Patent ID: 7097952
Filing Date: 2006-08-29
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming method, comprising: (I) a step of supplying a nonmagnetic toner onto a toner-carrying member from a supply roller and pressing and triboelectrically charging the nonmagnetic toner on the toner-carrying member with a toner application blade to form a charged layer of the nonmagnetic toner on the toner-carrying member, (II) a step of developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a latent image-bearing member with the nonmagnetic toner on the toner-carrying member to form a developed toner image on the image-bearing member, (III) a step of transferring the toner image onto a transfer material, and (IV) a step of fixing the transferred toner image, wherein the non-magnetic toner comprises: toner particles, and external additives blended with the toner particles and including (1) first inorganic fine particles having an average primary particle size of 80–800 nm of oxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, aluminum, zinc and zirconium, (2) second inorganic fine particles other than silica having an average primary particle size of below 80 nm and (3) silica fine particles having an average primary particle size of below 30 nm, and wherein the first inorganic fine particles comprise untreated inorganic fine particles, and the second inorganic fine particles comprise hydrophobized inorganic fine particles and untreated inorganic fine particles.