Patent ID: 7177581

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a photosensitive member; charging means for charging said photosensitive member; developing means for developing an electrostatic image formed on said photosensitive member by a developer; cleaning means for removing the developer residual on said photosensitive member; rubbing means provided upstream of said cleaning means in a direction of rotation of said photosensitive member for rubbing said photosensitive member to assist said cleaning means in cleaning; and controlling means for controlling a surface temperature of said photosensitive member, wherein said photosensitive member has HU (universal hardness value) of 150 N/mm 2 or greater and 220 N/mm 2 or less, and an elastic deformation rate of 43% or greater and 65% or less, wherein said rubbing means is provided with a rubbing member driven at a peripheral speed of −150% through +150% relative to a peripheral speed of said photosensitive member, and wherein when the peripheral speed of said photosensitive member is defined as S mm/sec., and a peripheral speed difference between the peripheral speed of said rubbing member and the peripheral speed of said photosensitive member is defined as ΔS mm/sec., and the surface temperature of said photosensitive member is defined as Td K, and an abutting pressure of said rubbing member against said photosensitive member per unit length of said photosensitive member in a longitudinal direction thereof is defined as Ps gf/cm, 1 E 0 ≦ΔS×Ps×Td/S 2 ≦5 E 2 is satisfied.