Patent ID: 7130565

Claim:
A charging apparatus comprising: a first magnetic particle carrying member configured and positioned to carry magnetic particles; and a second magnetic particle carrying member configured and positioned to carry the magnetic particles, said second magnetic particle carrying member being disposed upstream of said first magnetic particle carrying member with respect to a feeding direction of the magnetic particles at a nip formed between said first magnetic particle carrying member and a member to be charged, wherein the magnetic particles are commonly used by said first magnetic particle carrying member and said second magnetic particle carrying member, wherein the member to be charged is electrically charged by being contacted by a magnetic brush comprising the magnetic particles, wherein said first magnetic particle carrying member and said second magnetic particle carrying member move in the same peripheral direction relative to the member to be charged such that the peripheral movement directions of the first magnetic particle carrying member and the second magnetic particle carrying member are opposite to a peripheral movement direction of the member to be charged at a portion where they are opposed to the member to be charged, and wherein the amount of the magnetic particles carried on said second magnetic particle carrying member at a nip formed between said second magnetic particle carrying member and the member to be charged is larger than the amount of magnetic particles carried on said first magnetic particle carrying member at the nip formed between said first magnetic particle carrying member and the member to be charged.