Image forming apparatus in which at least an image carrying member and plural exposure means are constructed in a single body

An apparatus for forming a color image by superimposing plural different color component toner images, comprising:

• an image carrying member shaped as a cylinder and rotatable around its rotation axis, the image carrying member having a working position at which the color image is formed on the image carrying member;
• charging means for charging the image carrying member;
• image exposure means for exposing the charged image carrying member so that a latent image is formed on the image carrying member;
• developing means for developing the latent image into a toner image;
• each of the charging means, the image exposure means and the developing means provided by plural sets corresponding in number to plural different color components and placed in such an arrangement that the plural different color component toner images are superimposed on the image carrying member during a single rotation of the image carrying member;
• a common supporting member by which the plural image exposure means are supported, the common supporting member being a ring-shaped member which is coaxially mounted around the image carrying member;
• and
• all of the plural image exposure means, the common supporting member and the image carrying member constructed in a single body and shiftable together in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the image carrying member from or to the working position of the image carrying member.

An apparatus for forming a color image by superimposing plural different color component toner images, comprising:

• an image carrying member rotatable around its rotation axis, the image carrying member having a working position at which the color image is formed on the image carrying member;
• charging means for charging the image carrying member;
• image exposure means for exposing the charged image carrying member so that a latent image is formed on the image carrying member;
• developing means for developing the latent image into a toner image;
• each of the charging means, the image exposure means and the developing means provided by plural sets corresponding in number to plural different color components and placed in such an arrangement that the plural different color component toner images are superimposed en the image carrying member during a single rotation of the image carrying member;
• a common supporting member by which the plural image exposure means are supported;
• and
• a cartridge in which the plural developing means, the plural image exposure means, the common supporting member and the image carrying member are incorporated as a single unit, the cartridge being shiftable in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the image carrying member between the working position of the image carrying member and a predetermined shifted position.