Patent ID: 9249868
Filing Date: 2016-02-02
CPC Classification: F16H,G03G

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member; an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on the image bearing member; a transfer roller configured to transfer a toner image from the image bearing member onto a recording medium; a bearing member configured to support the transfer roller; a bearing support member configured to movably support the bearing member; a biasing member disposed between the bearing support member and the bearing member, the biasing member being configured to bias the transfer roller toward the image bearing member; a separation member rotatably disposed in the bearing support member, the separation member being configured to move a position of the bearing member, the separation member being (i) engaged with a bearing side engagement portion of the bearing member in a separation state in which the transfer roller is separated from the image bearing member against a biasing force of the biasing member and (ii) released from the bearing side engagement portion in a contact state in which the transfer roller is contacted to the image bearing member with the biasing force; a conveyance roller configured to convey a recording medium; a drive source configured to drive the conveyance roller; and a release member configured to be driven by the drive source and to rotate independently from the rotation of the transfer roller, the release member having the separation member rotate in a predetermined direction from a first phase corresponding to the separation state to a second phase corresponding to the contact state by being driven by the drive source in the separation state and position the separation member in a position where the separation member is not rotated regardless of the rotation of the release member in the contact state.