Patent ID: 8737900

Claim:
A cleaning member, for use in an image forming apparatus in which a developer image formed on an image bearing member is to be transferred onto a developer image receiving member to form an image, for removing developer remaining on the image bearing member after developer image transfer, said cleaning member comprising: an elastic blade portion, having flexibility and being provided counterdirectionally with respect to a rotational direction of the image bearing member, for removing developer remaining on the image bearing member, by contacting the image bearing member in a bent state when said cleaning member is used in the image forming apparatus; and a supporting portion for supporting said elastic blade portion, wherein said elastic blade portion includes, in a cross-section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said elastic blade portion at a position in which the developer image is to be formed with respect to the longitudinal direction, a contact portion that contacts the image bearing member when said cleaning member is used in the image forming apparatus, a first connecting portion that connects the contact portion and a portion of said supporting portion close to the image bearing member, and a second connecting portion that connects the contact portion and a portion of said supporting portion remote from the image bearing member, wherein said supporting portion, the contact portion, the first connecting portion, and the second connecting portion define a hollow area, and wherein the first and second connecting portions include a same rubber material.