An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a lubricant applicator that applies a lubricant to the image carrier; a hardware processor; and a density unevenness measurer that is provided in the image forming apparatus or outside the image forming apparatus, and measures a first density unevenness for at least one of the density unevenness measurement image formed by the image former in the application unevenness detection mode or a density unevenness measurement image obtained by primary or subsequent transfer of the density unevenness measurement image, wherein the hardware processor detects the application unevenness of the lubricant applied by the lubricant applicator based on the first density unevenness measured by the density unevenness measurer.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer to bear a toner image, a lubricant supply roller to supply lubricant to a surface of the image bearer, a rotation speed changer to change a rotation speed of the lubricant supply roller, and a controller to control the rotation speed changer to change the rotation speed of the lubricant supply roller to a target speed based on a predetermined condition. The controller is configured to control the rotation speed changer to avoid a predetermined speed range.

An image formation apparatus includes: an image carrier; a developing device which develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier as a toner image; a transfer device which transfers the toner image to a medium; a cleaning device which recovers toner remaining on the image carrier after the toner image is transferred; and a lubricant application adjustment mechanism which applies a lubricant on the image carrier and recovers toner present on the image carrier upstream of the cleaning device; and a controller which controls the lubricant application adjustment mechanism. The controller causes the lubricant application adjustment mechanism to recover more toner when the toner image formed on the image carrier has a larger image area ratio.

In an example implementation, a method of cleaning a silicon photoconductor includes contacting the silicon photoconductor with a base-peroxide solution, rinsing the silicon photoconductor with a liquid, and heating the silicon photoconductor to evaporate the liquid.

An image forming apparatus includes a high voltage generating circuit, a voltage controller, a current detector, and a recovery process controller. If two inflection points (O and P) exist, which exist on a characteristic curve indicating a relationship between the voltage value and the current value when the frequency of the AC voltage is set as a first frequency or when a photosensitive drum is rotated at a first linear speed, the recovery process is performed if a potential difference between a first inter-inflection-point voltage (OP) between inflection points and a second inter-inflection-point voltage (OP′) between inflection points (O′ and P′) when setting a second frequency different from the first frequency, or a potential difference between the first voltage and a third inter-inflection-point voltage (OP″) between inflection points (O″ and P″) when setting a second linear speed different from the first linear speed becomes a predetermined value or less.

A lubricant supply device for supplying lubricant to an image carrier of an image forming device, the lubricant supply device including: a block of solid lubricant; a lubricant supply member scraping lubricant from the block and supplying the lubricant to the image carrier; and a spring applying a biasing force to the block in a second direction inclined with respect to a first direction from the block towards the lubricant supply member, a component of the biasing force in the first direction pushing the block against the lubricant supply member. Positions of the spring and the block relative to each other are such that, as the block decreases due to the scraping by the lubricant supply member, the angle between the biasing force and the first direction decreases and the component of the biasing force in the first direction increases.

A method is described in which a spectrum of a surface of a photoconductor member is obtained using optical spectroscopy; and an extent of oxidation of the surface is determined based on the obtained spectrum.

A process of forming an image includes the steps of: developing an electrostatic latent image with a toner, the latent image being formed through charge of the surface of an electrostatic latent image carrier and exposure of the surface to light; and applying a lubricant onto the surface of the electrostatic latent image carrier. The toner includes a toner matrix particle and an external additive nanoparticle. The external additive nanoparticle comprises a silica-polymer composite nanoparticle. A percentage of atomic silicon present on the surface of the silica-polymer composite nanoparticle satisfies Condition A expressed by Expression: 15.0 atm %≦percentage of atomic silicon ({Si/(C+O+Si)}×100)≦30.0 atm %. The percentage of atomic silicon is determined from total amounts of atomic carbon, oxygen, and silicon present on the topmost surface of the silica-polymer composite nanoparticle and within 3 nm inwards from the topmost surface.

An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive drum; a light guide plate that irradiates, onto the photosensitive drum, light incoming through an end thereof by emitting the light from an irradiation end surface thereof; a static elimination light source that is disposed near the end of the light guide plate and emits the light into the light guide plate; and a blocking wall that is disposed between the light guide plate and the photosensitive drum to cover the irradiation end surface, and restricts the light emitted from the irradiation end surface non-uniformly in a longitudinal direction of the light guide plate. Of the light emitted from the irradiation end surface, portions emitted from end regions located around ends of the light guide plate are less restricted by the blocking wall than a portion emitted from a region other than the end regions of the light guide plate.

A photoconductor unit for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing and a photoconductive drum rotatably mounted on the housing. The photoconductive drum includes a drive coupler that is positioned to mate with a corresponding drive coupler of the image forming device to receive rotational and axial force therefrom for rotating and axially biasing the photoconductive drum when the photoconductor unit is installed in the image forming device. A wear member is positioned to receive frictional contact from a portion of the photoconductive drum in a direction of the axial bias on the photoconductive drum such that as the photoconductive drum rotates, the frictional contact on the wear member gradually wears away the wear member in the direction of the axial bias on the photoconductive drum thereby gradually shifting the photoconductive drum axially in the direction of the axial bias.