Patent ID: 9411300
Filing Date: 2016-08-09
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a rotatable image bearing member; an image forming portion for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; and a cleaning blade for removing a toner on the image bearing member in contact with the image bearing member, wherein the cleaning blade has an edge layer which includes an edge portion contacting the image bearing member and which is formed of a first resin material, and has a base layer which is provided superposedly on the edge layer so as to support the edge layer with respect to a thickness direction of the cleaning blade and which is formed of a second resin material different from the first resin material, wherein the cleaning blade includes a hardened portion, at a part of the edge layer including the edge portion, subjected to hardening so as to be harder than another portion of the edge layer, and wherein the hardened portion has a length shorter than a length of the edge layer with respect to the thickness direction.