Patent ID: 8811858

Claim:
A charging unit configured to charge a surface of an image bearing member moving in a first direction, the charging unit comprising: a discharge electrode extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the surface of the image bearing member, wherein the discharge electrode is spaced apart from the surface of the image bearing member; a first shield electrode; and a second shield electrode disposed opposite to the first shield electrode, a surface of the second shield electrode including a first recessed portion and a first non-recessed portion, the first recessed portion being formed by at least two bends in the surface of the second shield electrode, wherein one of the first shield electrode and the second shield electrode is located at an upstream side of the discharge electrode in the first direction, and the other one of the first shield electrode and the second shield electrode is located at a downstream side of the discharge electrode in the first direction, and wherein a length of the first recessed portion in the second direction is less than an entire length of the second shield electrode in the second direction, the first recessed portion being enclosed by the first non-recessed portion at both ends in the second direction.