The present invention relates to an electrophotographic intermediate transfer member that, even if an image is repeatedly and continuously transferred, can retain its transfer performance and can obtain an excellent image for a long time. The electrophotographic intermediate transfer member has a base layer and a surface layer, the surface layer has a matrix-domain structure in the cross section in the thickness direction, the matrix is formed of a binder resin, the domains contains a perfluoropolyether, and a microhardness of a surface of the electrophotographic intermediate transfer member measured by an ultramicro-hardness meter is 50 MPa or more.

An endless belt for an image forming apparatus is provided with a resin layer having a sea-island structure including an island part containing a silicone-modified polyetherimide and a sea part containing a polyetherimide other than the silicone-modified polyetherimide and containing carbon black.

A transfer roller is provided and includes a support body, a foaming elastic layer that is disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the support body, and a surface resin layer that contains polyimide or polyamide-imide and covers an outer circumferential surface of the foaming elastic layer, in which circumferential lengths of both end portions of the surface resin layer in a roller axial direction is shorter than that of a center portion of the surface resin layer in the roller axial direction,

An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor having a photosensitive layer that includes at least one of a hindered phenol antioxidant and a benzophenone ultraviolet absorber, a charging device, an electrostatic latent image forming device, a developing device, and a transfer device that includes an intermediate transfer belt whose electric field dependence of a volume resistivity is 0.003 or less (log Ω.Math.cm)/V in a voltage range of from 500 V to 1,000 V, and transfers a toner image formed on a surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor onto a recording medium through the intermediate transfer belt and erases charges from the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor by applying current to the electrophotographic photoreceptor after the toner image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor has been transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt.

An intermediate transfer belt, configured to receive a toner image formed by developing a latent image formed on an image bearing member with a toner, includes a base layer and an elastic layer. The elastic layer has an irregular surface formed with spherical particles, and the spherical particles include flexible particles having 0.1 MPa to 30 MPa of compressive strength and 15% to 50% of restoring ratio at the time of 10% deformation. Image forming apparatus. Image forming method.

The present invention provides an electrophotographic member in which an increase in resistance is small even in use at low temperature and which contributes to the formation of a high quality electrophotographic image, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus using this electrophotographic member as a charging member or a developer carrying member. Therefore, the electrophotographic member of the present invention is an electrophotographic member including an electro-conductive mandrel and an electro-conductive layer, wherein the electro-conductive layer includes a urethane resin and an ion-conductive agent, the urethane resin has, between two adjacent urethane bonds, a structure represented by formula (1) and at least one structure selected from the group consisting of a structure represented by formula (2) and a structure represented by formula (3), and the ion-conductive agent contains a particular anion.

An imaging system includes an image carrier to carry a toner image, and a transfer medium having a transfer surface to receive the toner image from the image carrier. The transfer surface of the transfer medium has a resistance component of 14.6 to 17.7 log Ω.Math.cm for an alternating current having a frequency range of 1 mHz to 1 Hz.

A transfer unit includes, as transfer rollers, first and second rollers of which the second has an elastic layer larger in the axial direction than the first, first and second bearing members, a roller holder, first and second urging members, a switching cam, a driving mechanism, and a first pre-transfer guide. By rotating the roller holder, the first or second roller is arranged opposite an image carrier and, by rotating the switching cam, the first or second roller arranged opposite the image carrier is arranged selectively either at a reference position where the first or second roller is in pressed contact with the image carrier or at a released position where the first or second roller lies away from the image carrier. With the first or second roller arranged at the reference position, the first pre-transfer guide is arranged at a first guide position.

A transfer unit includes, as transfer rollers, a first roller and a second roller of which the latter has an elastic layer larger in the axial direction than that of the former, a first bearing member, a second bearing member, a roller holder, a first urging member, a second urging member, a switching cam, a transfer voltage power supply, and a driving mechanism. By rotating the roller holder, one of the first and second rollers is arranged opposite an image carrying member and, by rotating the switching cam, the first or second roller arranged opposite the image carrying member is arranged either at a reference position at which, by being kept in pressed contact with the image carrying member, the first or second roller forms a transfer nip or at a released position at which the first or second roller lies away from the image carrying member.

The electrophotographic electroconductive member includes a support having an electroconductive outer surface, and an electroconductive layer on the surface of the support. The electroconductive layer has a matrix containing a crosslinked product of a first rubber, and domains dispersed in the matrix, and the domains each contain a crosslinked product of a second rubber and electroconductive particles. The matrix has a volume resistivity R1 of more than 1.0×10.sup.12 Ω.Math.cm, and the domains each have a volume resistivity R2 lower than the volume resistivity R1 of the matrix. The electroconductive layer further has a pore, and an inner wall of the pore is constituted by a part of the matrix and a part of the domains. The domains constituting the inner wall protrude into the pore at sites on the inner wall.