Patent ID: 7430391
Filing Date: 2008-09-30
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising a plurality of image forming units having at least first and second image forming units that are adjacently provided, wherein each of said at least first and second image forming units includes: an image bearing member rotatable about a rotation axis; a charging member that charges a surface of the image bearing member; a developing device including a developing member that develops an electrostatic latent image formed by exposing said image bearing member; and a cleaning device including a cleaning member and a conductive support member that supports the cleaning member, for cleaning the surface of the image bearing member after developer image transfer, wherein the conductive support member of the first image forming unit is provided from one end portion side to another end portion side in a longitudinal direction of the first image forming unit so as to intersect the conductive support member of the first image forming unit with each of a first boundary line and a second boundary line, the first boundary line being defined as a line connecting a center of a cross section of the charging member of the first image forming unit and a center of a cross section of the developing device of the second image forming unit on a plane perpendicular to a direction of the rotation axis of the image bearing member, the second boundary line being defined as one of two common external tangent lines of a cross section of the charging member of the first image forming unit and a cross section of the developing device of the second image forming unit on a plane perpendicular to a direction of the rotation axis of said image bearing member, wherein a position of a contact point on the one of the two common external tangent lines with the charging member of the first image forming unit is closer to the cleaning device of the first image forming unit than a position of a contact point on another one of the two common external tangent lines with the charging member of the first image forming unit, wherein the conductive support member of the first image forming unit is grounded.