Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image bearing member;
• a developer carrying member configured to carry a developer and to develop a latent image, formed on the image bearing member, into a toner image;
• and
• a cleaning member configured to remove the developer from a surface of the image bearing member and including an elastic blade of which free end portion contacts the surface of the image bearing member along a widthwise direction substantially perpendicular to a movement direction of the surface of the image bearing member and a regulating portion configured to regulate a free length of the elastic blade on a base end portion side opposite from the free end portion with respect to a direction crossing the widthwise direction of the elastic blade,
• wherein at each of opposite end portions with respect to the widthwise direction, an end portion of a developing region which is a region in which the developer carrying member is capable of carrying the developer is positioned outside an end portion of an image forming region in which an image on the image bearing member is capable of being formed, and an end portion of a contact width in which the elastic blade and the image bearing member are in contact with each other is positioned outside the end portion of the developing region, and
• wherein when an average of a free length L1 [mm] of the elastic blade in the image bearing region in the widthwise direction of the elastic blade is an average free length L1a [mm], an average of a free length L2 [mm] of the elastic blade on an outside of the developing region in the widthwise direction of the elastic blade is an average free length L2a [mm], and an absolute value of a difference between the average free length L1a and the average free length L2a is a free length difference ΔL [mm], the following relationships are satisfied:
• L2a≥1.2×L1a,
• L2≥L2a−ΔL×0.2, and
• L1≤L1a+ΔL×0.2.