# US 9,436,114 B2 · Image forming apparatus and image forming unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,436,114 B2 - Document ID: US9436114B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/603,004 - Filed: 2015-01-22 - Published: 2016-02-11 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-08 - Assignees: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Ichiro Kawahara; Hiroki Ando; Mikio Yamaguchi; Hirofumi Iida; Keishi Araki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9436114B2 ## CPC - G03G 15/02: for laying down a uniform charge, e.g. for sensitising; Corona discharge devices (G03G15/14 takes precedence) - G03G 15/0216: {by bringing a charging member into contact with the member to be charged, e.g. roller, brush chargers} - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image holder that is provided to be rotatable, and a charging member that includes a charging member main body and a cover member, in which an outer circumferential surface of the cover member is disposed to be in contact with the image holder, and that charges the image holder, wherein a circumferential speed of one member of the rotating image holder and the rotating charging member main body is greater than a circumferential speed of the other member, and wherein the cover member moves to follow a movement of the one member at a contact portion where the cover member and the image holder come into contact with each other, and a portion of the cover member that is positioned on an upstream side of the contact portion is drawn toward a downstream side. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus comprising: an image holder that is provided to be rotatable; and a charging member that includes a charging member main body that has an outer circumferential surface and that is provided to be rotatable and a cover member that covers an outer circumferential surface of the charging member main body which is a separate member from the charging member main body, in which an outer circumferential surface of the cover member is disposed to be in contact with the image holder, and that charges the image holder, wherein the image holder and the charging member main body are the only rotating devices which are used to rotate the cover member around the charging member main body, wherein a circumferential speed of one member of the rotating image holder and the rotating charging member main body is greater than a circumferential speed of the other member, and wherein the cover member moves to follow a movement of the one member at a contact portion where the cover member and the image holder come into contact with each other, and a portion of the cover member that is positioned on an upstream side of the contact portion is drawn toward a downstream side of the contact portion so that a shape of the cover member is asymmetric between the upstream side of the contact portion and the downstream side of the contact portion and so that the cover member contacts the charging member main body at location other than the contact portion on an upstream side of the charging member main body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circumferential speed of the image holder is greater than the circumferential speed of the charging member main body, and wherein the cover member moves to follow a movement of the image holder at the contact portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a rotational driving force is supplied to the charging member main body from one end side of one end side and the other end side of the charging member main body in the axial direction, and the rotational driving force is not supplied from the other end. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein by pressing a braking member against the other member, a circumferential speed of the other member is less than the circumferential speed of the one member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the charging member main body is formed of a sponge. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the charging member main body is formed of a sponge. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein by pressing a braking member against the other member, a circumferential speed of the other member is less than the circumferential speed of the one member. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the charging member main body is formed of a sponge. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the charging member main body is formed of a sponge. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rotational driving force is supplied to the charging member main body from one end side of one end side and the other end side of the charging member main body in the axial direction, and the rotational driving force is not supplied from the other end. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein by pressing a braking member against the other member, a circumferential speed of the other member is less than the circumferential speed of the one member. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the charging member main body is formed of a sponge. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the charging member main body is formed of a sponge. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein by pressing a braking member against the other member, a circumferential speed of the other member is less than the circumferential speed of the one member. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the charging member main body is formed of a sponge. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charging member main body is formed of a sponge. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is divided into a first side and a second side by a plane that goes through the contact portion and a center of the charging member main body, and wherein, in response to the portion of the cover member that is positioned on an upstream side of the contact portion being drawn toward a downstream side, the cover member has an asymmetric shape between the first and second sides along the plane. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circumferential speed of one member of the rotating image holder and the rotating charging member main body is between 1% and 20% greater than the circumferential speed of the other member. ### Claim 19 An image forming unit comprising: an image holder that is provided to be rotatable and is attachable to and detachable from a main body of an image forming apparatus; and a charging member that includes a charging member main body that has an outer circumferential surface and that is provided to be rotatable and a cover member that covers an outer circumferential surface of the charging member main body which is a separate member from the charging member main body, in which an outer circumferential surface of the cover member is disposed to be in contact with the image holder, and that charges the image holder, wherein the image holder and the charging member main body are the only rotating devices which are used to rotate the cover member around the charging member main body, wherein a circumferential speed of one member of the rotating image holder and the rotating charging member main body is greater than a circumferential speed of the other member, and wherein the cover member moves to follow a movement of the one member at a contact portion where the cover member and the image holder come into contact with each other, and a portion of the cover member that is positioned on an upstream side of the contact portion is drawn toward a downstream side of the contact portion so that the cover member becomes deformed to have an asymmetric shape between the upstream side of the contact portion and the downstream side of the contact portion and so that the cover member contacts the charging member main body at location other than the contact portion on an upstream side of the charging member main body.