Cleaning device and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image bearing member;
• a toner image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a surface of said image bearing member;
• a cleaning device configured to remove toner from the surface of said image bearing member said cleaning device, comprising:
• a cleaning portion including a blade and a blade supporting member,
• wherein said blade is contacted to the image bearing member at one edge portion with respect to a short length direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction and a thickness direction of said blade, and
• wherein said blade supporting member includes a flat surface portion and supports said blade at a position opposite from said edge portion with respect to the short length direction;
• a cleaning frame on which said blade supporting member is mounted and including mounting portions, a disposing portion and spacing portions at a position opposing the flat surface portion,
• wherein said mounting portions are provided at a position corresponding to each of neighborhoods of end portions of said flat surface portion with respect to the longitudinal direction, and said blade supporting member is mounted on said cleaning frame at said mounting portions,
• wherein said disposing portion opposes said flat surface portion with a gap with respect to the thickness direction and extends in the longitudinal direction in a region between said mounting portions with respect to the longitudinal direction, and
• wherein said spacing portions are adjacent to respective sides of said disposing portion with respect to the short length direction, and extend in the longitudinal direction;
• and
• a sealing member formed of a thermoplastic resin material having flowability and viscosity in a heat-fusing state and configured to seal the gap by a portion thereof extending in the longitudinal direction between said disposing portion and said flat surface portion,
• wherein said spacing portions are retracted to said disposing portion in the thickness direction so that distances between said flat surface portion and each of said spacing portions with respect to the thickness direction are larger than the gap, and spaces between each of said spacing portions and said flat surface portion are configured to accommodate said sealing member protruded from the gap.