Patent ID: 7493064

Claim:
An electric conductive member, comprising: a long electric conductive supporter; an electric resistance adjusting layer provided on a peripheral surface of said electric conductive supporter; and gap retaining members provided on both end sides of said electric resistance adjusting layer, wherein an outer peripheral surface of each of the gap retaining members abuts with each of the both end sides of an image carrier provided adjacent to said electric resistance adjusting layer to form a predetermined gap between said electric resistance adjusting layer and said image carrier, and—said electric resistance adjusting layer has at least one step provided in vicinity of each of the both ends in a longitudinal direction of the electric resistance adjusting layer, and an inner peripheral surface of each of said gap retaining members is fixed by abutting with at least two surfaces forming each of the steps of said electric resistance adjusting layer, and an inner end surface of each of said gap retaining members is out of contact with the most inner end surface forming each of the steps of said electric resistance adjusting layer.