Image forming apparatus including a lubricant applying device configured to apply lubricant to an image carrier

A process cartridge comprising:

• an image carrier on which a latent image is formed;
• a charging device that charges the image carrier;
• a developing device that develops the latent image to form a toner image on the image carrier;
• a cleaning device that removes toner remaining on the image carrier after the toner image is transferred onto a recording medium;
• and
• a lubricant applying device that applies a lubricant to the image carrier, wherein
• the lubricant applying devices includes:
• a solid lubricant,
• a lubricant supply roller that applies the lubricant to the image carrier by coming into contact with the solid lubricant and the image carrier, and
• a lubricant smoothing blade having a first surface, the first surface configured to come into contact with the image carrier to smooth the lubricant applied on the image carrier, the first surface and the image carrier being substantially parallel when the first surface comes into contact with the image carrier;
• the first surface comes into contact with the image carrier in a trailing direction, and
• the lubricant smoothing blade is arranged such that a distal end thereof that does not contact the image carrier is oriented toward a center of the image carrier.

A lubricant applying device comprising:

• a solid lubricant;
• a lubricant supply roller that applies lubricant to an image carrier by coming into contact with the solid lubricant and the image carrier;
• and
• a lubricant smoothing blade having a first surface, the first surface configured to come into contact with the image carrier to smooth the lubricant applied on the image carrier, the first surface and the image carrier being substantially parallel when the first surface comes into contact with the image carrier, wherein
• the first surface comes into contact with the image carrier in a trailing direction, and
• the lubricant smoothing blade is arranged such that a distal end thereof that does not contact the image carrier is oriented toward a center of the image carrier.