Patent ID: 7729639

Claim:
A charging apparatus mounted in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a photoreceptor to be opposite to a surface of the photoreceptor, the charging apparatus comprising: a discharging electrode having a plurality of pointed protrusions, that applies voltage to the surface of the photoreceptor to charge the surface of the photoreceptor; and a grid electrode disposed between the discharging electrode and the photoreceptor, that controls a charged potential of the surface of the photoreceptor, wherein at least one of surfaces of the discharging electrode is provided with a particle polytetrafluoroethylene-containing nickel layer which contains a secondary aggregate of a primary particle polytetrafluoroethylene, and a length in minor axis of the secondary aggregate of the primary particle polytetrafluoroethylene contained in the particle polytetrafluoroethylene-containing nickel layer is, at most, twice a layer thickness of the particle polytetrafluoroethylene-containing nickel layer, wherein a diameter of the primary particle polytetrafluoroethylene contained in the particle polytetrafluoroethylene-containing nickel layer is 0.7 μm or more.