Patent ID: 9317007
Filing Date: 2016-04-19
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a housing having a cartridge access opening formed in an upper end portion of the housing and a paper-introducing opening formed in a front end portion of the housing; a top cover provided on the upper end portion of the housing, the top cover being movable between a closed position for covering the cartridge access opening and an open position for exposing the cartridge access opening; a sheet-feeding cover provided on the front end portion of the housing, the sheet-feeding cover being movable between a first position in which the sheet-feeding cover covers the paper-introducing opening and a second position in which the paper-introducing opening is exposed; a process cartridge detachably mountable in the housing through the cartridge access opening, the process cartridge comprising: a scanning unit configured to emit a laser light to the photosensitive drum in an emitting direction so as to expose the photosensitive drum to the laser light, the scanning unit being disposed between the process cartridge and the sheet-feeding cover when the process cartridge is mounted in the housing, the scanning unit being disposed so as not to overlap with the process cartridge when the process cartridge is mounted in the housing; wherein the drum holding part and the developing holding part located below a trajectory of the laser light when the scanning unit emits the laser light in a state where the process cartridge is mounted in the housing, and wherein a distance between the drum holding part and the top cover is smaller than a distance between a developing holding part and the top cover when the scanning unit emits the laser light in a state where the process cartridge is mounted in the housing.