Patent ID: 7658563
Filing Date: 2010-02-09
Classification: B41J,G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an apparatus body; a first unit which can be pulled/pushed from/to the body along a first direction and which includes at least a part of an image forming section for forming an image and/or of a sheet transporting section for transporting a sheet onto which the formed image is transferred; a second unit which can be pulled/pushed from/to the body along the first direction in conjunction with the first unit, and which subsequently can be pulled/pushed from/to the first unit along a second direction in a state where the first unit is pulled from the body, the second direction being different from the first direction; and a housing permitting mechanism for permitting the first unit to be pushed into the body by a predetermined operation, the housing permitting mechanism being provided for at least one of the body and the first unit. wherein the housing permitting mechanism includes a suppressing member and a moving mechanism, the suppressing member being attached to the first unit and being able to move between a suppress position and a release position, and the moving mechanism being provided for moving the suppressing member to the suppress position when the second unit is pulled from the first unit more than the predetermined position, the suppress position is a position in which the suppressing member comes into contact with the body, the release position is a position in which the suppressing member does not come into contact with the body, the moving mechanism comprises a link member and an energizing member, the link member being supported by the second unit and can come into contact with the suppressing member, the energizing member being provided for energizing the suppressing member toward the suppress position, the link member comes into contact with the suppressing member to move the suppressing member to the release position when the second unit is pushed to a predetermined position in the first unit, and the link member is apart from the suppressing member to permit the suppressing member to move to the suppress position when the second unit is pulled more than the predetermined position.