Electrically conductive member, process cartridge and image forming apparatus

摘要

An electrical conductive member is configured to prevent a shape distortion in gap retaining members caused by that the gap retaining members are fitted to an end surface of an electric resistance adjusting layer, and to be able to maintain a gap between the electric resistance adjusting layer and an image carrier for a long-term in a constant state with a high accuracy. This is achieved by an electrically conductive member (3) comprising: a conductive supporter (10); an electric resistance adjusting layer (11) provided on a peripheral surface of said conductive supporter (10); and gap retaining members (12) provided on both end sides of said electric resistance adjusting layer (11), wherein an outer peripheral surface (12a) of each of the gap retaining members (12) abuts with each of the both end sides of an image carrier (2) provided adjacent to said electric resistance adjusting layer (11) to form a predetermined gap (G) therebetween; wherein said electric resistance adjusting layer (11) has at least one step provided in the vicinity of each of both ends in a longitudinal direction, and an inner peripheral surface of each of said gap retaining members (12) is fixed by abutting with one of the surfaces forming each of the steps (11b) of said electric resistance adjusting layer (11), and characterised in that an inner end surface (12b) of each of said gap retaining members (12) is out of contact with the most inner end surface forming each of the steps (11a).