Discharger, image carrier unit, and image forming apparatus

1. A discharger comprising:

a discharge electrode member that is placed opposedly to a member to be charged;

an opposed electrode member that is placed opposedly to the discharge electrode member; and

a power source circuit that applies a discharge voltage for generating a discharge between the discharge electrode member and the opposed electrode member, and

the opposed electrode member having first and second surfaces on which a covered layer having a covering material is formed, and

the covering material containing a carbon atom, or a carbon atom and another atom or other plural atoms as a main component, and having an SP3 structure by a carbon atom,

wherein

the first surface is opposed to the discharge electrode member,

the second surface is opposed to the member to be charged, and

a thickness of the covering material formed on the first surface is substantially larger than

a thickness of the covering material formed on the second surface.

2. The discharger as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein

the opposed electrode member comprises:

a surrounding electrode member that is opened on a side of the member to be charged, and that surrounds a periphery of the discharge electrode member; and

a net-like electrode member that is placed correspondingly with an opened portion of the surrounding electrode on the side of the member to be charged.

3. The discharger as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein

the discharger comprises a gas transfer device that transfers a gas along a gas flow path passing through an interior of the opposed electrode member.

4. The discharger as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein

the discharger comprises an electrode cleaning member that cleans the surface of the opposed electrode member.

5. The discharger as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein

the opposed electrode member comprises an energized portion to which a voltage is applied, and the covering material further comprises at least one of nitrogen atom, chromium atom, titanium atom.

6. An image carrier unit comprising:

an image carrier that is rotated while carrying an image on a surface thereof, and that functions as a member to be charged; and

a charging device that includes a discharger according to claim 1 .

7. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image carrier that is rotated while carrying an image on a surface thereof, and that functions as a member to be charged;

a charging device that includes a discharger according to claim 1 ;

a latent-image forming device that forms a latent image on a surface of the image carrier charged by the charging device;

a developing device that develops the latent image formed on the surface of the image carrier, as a visible image; and

a transferring device that transfers the visible image on the surface of the image carrier, to a medium.

8. A discharger comprising:

a discharge electrode member that is placed opposedly to a member to be charged;

an opposed electrode member that is placed opposedly to the discharge electrode member;

a power source circuit that applies a discharge voltage for generating a discharge between the discharge electrode member and the opposed electrode member; and

an energized portion that is energized by the discharge voltage applied by the power source circuit,

the opposed electrode member having first and second surfaces on which a covered layer having a covering material is formed,

the covering material containing a carbon atom, or a carbon atom and another atom or other plural atoms as a main component, and having an SP3 structure by a carbon atom, and

the energized portion being not covered by the covering material

wherein:

the first surface is opposed to the discharge electrode member,

the second surface is opposed to the member to be charged, and

a thickness of the covering material formed on the first surface is substantially larger than a thickness of the covering material formed on the second surface.