential is applied to the electrically conductive plane, and at least one of a relatively non-conductive layer electrically insulating the conductive plane from the conductive fibers, or electrically insulating coatings on tips of the electrically conductive fibers remote from the brush core. The insulative, or non-conductive, layer between the fibers and the conductive plane of the brush prevent excessive current draw.

Abstract: An electro-conductive multifilament yarn for forming an electro-conductive brush comprises an electro-conductive fiber containing a synthetic fiber and a carbon nanotube covering a surface of the fiber. The synthetic fiber may have a single-filament fineness of not more than 30 dtex. The synthetic fiber may have 3 to 6 elongated recesses or grooves extending in a longitudinal direction thereof and have a multi-leaves or star-shaped cross-section. The electro-conductive multifilament yarn of the present invention has a high electro-conductivity and may have an electric resistance value of 1×106 to 1×1011 ?/cm at 20° C. Further, the electro-conductivity has a high uniformity; the standard deviation of a logarithm of the electric resistance value may be not more than 1.0.

Abstract: A cleaning unit that can remove particles of residual toner remaining on an image carrier after transfer and be incorporated in a process cartridge removably installable to an image forming apparatus, includes a brush roller disposed in contact with the image carrier to remove the residual toner remaining on the image carrier from the image carrier, and a polarity control member disposed in contact with the image carrier to control charge polarities of the residual toner remaining on the image carrier before the residual toner is removed by the brush roller. The polarity control member includes a first surface where the polarity control member contacts the image carrier, a second surface where the polarity control member does not contact the image carrier, and a conductive filler that is not exposed on the first surface that contacts the image carrier.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a cleaning member, a collection member, an electrical field generator, and a separation member. The cleaning member has a surface capable of moving while contacting a surface of a cleaning target to remove toner on the surface of the cleaning target. The collection member has a surface capable of moving while contacting the surface of the cleaning member to collect the toner on the surface of the cleaning member. The electrical field generator generates an electrical field to move the toner from the cleaning member to the collection member. The separation member contacts the surface of the collection member to separate the toner on the surface of the collection member. The collection member has a centerline average surface roughness of not more than 0.1 ?m and shows a surface hardness rank of B or higher in a steel-wool scratch test.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided. A first cleaning unit is configured to collect a particle deposited on an object. An applying unit is configured to apply a voltage to the first cleaning unit. A first detector is configured to detect a first current flowing between the first cleaning unit and the object. A controller is configured to control the applying unit. When the detected first current becomes equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, the controller controls the applying unit to reduce the voltage applied to the first cleaning unit so as to make the first current smaller than the first predetermined value.

Abstract: A cleaning device 20 for removing a toner remaining on an image bearing member 5A after transfer, including: a polarity control member 23 configured to unify polarities of the remaining toner on the image bearing member 5A, a cleaning member 25 configured to remove the remaining toner having a polarity unified by the polarity control member 23, a collecting member 24 configured to collect the remaining toner transferred to the cleaning member 25, a blade 26 configured to remove the remaining toner from the collecting member 24, and a brush roller 21 configured to sweep the remaining toner on the image bearing member 5A and inject charge, disposed upstream of the polarity control member 23 in the traveling direction of the image bearing member 5A.

Abstract: A cleaning device for an intermediate transferring member, comprising: a first cleaning roller that is placed so as to rotate while being made in contact with a surface of the intermediate transferring member; a first bias-applying device that applies a bias voltage to the first cleaning roller; a second cleaning roller that is placed so as to rotate while being made in contact with the surface of the intermediate transferring member on a downstream side from the first cleaning roller in a surface-moving direction of the intermediate transferring member; and a second bias-applying device that applies a bias voltage having a polarity different from that of the bias voltage applied by the first bias-applying device to the second cleaning roller, wherein the first cleaning roller is a brush roller, and the second cleaning roller is a foam roller having a foam layer on a surface thereof, with a cell wall face in the foam layer having an opening ratio in a range of 3% or more to 50% or less, and an image-formin

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive member; a charging member configured to charge the photosensitive member at a photosensitive member charging position to form an electrostatic image on the photosensitive member; a developing device configured and positioned to develop the electrostatic image with toner to form a toner image; a transferring device configured to transfer the toner image to an image receiving member at a transfer position; a first brush, disposed at a position downstream of the transfer position and upstream of the photosensitive member charging position with respect to a rotational direction of the photosensitive member, configured to charge a residual toner on the photosensitive member at a toner charging position to collect the residual toner to the developing device and to be supplied with a charging bias having a polarity opposite to a regular charge polarity of the toner; and a second brush, disposed at a position downstream of the toner charging position and upstream

Abstract: An apparatus (100) and method (200) that adjusts cleaning station operation in a printing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus can include a charge receptor (110) movable in a process direction P, where the charge receptor can have a main surface (111). The apparatus can include a charger (140) configured to generate a charge on the charge receptor and an image generator (118) configured to generate an image on the charge receptor. The apparatus can include a cleaning station (124) coupled to the charge receptor. The cleaning station can include a cleaning brush (125) coupled to the main surface of the charge receptor. The cleaning station can be configured to clean the main surface of the charge receptor. The apparatus can include a controller (150) coupled to the cleaning station.

Abstract: A cleaning brush for use in an electrostatographic imaging apparatus, including a plurality of individual electrically conductive fibers secured to a brush core and having fiber tips relatively remote from the brush core, wherein the cleaning brush includes an electrically conductive plane at a surface of the brush core, or between a surface of the brush core and the electrically conductive fibers, effective for inducing an electrical potential to the conductive fibers when an electrical potential is applied to the electrically conductive plane, and at least one of a relatively non-conductive layer electrically insulating the conductive plane from the conductive fibers, or electrically insulating coatings on tips of the electrically conductive fibers remote from the brush core. The insulative, or non-conductive, layer between the fibers and the conductive plane of the brush prevent excessive current draw.

Abstract: An apparatus and method that cleans a photoreceptor in a printing apparatus is disclosed. The method can include setting a voltage bias of an electrostatic cleaning brush in a printing apparatus to a first voltage bias. The method can include generating an image on media using a photoreceptor. The method can include cleaning the photoreceptor using the electrostatic cleaning brush operating at the first voltage bias. The method can include measuring operating conditions of the printing apparatus to determine an expected film accumulation rate on the photoreceptor. The method can include adjusting the voltage bias on the electrostatic cleaning brush to a second voltage bias based on the measured operating conditions.

Abstract: A cleaning device removes residual toner particles from a cleaning target, such as a photoconductor, which has a moving surface. The cleaning device includes a cleaning brush, a power circuit, and a cleaning member. The cleaning brush includes a brush rotation shaft, and the power circuit applies a first voltage of a first polarity to the brush rotation shaft. The cleaning member applies a second voltage of the first polarity to the cleaning brush. If the first polarity is negative, the cleaning member electrostatically removes toner particles having a positive polarity from the cleaning target. Then, the cleaning brush is triboelectrically charged to a second polarity, which is opposite to the first polarity, by contacting the cleaning target. Accordingly, the cleaning brush also removes residual toner particles having a negative polarity. Thus, the cleaning device removes both positively and negatively charged toner particles to clean the cleaning target.

Abstract: A polarity controlling device for controlling polarity of residual material on an image bearing member, including a blade, to which a first voltage is applied and which has a contact edge contacted with the surface of the image bearing member to charge the residual material, wherein the contact edge is covered with a resin layer including an electroconductive material. A cleaner including the polarity controlling device; a brush contacting the image bearing member to electrostatically collect the charged residual material utilizing potential difference; a collection member contacting the brush to collect the residual material; and a cleaning blade contacting the collection member to scrape the residual material therefrom. An image forming apparatus including an electrostatic image bearing member; a developing device developing the electrostatic image using a developer including a toner to form a toner image; a transfer device transferring the toner image onto a receiving material; and the cleaner.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes: an image carrier on whose surface is formed a latent image; a developing unit that forms a developer image with a developer including toner, carrier and additive; a transfer unit that transfers the developer image onto a recording medium; a recovery member that recovers the developer remaining on the surface of the image carrier after the developer image is transferred; a supply member that supplies, to the image carrier, a recovery promoter; and a voltage application unit that applies, to the supply member, an alternating-current voltage whose amplitude is changed in accordance with a change in the percentages of the amount of toner and the amount of carrier per unit area of a developer image forming portion of the developing unit.

Abstract: There is provided a cleaning apparatus, comprising: a normally-charged toner cleaning member that receives a voltage having a polarity reverse to a normal charging polarity of a toner and electrostatically removes a toner having the normal charging polarity on a cleaning target; a reversely-charged toner cleaning member that receives a voltage having the same polarity as the normal charging polarity of a toner and electrostatically removes a toner having a polarity reverse to the normal charging polarity on the cleaning target; and a pre-cleaning member that is disposed at an upstream side of the normally-charged toner cleaning member and the reversely-charged toner cleaning member in a surface moving direction of the cleaning target, receives a voltage having a polarity reverse to the normal charging polarity of the toner, and electrostatically removes a toner having the normal charging polarity on the cleaning target.

Abstract: An cleaning apparatus includes: a first brush roll for removing toner from an image carrier; a second brush roll for removing the toner from the image carrier; a first recovery device for recovering the toner deposited on the first brush roll; a second recovery device for recovering the toner deposited on the second brush roll; a first electric field forming device for forming an electric field between the first brush roll and the image carrier; and a second electric field forming device for forming an electric field between the second brush roll and image carrier, wherein the first brush roll and the second brush roll each has a plurality of electrically conductive yarns arranged on a conductive core, and a resistance R2 of each of the yarns used in the second brush roll is smaller than 1×107 ?/cm.

Abstract: A cleaning blade anti-peeling apparatus includes a transfer apparatus that transfers a toner image formed on an image carrier to an endless transfer member. An image carrier cleaning member captures toner remaining on the image carrier after the toner image is transferred. A cleaning recovery member recovers the toner on the image carrier cleaning member. A bias applying apparatus applies a bias voltage to move the toner of the image carrier cleaning member to the image carrier. An endless transfer member cleaning blade removes toner adhering to the endless transfer member after the toner image of the endless transfer member is transferred to a transfer material while abutting against the endless transfer member. The following relationship is satisfied: cleaning recovery member width<endless transfer member cleaning blade width<image carrier cleaning member width.

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