Coating method image-bearing member protecting agent, the image-bearing member protecting agent, a protective layer forming device, method of manufacturing the image-bearing member protecting agent, an image forming method, image forming apparatus and process cartridge

摘要

The present invention provides an image-bearing member protecting agent, which has a block shape (38) and is used in an image forming process where the image-bearing member protecting agent is applied or attached to a surface of an image bearing member while being scraped off with a roll-shaped brush (22) , the image-bearing member protecting agent including: a fatty acid metal salt, wherein the image-bearing member protecting agent includes a plurality of small blocks (38a) and has such an orientation that one or more of the small blocks are easily separated from other small blocks, and a plurality of oriented surfaces (38c) of the plurality of small blocks are arranged in a laminated state in a substantially same direction.