Patent attributes
An image forming apparatus includes LED heads protected from scratching. An optical head is mounted on an inner side of a lid pivotally mounted to a body of the apparatus. A protector is mounted to the lid. A mechanism is operatively coupled to the lid such that when the lid is positioned at an open position, the protector is at a protection position where the protector covers a light-emitting surface of the optical head and when the lid is positioned at a closed position, the protector is at an exposure position where the protector does not cover the light-emitting surface of the optical head. When the lid is pivoted from the closed position to a position at which the lid forms an angle with the body, the mechanism begins to cause the protector to move from the exposure position toward the protection position.
