An image carrier unit, comprising:
- an image carrier that is rotatable and on which an electrostatic latent image is formed;
- a charging device including:
- a charging member that rotates following rotation of the image carrier, while being in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the image carrier, so as to charge the image carrier;
- a cleaning member that rotates in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the charging member so as to clean the charging member;
- a pair of bearing members that support both ends of each of the cleaning member and the charging member so that the cleaning member and the charging member are rotatable at a prescribed distance from each other;
- a biasing member that biases each of the pair of bearing members in an approaching direction to the image carrier;
- and
- a charging housing that holds the charging member and the cleaning member;
- and
- a pair of support frames that rotatably support the image carrier and hold the charging device,
- wherein
- each of the pair of bearing members includes:
- a first bearing portion that rotatably supports a first rotary shaft of the charging member;
- a second bearing portion that rotatably supports a second rotary shaft of the cleaning member;
- and
- an engaged portion that protrudes from the charging housing to an opposite side to the image carrier,
- the pair of bearing members being reciprocatable in an approach/separation direction in which the pair of bearing members approach/separate from the image carrier,
- the first bearing portion has such an elongated hole shape that an inner diameter thereof in the approach/separation direction is greater than an inner diameter thereof in a direction orthogonal to the approach/separation direction,
- the image carrier unit further comprises a pair of separation members that are each inserted between the charging housing and the engaged portion through an opening formed in each of the pair of support frames, thus causing a corresponding one of the pair of bearing members to move in such a direction as to separate from the image carrier against a biasing force of the biasing member, so that the charging member separates from the image carrier,
- when the charging member is separated from the image carrier by the pair of separation members, the first rotary shaft of the charging member is separated from an inner peripheral surface of the first bearing portion closer to the cleaning member, and thus the biasing force of the biasing member does not act between the charging member and the cleaning member, and
- when the charging member is brought in pressure contact with the image carrier by removing the pair of separation members, the first rotary shaft of the charging member contacts the inner peripheral surface of the first bearing portion closer to the cleaning member, and thus the biasing force of the biasing member acts between the charging member and the cleaning member.