Patent ID: 6160977
Filing Date: 2000-12-12
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
A device for applying a lubricant to an image carrier included in an image forming apparatus of a type sequentially executing charging, exposure, development and image transfer for temporarily carrying a toner image thereon, said device comprising:a lubricant applying member rotatable in contact with the image carrier for applying, at a position where said lubricant applying member contacts said image carrier, the lubricant to a surface of said image carrier while deforming a contour of said lubricant applying member in accordance with a bite of said surface of said image carrier; andlubricant providing means for providing the lubricant to said lubricant applying member and having a preselected thickness t;wherein the surface of the image carrier bites into said lubricant applying member by an amount T while said lubricant providing means bites into said lubricant applying member by an amount t' smaller than said amount T, but substantially equal to or slightly greater than the thickness t.