Image forming apparatus

Claim 2

An image forming apparatus comprising: means for forming a latent image on a movable image bearing member; developing and cleaning means for developing the latent image with a developing agent, and for removing the developing agent remaining on the image bearing member from an earlier image therefrom while the latent image is developed; means for transferring the developed image on the image bearing member to a recording medium; means for disordering the developing agent remaining on the image bearing member after transfer of the developed image by the transferring means to render the developed image nonpatterned, the disordering means including a contact member having projections and depressions formed with a prescribed inclined angle relative to the direction intersecting at right angles the moving direction of the image bearing member; and means for applying a bias voltage to the disordering means.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact member of the disordering means comprises a brush having a plurality of fibers.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact member of the disordering means comprises a sheet.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact member of the disordering means comprises a roller having a spiral groove with projections and depressions formed thereon.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the developing agent comprises toner particles, each having a prescribed diameter, and wherein the width and depth of the projections and depressions at the contact portion of the contact member with the image bearing member are greater than the mean particle diameter of the toner particles.

Claim 7

the apparatus of claim 4 further comprising means for rotating the roller at a specified peripheral speed different from the moving speed of the image bearing member.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the prescribed inclined angle is 10° to 45° or -45° to -10°.

Claim 9

An image forming apparatus comprising: means for forming a latent image on a movable image bearing member; developing and cleaning means for developing the latent image with a developing agent, and for removing the developing agent remaining on the image bearing member from an earlier image therefrom while the latent image is developed; means for transferring the developed image on the image bearing member to a recording medium; means for disordering the developing agent remaining on the image bearing member after transfer of the developed image by the transferring means to render the developed image nonpatterned, the disordering means including a contact member having projections and depressions formed with a prescribed inclined angle relative to the direction intersecting at right angles to the moving direction of the image bearing member; and means for applying a bias voltage to the disordering means, the bias voltage including an AC voltage having a frequency of about 300 Hz to about 4 KHz and a DC voltage superimposed on the AC voltage.

Claim 10

An image forming apparatus comprising: means for forming a latent image on a movable image bearing member; developing and cleaning means for developing the latent image with a developing agent, and for removing the developing agent remaining on the image bearing member from an earlier image therefrom while the latent image is developed; means for transferring the developed image on the image bearing member to a recording medium; means for disordering the developing agent remaining on the image bearing member after transfer of the developed image by the transferring means to render the developed image nonpatterned, the disordering means including a contact member having projections and depressions formed with a prescribed inclined angle relative to the direction intersecting at right angles to the moving direction of the image bearing member; and means for applying a bias voltage to the disordering means, the bias voltage including an AC voltage having a frequency of about 300 Hz to about 4 KHz and a DC voltage superimposed on the AC voltage.

Claim 11

An image forming apparatus comprising: means for forming a latent image on a movable image bearing member; developing and cleaning means for developing the latent image with a non-magnetic one-component developing agent, and for removing the developing agent remaining on the image bearing member therefrom while the latent image is developed, the developing and cleaning means having an elastic developing roller which contacts the image bearing member, for carrying the non-magnetic one-component developing agent to the image bearing member; means for transferring the developed image on the image bearing member to a recording medium; means for disordering the developing agent remaining on the image bearing member after transfer of the developed image by the transferring means to render the developed image nonpatterned, the disordering means including a contact member having projections and depressions formed with a prescribed inclined angle including 10° to 45° or -45° to -10° relative to the direction intersecting at right angles the moving direction of the image bearing member; and means for applying a bias voltage to the disordering means; wherein the developing agent comprises toner particles each having a prescribed diameter, and wherein the width and depth of the projections and depressions at the contact portion of the contact member with the image bearing member are greater than the mean particle diameter of the toner particles.

Claim 12

An image forming apparatus comprising: means for forming a latent image on a movable image bearing member; developing and cleaning means for developing the latent image with a non-magnetic one-component developing agent, and for removing the developing agent remaining on the image bearing member therefrom while the latent image is developed, the developing and cleaning means having an elastic developing roller which contacts the image bearing member, for carrying the non-magnetic one-component developing agent to the image bearing member; means for transferring the developed image on the image bearing member to a recording medium; means for disordering the developing agent remaining on the image bearing member after transfer of the developed image by the transferring means to render the developed image nonpatterned, the disordering means including a contact member having projections and depressions formed with a prescribed inclined angle including 10° to 45° or -45° to -10° relative to the direction intersecting at right angles the moving direction of the image bearing member; and means for applying a bias voltage to the disordering means; wherein the developing agent comprises toner particles each having a prescribed diameter, and wherein the width and depth of the projections and depressions at the contact portion of the contact member with the image bearing member are greater than the mean particle diameter of the toner particles.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the contact member of the disordering means comprises a brush having a plurality of fibers.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the contact member of the disordering means comprises a sheet.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the contact member of the disordering means comprises a roller having a spiral groove to form the projections and depressions thereon.

Claim 16

An image forming apparatus comprising: means for forming a latent image on a movable image bearing member; developing and cleaning means for developing the latent image with a non-magnetic one-component developing agent, and for removing the developing agent remaining on the image bearing member therefrom while the latent image is developed, the developing and cleaning means having an elastic developing roller which contacts the image bearing member, for carrying the non-magnetic one-component developing agent to the image bearing member; means for transferring the developed image on the image bearing member to a recording medium; means for disordering the developing agent remaining on the image bearing member after transfer of the developed image by the transferring means to render the developed image nonpatterned, the disordering means including a contact member having preojections and depressions formed with a prescribed inclined angle including 5° to 60° or -60° to -5° relative to the direction intersecting at right angles the moving direction of the image bearing member; and means for applying a bias voltage to the disordering means, the bias voltage including an AC voltage having a frequency of about 300 Hz to about 4 KHz and a DC voltage superimposed on the AC voltage; wherein the developing agent comprises toner particles each having a prescribed diameter, and wherein the width and depth of the projections and depressions at the contact portion of the contact member with the image bearing member are greater than the mean particle diameter of the toner particles.

Claim 17

An image forming apparatus comprising: means for forming a latent image on a movable image bearing member; developing and cleaning means for developing the latent image with a non-magnetic one-component developing agent, and for removing the developing agent remaining on the image bearing member therefrom while the latent image is developed, the developing and cleaning means having an elastic developing roller which contacts the image bearing member, for carrying the non-magnetic one-component developing agent to the image bearing member; means for transferring the developed image on the image bearing member to a recording medium; means for disordering the developing agent remaining on the image bearing member after transfer of the developed image by the transferring means to render the developed image nonpatterned, the disordering means including a contact member having preojections and depressions formed with a prescribed inclined angle including 5° to 60° or -60° to -5° relative to the direction intersecting at right angles the moving direction of the image bearing member; and means for applying a bias voltage to the disordering means, the bias voltage including an AC voltage having a frequency of about 300 Hz to about 4 KHz and a DC voltage superimposed on the AC voltage; wherein the developing agent comprises toner particles each having a prescribed diameter, and wherein the width and depth of the projections and depressions at the contact portion of the contact member with the image bearing member are greater than the mean particle diameter of the toner particles.