Patent ID: 8768203

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: at least one exposure device serving as a light source to form a latent image on a photoconductor; at least one developer container to store developer, said at least one developer container being detachably attachable to a main body of the image forming apparatus in a direction perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the photoconductor; at least one photoconductor unit having at least a photoconductor to bear a latent image thereon, said photoconductor unit detachably attachable to the main body of the image forming apparatus substantially in the same direction as the developer container; at least one developing unit to receive developer from the at least one developer container and develop the latent image born on the photoconductor, said at least one developing unit being detachably attachable to the main body of the image forming apparatus substantially in the same direction as the developer container; and an exposure device displacing mechanism to displace the at least one exposure device between a first position enabling the exposure device to function as the light source and a second position disabling the exposure device from functioning as the light source, wherein said at least one photoconductor unit is detached only when the at least one developer container is either displaced from an initial attachment position or is removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus and the at least one exposure device is displaced by the exposure device displacing mechanism from the first to the second positions.