CHARGING MEMBER, ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC DEVICE, AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a charging member capable of stably charging a charged body while suppressing attachment of a toner and an external additive to a surface of an elastic layer of a charging member and suppressing permanent deformation of a contact portion of the elastic layer.SOLUTION: A charging member includes a core grid 11 and an electrically conductive elastic layer 12. The universal hardness of the elastic layer is smaller in a deeper position from the surface of the elastic layer. Regarding the universal hardness of the charging member at a center portion and opposite end portions in a longitudinal direction, the universal hardness is higher at the opposite end portions than at the center position on the surface of the elastic layer, and is higher at the center position than at the opposite end portions in the depth of t μm from the surface of the elastic layer.