Abstract: In a method for producing a cleaning blade, a first composition obtained by causing a reaction of diphenylmethane diisocyanate and a first aliphatic polyester polyol which has a number-average molecular weight of 2000 to 3500 and is used in an amount of 20 to 40 mol % relative to the diphenylmethane diisocyanate and a second composition containing a urethane rubber-synthesizing catalyst and a second aliphatic polyester polyol which has a number-average molecular weight of 2000 to 3500 and is the same as or different from the first aliphatic polyester polyol are mixed so that a relationship between a number of moles (MNCO [mol]) of an NCO group in the first composition and a number of moles (MOH [mol]) of an OH group in the second composition satisfies 0.05?MOH/MNCO?0.20.

Abstract: Presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to layers that are useful in imaging apparatus members and components, for use in electrophotographic, including digital, apparatuses. More particularly, the embodiments pertain to an electrophotographic imaging member having its outer surface patterned such that friction with the cleaning blade is significantly reduced.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor bearing an electrostatic image; a developing device developing the electrostatic image with a developer including a toner to form a toner image on the photoreceptor; a transferring device transferring the toner image onto a receiving material; and a cleaning device having a cleaning blade cleaning the surface of the photoreceptor. The photoreceptor includes an electroconductive substrate, a photosensitive layer and an outermost layer having projected portions thereon. The outermost layer and projected portions include the same crosslinked charge transport material. The outermost layer has a surface roughness property such that the number of projected portions having height greater than Rz/2 is from 40 to 90 in a length of 12 mm, wherein Rz represents ten-point mean roughness of the outermost layer. The tip of the cleaning blade is contacted with the photoreceptor at a linear pressure of from 80 g/cm to 150 g/cm.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive medium to be charged with a predetermined potential by a charging member, an exposing unit to expose the photosensitive medium to vary a charging level of the photosensitive medium, a developing unit to form an image for one or more colors on the photosensitive medium, a transfer medium to transfer the image from the photosensitive medium, a cleaning unit to clean the transfer medium, and a controller to control an optical power of the exposing unit to be lower than that during forming of the image when a toner band is applied to lubricate at least one of the cleaning unit and the transfer medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member that bears a latent image and has a surface layer; a charging device that charges the surface of the image bearing member: a latent image forming device that forms the latent image on the surface of the image bearing member; a development device that develops the latent image formed on the surface of the image bearing member with a development agent to form a toner image thereon; a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a transfer medium; a cleaning device that removes residual toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member after transferring the toner image to the transfer medium; and a protection agent supplying device that supplies a protection agent to the surface layer of the image bearing member that forms a protection layer thereon, wherein the protection agent comprises a metal soap and boron nitride and the amount of the boron nitride in the protection layer applied to the image bearing member after image formation is

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt conveying portion having a movable endless belt provided around at least two supporting members, a cleaning member provided in contact with a surface of the belt, a lubricant supply portion provided below a contact portion between the belt and the cleaning member for supplying lubricant to the contact portion, and an adhered-material storing portion provided below the lubricant supply portion for storing adhered-material scraped off from the belt by the cleaning member.

Abstract: An image forming method, including charging the surface of an electrostatic latent image bearer by a charger; irradiating the surface of the electrostatic latent image bearer to form an electrostatic latent image thereon; developing the same with a toner to form a toner image; transferring the toner image onto a recording medium; and fixing the toner image thereon, wherein the charger is a charging roller contacting the electrostatic latent image bearer to charge the same, having a ten-point surface roughness of 5 to 30, and the toner includes a binder resin, a colorant, a release agent and an external additive including a composite oxide including titanium oxide in an amount of 80 to 95% by weight and silicon oxide, having a core-shell structure formed of a core including the titanium oxide and a shell including the silicon oxide and has a BET specific surface area of 50 to 100 m2/g.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrostatic latent image developer used in an image forming apparatus including: an image holding member; a charging unit; a latent image forming unit; a developing unit which stores the electrostatic latent image developer and includes a developer holding member, wherein the developing unit develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the image holding member by bringing a magnetic brush, which is formed on a surface of the developer holding member by the electrostatic latent image developer, into contact with the image holding member, to form a toner image; a transfer unit; a cleaning unit; and a lubricant applying unit, wherein the electrostatic latent image developer contains a toner having a 50% integrated volume particle diameter of from 3.0 to 6.0 ?m, and a carrier having a mean magnetization of 5.0×10?16 to 4.0×10?15 AM2/particle in an applied magnetic field of 1 kilo-oersted.

Abstract: A cleaning station for removing particulate material from a moving web in an electrographic printer/copier includes a customer-replaceable web-cleaner device with a support bracket/backup shoe assembly. A quick disconnect feature enables the cleaner cover to be de-coupled from the cleaner body to allow the debris to be easily removed with replacing the web-cleaner. The cleaner has a cleaner sump that is spring loaded to force contact of four strategically placed stops in the sump with a stationary back up shoe assembly allowing for higher precision of blade engagement with a transport web or a photoconductor. The web-cleaner has two wiper blades, each having each having a distinguishment such that the distinguishment distinguishes one wiper blade from the other wiper blade when the blades are locked into the cleaner sump by springs, to facilitate material removed from the web. The wiper cleaning blades and the cover assembly are easily replaceable by the operator in the correct order.

Abstract: An image forming method is disclosed, which includes steps of cleaning toner remaining on a photoreceptor surface by a cleaning blade which is arranged on counter direction to rotation direction of the photoreceptor, supplying a fatty acid metal salt onto the photoreceptor surface after the cleaning, spreading the supplied fatty acid metal salt on the photoreceptor surface by using a spreading blade which is arranged on trail direction to rotation direction of the photoreceptor, charging the photoreceptor by a charging member, exposing the photoreceptor to form a latent image, developing the latent image by a developer to form a toner image on the photoreceptor, and transferring the toner image onto an image receiving member by a transfer roller facing to the photoreceptor through the image receiving material, in which the toner comprises a binder resin and a colorant, in which the toner has a glass transition point of from 20 to 45° C.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a toner having the transfer efficiency and the cleanability in combination, exhibiting excellent stress resistance, and ensuring the low-temperature fixing. A toner characterized in that the average circularity of the above-described toner is 0.960 or more, and 0.985 or less, where the average circularity is analyzed by dividing particles having a circle equivalent diameter of 1.98 ?m or more, and 200.00 ?m or less, the number A of toners having a circularity of 0.990 or more, and 1.000 or less is 25.0 percent by the number or less, and the percentage of the number of particles B having a circle equivalent diameter of 0.50 ?m or more, and 1.98 ?m or less relative to the total particles of 0.50 ?m or more, and 200.00 ?m or less is 10.0 percent by the number or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a latent image carrier which circumferentially rotates in a predetermined rotational direction; a conductive blade which cleans a surface of the latent image carrier by being in contact with the surface of the latent image carrier, and charges the surface of the latent image carrier at a first electric potential having the same polarity as normal charged polarity of a toner according to application of direct current voltage having the same polarity as the normal charged polarity of the toner, in a predetermined cleaning and charging position; and a charger which provides electric charge having reverse polarity to the normal charged polarity and adjusts an electric potential of the surface of the latent image carrier to a second electric potential, in a secondary charging position located on a downstream side of the cleaning and charging position in the rotational direction.

Abstract: A bio-toner for use in electrophotographic image forming that contains a bio-resin component that is at least partially derived from a renewable resource is provided. A method of making the bio-toner that contains a bio-resin component for use in electrophotographic image forming is also provided. A method for electrophotographic image formation using the bio-toner that contains a bio-resin is also provided.

Abstract: A method for forming images including a) depositing an electrostatic latent image on a charge retentive surface of a photoreceptor member having a substrate; a charge transport layer with charge transport materials; and an overcoat layer positioned on the charge transport layer, wherein the overcoat layer includes a crosslinkable alcohol-soluble polyamide; and wherein the overcoat layer further includes additives having titanium dioxide, silica, a crosslinking agent, a deletion control agent, and a charge transport molecule; and b) applying a developer material via a development component to the charge-retentive surface to develop the electrostatic latent image to form a developed image on the charge-retentive surface, wherein the developer material comprises emulsion aggregation toner, and further wherein at least one of the additives create a texturized surface on the charge retentive surface thereby reducing the contact area between the emulsion aggregation toners and the charge retentive surface enabling

Abstract: A toner including a binder resin, a coloring agent, a releasing agent and a modified laminar inorganic mineral, wherein the toner is granulated by dispersing the coloring agent, the releasing agent, the modified laminar inorganic mineral and at least one of the binder resin and a precursor thereof in an organic solvent to form an oil phase, dispersing the oil phase in an aqueous medium to obtain a dispersion emulsion and removing solvents therefrom, and the toner satisfies the following relationship (1): 0.2?{1/Dv (?m)}×Sb (m2/g)?1.4, where Dv represents a volume average particle diameter of the toner, and Sb represents a BET specific surface area of the toner.

Abstract: The present invention provides a developing method and a developing unit which can obtain a favorable image quality and the like even when a surface roughness Rz of a developing sleeve is changed or when an amorphous-silicon photoconductor is used by allowing the magnetic monocomponent toner to effectively jump to a photoconductor from a developing sleeve. To attain such an object, the present invention provides a magnetic monocomponent jumping developing system and a developing unit which uses the method, wherein as the magnetic monocomponent toner, a toner having a volume center particle size which is calculated from the particle size distribution based on volume and falls within a range from 6.0 to 7.8 ?m, having the sphericity which falls within a range from 0.92 to 0.98, and setting a toner quantity having a volume particle size of 5.04 ?m or less to a value which falls within a range from 2.5 to 10.

Abstract: An image forming method comprising steps of forming a toner image by developing by a toner a latent image on a photoreceptor comprised of a layer formed on a substrate, transferring the toner image onto a recording medium on which the toner image is recorded and fixing, wherein the average circular degree of the toner is not less than 0.94, and the toner contains a wax comprising an ester of a carboxylic acid having carbon atoms of not less than 16 or an ester of an alcohol having carbon atoms of not less than 16, and the layer is a layer to be contacted to the toner in the developing step and contains an inorganic fine particles having a number average of primary particle diameter of approximately not less than 1 nm and less than 100 nm.

Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetic one-component toner for development of an electrostatic latent image used in a magnetic one-component jumping development system in which a photoconductor is an a-Si photoconductor having a thickness of 30 ?m or less and Rz of a developer carrier is from 2.0 to 6.0 ?m. A cleaning means for removing the toner from the surface of the photoconductor is a cleaning blade. Titanium oxide, as an external additive, is added to the toner. The titanium oxide has a liberation rate within a range from 10 to 22% and contains a low resistance titanium oxide having a volume resistivity within a range from 100 to 107?·cm and a high resistance titanium oxide having a volume resistivity within a range from 108 to 1013?·cm, a mass ratio of the low resistance titanium oxide to the high resistance titanium oxide within a range from 1.3:1 to 4:1.

Abstract: The present invention provides a developing method and a developing unit which can obtain a favorable image quality and the like even when a surface roughness Rz of a developing sleeve is changed or when an amorphous-silicon photoconductor is used by allowing the magnetic monocomponent toner to effectively jump to a photoconductor from a developing sleeve. To attain such an object, the present invention provides a magnetic monocomponent jumping developing system and a developing unit which uses the method, wherein as the magnetic monocomponent toner, a toner having a volume center particle size which is calculated from the particle size distribution based on volume and falls within a range from 6.0 to 7.8 ?m, having the sphericity which falls within a range from 0.92 to 0.98, and setting a toner quantity having a volume particle size of 5.04 ?m or less to a value which falls within a range from 2.5 to 10.