Patent ID: 8175491
Filing Date: 2012-05-08
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit comprising a photoconductor unit and a scanner unit configured to scan and expose the photoconductor unit, the image forming unit being configured to form an image on a recording medium conveyed with respect to the photoconductor unit; a frame body that surrounds the photoconductor unit, the frame body comprising: a pair of lower frames provided below the upper frames and extending substantially in parallel with the upper frames in the anteroposterior direction, each of the lower frames having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, the upper surface comprising a plurality of lower supporting portions each contacting a lower end of a respective one of the upper frames so as to support the respective one of upper frames thereon, and the lower surface comprising a bottom supported portion opposed to a placing surface for supporting the image forming apparatus; and wherein the plurality of lower supporting portions of each of the lower frames comprises a pair of outermost lower supporting portions in the anteroposterior direction, wherein a stiffness of each of the upper frames in a substantially planar direction along the vertical direction is greater than a stiffness of each of the lower frames along the vertical direction between the lower supporting portions and the bottom supported portion, and wherein each of the lower frames comprises an extending portion extending outward in the anteroposterior direction from the outermost lower supporting portion, and the extending portion is deformable upward substantially around the lower supporting portion with a stiffness smaller than the upper frames.