The present disclosure relates to an electrophotographic printer comprising a photoconductive cylinder, and a cleaning element comprising an absorbent foam substrate. The absorbent foam substrate has an abrasive material disposed on at least an outer surface of the absorbent foam substrate. At least part of the outer surface of the absorbent foam substrate is engageable with the photoconductive cylinder.

A cleaning device includes a cleaning blade that contacts an image carrier and cleans the image carrier; an application roller that contacts the image carrier on an upstream side of the cleaning blade in a conveyance direction of the image carrier and applies toner to the image carrier, a plate member that contacts the application roller and applies the toner to the application roller, and a discharge mechanism that performs a toner discharge operation for discharging the toner stored in a space formed above a contact part between the plate member and the application roller.

An image forming apparatus includes an image former and a hardware processor. The image former includes, an image carrier; a developer; a conductive rotating member; and a voltage applier which applies voltage to the rotating member. The hardware processor executes an attached material detection mode which detects material attached to a surface of the rotating member. In such mode, the hardware processor controls the voltage so that the developing bias is a value between a surface potential in a region of the image carrier in contact with a portion in which attached material exists on a surface of the rotating member if a reference voltage is applied by the voltage applier, and a surface potential in a region of the image carrier in contact with a portion in which the attached material does not exist on the surface of the rotating member if the reference voltage is applied.

A cleaning device includes multiple cleaners, a partition, and a holder. The multiple cleaners include a first cleaner and a second cleaner adjacent to the first cleaner. The multiple cleaners each include a cleaning roller to remove a substance adhering to a surface of an object and a housing having an opening to collect the substance. The partition partitions the first cleaner and the second cleaner and defines a part of a wall of each of the first cleaner and the second cleaner. The holder holds the multiple cleaners.

A cleaning device cleans a surface of a toner carrier carrying a toner, and the cleaning device includes: a first blade in contact with the surface of the toner carrier; a second blade made of a material harder than a material of the first blade and in contact with the surface of the toner carrier; and a lubricant applicator that applies a lubricant to the surface of the toner carrier, wherein the first blade, the second blade and the lubricant applicator are arranged in this order from an upstream side in a moving direction of the toner carrier based on a transfer position of the toner.

A cleaning blade includes an edge portion made of an elastic material having a rebound resilience value R35 at 35 C. and a 100% modulus value M35 at 35 C. that satisfy the relation R354.8 M35+42.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging member, an exposing device, a developing device, a transfer member, and a rubbing member. The image bearing member includes a plurality of recess portions on a surface thereof. The rubbing member is configured to come into contact with the image bearing member to form a rubbing nip portion between the rubbing member and the image bearing member. The recess portions each have an opening portion whose maximum length in the rotational direction is 20 m to 120 m. When a linear speed of the image bearing member in the rubbing nip portion is S1 and a linear speed of the rubbing member in the same direction as the linear speed of the image bearing member in the rubbing nip portion is S2, a relationship of a linear speed ratio of S2/S1<1.0 is satisfied.

A cleaning device for a surface of a cylinder of a printer and/or a copier includes a cylindrical cleaning element which can be rotated by at least one drive and which includes a cleaning fitting on its outer periphery, and a suction or suctioner conducting at least one suction medium with at least one suction channel aligned towards the outer periphery of the cleaning element and extending along the longitudinal alignment of the cleaning element. In order to achieve a simple technical structure and a low maintenance effort apart from a good cleaning result and reliable dirt removal, a suction slit extending longitudinally of the suction channel is aligned towards the cleaning element opens into the suction channel tangentially to the suction channel cross section.

A cleaning member includes plural bristles including tips that come into contact with an object to be cleaned having a surface including recesses and projections; and a brush base to which the bristles are attached. The bristles each have a non-circular cross-section including a projecting portion that projects toward an outer periphery, at least the projecting portion having a size such that the projecting portion is capable of entering the recesses in the object to be cleaned.

Examples of refreshing a photoconductive layer in an image forming apparatus are described. In one example, a method comprises performing a first refreshing cycle comprising applying, at a first refresh unit, a first refresh voltage to the photoconductive layer and applying, at a second refresh unit, a second refresh voltage to the photoconductive layer. A second refreshing cycle is performed comprising applying, at the first refresh unit, a third refresh voltage to the photoconductive layer, the third refresh voltage being higher than the first refresh voltage and higher than the second refresh voltage. Each of the first and second refreshing cycles electrically bias the photoconductive layer to a refresh polarity opposite to a print polarity applied during a print routine of the image forming apparatus.