Image forming apparatus having paper-dust removing devices

An image forming cartridge detachably mounted to an image forming apparatus, the image forming cartridge comprising:

• an image bearing body having a surface that bears thereon a visible image that is formed through development of an electrostatic latent image by developing agent and that moves along a predetermined moving path in a predetermined moving direction to carry the visible image to a predetermined transfer position;
• a first paper dust removing member that is positioned in a first predetermined position along the moving path downstream from the predetermined transfer position in the moving direction, the first paper dust removing member contacting the surface of the image bearing body to remove a first component in paper dust that clings to the surface of the image bearing body;
• and
• a second paper dust removing member that is positioned in a second predetermined position along the moving path downstream from the first predetermined position in the moving direction, the second paper dust removing member contacting the surface of the image bearing body to remove a second component in the paper dust.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• an image bearing body having a surface that bears thereon a visible image which is formed through development of an electrostatic latent image by developing agent, the image bearing body moving along a predetermined moving path to thereby convey the visible image to a predetermined transfer position;
• a transfer member located on the transfer position for transferring the visible image from the image bearing body onto a recording medium;
• a paper dust removing member for removing paper dust clinging to the surface of the image bearing body after the visible image is transferred from the image bearing body onto the recording medium,
• wherein the paper dust removing member includes:
• a base member that is located in the vicinity of the moving path, along which the image bearing body moves, the base member being separated from the image bearing body with a predetermined amount of gap;
• and
• a sheet-shaped contact member that is made of fibers and formed in a sheet shape, the sheet-shaped contact member being supported by the base member to allow its contact portion to contact the image bearing body, the contact portion being separated from the base member,
• wherein the sheet-shaped contact member is made from either one of a non-woven fabric, a woven fabric, and a knitted material.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• an image bearing body having a surface that bears thereon a visible image which is formed through development of an electrostatic latent image by developing agent, the image bearing body moving along a predetermined moving path to thereby convey the visible image to a predetermined transfer position;
• a transfer member located on the transfer position for transferring the visible image from the image bearing body onto a recording medium;
• a paper dust removing member for removing paper dust clinging to the surface of the image bearing body after the visible image is transferred from the image bearing body onto the recording medium,
• wherein the paper dust removing member includes:
• a base member that is located in the vicinity of the moving path, along which the image bearing body moves, the base member being separated from the image bearing body with a predetermined amount of gap;
• and
• a contact member that is made of fibers and that is supported by the base member to allow its portion to contact the image bearing body,
• wherein the base member is located vertically higher than the portion of the contact member that contacts the image bearing body, the contact member hanging down from the base member due to a gravitational force to contact the image bearing body.

an image forming apparatus, comprising:

• an image bearing body having a surface that bears thereon a visible image which is formed through development of an electrostatic latent image by developing agent, the image bearing body moving along a predetermined moving path in a predetermined moving direction to thereby convey the visible image to a predetermined transfer position;
• a transfer member located on the transfer position for transferring the visible image from the image bearing body onto a recording medium;
• a supporting member that is located with a gap being formed between the support member and the image bearing body;
• a paper dust removing member, supported by the support member, for removing paper dust clinging to the surface of the image bearing body after the visible image is transferred from the image bearing body onto the recording medium,
• wherein the paper dust removing member includes:
• a resilient base member that is located in the vicinity of the moving path, along which the image bearing body moves, the resilient base member being formed from resilient material and being elongated in a direction intersecting with the moving direction in which the image bearing body moves;
• and
• a contact member that is made of fibers and that is located between the resilient base member and the image bearing body, the contact member being applied with an urging force from the resilient base member to thereby contact the image bearing body,
• wherein the resilient base member has a cross-section along a plane normal to the elongated direction of the resilient base member, the cross-section having four sides,
• wherein one side of the four-sided cross-section, at which the resilient base member is fixed to the support member, is shorter than two sides that extend to protrude from the support member in a direction toward the image bearing body, and
• wherein when the image bearing body moves, the free end of the resilient base member that protrudes away from the support member resiliently deforms in the moving direction, in which the image bearing body moves, the contact member contacting the image bearing body surface on a corner edge of the resilient base member that is located on the deformed free end at an upstream side with respect to the moving direction.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• an image bearing body having a surface that bears thereon a visible image which is formed through development of an electrostatic latent image by developing agent, the image bearing body moving along a predetermined moving path in a predetermined moving direction to thereby convey the visible image to a predetermined transfer position;
• a transfer member located on the transfer position for transferring the visible image from the image bearing body onto a recording medium;
• a support member that is located with a gap being formed between the support member and the image bearing body;
• a paper dust removing member, supported by the support member, for removing paper dust clinging to the surface of the image bearing body after the visible image is transferred from the image bearing body onto the recording medium,
• wherein the paper dust removing member includes:
• a resilient base member that is located in the vicinity of the moving path, along which the image bearing body moves, the resilient base member being formed from foam resilient material and being elongated in a direction intersecting with the moving direction in which the image bearing body moves;
• and
• a contact member that is made of fibers, that is formed from either one of a non-woven fabric, a woven fabric, and a knitted material, and that is located between the resilient base member and the image bearing body, the contact member being applied with an urging force from the resilient base member to thereby contact the image bearing body,
• the resilient base member having a support side that is fixed to the support member and a protrusion portion that protrudes from the support side in a direction toward the image bearing body, the protrusion portion having a cross-section along a plane normal to the elongated direction of the resilient base member, the cross-section having at least two sides and a corner edge portion therebetween, the corner edge portion confronting the image bearing body, the contact member being provided to extend from at least a part of one side among the at least two sides toward at least a part of another side among the at least two sides over the corner edge portion, the corner edge portion of the resilient base member causing the contact member to contact the image bearing body surface along the direction intersecting with the moving direction, the contact member being located between the corner edge portion of the resilient base member and the image bearing body.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• an image bearing body having a surface that bears thereon a visible image which is formed through development of an electrostatic latent image by developing agent, the image bearing body conveying the visible image to a predetermined transfer position;
• a transfer member located on the transfer portion for transferring the visible image from the image bearing body onto a recording medium;
• a paper dust removing member for removing paper dust clinging to the surface of the image bearing body after the visible image is transferred from the image bearing body onto the recording medium,
• wherein the paper dust removing member includes:
• a sheet-shaped base member that is formed in a sheet shape;
• and
• a contact member that is made of fibers, that is formed from either one of a non-woven fabric, a woven fabric, and a knitted material, and that is attached to a tip end of the sheet-shaped base member, the base member being positioned relative to the image bearing body so as to resiliently bend in the same direction with the moving direction in which the image bearing body moves at least when the image bearing body is driven to move, thereby causing the contact member to contact the image bearing body.