Charging apparatus, image forming unit that employs the charging apparatus, and image forming apparatus that employs the image forming unit

A charging apparatus that includes a charging roller that charges a surface of an image bearing body, and a cleaning member that extends in a longitudinal direction substantially parallel to the charging roller and that cleans the charging roller, the charging apparatus comprising:

• a bearing that supports a shaft of the charging roller;
• and
• a supporting member to which the cleaning member is mounted such that the cleaning member is held between the supporting member and the charging roller, the supporting member including a surface to which the cleaning member is mounted, the surface including a flat portion and a curved portion, the flat portion extending upstream of the curved portion with respect to rotation of the charging roller and a curved portion extending downstream with respect to rotation of the charging roller, wherein the flat portion extends in a plane substantially parallel to a plane tangent to a circumferential surface of the charging roller, and the curved portion extends in a plane substantially coaxial with the circumferential surface of the charging roller.