Patent ID: 8116652
Filing Date: 2012-02-14
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image-forming apparatus configured to be capable of forming a multicolor image by use of particulate developing agents, comprising: a body frame which serves as a body of the image-forming apparatus; a slide frame which is configured to be supported by the body frame such that the slide frame can be drawn out from the body frame along a predetermined slide direction; a plurality of electrostatic-latent-image-carrying bodies which are arranged along the slide direction and are attached to the slide frame, wherein each of the electrostatic-latent-image-carrying bodies is configured such that an electrostatic latent image can be formed on an electrostatic-latent-image forming surface, which is a circumferential surface of the electrostatic-latent image-carrying body; a plurality of chargers which are arranged along the slide direction and are attached to the slide frame, wherein each of the chargers is configured to be capable of uniformly charging the electrostatic-latent-image-forming surface; a plurality of image-forming cartridges which are arranged along the slide direction and are configured to be attached to the slide frame in such a manner as to be removable along a predetermined attachment/detachment direction intersecting with the slide direction, wherein each of the image-forming cartridges has a developing-agent-carrying body configured such that the developing agent in a charged state is carried on a developing-agent-carrying surface, which is a circumferential surface of the developing-agent-carrying body and faces the electrostatic-latent-image-forming surface; a plurality of first electrode members which are attached to the slide frame and are arranged along the slide direction in corresponding relation with the image-forming cartridges such that each of the first electrode members is configured to establish electrical connection between the body of the image-forming apparatus and the developing-agent-carrying body of corresponding image forming cartridge; and a plurality of second electrode members which are attached to the slide frame and are arranged along the slide direction in corresponding relation with the electrostatic-latent-image-carrying bodies and the chargers for establishing electrical connection between the body of the image-forming apparatus and the electrostatic-latent-image-carrying bodies and electrical connection between the body of the image-forming apparatus and the chargers; wherein the body frame has first body-frame contacts each configured to be capable of feeding power to the corresponding first electrode member and second body-frame contacts each configured to be capable of feeding power to the corresponding second electrode member; wherein each of the first electrode members has: wherein each of the second electrode members has a second body-side contact which is disposed in such a manner as to project toward the body frame and is configured to be capable of being electrically connected with the second body-frame contact through contact with the second body-frame contact; wherein each of the first electrode members is configured such that, by means of the first body-side contact and the first body-frame contact being pressed against each other along the slide direction, electrical connection can be established between the first body-side contact and the first body-frame contact while the first body-side contact is elastically deformed; and wherein each of the second electrode members is configured such that, by means of the second body-side contact being pressed in a direction intersecting with the slide direction, the second body-side contact and the second body-frame contact come into contact with each other.