Patent ID: 9020394
Filing Date: 2015-04-28
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a main body; a plurality of photosensitive drums including a first photosensitive drum and a plurality of second photosensitive drums, black toner being used in the first photosensitive drum, a respective one of yellow toner, magenta toner, and cyan toner being used in a respective one of the plurality of second photosensitive drums, the first photosensitive drum and the plurality of second photosensitive drums being arranged in a predetermined direction, each of the first photosensitive drum and the plurality of second photosensitive drums having an axis extending in an axial direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction; a process flame configured to support the plurality of second photosensitive drums in fixed positions and to be detachably mounted on the main body, the process flame being insertable in a mounting direction to mount on the main body; a first process unit configured to be detachably mountable in the process flame and to support the first photosensitive drum, the first process unit being insertable in an attaching direction to mount on the first process unit, the first process unit having a first protrusion protruding toward the process frame; and a plurality of second process units configured to support the plurality of second photosensitive drums, respectively, each of the plurality of second process units having a respective second protrusion protruding in the axial direction of a corresponding one of the plurality of second photosensitive drums, wherein the process flame includes a groove and a plurality of through-holes, the groove corresponding to the first process unit, the plurality of through-holes corresponding to the plurality of second process units, respectively, the groove extending in the attaching direction and being configured to receive the first protrusion of the first process unit, each of the plurality of through-holes penetrating in the axial direction, the respective second protrusion of each of the plurality of second process units being fitted into a corresponding one of the plurality of through-holes, and wherein the process frame further includes: a first partitioning plate extending in a direction parallel to the attaching direction and configured to partition a space inside the process frame into: a first mounting portion in which the first process unit is disposed, and a remaining portion, the first partitioning plate having a first length in the attaching direction; and a second partitioning plate extending parallel to the first partitioning plate and disposed apart from the first partitioning plate in the predetermined direction, the second partitioning plate being configured to partition the remaining portion to define a second mounting portion in which one of the plurality of second process units is disposed, the second partitioning plate having a second length in the attaching direction, the first length of the first partitioning plate being longer than the second length of the second partitioning plate.