| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus in which a cleaning step is satisfactorily performed and images of good quality are obtained over a prolonged period of time. SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus uses an indirect electrophotographic method in which electric charges are imparted by a charging device to an electrophotographic photoreceptor to form an electrostatic latent image by photolithography, the electrostatic latent image is converted to a visible image with a toner, the toner is transferred to a transfer member, and the photoreceptor is cleaned with a cleaning blade. In the image forming apparatus, when the maximum valley depth of the surface roughness of the electrophotographic photoreceptor is represented by Rv, the maximum peak height by Rp, and the minimum particle diameter of the toner by D, the sum Ry of the maximum valley depth Rv and the maximum peak height Rp and the minimum particle diameter D of the toner satisfy Ry<D. The cleaning blade is held in such a way that it comes in contact with the electrophotographic photoreceptor in a counter direction. The cleaning blade is formed of a rubber-like elastic body having a JIS-A hardness of 75 to 90°, wherein the edge part which comes in contact with the electrophotographic photoreceptor has a knife or strip shape and has been reinforced with a metal strip on one face in the lengthwise direction. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO |
