Color image forming apparatus with multiple development units supported by a rotatable carriage

摘要

On each of inner surfaces of left and right side plates of an apparatus main body, guide rails for restricting a moving track of development units during the rotation of a carriage are provided. The guide rails are formed to have a downwardly-bent arc shape whose center corresponds to the rotation center of the carriage, and both ends of the development units are supported by these guide rails. The development units can be prevented from dropping out of the carriage without any lock mechanism, thus achieving a color image forming apparatus in which the development units can be attached/removed easily. The position of the developing units may be restricted using a unit positioning pin. The unit positioning pins may be moved in a direction parallel to a rotation axis of the carriage, thereby restricting the position of the developing unit in a particular direction.