Retractor and image forming apparatus incorporating the retractor

A retractor comprising:

• a moving unit to move a latent image forming device that forms a latent image on a surface of a latent image bearer between an image forming position at which the latent image forming device forms the latent image on the surface of the latent image bearer and a retracted position at which the latent image forming device stays away from the latent image forming device;
• a first guide into which a first projection provided on one end side of the latent image forming device in a longitudinal direction of the latent image forming device is fitted in different ranges and changing an attitude of the one end side of the latent image forming device while guiding the first projection;
• and
• a second guide into which a second projection provided on an opposed end side of the latent image forming device in the longitudinal direction of the latent image forming device is fitted in different ranges and changing the altitude of the opposed end side of the latent image forming device while guiding the second projection,
• the different ranges of each of the first guide and the second guide including a first range where the attitude of each of the one end side and the opposed end side of the latent image forming device is changed and a second range where a corresponding one of the first projection and the second projection is located when the latent image forming device is at the image forming position,
• an amount of play in at least a part of the first range with respect to the corresponding one of the first projection and the second projection being greater than an amount of play in the second range.