Cleaning device and image forming apparatus including the same

A cleaning device, comprising:

• a housing having an opening that is formed to be opposed to an outer circumferential surface of an image carrier and through which waste toner removed from the outer circumferential surface of the image carrier is introduced inside the housing;
• a cleaning blade that protrudes through the opening toward the outer circumferential surface of the image carrier and has a distal end part that abuts on the outer circumferential surface of the image carrier;
• a toner conveyance path that is provided in a bottom part of the housing and conveys the waste toner introduced through the opening;
• a conveyance screw that includes:
• a rotary shaft rotatably supported inside the toner conveyance path;
• and
• a helical vane formed on an outer circumferential surface of the rotary shaft;
• and
• a first flicker that is provided between the rotary shaft and the cleaning blade in a horizontal direction and includes:
• a first base portion extending in a direction of the rotary shaft;
• and
• a plurality of first contact pieces extending from the first base portion toward the conveyance screw to abut on a lower part of an outer circumferential surface of the conveyance screw relative to the rotary shaft and arranged along the rotary shaft direction,
• the first flicker using the first contact pieces to press the conveyance screw in a first direction away from a bottom part of the toner conveyance path,
• wherein
• the first base portion includes:
• a secured portion secured to an inner wall of the housing;
• and
• a blade opposed portion extending upward from the secured portion so as to protrude from the inner wall of the housing and to be opposed to the cleaning blade in the horizontal direction,
• the first contact pieces are connected to an upper end part of the blade opposed portion, and
• a reinforcement member is stacked on the blade opposed portion.