Process cartridge, electrophotographic apparatus and image forming method

An electrophotographic apparatus comprising:

• an electrophotographic photosensitive member to carry a toner image;
• charging means to charge the electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• exposing means to form an electrostatic latent image on the electrophotographic photosensitive member charged with the charging means;
• developing means to develop with toner the electrostatic latent image on the electrophotographic photosensitive member formed with the exposing means to form a toner image on the electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• an intermediate transfer belt having a contact part with the electrophotographic photosensitive member to perform, after the primary transfer of the toner image from the electrophotographic photosensitive member to the intermediate transfer belt, secondary transfer of the primarily transferred toner image to a transfer material;
• primary transfer means to primarily transfer the toner image from the electrophotographic photosensitive member to the intermediate transfer belt at the contact part;
• electric charge providing means to give electric charges in polarity opposite to the polarity of the toner at the time of the primary transfer to the toner on the intermediate transfer belt to return the toner on the intermediate transfer belt to the electrophotographic photosensitive member at the contact part to clean the intermediate transfer belt, and
• a process cartridge integrally comprising at least the electrophotographic photosensitive member, the intermediate transfer belt, the primary transfer means and the electric charge providing means and being detachably mountable to the electrophotographic apparatus main body,
• wherein said intermediate transfer belt has an average glossiness, obtained in the circumference direction, of 30 to 90;
• a glossiness deviation of within 10;
• an average film thickness of 40 to 200 μm;
• and
• a film thickness unevenness of within ±20% relative to the average film thickness.

An image forming method comprising:

• a charging step to charge an electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• an exposing step to form an electrostatic latent image on the electrophotographic photosensitive member charged in the charging step;
• a developing step to develop with a toner the electrostatic latent image on the electrophotographic photosensitive member formed in the exposing step to form a toner image on the electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• a primary transfer step to primarily transfer the toner image formed in the developing step, with primary transfer means, from the electrophotographic photosensitive member to the intermediate transfer belt having a contact part with the electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• a secondary transfer step to secondarily transfer the toner image primarily transferred in the primary transfer step to a transfer material;
• an electric charge providing step to give electric charges in polarity opposite to the polarity of the toner at the time of the primary transfer step to the toner on the intermediate transfer belt with electric charge providing means;
• and
• an intermediate transfer belt cleaning step to return the toner on the intermediate transfer belt to the electrophotographic photosensitive member at the contact part to clean the intermediate transfer belt,
• said image forming method using the electrophotographic apparatus having a process cartridge, said process cartridge integrally comprising at least the electrophotographic photosensitive member, the intermediate transfer belt, the primary transfer means and the electric charge providing means and being detachably mountable to the electrophotographic apparatus main body,
• wherein said intermediate transfer belt has an average glossiness, obtained in the circumference direction, of 30 to 90;
• a glossiness deviation of within 10;
• an average film thickness of 40 to 200 μm;
• and
• a film thickness unevenness of within ±20% relative to the average film thickness.