CHARGING MEMBER, CHARGING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

摘要

PURPOSE: To ensure uniform charging in a charging member 2 for contact charging using conductive particles 40 and a charging device using the charging member 2, and to steadily obtain uniform charging and image in an image forming apparatus using the charging member 2 or the charging device as a charging means for an image carrier. CONSTITUTION: The charging member 2 is formed from an elastic foam 2a, the ratio of the thickness of the cell wall of the elastic foam 2a to that of the expanded cell thereof is 2% or more and 40% or less. When the charging member 2 contacts a charged member 1, the cell wall of the surface of the charging member 2 is deformed against the charged member 1 and limits the opening of the expanded cell, thereby extremely precisely contacting the charged member 1.