Abstract: The present invention comprises a photosensitive member supported for rotation within a unit case and a charger for uniformly charging the photosensitive member. The charger includes a conductive member in the form of a sheet held in contact with the photosensitive member and a supporting member having a non-flat cross section for supporting the conductive member, in which the charger applies a voltage formed of a direct-current voltage with an alternating-current voltage added thereto to the conductive member to thereby uniformly charge the photosensitive member. The charger is kept in place by having the supporting member fixed to vertical planes of the unit case at positions off vertical planes crossing the photosensitive member.

Abstract: A contact charger is in contact with a photosensitive body to charge the photosensitive body. Conductive nonwoven fabric is in surface-contact with the photosensitive body. A voltage is applied to the conductive nonwoven fabric through a conductive holder. The conductive nonwoven fabric has a surface resistivity of 10.sup.5 to 10.sup.7 .OMEGA./.quadrature., so that the photosensitive body can be charged to a predetermined potential with little charge unevenness.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying body for carrying a latent image, a developing device for applying a developing agent to the latent image to form a developing agent image on the image carrying body, a transferring device for transferring the developing agent image from the image carrying body onto a printable area of a recording medium. In the apparatus, a ratio of area of developing agent on the image carrying body to the printable area of the printing medium is detected. The developing device is controlled to apply the developing agent to the image carrying body to forcibly adhere the developing agent onto the image carrying body when the ratio is smaller than a specified ratio.