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: 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: 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: A method of forming a toner image employing a photoreceptor is described. The photoreceptor comprises a photosensitive layer on a cylindrical conductive substrate, Formula (1) and Formula (2) are held, 0<Pmax<2P??Formula (1) 2?(Pmax/D)×100?50??Formula (2) wherein P (?m) is the average of the coating layer thickness in central section in the width direction of the photoreceptor, Pmax (?m) is average of the maximum value of the layer thickness out of the image forming region, and D (?m) is average of distance between point, at which said maximum value is obtained, and edge of the coating layer, and the toner contains 1.0 to 7.0 number % of toner particles having number based particle diameter not more than 3.17 ?m based on whole number of toner particles, and number average toner particle diameter is 4-9 ?m.

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.