US Patent 7459257 Image forming apparatus and image forming method

An image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises an image carrier, a lubricant application device that applies a first lubricant to the image carrier surface, and a developing device that houses a developer to which a second lubricant is added and develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier. Here, the pure water contact angle θ1 of the first lubricant and the pure water contact angle θ2 of the second lubricant have the following relationship, θ1≦θ2. Furthermore, a frictional coefficient of the second lubricant may be larger than a frictional coefficient of the first lubricant.