JP3442843B2 - Color image recording device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a color electrophotographic apparatus applicable to color printers, color copying machines, color facsimiles and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional example, the inventors of the present invention have disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-1
The structure will be described using the color electrophotographic apparatus filed in Japanese Patent No. 78998. FIG. 6 is an overall configuration diagram of the conventional color electrophotographic apparatus.

In the center, four sets of fan-shaped image forming units 101Bk for black, cyan, magenta, and yellow are provided.
01C, 101M, and 101Y form an image forming unit group, and are arranged in an annular shape. 102 is a photoconductor, 103
Is a charger, 104 is a developer hopper, 105 is a cleaner,
Reference numeral 106 is an electrode roller. Image forming units 101Bk, 101C, 101M, 101 arranged in an annular shape
Y is supported by a support (not shown), and is driven by a moving motor 107 that is a moving means as a whole, and is rotatably movable around a cylindrical fixed shaft 108 that does not rotate. Each image forming unit can be sequentially located at an image forming position 111 facing a transfer roller 110 supporting the intermediate transfer belt 109. Image forming position 111
Is also the exposure position by the signal light 112. Reference numeral 113 denotes a laser exposure device, which generates a signal light 112 by a laser beam that is modulated by a signal input to the printer unit, which passes through an optical path formed between the image forming units 101M and 101Y in FIG. , A window 1 opened in a part of the shaft 108
The light enters the mirror 115 fixed inside the shaft 108 through 14a and 114b, is reflected, and is irradiated on the photoconductor 102 of the image forming unit at the image forming position 111 to form a latent image. In the state of FIG. 6, the image forming unit 101Bk for black is used.
Act on.

Next, the operation of this apparatus when forming a color image will be described. First, the image forming unit is located as shown in FIG. 6 and the image forming unit 101Bk for black is used.
Is in the imaging position 111 as shown. Black signal light is input to the image forming unit 101Bk by the laser exposure device 113, and an image is formed with black toner. At the same time as the image is formed, the black toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt by the action of the transfer roller 110. Immediately after all the black toner images have been transferred, the entire image forming unit group 101Bk, 101C, 101M, 101Y is driven by the moving motor 107 to integrally rotate and move,
The image forming unit 101C rotates exactly 90 degrees and stops at the position where it reaches the image forming position vicinity 111. After the image forming unit 101C arrives at the image forming position 111, the laser exposure apparatus uses the cyan signal and the image forming unit 1 is moved to the image forming unit 1 as before.
The signal light is input to 01C to form and transfer a cyan toner image. At this time, the intermediate transfer belt 109 makes one revolution, and the writing timing of the cyan signal light is controlled so that the next cyan toner image is positionally aligned with the previously transferred black toner image. Same operation as above
Magenta and yellow are also performed, and toner images of four colors are positionally aligned and superposed on each other to form a color image. After the final transfer of the yellow toner image, the four color toner images are transferred onto the paper 116 at the same timing as the second toner image.
It is collectively transferred by the action of the transfer roller 117. The toner image transferred onto the sheet is fixed by the fixing device 118.

[0005]

With such a configuration, 2
When color printing was continued for about 00 sheets, the surface of the photoconductor 102 of each image forming unit 101 began to be scratched gradually, and black streaks appeared in the image.

Further, in such a structure, since the intermediate transfer member and the photosensitive member are maintained while they are in contact with each other, the surface of the intermediate transfer member is rubbed against the surface of the photosensitive member when the intermediate transfer member is replaced, and the surface of the photosensitive member is scratched or damaged. The problem that the light from the outside hits the photoconductor directly and deteriorates the photoconductor occurs.

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a color electrophotographic apparatus which is less likely to damage the surface of the photoreceptor and has good maintainability.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a rotating body in which a plurality of image forming units each having a toner containing portion, a photosensitive member and a developing roller are detachably attached, the developed image on the photosensitive member, via the contained intermediate transfer member to the intermediate transfer unit, in a color image recording apparatus for transferring onto a recording sheet, said image forming unit, the image forming unit the intermediate transfer Body belt roll
An image forming position which is supported by the image-forming roller and which moves in a direction substantially perpendicular to the portion facing the rotating body to contact to form an image, and an image-forming position which is supported by the transfer roller of the intermediate transfer belt.
A configuration is adopted in which it is movably controlled to two positions, that is, a retracted position that is separated from a portion facing the rotating body and is not in contact with the intermediate transfer body.

[0009]

The structure and operation of the color electrophotographic apparatus using the intermediate transfer belt unit as the intermediate transfer member of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 1 is an exterior casing of the color electrophotographic printer, and the right end face side in the drawing is the front face. Reference numeral 1A denotes a printer front plate, and the front plate can be freely opened and closed and raised and closed around the hinge shaft 1B on the lower side with respect to the printer outer casing 1. The operation of attaching / detaching the intermediate transfer belt unit 2 to / from the printer, the maintenance of the inside of the printer such as a paper jam, and the like are performed by tilting the front plate 1A open to largely open the inside of the printer. The attachment / detachment operation of the intermediate transfer belt unit 2 is designed so as to be perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis generatrix of the photoconductor.

The structure of the intermediate transfer belt unit 2 is shown in FIG. The intermediate transfer belt unit 2 includes a unit housing 2a, a transfer belt 3, a first transfer roller 4 made of a conductive elastic body, a second transfer roller 5 made of an aluminum roller, and a tension roller 6 for adjusting the tension of the transfer belt.
A cleaner 7 for cleaning the toner image remaining on the transfer belt, waste toner reservoirs 8a and 8b for storing the collected toner, and a waste toner full detector 9 for detecting that the amount of toner in the waste toner reservoir 8b is full. A position detector 10 for detecting the position of the transfer belt is included. The intermediate transfer belt unit 2 is attachable / detachable to / from a predetermined storage portion in the printer outer casing 1 by tilting and opening the printer front plate 1A in FIG. 2 showing a stationary state of the printer. The intermediate transfer belt 3 is made of a 100 μm-thick endless belt-shaped film made of semi-conductive urethane as a base material, and is formed of a urethane foam which has been subjected to a low resistance treatment so as to have a resistance of 10 ⁷ Ωcm in the periphery. It is wound around the first transfer roller 4, the second transfer roller 5, and the tension roller 6,
It is configured to be movable in the arrow Y direction. Here, the peripheral length of the transfer belt is a length (62 mm) slightly longer than a half of the peripheral length of a photosensitive drum (diameter 30 mm), which will be described later, in the length (298 mm) in the longitudinal direction of A4 paper, which is the maximum paper size.
Is set to 360 mm. The cleaner 7 is a fur brush of a belt cleaner portion that cleans the intermediate transfer belt 3. This is a configuration in which a voltage for electrostatically attracting toner is applied to a conductive fur. The cleaner 7 may be a rubber blade or a roller to which a voltage is applied. The cleaner 7 is configured to separate from the intermediate transfer belt 3 while forming a color image on the intermediate transfer belt 3.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of the position detector 10 using a photo interrupter provided inside the intermediate transfer belt unit 2. There is a detection hole 12 at the end of the intermediate transfer belt 3, and the position detector 10 optically detects the passage of the detection hole 12 to align the color image on the intermediate transfer belt 3. Is.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the intermediate transfer belt unit 2 is mounted on the printer body, the first transfer roller 4 is in a position where it does not contact the photoconductor 11, and
When the printer front plate 1A is closed, the second transfer roller 5 is pressed against the third transfer roller 19 having the same structure as the first transfer roller 4 via the intermediate transfer belt 3. The third transfer roller 19 is configured to be rotatable following the intermediate transfer belt 3.

Returning again to FIG. Black in the center of the printer,
Four sets of fan-shaped image forming units 13Bk, 13Y, 13M, and 13C for each color of cyan, magenta, and yellow form an image forming unit group 14, and are arranged in an annular shape as shown in the drawing. Each image forming unit is attachable to and detachable from a predetermined position of the image forming unit group 14 by opening the printer left face plate 1C of FIG. 1 around the hinge shaft 1D. Image forming unit 1
3 is properly installed in the printer, so that the mechanical drive system and the electric circuit system on both the image forming unit side and the printer side are mechanically coupled by mutual coupling members (not shown).・ Electrically integrated.

Image forming unit 1 arranged in an annular shape
3Bk, 13C, 13M and 13Y are supports (not shown)
A cylindrical shaft 1 which is supported by a moving motor 15 which is a moving means as a whole and which is fixed and does not rotate.
It is configured so as to be rotatable around 6. At the time of image formation, each image forming unit can be sequentially positioned at the image forming position 17 facing the first transfer roller 4 supporting the intermediate transfer belt 3 by rotational movement. Image formation position 1
Reference numeral 7 is also an exposure position by the signal light 18.

When the intermediate transfer belt unit 2 is mounted on the printer main body and the image forming operation is started, the first transfer roller 4 is transferred to the photosensitive member 11 via the intermediate transfer belt 3 and is transferred to the photosensitive member 11 by about 1.0.
The second transfer roller 5 is pressed by a force of kg, and the second transfer roller 5 is pressed by a third transfer roller 19 having the same structure as the first transfer roller 4 via the intermediate transfer belt 3.

FIG. 5 shows the black image forming unit 17Bk in detail. Since each image forming unit is composed of the same constituent members except for the developer contained therein, the image forming unit 13Bk for black will be described in order to simplify the description.
The other colors are omitted. The same reference numerals are assigned to the same portions for each color, and when it is necessary to distinguish the configurations of the respective colors, the letters indicating the respective colors are attached to the reference numerals. In this description, it goes without saying that any developing method may be used as long as it is a developing method used in a usual electrophotographic method. In FIG. 5, 1
Reference numeral 1 is an organic photoconductor in which phthalocyanine is dispersed in a polycarbonate binder resin, 20 is a non-rotating magnet fixed coaxially with the photoconductor 11, 21 is a charging roller for negatively charging the photoconductor, 18 is a laser beam signal light, 22 Is an exposure window through which the laser beam enters the image forming unit, and 23 is a developer hopper. In the developer hopper 23, a two-component developer 26Bk in which a ferrite carrier 24Bk having a particle size of 50 μm coated on the surface with a silicone resin and a black toner 25Bk in which a black pigment is dispersed in a polyester resin are mixed is put into the developer hopper 23 by the magnetic force of the magnet 20. It is attached to the surface of the photoconductor 11. 27 is a rotatable collection electrode roller made of aluminum, 28 is a non-rotating magnet fixed coaxially inside thereof, 29 is a scraper made of phosphor bronze for scraping off toner on the collection electrode roller, and 30 is a voltage applied to the collection electrode roller. It is an AC high-voltage power supply for applying. Reference numeral 31 is a cleaner for cleaning the toner remaining on the surface of the photoconductor after transfer. The photoreceptor 11 has a diameter of 30 mm and is rotated in the arrow direction at a peripheral speed of 60 mm / s, and the recovery electrode roller 27 has a diameter of 16 mm and is similarly rotated in the arrow direction at a peripheral speed of 60 mm / s.

Returning to FIG. 1, the description will be continued. Reference numeral 32 denotes a laser beam scanner section arranged on the lower side of the printer exterior casing 1, which is composed of a semiconductor laser, a scanner motor 32a, a polygon mirror 32b, a lens system 32c, and the like.
The pixel laser signal light 18 corresponding to the time-series electric pixel signal of the image information from the scanner unit 32 passes through the optical path window 33 formed between the image forming units 13Bk and 13C in FIG. Axis 1 through a window 34 opened in the part
The exposure window 22 of the image forming unit 13Bk, which is incident on the fixed mirror 35 in 6 and is reflected at the image forming position 17,
From the inside to the inside of the image forming unit 13Bk, and passes through the passage between the developer reservoir 23 and the cleaner 31 arranged in the upper and lower parts of the image forming unit to enter the exposed portion on the left side surface of the photosensitive drum 11. Scanning exposure is performed in the bus line direction.

Here, since the optical path from the optical path window 33 to the mirror 35 utilizes the gap between the adjacent image forming units 13Bk and 13C, the image forming unit group 1
There is almost no wasted space in 4. Also, mirror 3
Since 5 is provided in the center of the image forming unit group 14, it can be composed of a single fixed mirror, and has a simple structure and easy alignment.

Reference numeral 19 denotes a third transfer roller disposed inside the printer front plate 1A and above the feeding roller 36. The nip portion where the intermediate transfer belt 3 and the third transfer roller 19 are in pressure contact with each other is a printer. A sheet conveying path is formed so that the sheet is fed by the sheet feeding roller 36 provided under the front plate 1A.

37a and 37b are fixing rollers provided on the upper part inside the printer, and a halogen lamp 3 is provided inside 37a.
8 are provided. A polyimide film 39 is stretched between 37a and 37b. This film 39
Is used for the purpose of producing the gloss of a color print. 40
Is a backup roller provided to face the fixing roller 37a, and 41 is a paper discharge tray arranged on the paper exit side. The above is the description of the main configuration of the electrophotographic apparatus of the present invention.

Next, the construction and operation of the image forming unit 13 and the intermediate transfer belt unit 2 during replacement will be described with reference to FIG. The position of the image forming unit group 14 in FIG. 2 is different from the position of the image forming unit group 14 in FIG. In this state, the image forming unit 13Bk is not in the image forming position 17 in FIG. 1 but in the retracted position 42. The state shown here is a state in which the magenta image forming unit 13M is replaced, and at the retracted position 42, the photoconductor 11 of the image forming unit 13Bk is shown.
Does not face the first transfer roller 4. At the retreat position 42, the printer stops the printing operation and opens the printer left side plate 1C so that the image forming units 13 can be replaced in the direction of arrow Z in FIG. When replacing another image forming unit 13, the image forming unit group 1
No. 4 stops after rotating 90 degrees from this state. The intermediate transfer belt unit 2 can also be removed by opening the printer front plate 1A. When the intermediate transfer belt unit 2 is detached in this state, the photoconductor 11 and the intermediate transfer belt 3 are strongly pressed against each other during the taking-out operation and are not damaged.

The surface of the intermediate transfer belt 3 gradually deteriorates due to toner adhesion and the like as it is used for a long period of time.
When the deterioration of the belt becomes remarkable, the image is partially cut off or white or black streaks occur in the image. Therefore, it is desirable to replace the intermediate transfer belt before it deteriorates and affects the image. However, it is extremely difficult to automatically detect the deterioration phenomenon of the intermediate transfer belt in the printer device. In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, the intermediate transfer belt 3 is integrated with the waste toner reservoir 8 into a unit,
The waste toner is discarded at the same time when the intermediate transfer belt 3 is replaced. In such a configuration, the size of the waste toner reservoir may be designed to have a small mesh capacity so that the waste toner reservoir is filled with the waste toner before the life of the intermediate transfer belt expires.
In this way, the waste toner full detector 9 installed inside the waste toner reservoir detects the full toner before the intermediate transfer belt deteriorates and an image defect occurs, and instructs the user to replace the intermediate transfer belt unit 2. be able to. Such a structure is effective not only for the intermediate transfer belt that directly forms a toner image thereon, but also for an intermediate transfer member having a structure in which an image receiving paper is wound around the same.

With the above arrangement, the photosensitive member of the image forming unit and the intermediate transfer belt are not in contact with each other during the rotational movement of the image forming unit group, so that the photosensitive member is not damaged. Further, since the intermediate transfer body does not come into direct contact with the photosensitive body when the intermediate transfer body unit is replaced, the photosensitive body is not damaged during maintenance.

[0024]

【Example】

(Embodiment 1) The operation of a color electrophotographic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

The printer of FIG. 1 is in an image forming state. The operation of the image forming unit 13Bk will be described with reference to FIG.
The photoconductor 11 was charged to −500V by the charging roller 21. The photoconductor 11 was irradiated with laser beam scanning light 18 to form an electrostatic latent image. At this time, the exposure potential of the photoconductor is -1.
It was 00V. The two-component developer 26Bk was magnetically attached to the surface of the photoconductor 11 in the developer hopper 23. Next, the surface of the photoconductor 11 was passed in front of the recovery electrode roller 27. When the photoconductor 11 passes through the uncharged area, the AC high voltage power source 30 superimposes a DC voltage of +100 V on the electrode roller 27 and an AC voltage of 750 V 0-p (peak to peak 1.5 kV) (frequency of 3 kHz). Wave) was applied. After that, when passing the surface of the photoconductor 11 charged with −500 V and having the electrostatic latent image written therein, the electrode roller 27
750V 0-p (peak-to-peak 1.5k) superposed with DC voltage of -300V by AC high voltage power supply 30.
V) AC voltage (rectangular wave with a frequency of 3 kHz) was applied. Then, the developer on the photoconductor 11 and the toner adhering to the non-image portion were collected by the electrode roller 27, and the negative-positive inverted toner image remained only on the image portion on the photoconductor 11.
The developer and toner attached to the electrode roller 27 rotating in the direction of the arrow were scraped off by the scraper 29, returned to the developer hopper 23, and used for the next image formation. Thus, a black toner image was obtained on the photoconductor 11. The same operation is performed for the developing devices 13C, 13M, 13Y other than black.

Next, returning to FIG. 1, the operation of the apparatus for forming a color image will be described. The image forming unit group 14 is in the position shown in FIG. 1, and the black image forming unit 13Bk is in the image forming position 17 as shown. At this time, the photoconductor 11 is in contact with the first transfer roller 4 via the intermediate transfer belt 3 so as to face the first transfer roller 4. Through the image forming process of the image forming unit described above, the black signal light is input to the image forming unit 13Bk by the laser exposure device 32, and the image is formed by the black toner. At this time, the image forming speed of the image forming unit 13Bk (60 mm / s which is equal to the peripheral speed of the photoconductor) and the moving speed of the intermediate transfer belt 3 are set to be the same, and at the same time as the image formation, the first transfer roller is moved. By the action of 4, the black toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 3. At this time, a DC voltage of +1 kV was applied to the first transfer roller 4. Immediately after the transfer of all black toner images, the image forming unit 13B
k returns to the retracted position 42 within the dotted circle of the image forming unit group shown in FIG. 2, and the entire image forming unit group 14 is driven by the moving motor 15 to rotate in the direction of arrow Q in FIG.
The image forming unit 13C rotates exactly 90 degrees and stops at the position where the image forming position 13 reaches the image forming position 17. During this period, the toner hopper 23 and the cleaner 31 other than the photoconductor of the image forming unit are located inside the rotation arc indicated by the dotted line at the tip of the photoconductor 11, so that the intermediate transfer belt 3 does not come into contact with the image forming unit. Absent.

After the rotation of the image forming unit group 14 is completed and the image forming unit 13C is moved from the retracted position 42 to the image forming position 17, the laser exposure device 32 is moved to the image forming unit 13C by a cyan signal as before. Signal light is input to form and transfer a cyan toner image. By this time, the intermediate transfer belt 3 has rotated once, so that the next cyan toner image is positionally aligned with the previously transferred black toner image.
The writing timing of the cyan signal light is controlled based on the signal from the position detector 10 shown in FIG. During this time,
The third transfer roller 19 and the cleaner 7 form the intermediate transfer belt 3
Is a little distant from, and is configured not to disturb the toner image on the transfer belt.

The same operation as described above was carried out for magenta and yellow, and four color toner images were positionally superposed on each other on the intermediate transfer belt 3 to form a color image. After the final transfer of the yellow toner image, the four color toner images were collectively transferred onto the paper (not shown) fed from the paper feed cassette at the same timing by the action of the third transfer roller 19. At this time, the second transfer roller 5 was grounded, and a DC voltage of +1.5 kV was applied to the third transfer roller 19. The toner image transferred onto the paper is fixed by the fixing rollers 37a and 37b, and then discharged onto the paper discharge tray 41. The transfer residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 3 was cleaned by the action of the cleaner 7 and stored in the discharged toner reservoir 8b in the intermediate transfer belt unit 2.

When such a printing operation was repeated for about 30,000 sheets, the discharged toner reservoir 8b became full, and the waste toner full detector 9 composed of an optical sensor output a signal indicating that it was full. At this time, the intermediate transfer belt 3 was in a state where it could be used for printing about 10,000 more sheets, but the user was urged to replace the intermediate transfer belt unit 2 based on the signal from the full detector 9.

Next, the maintenance of the image forming unit 13 and the intermediate transfer belt unit 2 of this apparatus at the time of replacement will be described with reference to FIG. First, the image forming unit group 14 is rotated by the action of the moving motor 15, and the image forming unit 13 (here, 13M) of that color is moved to the left side face plate 1C.
Move to position. In this state, at the same time, the photoconductor 11 of the image forming unit 13Bk is in the retracted position 42 where it does not contact the first transfer roller 4 of the intermediate transfer belt unit 2. And the left side plate cover 1 located on the left side of the apparatus body
After opening C, the image forming unit 13M of interest is taken out of the apparatus. Next, a new image forming unit whose image density has been adjusted in advance is attached. As a result, after mounting the image forming unit, image formation can be started without any adjustment.

The intermediate transfer belt unit 2 in which the waste toner reservoir 8b is full of waste toner is replaced as follows. The image forming unit group 14 is in the state shown in FIG.
The photoconductor 11 of the image forming unit 13Bk moves to the retracted position 42 where it does not come into contact with the first transfer roller 4 of the intermediate transfer belt unit 2, and the apparatus stops. The user opens the front plate 1A located on the front part of the apparatus main body and takes out the intermediate transfer belt unit 2 from there. Next, a new intermediate transfer belt unit, which has been adjusted in advance with a position detector, a waste toner full detector, etc., is mounted. Therefore, after mounting the unit, image formation can be started without any adjustment. When the new intermediate transfer belt unit is mounted on the main body, the photoconductor 11 of the image forming unit 13Bk is moved to the retracted position 4
Since it is located at No. 2, it is not damaged by colliding with the first transfer roller 4.

The above is the description of the configuration and operation of the embodiment.
In the above embodiments, a specific structure was used as the structure of the image forming unit. However, even in the case of an image forming unit having a structure using the conventional developing method or charging method, the essence and the effect of the present invention Does not change. Further, it goes without saying that such a structure is effective not only for the intermediate transfer belt that directly forms a toner image thereon, but also for an intermediate transfer body having a structure in which an image receiving paper is wrapped around the same. Nor.

[0033]

According to the present invention, since the intermediate transfer member and the image forming unit do not collide with each other when the image forming unit group is rotated, the photosensitive member is not damaged. Furthermore, when the intermediate transfer body unit is replaced, the intermediate transfer body and the photosensitive body do not collide with each other and the photosensitive body is not damaged. It is possible to obtain a color electrophotographic apparatus having a small and simple structure and good maintainability.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a positional relationship during image formation of a color electrophotographic apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a retracted position of the color electrophotographic apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an intermediate transfer body unit of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a position detector of the intermediate transfer member unit of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of an image forming unit used in a color electrophotographic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a conventional color electrophotographic apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 Intermediate transfer unit 3 Intermediate transfer body 4 First transfer roller 5 Second transfer roller 6 Tension roller 7 cleaner 8 Waste toner storage 9 Waste toner full detector 10 Position detector 11 photoconductor 19 Third transfer roller 13 Image forming unit 14 Image forming unit group 17 Image formation position 18 Laser signal light 32 Laser exposure device 35 mirror 42 Retreat position

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-1-266566 (JP, A) JP-A-4-198962 (JP, A) JP-A-5-197251 (JP, A) JP-A-5- 72866 (JP, A) (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G03G 15/01-15/01 117 G03G 15/16

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A rotary body having a plurality of image forming units having a toner storage portion, a photoconductor, and a developing roller detachably mounted, and an image developed on the photoconductor is stored in an intermediate transfer unit. via the intermediate transfer member, the color image recording apparatus for transferring the recording sheet, said image forming unit, the image forming unit the intermediate
The roller is supported by the transfer roller of the transfer belt and
The image forming position at which the image is formed by contacting and moving in a direction substantially perpendicular to the facing portion, and the transfer roller of the intermediate transfer belt.
A color image recording apparatus, wherein the color image recording apparatus is controlled so as to be movable to two positions, i.e., a retracted position that is supported by a roller and is separated from a portion facing the rotating body and is not in contact with the intermediate transfer body. 2. The color image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate transfer unit is configured to be detachable from the apparatus main body when the image forming unit is located at the retracted position. 3. The color image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the mounting and demounting direction is perpendicular to the generatrix direction of the photoconductor rotation axis. 4. The color according to claim 1, wherein an image forming unit different from the image forming unit facing the intermediate transfer member is detachable when the image forming unit is located at the retracted position. Image recording device. 5. The color image recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the mounting and demounting direction is perpendicular to the direction of the photoconductor rotation axis generatrix.