1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a main casing;
a plurality of cartridges;
a cartridge support unit configured to support the plurality of cartridges, the cartridge support unit being configured to move in a withdrawing direction from a mounted position at which the cartridge support unit is mounted inside the main casing to a withdrawn position positioned outward of the mounted position in the withdrawing direction with respect to the main casing, and to move in a mounting direction from the withdrawn position to the mounted position;
an abutment portion disposed at one of the main casing and the cartridge support unit; and
a first applying portion disposed at the other of the main casing and the cartridge support unit, the first applying portion being configured to abut on the abutment portion to apply a first resistance force in a direction opposite to the mounting direction to the cartridge support unit when the cartridge support unit moves in the mounting direction, the first applying portion and the abutment portion being configured such that the first resistance force continuously increases and then continuously decreases when the cartridge support unit moves in the mounting direction.
2. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first applying portion has a first curved surface, the abutment portion having a second curved surface abuttable on the first curved surface when the cartridge support unit moves in the mounting direction, the first curved surface and the second curved surface being configured such that the first resistance force continuously increases and then continuously decreases when the cartridge support unit moves in the mounting direction.
3. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first applying portion comprises a resilient member.
4. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first applying portion is a resilient member.
5. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the resilient member is a torsion coil spring.
6. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first applying portion is disposed at the cartridge support unit and the abutment portion is disposed at the main casing, the first applying portion being configured to be resiliently deformed by abutting on the abutment portion.
7. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first applying portion is configured to be resiliently deformed when the first applying portion abuts on the abutment portion to move past the abutment portion.
8. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first applying portion is configured to be resiliently deformed and to retract upward by abutting on the abutment portion.
9. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cartridge support unit has an upstream end portion in the mounting direction, the first applying portion being disposed at the upstream end portion of the cartridge support unit, and
wherein the main casing has an upstream end portion in the mounting direction, the abutment portion being disposed at the upstream end portion of the main casing.
10. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second applying portion disposed at the other of the main casing and the cartridge support unit, the second applying portion being configured to abut on the abutment portion to apply a second resistance force in a direction opposite to the withdrawing direction to the cartridge support unit when the cartridge support unit moves in the withdrawing direction, the second applying portion and the abutment portion being configured such that the second resistance force continuously increases and then continuously decreases when the cartridge support unit moves in the withdrawing direction.
11. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second applying portion is integral with the first applying portion.
12. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a main casing;
a plurality of cartridges;
a cartridge support unit configured to support the plurality of cartridges, the cartridge support unit being configured to move in a withdrawing direction from a mounted position at which the cartridge support unit is mounted inside the main casing to a withdrawn position positioned outward of the mounted position in the withdrawing direction with respect to the main casing, and to move in a mounting direction from the withdrawn position to the mounted position;
an abutment member disposed at one of the main casing and the cartridge support unit; and
an applying member disposed at the other of the main casing and the cartridge support unit, the applying member having a first applying portion and a second applying portion, the first applying portion being configured to abut on the abutment member to apply a first resistance force in a direction opposite to the mounting direction to the cartridge support unit when the cartridge support unit moves in the mounting direction, the first applying portion and the abutment member being configured such that the first resistance force continuously increases and then continuously decreases when the cartridge support unit moves in the mounting direction, the second applying portion being configured to abut on the abutment member to apply a second resistance force in a direction opposite to the withdrawing direction to the cartridge support unit when the cartridge support unit moves in the withdrawing direction, the second applying portion and the abutment member being configured such that the second resistance force continuously increases and then continuously decreases when the cartridge support unit moves in the withdrawing direction.
13. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second applying portion is further configured to abut on the abutment member to apply a propulsion force in the mounting direction to the cartridge support unit when the cartridge support unit moves in the mounting direction after the first applying portion has abutted on the abutment member, the second applying portion and the abutment member being further configured such that the propulsion force continuously increases and then continuously decreases when the cartridge support unit moves in the mounting direction after the first applying portion has abutted on the abutment member.
14. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the continuously increasing propulsion force is continuous with the continuously decreasing first resistance force.
15. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a main casing;
a plurality of cartridges;
a cartridge support unit configured to support the plurality of cartridges, the cartridge support unit being configured to move in a withdrawing direction from a mounted position at which the cartridge support unit is mounted inside the main casing to a withdrawn position positioned outward of the mounted position in the withdrawing direction with respect to the main casing, and to move in a mounting direction from the withdrawn position to the mounted position;
an abutment portion disposed at one of the main casing and the cartridge support unit; and
a first applying portion disposed at the other of the main casing and the cartridge support unit, the first applying portion having a first curved surface configured to abut on a second curved surface of the abutment portion when the cartridge support unit moves in the mounting direction.
16. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first applying portion comprises a resilient member.
17. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the resilient member is a torsion coil spring.
18. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first applying portion is disposed at the cartridge support unit and the abutment portion is disposed at the main casing, the first applying portion being configured to be resiliently deformed by abutting on the abutment portion.
19. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first applying portion is configured to be resiliently deformed when the first applying portion abuts on the abutment portion to move past the abutment portion.
20. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first applying portion is configured to be resiliently deformed and to retract upward by abutting on the abutment portion.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of forming a color image comprising:
preparing a photosensitive body, a charger which charges the photosensitive drum, a laser scanning unit which radiates light onto the charged photosensitive body, and forms an electrostatic latent image thereon, a plurality of developing units respectively having toners having colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, arranged along an outer surface of the photosensitive body, to develop the electrostatic latent image with the toner, a transfer unit which transfers the developed image onto a recording medium, and a fusing unit which fuses the transferred image onto the recording medium;
developing a plurality of monochromatic images using the developing units and overlapping the monochromatic images on the transfer unit to produce a full color image;
transferring the full color image onto the recording medium using the transfer unit; and
fusing the transferred image onto the recording medium using the fusing unit,
wherein the developing units are arranged based on the respective toner colors in the order of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black from the laser scanning unit in a traveling direction of the outer surface of the photosensitive body, and the developing is performed in the order of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black.
2. A method of claim 1, wherein the laser scanning unit is located below the photosensitive body.
3. A method of claim 2, wherein, in the laser scanning unit, the plurality of the developing units, the transfer unit, and the fusing unit are arranged sequentially in the traveling direction of the outer surface of the photosensitive body.
4. A method of claim 3, wherein each of the developing units includes a developing roller being maintained at a developing gap with respect to the outer surface of the photosensitive body.