Image forming apparatus, process cartridge, and image forming method

A process cartridge, comprising:

• an image bearing member;
• a charging unit configured to charge a surface of the image bearing member;
• and
• a cleaning unit including a cleaning blade configured to remove a toner remaining on the image bearing member,
• wherein the charging unit comprises a charging roller that is brought into contact with the image bearing member for charging, the charging roller abutting the image bearing member at a pressing force of 10 mN/cm to 1,000 mN/cm,
• wherein the cleaning blade comprises an elastic member that abuts the surface of the image bearing member to remove a residue attached to the surface of the image bearing member, and
• wherein an abutment part of the elastic member, which abuts the surface of the image bearing member, comprises a cured product of an ultraviolet curable composition containing a (meth)acrylate compound having an alicyclic structure having 6 or more carbon atoms in a molecule.

An image forming method, comprising:

• charging a surface of an image bearing member;
• exposing the charged surface of the image bearing member to light, to thereby form an electrostatic latent image;
• developing the electrostatic latent image with a toner to form a visible image;
• transferring the visible image to a recording medium;
• fixing the transferred visible image on the recording medium;
• removing the toner remaining on the image bearing member by a cleaning blade,
• wherein the charging is performed by a charging unit, and the charging unit comprises a charging roller that is brought into contact with the image bearing member for charging, the charging roller abutting the image bearing member at a pressing force of 10 mN/cm to 1,000 mN/cm,
• wherein the cleaning blade comprises an elastic member that abuts the surface of the image bearing member to remove a residue attached to the surface of the image bearing member, and
• wherein an abutment part of the elastic member, which abuts the surface of the image bearing member, comprises a cured product of an ultraviolet curable composition containing a (meth)acrylate compound having an alicyclic structure having 6 or more carbon atoms in a molecule.