Image forming method using improved developing agent

Claim 2

An image forming method comprising: a first step for forming a latent image on an image carrier in accordance with an image, said image carrier including a photoconductive layer mainly composed of selenium-tellurium; a second step for supplying a developing agent with a vickers hardness ranging from 3 to 10, both inclusive, thereby developing the latent image into a visible image, said Vickers hardness of the developing agent being correlated to the Vickers hardness of the photoconductive layer ranging from 30 to 40; a third step for transferring the visible image to the surface of a recording medium; and a fourth step for removing the developing agent remaining on the image carrier after the third step, by temporarily contacting a cleaning blade onto the image carrier.

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1, further comprising a fifth step for fixing the visible image transferred to the surface of the recording medium, said fifth step following the third step.

Claim 4

The method according to claim 2, wherein said developing agent is fixed to the surface of the recording medium by being subjected to a pressure, and pressure-fixing is executed in said fifth step.

Claim 5

The method according to claim 3, wherein said fifth step includes fixing the visible image to the recording medium in a manner such that the recording medium with the visible image transferred thereto is held between two rollers.

Claim 6

An image forming method comprising: a first step for forming a latent image on an image carrier in accordance with an image, said image carrier including a photoconductive layer mainly composed of amorphous silicon; a second step for supplying a developing agent with a Vickers hardness ranging from 3 to 500, both inclusive, thereby developing the latent image into a visible image, said Vickers hardness of the developing agent being correlated to the Vickers hardness of the photoconductive layer ranging from 1000 to 1500; a third step for transferring the visible image to the surface of the recording medium; and a fourth step for removing the developing agent remaining on the image carrier after the third step, by temporarily contacting a cleaning blade onto the image carrier.

Claim 7

An image forming method comprising: a first step for forming a latent image on an image carrier in accordance with an image, said image carrier including a photoconductive layer mainly composed of amorphous silicon; a second step for supplying a developing agent with a Vickers hardness ranging from 3 to 500, both inclusive, thereby developing the latent image into a visible image, said Vickers hardness of the developing agent being correlated to the Vickers hardness of the photoconductive layer ranging from 1000 to 1500; a third step for transferring the visible image to the surface of the recording medium; and a fourth step for removing the developing agent remaining on the image carrier after the third step, by temporarily contacting a cleaning blade onto the image carrier.

Claim 8

The method according to claim 5, futher comprising a fifth step for fixing the visible image transferred to the surface of the recording medium, said fifth step following the third step.

Claim 9

The method according to claim 6, wherein said developing agent is fixed to the surface of the recording medium by being subjected to a pressure, and pressure-fixing is executed in said fifth step.

Claim 10

The method according to claim 7, wherein said fifth step includes fixing the visible image to the recording medium in a manner such that the recording medium with the visible image transferred thereto is held between two rollers.

Claim 11

An image forming method comprising: a first step for forming a latent image on image carrier in accordance with an image, said image carrier including a photoconductive layer mainly composed of selenium-arsenic; a second step for supplying a developing agent with a Vickers hardness ranging from 3 to 50, both inclusive, thereby developing the latent image into a visible image, said Vickers hardness of the developing agent being correlated to the Vickers hardness of the photoconductive layer ranging from 100 to 150; a third step for transferring the visible image to the surface of the recording medium; and a fourth step for removing the developing agent remaining on the image carrier after the third step, by temporarily contacting a cleaning blade onto the image carrier.

Claim 12

An image forming method comprising: a first step for forming a latent image on image carrier in accordance with an image, said image carrier including a photoconductive layer mainly composed of selenium-arsenic; a second step for supplying a developing agent with a Vickers hardness ranging from 3 to 50, both inclusive, thereby developing the latent image into a visible image, said Vickers hardness of the developing agent being correlated to the Vickers hardness of the photoconductive layer ranging from 100 to 150; a third step for transferring the visible image to the surface of the recording medium; and a fourth step for removing the developing agent remaining on the image carrier after the third step, by temporarily contacting a cleaning blade onto the image carrier.

Claim 13

The method according to claim 9, further comprising a firth step for fixing the visible image transferred to the surface of the recording medium, said fifth step following the third step.

Claim 14

The method according to claim 10, wherein said developing agent is fixed to the surface of the recording medium by being subjected to a pressure, and pressure-fixing is executed in said fifth step.

Claim 15

The method according to claim 11, wherein said fifth step includes fixing the visible image to the recording medium in a manner such that the recording medium with the visible image transferred thereto is held between two rollers.

Claim 16

An image forming method comprising: a first step for forming a latent image on an image carrier in accordance with an image, said image carrier including a photoconductive layer mainly composed of selenium-tellurium; a second step for supplying a developing agent with a Vickers hardness ranging from 3 to 10, both inclusive, by touching a magnetic brush onto the image carrier, thereby developing the latent image into a visible image; a third step for transferring the visible image to the surface of a recording medium; a fourth step for pressure-fixing the visible image transferred to the surface of the recording medium, following the third step; and a fifth step for removing the developing agent remaining on the image carrier after the fourth step.

Claim 17

An image forming method comprising: a first step for forming a latent image on an image carrier in accordance with an image, said image carrier including a photoconductive layer mainly composed of selenium-tellurium; a second step for supplying a developing agent with a Vickers hardness ranging from 3 to 10, both inclusive, by touching a magnetic brush onto the image carrier, thereby developing the latent image into a visible image; a third step for transferring the visible image to the surface of a recording medium; a fourth step for pressure-fixing the visible image transferred to the surface of the recording medium, following the third step; and a fifth step for removing the developing agent remaining on the image carrier after the fourth step.

Claim 18

The method according to claim 13 wherein said fourth step includes fixing the visible image to the recording medium in a manner such that the recording medium with the visible image transferred thereto is held between two rollers.

Claim 19

An image forming method comprising: a first step for forming a latent image on an image carrier in accordance with an image, said image carrier including a photoconductive layer mainly composed of amorphous silicon; a second step for supplying a developing agent with a Vickers hardness ranging from 3 to 500, both inclusive, by touching a magnetic brush onto the image carrier, thereby developing the latent image into a visible image; a third step for transferring the visible image to the surface of a recording medium; a fourth step for pressure-fixing the visible image transferred to the surface of the recording medium, following the third step; and a fifth step for removing the developing agent remaining on the image carrier after the fourth step.

Claim 20

An image forming method comprising: a first step for forming a latent image on an image carrier in accordance with an image, said image carrier including a photoconductive layer mainly composed of amorphous silicon; a second step for supplying a developing agent with a Vickers hardness ranging from 3 to 500, both inclusive, by touching a magnetic brush onto the image carrier, thereby developing the latent image into a visible image; a third step for transferring the visible image to the surface of a recording medium; a fourth step for pressure-fixing the visible image transferred to the surface of the recording medium, following the third step; and a fifth step for removing the developing agent remaining on the image carrier after the fourth step.

Claim 21

The method according to claim 15, wherein said fourth step includes fixing the visible image to the recording medium in a manner such that the recording medium with the visible image transferred thereto is held between two rollers.

Claim 22

The method according to claim 15, wherein said photoconductive layer has a Vickers hardness ranging from 1000 to 1500.

Claim 23

An image forming method comprising: a first step for forming a latent image on image carrier in accordance with an image, said image carrier including a photoconductive layer mainly composed of selenium-arsenic; a second step for supplying a developing agent with a Vickers hardness ranging from 3 to 50, both inclusive, by touching a magnetic brush onto the image carrier, thereby developing the latent image into a visible image; a third step for transferring the visible image to the surface of the recording medium; a fourth step for pressure-fixing the visible image transferred to the surface of the recording medium, following the third step; and a fifth step for removing the developing agent remaining on the image carrier after the fourth step.

Claim 24

An image forming method comprising: a first step for forming a latent image on image carrier in accordance with an image, said image carrier including a photoconductive layer mainly composed of selenium-arsenic; a second step for supplying a developing agent with a Vickers hardness ranging from 3 to 50, both inclusive, by touching a magnetic brush onto the image carrier, thereby developing the latent image into a visible image; a third step for transferring the visible image to the surface of the recording medium; a fourth step for pressure-fixing the visible image transferred to the surface of the recording medium, following the third step; and a fifth step for removing the developing agent remaining on the image carrier after the fourth step.

Claim 25

The method according to claim 18, wherein said fourth step includes fixing the visible image to the recording medium in a manner such that the recording medium with the visible image transferred thereto is held between two rollers.

Claim 26

The method according to claim 18, wherein said photoconductive layer has a Vickers hardness ranging from 100 to 150.

Claim 27

The method according to claim 13 wherein said photoconductive layer has a Vickers hardness ranging from 30 to 40.