Patent ID: 7706716

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording medium, the image forming unit including, as printing devices, an image forming device for holding and transporting an electrostatic latent image, an exposing device for forming an electrostatic latent image on said image forming device, at least one of a single and a plurality of developing devices for supplying a developer to said image forming device and visualizing an electrostatic latent image, and at least one of an intermediate transfer device located adjacent to said image forming device, the intermediate transfer device configured to superimpose an image formed on said image forming device onto a surface of said intermediate transfer device, and a transfer device configured to transport said recording medium and transfer an image formed on said intermediate transfer device onto said recording medium; a driving device for driving said respective printing devices; a power supply for supplying a predetermined voltage to said respective printing devices and said driving device and performing an image forming operation; a control substrate for performing control of said image forming operation; and a structural frame for supporting said image forming unit, said structural frame includes side wall portions formed from resin and provided on both sides of said image forming apparatus, and at least two connectors formed from a metal, for joining said side wall portions, said image forming unit being supported by said side wall portions, and said connectors joining said side wall portions in substantially perpendicular and substantially horizontal directions, wherein said structural frame is configured to house any one of said respective printing devices, supporting, or supporting via holding members, said respective printing devices, and supporting, or supporting via holding members, said driving device, said power supply and said control substrate, and said side wall portions have mutually substantially parallel surfaces substantially perpendicular to rotational central axes of said respective printing devices, and said connectors join said side wall portions to each other in at least two places, said connectors being provided in a substantially vertical direction in said image forming apparatus sandwiching any one of the said respective printing devices, and being formed from thin steel plate, said side wall portions being formed integrally in a box-like shape from resin, and said side wall portions and said connectors being joined by a joining device.