Cleaning blade, method of fabricating cleaning blade, and cleaning apparatus for liquid discharge head

A cleaning apparatus for a liquid discharge head of a liquid discharge apparatus comprising:

• the liquid discharge head having a liquid discharge area in which liquid discharge nozzles are arranged to discharge a liquid;
• a cleaning blade which is slid and contacted with the liquid discharge area to wipe the liquid discharge area;
• a moving mechanism which moves the cleaning blade with respect to the liquid discharge head;
• and
• a switching member which retracts the cleaning blade from a position at which the cleaning blade is slid and contacted with the liquid discharge area when the cleaning blade is moved to one side by the moving mechanism with respect to the liquid discharge head, and which returns the cleaning blade to a position at which the cleaning blade is slid and contacted with the liquid discharge area when the cleaning blade is moved to the other side by the moving mechanism with respect to the liquid discharge head,
• wherein the cleaning blade includes:
• a supporting plate which has an adhesive agent layer on its front surface;
• and
• a wipe part which is slid and contacted with the liquid discharge area, the wipe part formed in which an elastic part formed of a synthetic resin is formed in one piece on the adhesive agent layer, and a tip end thereof is cut in a predetermined shape.