Image formation apparatus and process cartridge including a trickle development system and a cleanerless system

An image formation apparatus, comprising:

• an image support member on which a latent image is formed;
• a developing unit that houses developer having carrier and toner, develops the latent image formed on the image support member, and recovers untransferred toner remaining on the image support member;
• a carrier supply unit that supplies carrier to the developing unit;
• carrier discharge means that discharges carrier housed in the developing unit to outside of the developing unit;
• and
• lubricant supply means that supplies lubricant onto the image support member, the lubricant supply means including a contact member configured to freely engage and disengage to and from the image support member,
• wherein the contact member is controlled to be separated from the image support member when image formation is implemented on the image support member, and to contact the image support member when image formation is not implemented on the image support member.

An image formation apparatus, comprising:

• an image support member on which a latent image is formed;
• a developing unit that houses developer having carrier and toner, develops the latent image formed on the image support member, and recovers untransferred toner remaining on the image support member;
• a carrier supply unit that supplies carrier to the developing unit;
• carrier discharge means that discharges carrier housed in the developing unit to outside of the developing unit;
• lubricant supply means that supplies lubricant onto the image support member;
• a charge unit that charges the image support member;
• and
• a transfer member that transfers the developed image formed on the image support member to a transfer receiving material, wherein
• the carrier discharge means is means by which the carrier housed in the developing unit is made to adhere to the image support member by varying a charge potential formed on the image support member by the charge unit, and the adhering carrier is removed from the image support member by varying a transfer electric field formed by the transfer member.

A process cartridge to be installed by freely attaching to and detaching from an image formation apparatus, the process cartridge comprising:

• an image support member on which a latent image is formed;
• a developing unit that houses developer having carrier and toner, develops the latent image formed on the image support member, and recovers untransferred toner remaining on the image support member;
• a carrier supply unit that supplies carrier to the developing unit;
• carrier discharge means that discharges carrier housed in the developing unit to a storage unit located outside of the developing unit;
• and
• lubricant supply means that supplies lubricant onto the image support member,
• wherein the image support member and the developing unit are unified.

An image formation apparatus, comprising:

• an image support member configured to receive a latent image thereon;
• a developing unit configured to receive developer having carrier and toner therein, to develop the latent image formed on the image support member, and to recover untransferred toner remaining on the image support member;
• a carrier supply unit configured to supply carrier to the developing unit;
• a carrier discharge unit configured to discharge carrier housed in the developing unit to a storage unit located outside of the developing unit;
• and
• a lubricant supply unit configured to supply lubricant to the image support member.