CLEANING DEVICE

PURPOSE:To securely clean the surface of a photosensitive body without flawing the photosensitive body and to improve the durability of the blade by removing a developer and foreign matter sticking on the blade associatively with the separation of the blade from the surface of the photosensitive body. CONSTITUTION:While the photosensitive body 2 rotates as shown by an arrow A, a cleaning device 1 is pressed against the surface of the photosensitive body 2 by its own weight to clean up the surface of the photosensitive body 2. When foreign matter sticking on the surface of the blade 4 from its cleaning surface is removed, a solenoid 15 is excited to lower an arm 14, thereby elevating its end part in a direction D. Consequently, a support member 6 is moved up, i.e. as shown by an arrow C around a shaft 9 and the blade 4 is therefore separated from the surface of the photosensitive body 2. At this time, a blade cleaner 7 is on a stopper 12 by its own weight, so the cleaner is rotated downwared around a shaft 11 as a fulcrum as shown by an arrow E according to the C-directional rotation of the support member 6 while supported on the stopper 12.