Patent ID: 7697866

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier unit including a plurality of image carriers that is integrally disposed in the image carrier unit, respectively carries images, and respectively has rotational shafts, and a plurality of image carrier gears connected to the rotational shafts, the plurality of image carrier gears transmitting driving force to the plurality of image carriers so as to rotate the plurality of image carriers: a unit containing portion that removably contains the image carrier unit; a plurality of driving gears disposed in the unit containing portion, and respectively corresponding to the plurality of image carrier gears, each of the plurality of driving gears being engaged with one of the plurality of image carrier gears that corresponds thereto so as to transmit driving force to the plurality of image carrier gears from a driving source; a disengagement unit that disengages all the plurality of image carrier gears and the plurality of driving gears, and allows the image carrier unit to be removed outside of the unit containing portion.