Patent ID: 8862023

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a main assembly; a door provided on said main assembly for opening and closing an opening; a supporting member for supporting a plurality of electrophotographic photosensitive members, said supporting member being movable between (i) a first position inside said main assembly, wherein latent images are formable on the electrophotographic photosensitive members at the first position, (ii) a second position inside said main assembly, wherein said supporting member is retracted from the first position, and (iii) a third position outside said main assembly in a state in which said supporting member is supported by said main assembly, wherein said supporting member is disengageable from said main assembly at the third position; a handle portion, provided to staid supporting member, to be touched for disengaging said supporting member from said main assembly, wherein said handle portion is provided upstream of the plurality of electrophotographic photosensitive members with respect to a movement direction in which said supporting member is moved from the second position to the third position through the opening; and a cover member for protecting an exposed portion of the plurality of electrophotographic photosensitive members exposed from said supporting member, said cover member being capable of covering and uncovering the exposed portion, wherein said cover member is changed from an open state to a closed state by the touch of said handle portion.