Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image bearer;
• an optical writing unit that writes an electrostatic latent image on the image bearer, the optical writing unit including multiple optical writing elements arranged in a longitudinal direction of the image bearer and a frame to hold the multiple optical writing elements;
• a development device to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image bearer with developer;
• a developer container for containing the developer supplied to the development device;
• and
• a developer amount detector to detect an amount of developer contained in the developer container based on a light transmission amount, the developer amount detector including a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element,
• wherein at least one of the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element of the developer amount detector is attached to the optical writing unit, and
• wherein the developer container is positioned above the image bearer.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image bearer;
• an optical writing unit that writes an electrostatic latent image on the image bearer, the optical writing unit including multiple optical writing elements arranged in a longitudinal direction of the image bearer and a frame to hold the multiple optical writing elements;
• a development device to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image bearer with developer;
• a developer container for containing the developer supplied to the development device;
• and
• a developer amount detector to detect an amount of developer contained in the developer container based on a light transmission amount, the developer amount detector including a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element,
• wherein at least one of the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element of the developer amount detector is attached to the optical writing unit, and
• wherein the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element of the developer amount detector are disposed facing a center portion of the developer container in a longitudinal direction of the developer container.