Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Kenji Komito

Hiroshi Nakai

Daisuke Inoue

Kunio Hasegawa

Yohichi Kitagawa

Takuya Sekine

Mitsuaki Hirose

Masayuki Ukigaya

Shinya Nakayama

Hiroshi Yamada

Hitoshi Yamamoto

Tadashi Kasai

Takaaki Tawada

Emiko Shiraishi

Makoto Yasuda

Takamasa Ozeki

Hiroshi Mizusawa

Ryota Arai

Kohsuke Yamamoto

Mutsuki Morinaga

Tomoya Hirano

Jun Hitosugi

Wakana Itoh

Takatsugu Komori

Takaya Ito

Sho Akiyama

A toner is provided. The toner comprises toner particles each comprising a toner base particle and an external additive. The toner base particle comprises a binder resin and a colorant. The toner satisfies the following conditions (a) and (b):

Toner, developer, toner accommodating unit, image forming apparatus, and image forming method

A toner is provided. The toner comprises toner base particles, resin particles adhered to surfaces of the toner base particles, and an external additive adhered to the surfaces of the toner base particles. The toner base particles each comprising a binder resin, a colorant, and a wax. The toner has a storage elastic modulus G' of 4.0×10or less at 70° C. An embedment degree of the external additive is from 15% to 40%, as the embedment degree is measured by stirring 10 g of the toner and 20 g of a carrier in a 50-mL vial at 67 Hz for 60 minutes using a rocking mill.

Toner, method for manufacturing the toner, toner accommodating unit, image forming apparatus, and image forming method

An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image bearer and a cleaning blade configured to remove toner particles remaining on the image bearer. The cleaning blade includes an elastic member in contact with a surface of the image bearer to remove the toner particles. The elastic member has a Martens hardness of from 3 to 8 N/mmwhen measured by a nanoindentation method with a load of 1 &#x3bc;N. The toner particles comprise toner base particles and an external additive, and the external additive comprise silica particles. A liberation ratio (Xs) of the silica particles liberated from the toner particles is from 40% to 75% when measured by an ultrasonic vibration method. A proportion (R70) of the silica particles having a volume-based particle diameter of 70 nm or more in the silica particles liberated from the toner particles is from 70% to 90% by number.

Image forming apparatus and image forming method

An image bearer protective agent is provided. The image bearer protective agent includes a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant. The inorganic lubricant includes a first inorganic lubricant having a tap density of from 0.30 to 0.8 g/cm.

Image bearer protective agent, protective layer forming device, image forming method, image forming apparatus, and process cartridge

A protective layer forming device, including: a powdery image bearer protecting agent formed of a granulated product containing a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant; and a roller-shaped protecting agent supplying member configured to supply the powdery image bearer protecting agent to a surface of an image bearer.

Protective layer forming device and image forming apparatus

Provided is an image bearing member protecting agent which contains a fatty acid metal salt and an inorganic lubricant, wherein an aspect ratio (average major axis length/average minor axis length) of the inorganic lubricant is 60 to 400, and a mass ratio of the fatty acid metal salt to the inorganic lubricant (fatty acid metal salt/inorganic lubricant) is 98/2 to 85/15.

Image bearing member protecting agent, protective layer forming device, and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus is disclosed, including an image bearing member and a protective layer forming unit. In an embodiment, the protective layer forming unit includes a protective agent supplying member which rotatably contacts a surface of the image bearing member and an image bearing member protective agent. The image bearing member protective agent includes at least a metal salt of a fatty acid and an inorganic lubricant. The protective agent supplying member includes a core material and a foam layer formed on an outer periphery of the core material and including a plurality of cells. Finally, a drive torque of the image bearing member and a drive torque of the protective agent supplying member satisfy a formula.

Image forming apparatus

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Kanagawa, Japan

Kenji Komito