| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus, in a compact image forming apparatus in which height dimensions are suppressed, an access to a process cartridge is attainable without performing an access from the upper face to the process cartridge. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus 3 is equipped with: a process cartridge 1 composed so as to be detachably mountable to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus 3; and a fixing unit 2 fixing an image transferred to the surface of a sheet material in a transfer nip part to the surface of the sheet material, wherein a conveyance passage for the sheet material from the transfer nip part to the fixing unit 2 is formed almost to the horizontal direction. The apparatus is provided with: a fixing 14 guiding the attaching/detaching direction when the fixing unit 2 is attached/detached to the main assembly from the side from which the sheet material in the main assembly is exhausted; and a cartridge guide 15 guiding an attaching/detaching direction when the process cartridge 1 is attached/detached to the side to which the sheet material in the main assembly is exhausted from a space in which the fixing unit 2 is removed from the main assembly. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT |
