Patent ID: 8331825

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of process units arranged along a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, each of the process units comprising a photoconductor; a plurality of exposure members configured to expose the respective photoconductors and arranged such that the exposure members and the process units are alternately arranged along the first and second directions; a rack including rack teeth; and a support member that supports the exposure members and includes a pinion gear and that is configured to rotate around an axis located in the first direction relative to the exposure members while the pinion gear is engaged with the rack teeth, such that the exposure members are advanced and retracted, in association with rotational movement of the support member, between an advanced position where the exposure members are respectively advanced into spaces defined between the adjacent process units and a retracted position where the exposure members are retracted from the respective spaces, wherein when the support member is rotated so that the exposure members move from the retracted position to the advanced position, the axis of the support member moves toward the process units, and wherein the support member is configured such that the axis moves along a direction orthogonal to an axial direction of the axis so that a locus of rotational movement of the exposure member is substantially a straight line in association with the rotational movement of the support member.