Patent ID: 9529291
Filing Date: 2016-12-27
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an electrophotographic photoreceptor that includes a charge generation layer, a charge transport layer, and an overcoat layer on an electroconductive substrate; a charging unit that charges a surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor; an electrostatic latent image forming unit that forms an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor; a developing unit that stores a developer containing a toner and develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor by using the developer so as to form a toner image; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a surface of a recording medium; a cleaning unit that includes a cleaning blade which contacts with the electrophotographic photoreceptor and removes residual substances on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor; and a fixation unit that fixes the toner image transferred to the recording medium, wherein the toner contains a binder resin, a colorant, and a release agent and has a sea and island structure of a sea portion containing the binder resin and an island portion containing the release agent, a maximum frequent value in distribution of the following eccentricity B of the island portion containing the release agent is in a range of from 0.75 to 0.95, and a skewness in the distribution of the following eccentricity B is in a range of from −1.10 to −0.50, the eccentricity B being represented by the following expression (1): wherein D indicates an equivalent circle diameter (μm) of the toner in an observation of a cross-section of the toner, and d indicates a distance (μm) from the centroid of the toner to the centroid of the island portion containing the release agent in the observation of a cross-section of the toner.