Process cartridge and image forming apparatus comprising charging means including a charge member and electroconductive particles

A process cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:

• a movable image bearing member;
• charging means including a charge member for forming a nip with a surface of said image bearing member and electroconductive particles which are provided in the nip over a width A, measured in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the surface of said image bearing member, already at the start of use of said process cartridge, said charging means being effective to electrically charge said image bearing member at the nip;
• developing means for developing a latent image formed on said image bearing member with developer having toner,
• wherein said developer contains electroconductive particles to be supplied to said nip to maintain the presence of the electroconductive particles in the nip, and said developing means is capable of supplying the electroconductive particles to said image bearing member within a width B, measured in said direction, and wherein said widths and a width C of a maximum size recording material on which an image developed by said developing means is transferred, satisfy:
• A>B≧C.

A process cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a movable image bearing member;
• charging means, including a charge member for forming a nip with a surface of said image bearing member and electroconductive particles which are provided in the nip over a width A, measured in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the surface of said image bearing member, already at the start of use of said process cartridge, said charging means being effective to electrically charge said image bearing member at the nip;
• developing means for developing a latent image formed on said image bearing member with developer having toner,
• wherein said developer contains electroconductive particles to be supplied to said nip to maintain the presence of the electroconductive particles in the nip, and said developing means is capable of supplying the electroconductive particles to said image bearing member with a width B, measured in said direction, and wherein said widths satisfy A>B.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a movable image bearing member;
• charging means, including a charge member for forming a nip with a surface of said image bearing member and electroconductive particles which are provided in the nip over a width A, measured in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the surface of said image bearing member, already at the start of use of said apparatus, said charging means being effective to electrically charge said image bearing member at the nip;
• latent image forming means for forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of said image bearing member charged by said charging means;
• developing means for developing a latent image formed on said image bearing member with developer having toner,
• wherein said developer contains electroconductive particles to be supplied to said nip to maintain the presence of the electroconductive particles in the nip, and said developing means is capable of supplying the electroconductive particles to said image bearing member within a width B, measured in said direction, and wherein said widths satisfy A>B.