An electrophotographic imaging device, including at least one photoconductive member, a printhead unit, at least one shutter-wiper member, and at least one shutter actuator. The at least one shutter-wiper member is moveable in a first direction between a first position in which the shutter-wiper covers the at least one exit lens of the printhead unit and a second position in which the at least one shutter-wiper does not cover the at least one exit lens so as to allow the at least one light beam generated by the printhead unit to pass therethrough. The at least one actuator is coupled to the at least one shutter-wiper member such that movement of the at least one shutter actuator in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction causes the corresponding shutter-wiper member to move in the first direction.

A process unit includes a rotatable image bearer, an optical writing head to expose the image bearer within an maximum exposure range in an axial direction of the image bearer, a developer bearer, spacers disposed in axial end portions of the image bearer to determine a position of the optical writing head relative to the image bearer and slidingly contact the image bearer, a cleaner disposed downstream from the developer bearer in an image bearer rotation direction, and a remover to slidingly contact the axial end portion of the image bearer to remove a substance adhering thereto. In the axial direction, inner ends of the spacers are positioned inside a toner layer range of the developer bearer extending beyond a largest sheet width. The remover is disposed downstream from the cleaner and crossing a line extending from the inner end of the spacer perpendicularly to the axial direction.

An image forming apparatus includes a conveyer roller exposed to an attachment space and a drive force transmission mechanism for transmitting a drive force from a drive source. The drive force transmission mechanism includes a plate driving gear exposed to the attachment space, a transmission gear train transmitting a drive force to the conveyer roller and to the plate driving gear, and a switching mechanism. The switching mechanism includes a driven gear transmitting the drive force to the transmission gear train, a pendulum gear revolvable between a coupled position in which the pendulum gear is engaged with the driven gear and an uncoupled position in which the pendulum gear is separated from the driven gear, and a transmission switch movable between a first position for holding the pendulum gear in the uncoupled position and a second position for allowing the pendulum gear to revolve between the coupled and uncoupled positions.

An image forming apparatus includes switches configured to switch a state of an operation performed by an assist circuit for a current supplied to a light-emitting element, in such a manner that the assist circuit corrects a value of a current supplied from a constant current source to the light-emitting element when a switching current is supplied in at least a period during which laser light scans a photoconductive drum and the assist circuit does not correct a value of a current supplied from the constant current source to the light-emitting element to make laser light incident on a photodiode to control a value of a bias current.

An image forming apparatus includes a conveyer roller exposed to an attachment space and a drive force transmission mechanism for transmitting a drive force from a drive source. The drive force transmission mechanism includes a plate driving gear exposed to the attachment space, a transmission gear train transmitting a drive force to the conveyer roller and to the plate driving gear, and a switching mechanism. The switching mechanism includes a driven gear transmitting the drive force to the transmission gear train, a pendulum gear revolvable between a coupled position in which the pendulum gear is engaged with the driven gear and an uncoupled position in which the pendulum gear is separated from the driven gear, and a transmission switch movable between a first position for holding the pendulum gear in the uncoupled position and a second position for allowing the pendulum gear to revolve between the coupled and uncoupled positions.

A step is formed between a first bottom portion and a second bottom portion, and the area where a sealing member and an upper cover adhere to each other increases by an amount corresponding to the provided step so that adhesiveness between the sealing member and the upper cover is enhanced.

A light scanning apparatus according to the present embodiments includes a deflecting unit configured to deflect a first light flux to scan a first scanned surface in a main scanning direction, a first imaging optical system configured to guide the first light flux deflected by the deflecting unit to the first scanned surface, a light receiving element configured to receive the first light flux deflected by the deflecting unit without the first imaging optical system, a first optical element configured to guide the first light flux deflected by the deflecting unit to the light receiving element, and a holding member configured to hold the deflecting unit, the first imaging optical system, the light receiving element and the first optical element, in which the first optical element and the deflecting unit are arranged on sides opposite to each other with respect to a first surface of the holding member.

A light source module includes a first light source, a second light source, a beam combiner, a substrate, and an adjuster. The first light source emits a first light beam. The second light source emits a second light beam parallel to the first light beam. The beam combiner combines and emits the first light beam and the second light beam. The first light source and the second light source are mounted on the substrate. The adjuster adjusts a mounting height of at least one of the first light source or the second light source on the substrate to vary at least one of (a) a first optical path length of the first light beam or (b) a second optical path length of the second light beam.

Laser driver ICs each drive different light-emitting portions and supply a driving current to one or more light-emitting portions among light-emitting portions included in a semiconductor laser. An image forming apparatus controls the laser driver ICs such that the light-emitting portions, which are each driven by a different laser driver IC, emit light beams in sequence, and measures a time interval between two BD signals generated by a BD sensor due to the light beams being incident thereon. Furthermore, based on the measured value, the image forming apparatus controls relative timings according to which the light-emitting portions emit the light beams based on image data.

A process unit includes a rotatable image bearer, an optical writing head to expose the image bearer within an maximum exposure range in an axial direction of the image bearer, a developer bearer, spacers disposed in axial end portions of the image bearer to determine a position of the optical writing head relative to the image bearer and slidingly contact the image bearer, a cleaner disposed downstream from the developer bearer in an image bearer rotation direction, and a remover to slidingly contact the axial end portion of the image bearer to remove a substance adhering thereto. In the axial direction, inner ends of the spacers are positioned inside a toner layer range of the developer bearer extending beyond a largest sheet width. The remover is disposed downstream from the cleaner and crossing a line extending from the inner end of the spacer perpendicularly to the axial direction.