Patent ID: 7387383

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a battery for driving the image forming apparatus; and charging means for charging the battery, wherein the charging means being mounted to the image forming apparatus and having a plurality of contact point portions, wherein the image forming apparatus being containable in a separate container stand, the battery is charged by containing the image forming apparatus in the container stand and the container stand having a plurality of contact terminal portions, wherein at least two of said plurality of contact point portions are conducted with a predetermined polarity in the inside of the charging means and said plurality of contact point portions are arranged in a symmetrical mode, wherein each of said plurality of contact point portions is in contact with each of the contact terminal portions having the predetermined polarity in a predetermined combination to charge the battery when the image forming apparatus is contained in the container stand in a predetermined direction, and each of said plurality of contact point portions is in contact with each of the contact terminal portions having the predetermined polarity in a combination other than the predetermined combination to charge the battery when the image forming apparatus is contained in the container stand in a direction different from the predetermined direction, wherein the contact point portions other than at least two of the plurality of contact point portions are conducted with a polarity different from the predetermined polarity.