Patent ID: 7466939
Filing Date: 2008-12-16
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus to which a plurality of process cartridges are detachably mountable for forming an image on a recording medium, the plurality of process cartridges each including an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, said electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising: an opening and closing member openable and closable with respect to a main body of said electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said opening and closing member being rotated to an outside of one side of the main body of said apparatus with a lower portion of the main body of said apparatus acting as a rotation axis to open the main body of said apparatus; a moving guide for holding the plurality of process cartridges so that the plurality of process cartridges are vertically arranged, said moving guide being rotated, with an upper portion of the main body of said apparatus acting as a rotation axis, in interlocking relationship with a closing motion of said opening and closing member from a load position, in which the plurality of process cartridges are loaded, to a mount position, in which the plurality of process cartridges can perform an image forming operation, such that the plurality of process cartridges loaded in the load position are moved to the mount position, and said moving guide being constructed such that when said opening and closing member is opened from a closed state in which said opening and closing member is closed, said moving guide begins to move in interlocking relationship with an opening motion of said opening and closing member after said opening and closing member moves a predetermined amount, and said moving guide is rotated toward the one side of the main body of said apparatus in interlocking relationship with the opening motion of said opening and closing member to move the plurality of process cartridges held by said moving guide to the load position; and an intermediate transfer belt provided in said opening and closing member such that said intermediate transfer belt is opposed to electrophotographic photosensitive drums respectively provided in the plurality of process cartridges held by said moving guide in a closed state in which said opening and closing member is closed, and said intermediate transfer belt is separated from the plurality of process cartridges to a position in which said intermediate transfer belt poses no obstacle to mounting and detaching of the plurality of process cartridges in an open state in which said opening and closing member is opened, and such that developer images respectively formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drums are transferred to said intermediate transfer belt in a superimposed manner, and the developer images transferred in the superimposed manner are collectively transferred from said intermediate transfer belt to the recording medium, wherein when the plurality of process cartridges are detached from said moving guide, the plurality of process cartridges are detached upward through the one side of the main body.