Lubricant supplying device, image forming apparatus, and process cartridge

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• an image carrier;
• and
• a lubricant supplying unit that supplies lubricant on a surface of the image carrier, wherein
• the lubricant supplying unit is a lubricant supplying device including:
• lubricant;
• a supplying member that supplies the lubricant to a lubricant supply target;
• a housing case that houses the lubricant;
• a pushing mechanism that includes a pair of swing members supported swingably in the housing case and a biasing unit urging the pair of swing members to swing, and in which the swing members swing while sliding on an inner surface of the housing case by a biasing force of the biasing unit to push the lubricant to the supplying member;
• and
• a remaining amount detecting unit that detects that a remaining amount of the lubricant is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount, the remaining amount detecting unit including:
• first detection members provided at respective positions different from respective sliding areas of the member on which the swing members slide, on which sliding areas the respective swing members slide;
• and
• second detection members attached to the respective swing members such that the second detection members abut or face the respective first detection members when swing postures of the respective swing members reach respective swing postures corresponding to the remaining amount of the lubricant is the predetermined amount.

A process cartridge, comprising:

• an image carrier;
• and
• a lubricant supplying unit that supplies lubricant to a surface of the image carrier, wherein
• the process cartridge is attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus body, and
• the lubricant supplying unit is a lubricant supplying device includes:
• lubricant;
• a supplying member that supplies the lubricant to a lubricant supply target;
• a housing case that houses the lubricant;
• a pushing mechanism that includes a pair of swing members supported swingably in the housing case and a biasing unit urging the pair of swing members to swing, and in which the swing members swing while sliding on an inner surface of the housing case by a biasing force of the biasing unit to push the lubricant to the supplying member;
• and
• a remaining amount detecting unit that detects that a remaining amount of the lubricant is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount, the remaining amount detecting unit including:
• first detection members provided at respective positions different from respective sliding areas of the member on which the swing members slide, on which sliding areas the respective swing members slide;
• and
• second detection members attached to the respective swing members such that the second detection members abut or face the respective first detection members when swing postures of the respective swing members reach respective swing postures corresponding to the remaining amount of the lubricant is the predetermined amount.