Image forming apparatus having a plurality of image forming units with handles

An image forming apparatus comprising a unit-rotating member that supports a plurality of image forming units in a vertical plane rotatably, and forming images by shifting the plurality of image forming units sequentially to the image forming position, wherein

• the image forming unit comprises an image forming unit main body having an image forming means, the image forming means comprising a photosensitive member, and a handle provided at the image forming unit main body so that it is capable of taking a holdable posture in which a user can hold the handle and a non-holdable posture in which a user cannot hold the handle, and is urged toward the non-holdable posture constantly by its elasticity,
• an entrance groove is provided on a surface of the image forming unit main body so that a gap, into which a user's finger can be inserted when the handle is in its non-holdable posture, is formed between the image forming unit main body and the handle, the entrance groove being provided only at a side opposite to the photosensitive member with respect to the handle,
• the handle is made in a holdable posture by applying force to the handle in the direction in which the gap is opened up, and
• the handle is provided on the outer periphery of the rotation surface of the image forming unit main body.

An image forming apparatus comprising a unit-rotating member that supports a plurality of image forming units in a vertical plane rotatably, forming images by shifting the plurality of image forming units sequentially to the image forming position, and the image forming unit is replaced with a new unit through an opening provided on the top surface of the apparatus main body after the image forming unit to be replaced is located underneath the opening, wherein

• the image forming unit comprises an image forming unit main body, a photosensitive member exposed to the outer periphery of the rotation surface of the image forming unit main body, and a handle provided at the image forming unit main body so that it is capable of taking a holdable posture in which a user can hold the handle and a non-holdable posture in which a user cannot hold the handle,
• the handle is urged toward the non-holdable posture constantly by its elasticity, the handle in its non-holdable posture being present at a position inside the rotation track surface of the photosensitive member,
• the handle is provided with an entrance groove so that the user can insert a user's finger between the image forming unit and the handle, the entrance groove being provided only at a side opposite to the photosensitive member with respect to the handle, and
• the handle of the image forming unit at the position where the image forming unit is replaced with a new unit in the unit-rotating member, is arranged farther from a front side of the image forming apparatus than the photosensitive member.

An image forming apparatus comprising a unit-rotating member that supports a plurality of image forming units in a vertical plane rotatably, forms images by shifting the plurality of image forming units sequentially to the image forming position, an image forming unit being replaced with a new image forming units through an opening provided on a top surface of the apparatus main body after the image forming unit to be replaced is located underneath the opening, wherein

• the image forming unit comprises a photosensitive member unit that supports the photosensitive member, a developing unit that supports the developing device, and a handle provided at the image forming unit main body that it is capable of taking a holdable posture in which a user can hold the handle and a non-holdable posture in which a user cannot hold the handle,
• the photosensitive member is exposed to the outer periphery of the rotation surface of a photosensitive member unit main body,
• the handle is urged toward the non-holdable posture constantly by its elasticity, the handle in its non-holdable posture being present at a position inside the rotation track surface of the photosensitive member,
• the handle is provided with an entrance groove so that the user can insert a user's finger between the image forming unit and the handle, the entrance groove being provided only at a side opposite to the photosensitive member with respect to the handle, and
• in the image forming unit at the position where the image forming unit is replaced with a new unit in the unit-rotating member, the photosensitive member unit and the developing unit are arranged in this order from the front side of the image forming apparatus, and the handle is provided at the side of the developing unit.

An image forming apparatus comprising a unit-rotating member that supports a plurality of image forming units in a vertical plane rotatably, forming images by shifting the plurality of image forming units sequentially to the image forming position, and the image forming unit is replaced with a new unit through an opening provided on the top surface of the apparatus main body after the image forming unit to be replaced is located underneath the opening, wherein

• the image forming unit comprises an image forming unit main body, a photosensitive member exposed to the outer periphery of the rotation surface of the image forming unit main body, a handle provided at the image forming unit main body so that it is capable of taking a holdable posture in which a user can hold the handle and a non-holdable posture in which a user cannot hold the handle, and an opening/closing door for allowing attaching/detaching of the image forming unit to/form an upper part of the unit-rotating member,
• the handle is urged toward the non-holdable posture constantly by its elasticity, the handle in its non-holdable posture being present at a position inside the rotation track surface of the photosensitive member,
• the handle is provided so that the user can insert a user's finger between the image forming unit and the handle,
• the handle of the image forming unit at the position where the image forming unit is replaced with a new unit in the unit-rotating member, is arranged farther from a front side of the image forming apparatus than the photosensitive member, and
• the opening/closing door is provided with a protruding portion that is capable of being brought into contact with the handle, in its holdable posture, of the image forming unit.

An image forming apparatus comprising a unit-rotating member that supports a plurality of image forming units in a vertical plane rotatably, forms images by shifting the plurality of image forming units sequentially to the image forming position, an image forming unit being replaced with a new image forming units through an opening provided on a top surface of the apparatus main body after the image forming unit to be replaced is located underneath the opening, wherein

• the image forming unit comprises a photosensitive member unit that supports the photosensitive member, a developing unit that supports the developing device, a handle provided at the image forming unit main body that it is capable of taking a holdable posture in which a user can hold the handle and a non-holdable posture in which a user cannot hold the handle, and an opening/closing door for allowing attaching/detaching of the image forming unit to/from an upper part of the unit-rotating member,
• the photosensitive member is exposed to the outer periphery of the rotation surface of a photosensitive member unit main body,
• the handle is urged toward the non-holdable posture constantly by its elasticity, the handle in its non-holdable posture being present at a position inside the rotation track surface of the photosensitive member,
• the handle is provided so that the user can insert a user's finger between the image forming unit and the handle,
• the opening/closing door is provided with a protruding portion that is capable of being brought into contact with the handle, in its holdable posture, of the image forming unit, and
• in the image forming unit at the position where the image forming unit is replaced with a new unit in the unit-rotating member, the photosensitive member unit and the developing unit are arranged in this order from the front side of the image forming apparatus, and the handle is provided at the side of the developing unit.

An image forming apparatus comprising a unit-rotating member that supports a plurality of image forming units in a vertical plane rotatably, forming images by shifting the plurality of image forming units sequentially to the image forming position, and the image forming unit is replaced with a new unit through an opening provided on the top surface of the apparatus main body after the image forming unit to be replaced is located underneath the opening, wherein

• the image forming unit comprises an image forming unit main body, a photosensitive member exposed to the outer periphery of the rotation surface of the image forming unit main body, and a handle provided at the image forming unit main body so that it is capable of taking a holdable posture in which a user can hold the handle and a non-holdable posture in which a user cannot hold the handle,
• the handle is urged toward the non-holdable posture constantly by its elasticity, the handle in its non-holdable posture being present at a position inside the rotation track surface of the photosensitive member, and
• the handle of the image forming unit at the position where the image forming unit is replaced with a new unit in the unit-rotating member, is arranged farther from a front side of the image forming apparatus than the photosensitive member,
• an opening/closing door for allowing attaching/detaching of the image forming unit to/from an upper part of the unit-rotating member, wherein the opening/closing door is provided with a protruding portion that is capable of being brought into contact with the handle, in its holdable posture, of the image forming unit.

An image forming apparatus comprising a unit-rotating member that supports a plurality of image forming units in a vertical plane rotatably, forms images by shifting the plurality of image forming units sequentially to the image forming position, an image forming unit being replaced with a new image forming units through an opening provided on a top surface of the apparatus main body after the image forming unit to be replaced is located underneath the opening, wherein

• the image forming unit comprises a photosensitive member unit that supports the photosensitive member, a developing unit that supports the developing device, and a handle provided at the image forming unit main body that is capable of taking a holdable posture in which a user can hold the handle and a non-holdable posture in which a user cannot hold the handle, and
• the photosensitive member is exposed to the outer periphery of the rotation surface of a photosensitive member unit main body,
• the handle is urged toward the non-holdable posture constantly by its elasticity, the handle in its non-holdable posture being present at a position inside the rotation track surface of the photosensitive member, and
• in the image forming unit at the position where the image forming unit is replaced with a new unit in the unit-rotating member, the photosensitive member unit and the developing unit are arranged in this order from the front side of the image forming apparatus, and the handle is provided at the side of the developing unit,
• an opening/closing door for allowing attaching/detaching of the image forming unit to/from an upper part of the unit-rotating member, wherein the opening/closing door is provided with a protruding portion that is capable of being brought into contact with the handle, in its holdable posture, of the image forming unit.