Electrophotographic image forming method and apparatus

A process cartridge comprising:

• a photoreceptor configured to bear an electrostatic latent image while rotating in a direction;
• and
• at least one of a latent image former cooperatively associated with said photoreceptor to form the electrostatic latent image on a surface of the photoreceptor;
• an image developer cooperatively associated with said photoreceptor to develop the electrostatic latent image with a developer,
• wherein the developer comprises a toner;
• an image transfer device cooperatively associated with said photoreceptor to transfer the toner image onto a receiving material;
• and
• a cleaner cooperatively associated with said photoreceptor to remove the toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor while contacting the surface of the photoreceptor,
• wherein the surface of the photoreceptor has a maximum height not greater than about 3 μm in a part of a profile of the surface of the photoreceptor, in a sampling range of about 50 μm in a direction perpendicular to the rotating direction of the photoreceptor, and
• wherein the photoreceptor comprises,
• an electroconductive substrate,
• a photosensitive layer located overlying the substrate, and
• a protective layer located overlying the photosensitive layer, wherein the protective layer comprises a filler.

A process cartridge comprising:

• a photoreceptor configured to bear an electrostatic latent image while rotating in a direction;
• and
• at least one of a latent image former cooperatively associated with said photoreceptor to form the electrostatic latent image on a surface of the photoreceptor;
• an image developer cooperatively associated with said photoreceptor to develop the electrostatic latent image with a developer;
• wherein the developer comprises a toner;
• an image transfer device cooperatively associated with said photoreceptor to transfer the toner image onto a receiving material;
• and
• a cleaner cooperatively associated with said photoreceptor to remove the toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor while contacting the surface of the photoreceptor,
• wherein the surface of the photoreceptor has a friction coefficient of from about 0.3 to about 0.5,
• wherein the photoreceptor comprises,
• an electroconductive substrate,
• a photosensitive layer located overlying the substrate, and
• a protective layer located overlying the photosensitive layer, wherein the protective layer comprises a filler, and
• wherein the surface of the photoreceptor includes ridges and grooves.

An image forming method comprising the steps of:

• forming an electrostatic latent image on a surface of a photoreceptor while rotating the photoreceptor in a direction;
• developing the latent image with a developer comprising a toner;
• transferring the toner image onto a receiving material;
• and
• controlling a roughness of the surface of the photoreceptor such that the maximum height of the surface of the photoreceptor is not greater than about 3 μm in a part of a profile of the surface of the photoreceptor, in a sampling range of about 50 μm in a direction perpendicular to the rotating direction of the photoreceptor.

An image forming method comprising:

• forming an electrostatic latent image on a surface of a photoreceptor;
• developing the latent image with a developer comprising a toner;
• transferring the toner image onto a receiving material;
• controlling a friction coefficient of the surface of the photoreceptor to be from about 0.3 to about 0.5, and
• forming ridges and grooves on the surface of the photoreceptor.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• means for forming an electrostatic latent image on a surface of a photoreceptor;
• means for developing the latent image with a developer comprising a toner to form a toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor;
• means for transferring the toner image onto a receiving material;
• and
• means for controlling a roughness of the surface of the photoreceptor such that the maximum height of the surface of the photoreceptor is not greater than about 3 μm in a part of a profile of the surface of the photoreceptor, in a range of about 50 μm in a direction perpendicular to the rotating direction of the photoreceptor.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• means for forming an electrostatic latent image on a surface of a photoreceptor;
• means for developing the latent image with a developer comprising a toner to form a toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor;
• means for transferring the toner image onto a receiving material;
• means for controlling a friction coefficient of the surface of the photoreceptor to be from about 0.3 to 0.5;
• and
• means for forming ridges and grooves on the surface of the photoreceptor.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a photoreceptor configured to bear an electrostatic latent image on a surface thereof while rotating in a direction;
• a latent image former cooperatively associated with said photoreceptor to form the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor;
• an image developer cooperatively associated with said photoreceptor to develop the electrostatic latent image with a developer, wherein the developer comprises a toner;
• an image transfer device cooperatively associated with said photoreceptor to transfer the toner image onto a receiving material;
• a cleaner cooperatively associated with said photoreceptor to remove the toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor while contacting the surface of the photoreceptor;
• and
• a surface condition controller configured to control a condition of the surface of the photoreceptor,
• wherein the photoreceptor comprises:
• an electroconductive substrate,
• a photosensitive layer located overlying the substrate,
• a protective layer located overlying the photosensitive layer, wherein the protective layer comprises a filler,
• the surface of the photoreceptor includes ridges and grooves, and
• wherein the surface condition controller controls the condition of the surface of the photoreceptor such that the surface of the photoreceptor maintains a maximum height not greater than about 3 μm in a part of a profile of the surface of the photoreceptor, in a sampling range of about 50 μm in a direction perpendicular to the rotating direction of the photoreceptor.