Patent ID: 8280276
Filing Date: 2012-10-02
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier; a latent-image forming device that forms a latent image in a surface of the image carrier; a developing device that develops the latent image of the surface of the image carrier; a latent-image forming device contacting/separating mechanism that moves the latent-image forming device between a latent-image forming device contacting position where a part of the latent-image forming device is positioned with being contacted with a part of the image carrier, and a latent-image forming device separating position where the latent-image forming device is separated from the image carrier; and a developing device contacting/separating mechanism that moves the developing device between a developing device contacting position where a part of the developing device is positioned with being contacted with a part of the image carrier, and a developing device separating position where the developing device is separated from the image carrier, wherein the latent-image forming device contacting/separating mechanism performs at least one of (i) and (ii), wherein (i) is that the latent-image forming device contacting/separating mechanism allows the latent-image forming device to be movable to the latent-image forming device contacting position in a state where the developing device is moved to the developing device contacting position, and (ii) is that the latent-image forming device contacting/separating mechanism restricts the latent-image forming device from being moved to the latent-image forming device contacting position in a state where the developing device is moved to the developing device separating position.