Image forming apparatus having a plurality of image forming units with handles
US6647226B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 20, 2001 |
| Grant date | Nov 11, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 20, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03G2221/1603
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An image forming apparatus uses a plurality of image forming units having photosensitive drums and that are arranged rotatable in a vertical plane such that the image forming units are shifted sequentially to an image forming position. Each of the image forming units has a rectangular concave portion along its longitudinal direction which contains a handle made of an elastic rectangular-shaped plate. The handle has elongated holes extending in the longitudinal direction at both ends of the handle which engage anchoring members provided at the concave portion. The handle is allowed to be contained within the concave portion by its elastic force and is allowed to be pulled out from the concave portion by a user's finger inserted into an entrance groove provided only at a side opposite to the photosensitive drum with respect to the handle. In addition, the image forming apparatus has a door for allowing the attaching/detaching of the image forming units wherein the door has a protrusion which is capable of contacting the handle.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.