Patent ID: 8126368

Claim:
A charge device comprising: an endless charging belt configured to come into contact with a moving charged body and to circulate in a same direction as a moving direction of the charged body; an electrode member that is disposed to be in contact with a part of an inner peripheral surface of the charging belt, the electrode member that is disposed to face the charged body across the charging belt between the electrode member and the charged body; a bias applying unit that applies a charge bias to the electrode member, the charging belt including a contact portion that is in contact with the charged body, an upstream-side portion that is adjacent to the contact portion on an upstream side thereof in the moving direction of the charged body, and a downstream-side portion that is located adjacent to and downstream of a position where the electrode member faces the charged member in the moving direction of the charged body; and a discharge region forming member that brings the contact portion of the charging belt into contact with the charged body without contact with the electrode member and causes the upstream-side portion of the charging belt not in contact with the charged body to form a discharge suppression region in which discharge is suppressed between the upstream-side portion and the charged body, wherein the discharge region forming member brings the downstream-side portion into contact with the electrode member without contact with the charged body to form a discharge region in which discharge occurs between the downstream-side portion of the charging belt and the charged body.