IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress contamination of a charging member due to excess supply of a lubricant with time, in an image forming apparatus equipped with a lubricant-applying means for applying a lubricant on a latent image carrier so as to prevent cleaning fault of the latent image carrier and filming. SOLUTION: The lubricant-applying means for applying a lubricant on a photoreceptor comprises a lubricant 17b; a brush roller 17a which is brought into contact with the lubricant and the surface of the photoreceptor; a pressure spring 17d for pressing the lubricant against the brush roller side; and a spring support member 17e which supports the pressure spring, wherein one end of the pressure spring on the lubricant side is a free end, the other end is supported by the spring support member. The spring support member is disposed so that the interval between the spring support member and the lubricant is kept smaller than the free length of the pressure spring in the initial stages; and so that when the volume of the lubricant decreases with time, the interval between the spring support member and the lubricant is larger than the free length of the pressure spring. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT