An electrophotographic image forming system forms an electrostatic latent image on at least a photoreceptor, develops an image using an electrostatic charge image developing toner, and removes the toner using a cleaning blade. A tip ridge of the cleaning blade is pressed against a surface of the photoreceptor. The system includes a photosensitive layer of the photoreceptor and a surface protecting layer that is provided on a surface of the photosensitive layer. The surface protecting layer includes a polymerizable monomer having at least two polymerizable groups in a molecule and a polymer of a hole transporting compound having a polymerizable group represented by General formula (1). The tip ridge of the cleaning blade has an edge angle that is obtuse and less than 120? and is pressed against the surface of the photoreceptor at an effective contact angle that is in a range of 8 to 20?. ##STR00001##

An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor that includes a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer disposed on the conductive substrate, the electrophotographic photoreceptor having an outermost surface layer that contains a binder resin, a charge-transporting material, and a fluorine-containing resin particle, the fluorine-containing resin particle containing 0 or more and 30 or less carboxy groups per 10.sup.6 carbon atoms, a charging device that charges the electrophotographic photoreceptor, an electrostatic latent image forming device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the electrophotographic photoreceptor that is charged, a developing device that houses a developer containing a toner and that develops, with the developer, the electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photoreceptor into a toner image, a transfer device that transfers the toner image onto a transfer-receiving medium, and an optical discharging device that, after the toner image is transferred onto the transfer-receiving medium and before the electrophotographic photoreceptor is charged, irradiates the electrophotographic photoreceptor with discharging light with a light quantity of 1.0 ?W or more and 50.0 ?W or less to perform discharging.

An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit that comes into contact with a target object and that transfers an image to the target object, a holding portion that holds the target object including a circumferential surface such that the circumferential surface rotates along a transfer direction of the transfer unit, and a transport unit that transports the target object held by the holding portion along a transport route, that stops transportation of the target object in a case where the transfer unit transfers the image to the target object, and that causes the target object to be separated from the transfer unit before a surface of the target object on which transfer of the image is finished comes into contact with the transfer unit again.

A film contains a siloxane compound having an alkyl group and a resin having a density of 1.1 g/cm.sup.3 or higher and a glass transition temperature of 150? C. or higher.

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging device, an exposure device, a development device, and a development voltage power supply. The development device includes a development container storing a nonmagnetic one-component developer composed only of a toner, and a developer carrier on which a toner layer is formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof. The development voltage power supply applies a development voltage to the developer carrier. The image forming apparatus alternately forms white regions and exposed regions at a predetermined pitch repeatedly on a surface of the image carrier to form a solid image with an area ratio lower than 100%. Where V0 represents a white-region potential of the image carrier, VL represents an exposed-region potential of the image carrier, Vt represents a toner-layer potential, and Vd represents the development voltage, Vd?0.5*(V0?VL)+VL?Vt is fulfilled.

A film contains a siloxane compound having an alkyl group and a resin having a density of 1.1 g/cm.sup.3 or higher and a glass transition temperature of 150 C. or higher.

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging device, an exposure device, a development device, and a development voltage power supply. The development device includes a development container storing a nonmagnetic one-component developer composed only of a toner, and a developer carrier on which a toner layer is formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof. The development voltage power supply applies a development voltage to the developer carrier. The image forming apparatus alternately forms white regions and exposed regions at a predetermined pitch repeatedly on a surface of the image carrier to form a solid image with an area ratio lower than 100%. Where V0 represents a white-region potential of the image carrier, VL represents an exposed-region potential of the image carrier, Vt represents a toner-layer potential, and Vd represents the development voltage, Vd0.5*(V0VL)+VLVt is fulfilled.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an intermediate transfer member, a reinforcing member, and a collection unit having a contact member and a support member. The contact member extends in a longitudinal direction that is orthogonal to an intermediate transfer member movement direction. One end of the contact member is fixed to the support member and the other end is in contact with the intermediate transfer member as a free end. When a maximum region in the longitudinal direction where an image is formable on a transfer medium having a maximum size that is supported by the image forming apparatus is defined as an image forming region, at least part of the reinforcing member is located outside the image forming region and, on one end side of the contact member, the reinforcing member is provided on an inner side than the end of the contact member.

Imaging devices, imaging apparatus, and methods are provided to improve the development of image recording media. The imaging devices comprise at least a pressing member and at least a first deformable pressure-receiving member. The pressing member is provided with a step feature which is pressed against the first deformable pressure-receiving member. As an image recording medium moves through between the pressing member with the step feature and the deformable pressure-receiving member, a corresponding step difference is formed on the medium where a distinct shear mechanism was experienced. The efficiency of image development is significantly improved as evident by the significant increase in the fresh optical density observed immediately after development even with a reduced applied force.

Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member including: a support; and a photosensitive layer, wherein the support has a surface formed of Al and/or an Al alloy, wherein the surface of the support comprises Al crystal grains having: () a plane at 15 or more and less than +15 with respect to a {001} orientation; () a plane at 15 or more and less than +15 with respect to a {101} orientation; and () a plane at 15 or more and less than +15 with respect to a {111} orientation, and wherein the ratio of an area occupied by the Al crystal grain having the () is 10% or less, and the value of the ratio of an area occupied by the Al crystal grain having the () to an area occupied by the Al crystal grain having the () is more than 4/6 and less than 6/4.