Patent ID: 8294746
Filing Date: 2012-10-23
Classification: B41J,G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a photosensitive member; a housing configured to house the photosensitive member; a cover retractably attached to the housing; an exposing unit, which is included to the cover and configured to selectively move closer to/away from the photosensitive member in response to an opening/closing of the cover, wherein the exposing unit is configured to form a latent image on the photosensitive member by exposing the photosensitive member when the exposing unit is arranged in close vicinity to the photosensitive member by the closing of the cover; an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium, the image corresponding to the latent image formed on the photosensitive member by the exposure; and a housing side electrode, which is included inside the housing and configured to feed an exposing power to an exposing unit side electrode by contacting the exposing unit side electrode included in the exposing unit when the exposing unit is arranged in close vicinity to the photosensitive member by the closing of the cover; a potential detecting unit configured to detect a potential of the exposing unit side electrode; and an open/close determining unit configured to determine whether the cover is open or closed based on whether a potential detected by the potential detecting unit is within a predetermined range corresponding to a contact potential when the housing side electrode contacts the exposing unit side electrode, wherein the exposing unit comprises a head, wherein the head comprises a plurality of light emitting elements integrally therewith along a longitudinal direction of the head, and wherein the exposing unit side electrode is disposed at an outer periphery of the head.