Image transferring device for an image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image carrier for carrying a toner image thereon;
• lubricant feeding means for feeding a lubricant to said image carrier;
• an endless rotatable transfer member for conveying a recording medium to which the toner image is to be transferred from said image carrier, and for contacting a surface of said image carrier to which the lubricant has been fed;
• an endless rotatable transfer member for conveying a recording medium to which the toner image is to be transferred from said image carrier, and for contacting a surface of said image carrier to which the lubricant has been fed;
• moving means for selectively moving said transfer member to a position where said transfer member contacts said image carrier or to a position where said transfer member is spaced from said image carrier, wherein said transfer member is caused to contact said image carrier during a non-image transfer period of a non-medium pass period.

An imaging forming apparatus comprising:

• an image carrier for carrying a toner image thereon;
• lubricant feeding means for feeding a lubricant to said image carrier;
• an endless rotatable transfer member for conveying a recording medium to which the toner image is to be transferred from said image carrier, and for contacting a surface of said image carrier to which the lubricant has been fed;
• moving means for selectively moving said transfer member to a position where said transfer member contacts said image carrier or to a position where said transfer member is spaced from said image carrier;
• wherein an amount of lubricant consumption of said lubricant feeding means ranges from 1.times.10.sup.4 mN/sec to 1.5.times.10.sup.-3 mN/sec.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image carrier for carrying a toner image thereon;
• an endless rotatable transfer member for conveying a recording medium to which the toner image is to be transferred from said image carrier, and for contacting a surface of said image carrier;
• and
• lubricant feeding means for feeding a lubricant to a surface of said transfer member, wherein said lubricant feeding means is located at non-image zones of said transfer member.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image carrier for carrying a toner image thereon;
• an endless rotatable transfer member for conveying a recording medium to which the toner image is to be transferred from said image carrier, and for contacting a surface of said image carrier;
• lubricant feeding means for feeding a lubricant to a surface of said transfer member;
• moving means for selectively moving said transfer member to a position where said transfer member contacts said lubricant feeding means or to a position where said transfer member is spaced from said lubricant feeding means;
• control means for controlling said moving means such that said transfer member contacts said lubricant feeding means at a start of operation of said apparatus;
• wherein said moving means selectively moves said transfer member to said position where said transfer member contacts said lubricant feeding means or to said position where said transfer member is spaced from said lubricant feeding means, and selectively moves said transfer member to a position where said transfer member contacts said image carrier or to a position where said transfer member is spaced from said image carrier.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image carrier for carrying a toner image thereon;
• an endless rotatable transfer member for conveying a recording medium to which the toner image is to be transferred from said image carrier, and for contacting a surface of said image carrier;
• lubricant feeding means for feeding a lubricant to a surface of said transfer member;
• moving means for selectively moving said transfer member to a position where said transfer member contacts said lubricant feeding means or to a position where said transfer member is spaced from said lubricant feeding means;
• and
• control means for causing said transfer member to contact said lubricant feeding means at an end of an image transfer.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image carrier for carrying a toner image thereon;
• an endless rotatable transfer member for conveying a recording medium to which the toner image is to be transferred from said image carrier, and for contacting a surface of said image carrier;
• lubricant feeding means for feeding a lubricant to a surface of said transfer member;
• moving means for selectively moving said transfer member to a position where said transfer member contacts said lubricant feeding means or to a position where said transfer member is spaced from said lubricant feeding means;
• control means for controlling said moving means such that said transfer member contacts said lubricant feeding means at a start and an end of an image forming operation of said apparatus;
• wherein said moving means selectively moves said transfer member to said position where said transfer member contacts said lubricant feeding means or to said position where said transfer member is spaced from said lubricant feeding means, and selectively moves said transfer member to a position where said transfer member contacts said image carrier or to a position where said transfer member is spaced from said image carrier.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image carrier for carrying a toner image thereon;
• an endless rotatable transfer member for conveying a recording medium to which the toner image is to be transferred from said image carrier, and for contacting a surface of said image carrier;
• lubricant feeding means for feeding a lubricant to a surface of said transfer member;
• moving means for selectively moving said transfer member to a position where said transfer member contacts said lubricant feeding means or to a position where said transfer member is spaced from said lubricant feeding means;
• wherein said moving means selectively moves said transfer member to said position where said transfer member contacts said lubricant feeding means or to said position where said transfer member is spaced from said lubricant feeding means, and selectively moves said transfer member to a position where said transfer member contacts said image carrier or to a position where said transfer member is spaced from said image carrier.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image carrier for carrying a toner image thereon;
• an endless rotatable transfer member for conveying a recording medium to which the toner image is to be transferred from said image carrier, and for contacting a surface of said image carrier;
• and
• lubricant feeding means for feeding a lubricant to a surface of said transfer member;
• a cleaning device for cleaning said transfer member, wherein said lubricant feeding means is located downstream of said cleaning device with respect to a direction of rotation of said transfer member, but upstream of a nip between said image carrier and said transfer member in said direction;
• and
• moving means for selectively moving said transfer member to a position where said transfer member contacts said lubricant feeding means or to a position where said transfer member is spaced from said lubricant feeding means.

An image forming method comprising the steps of:

• causing an image carrier to rotate in response to an image formation start command, and causing lubricant feeding means to feed a lubricant to said image carrier;
• causing moving means to bring an endless transfer member into contact with said image carrier being rotated;
• and
• causing the lubricant to be transferred from said image carrier directly to a surface of said transfer member before a transfer of a toner image from said image carrier to a recording medium which is conveyed by said transfer member.