An image forming method includes forming an image with a toner using a photoconductor in which an intermediate layer and a photosensitive layer including a charge generating layer and a charge transport layer are formed overlying an electroconductive substrate, wherein the ionization potential of the surface of the photoconductor and the ionization potential of the surface of the toner satisfy the following relations 1 and 2,
|Ip (the surface of the photoconductor)Ip (the surface of the toner)|0.18 (eV) Relation 1
5.45 (eV)Ip (the surface of the photoconductor)5.53 (eV) Relation 2 where Ip (the surface of the photoconductor) represents the ionization potential of the surface of the photoconductor and Ip (the surface of the toner) represents the ionization potential of the surface of the toner.

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.

An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive drum, a transfer roller configured to transfer a visible image formed on the photoconductive drum to a sheet, and a processor. The processor is configured to acquire an interruption time, which is measured after a process including charging of the photoconductive drum is interrupted, and is equal to an amount of time elapsed while the photoconductive drum is in a charged state, determine a cleaning time depending on the interruption time, and execute a cleaning process on the transfer roller for the duration of the cleaning time.

An oil removing device includes a first heating member that at an outer surface thereof contacts a non-image surface of a recording medium which is transported, and that heats the recording medium, a toner image that is formed by using liquid developer that contains volatile oil and toner being transferred to the recording medium; and a second heating member that is disposed on a downstream side of the first heating member in a transport direction, the second heating member contacting at an outer surface thereof the non-image surface of the recording medium and heating the recording medium. In the oil removing device, a non-contact region where the non-image surface of the recording medium does not contact the first heating member and the second heating member is provided between the first heating member and the second heating member.

An image forming apparatus includes an image transfer belt; a first transfer member; a second transfer member opposed to the first transfer member with the belt therebetween to; an applying device for applying a voltage at least one of the first and second transfer members; and a controller for controlling the applying device to apply to the at least one transfer member a voltage having the same polarity as a regular polarity of toner and a voltage of the opposite a first transfer member cleaning operation. The controller changes a number of image formations to be carried out from a cleaning operation to a next cleaning operation depending on the kind of the sheet. The number controlled by the controller is different depending on the kind of the sheets in a continuous printing job.

A cleaning device includes a blade and a seal member including a first portion having first, second and third surfaces and including a second portion having a fourth surface. The first surface opposes a free end surface of the blade. The second surface is connected with the first surface. The third surface is connected with the first and second surfaces and is perpendicular to the free end surface. The fourth surface is parallel to the third surface and the free end surface. A first interior corner line is formed by the free end surface and the third surface so as to be substantially parallel to a thickness direction of the blade. A second interior corner line is formed by the third surface and the fourth surface so as to be connected with said first interior corner line and be substantially parallel to a height direction of the blade.

An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment includes an image forming unit that forms a toner image on an image carrier body. A primary transfer member transfers the toner image formed on the image carrier body onto an intermediate transfer body. A secondary transfer member transfers the toner image from the intermediate transfer body onto a recording medium. A control unit applies a cleaning bias to the secondary transfer member while an idle operation of the secondary transfer member is being performed before the toner image is secondarily transferred onto the transferring target material.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer member, a cleaning blade, an information storing member configured to store information on contact pressures of the cleaning blade to the image bearing member, an information input portion, and an executing portion configured to execute a toner supplying operation for supplying toner to the cleaning portion using a toner image formed on the image bearing member, in a period other than a period in which the toner image is formed on the image bearing member, for each predetermined number of image forming operations. On the basis of the information inputted to the input portion, the executing portion sets amounts of the toner supplied to the respective regions in the toner supplying operation.

An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment includes an image forming unit that forms a toner image on an image carrier body. A primary transfer member transfers the toner image formed on the image carrier body onto an intermediate transfer body. A secondary transfer member transfers the toner image from the intermediate transfer body onto a recording medium. A control unit applies a cleaning bias to the secondary transfer member while an idle operation of the secondary transfer member is being performed before the toner image is secondarily transferred onto the transferring target material.

An oil removing device includes a first heating member that at an outer surface thereof contacts a non-image surface of a recording medium which is transported, and that heats the recording medium, a toner image that is formed by using liquid developer that contains volatile oil and toner being transferred to the recording medium; and a second heating member that is disposed on a downstream side of the first heating member in a transport direction, the second heating member contacting at an outer surface thereof the non-image surface of the recording medium and heating the recording medium. In the oil removing device, a non-contact region where the non-image surface of the recording medium does not contact the first heating member and the second heating member is provided between the first heating member and the second heating member.