Patent ID: 8577275

Claim:
An image carrier unit comprising: an image carrier that rotates about an axis of rotation and that carries a toner image developed with a developer containing a toner on a surface thereof before the toner image is transferred to a transfer member in a transfer region where the image carrier is in contact with the transfer member; a supply section that supplies a lubricant containing a fluorocarbon resin to a surface of the image carrier downstream of the transfer region in a rotational direction of the image carrier such that the weight fraction of the fluorocarbon resin contained in the lubricant supplied after a period of time has elapsed since a predetermined point in time is higher than the weight fraction of the fluorocarbon resin contained in the lubricant supplied at the predetermined point in time; and a removing member that is disposed downstream of the supply section and upstream of the transfer region in the rotational direction in contact with the surface of the image carrier and that removes the developer remaining without being transferred to the transfer member from the surface of the image carrier.