Abstract: A sheet-shaped regulation member is supported by a supporting unit with an elastic force occurring by bending a sheet-shaped regulation member in the longitudinal direction thereof, and a force received as a result of being pressed by a developing roller. Thus, direct contact can be securely made onto a developer bearing member, and a regulation member can be provided which enables easily attaching thereof to the supporting member, as well as enabling a developing apparatus, processing cartridge, and image forming apparatus, to be reduced in size.

Abstract: A thermally insulated cooking pot consists of an outer pot and an inner pot. The inner pot is suspended within the outer pot by hanging from the top inner circumferential area of the outer pot with its own top outer circumferential area. The space between the inner and outer pots becomes an insulation cavity. The contact point between the two pots is sealed by a pliable packing ring with an L-shaped cross-section, thereby sealing the insulation cavity. This sealed insulation cavity provides excellent thermal insulation. The packing ring contains a plurality of protrusions on the surface that come into contact with the inner pot to prevent the packing ring from sticking to the inner pot. The gap formed between the packing ring protrusions and the inner pot prevents the inner pot from sticking to the packing ring.

Abstract: A developer feeding screw, which includes a shaft and a helical shape portion around said shaft, for feeding a developer in a direction of an axis of said shaft by rotation about the axis, said feeding screw, the improvement residing in that: a sectional configuration of said helical shape portion in a plane including the axis satisfies: Z(r)=kln(ro/r) where z(r) is a height of said sectional configuration at radius r with z(ro)=0 (ro is an outer radius of the helical configuration): r is a radius (0<r?ro) k is a constant.

Abstract: A cleaning member configured to remove developer from an electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a longitudinally-shaped planar elastic blade that comes into contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member to remove the developer from a surface thereof; and a holder supporting the elastic blade. The holder includes an engaging part that engages with the frame to secure the cleaning member to the frame; and a supporting part that holds the elastic blade inside the engaging part to support the elastic blade in the thickness direction thereof.

Abstract: A thermally insulated cooking pot consists of an outer pot and an inner pot. The inner pot is suspended within the outer pot by hanging from the top inner circumferential area of the outer pot with its own top outer circumferential area. The space between the inner and outer pots becomes an insulation cavity. The contact point between the two pots is sealed by a pliable packing ring with an L-shaped cross-section, thereby sealing the insulation cavity. This sealed insulation cavity provides excellent thermal insulation. The packing ring contains a plurality of protrusions on the surface that come into contact with the inner pot to prevent the packing ring from sticking to the inner pot. The gap formed between the packing ring protrusions and the inner pot prevents the inner pot from sticking to the packing ring.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein said main assembly includes a motor, a main assembly side gear for receiving driving force from said motor and a hole defined by twisted surfaces, said hole being substantially coaxial with said gear, said process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; process means actable on said photosensitive drum; a projection engageable with said twisted surfaces, said projection being provided at a longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum, wherein said projection is non-twisted, and when said main assembly side gear rotates with said hole and projection engaged with each other, rotational driving force is transmitted from said gear to said photosensitive drum through engagement between said hole and said projection; and a resilient member for urging said process cartridge in a longitudinal direction of said photosensitive drum when said process cartridge is mounted to the ma

Abstract: A bearing member for a cartridge frame of a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein the process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, the bearing member includes a bearing portion for rotatably supporting a shaft provided at an end of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a protection portion formed along a circumference of a driving force receptor portion projected outwardly at an end of the shaft, wherein the driving force receptor portion being in the form of a male coupling projection engageable with a female coupling recess provided in a main assembly of the apparatus to receive driving force from the main assembly when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly; a locking portion for mounting the bearing member to the cartridge frame.

Abstract: A coupling pin for coupling a first frame and a second frame of a process cartridge detachably mountable relative to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes (a) a first shaft portion for being press-fitted into a first hole formed in the first frame; and (b) a second shaft portion for being press-fitted into a second hole formed in the first frame, where the second shaft portion is upstream of the first shaft portion in a direction of press-fitting of the coupling pin. The second shaft portion has an outer diameter which is larger than that of the first shaft portion. The pin further includes (c) a third shaft portion for being loosely fitted into a hole formed in the second frame with a gap between the third shaft portion and inside surface of the hole of the second shaft.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein the main assembly includes a motor, a main assembly side gear for receiving driving force from the motor, a main assembly positioning member, a hole which is substantially coaxial with the gear, and a process cartridge mounting portion for mounting the process cartridge, the process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; process mechanism(s) actable on the photosensitive drum; and a projection engageable with the hole, the projection being provided at a longitudinal end of the photosensitive drum; wherein when the main assembly side gear rotates with the hole and projection engaged with each other, the rotational driving force is transmitted from the gear to the photosensitive drum through engagement between the hole and the projection; a cartridge positioning portion for abutting to the main assembly positioning portion to stop a movement of the process cartridge beyo

Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable on a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus a laser beam emitter, a laser shutter, and a mover. The process cartridge includes a cartridge frame; an electrophotographic photosensitive member; a process device acting to the electrophotographic photosensitive member; a first contact part provided on the cartridge frame to determine the position of the process cartridge relative to the main assembly of the apparatus by contacting a fixing member provided on the main assembly of the apparatus in mounting the process cartridge to the main assembly of the apparatus; and a second contact part provided on the cartridge frame adjacent to the first contact part and contacting with the mover to move the laser shutter from the shutting position to the opening position in mounting step of the process cartridge to the main assembly of the apparatus.

Abstract: An end cover for a process cartridge detachably mountable to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, includes a base; a gear train including a plurality of gears mounted on the base; a first opening, provided in the base so as to be opposed to a gear of the gear train, for permitting the gear of the gear train to be rotated externally when the end cover is mounted to a cartridge frame in assembling of the process cartridge; a second opening, provided opposed to the cartridge gear, for permitting observation of rotation of the cartridge gear provided in the cartridge frame which cartridge gear receives driving force through the gear train when the gear opposed to the first opening is rotated.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member; and developing member for developing a latent image formed on the photosensitive member; The developing member is disposed at a position deviated from a developing position corresponding to a displacement of the developing member resulting from the driving force received from the main assembly of the apparatus when the process cartridge is in the main assembly.

Abstract: An electrical connector electrically connectable with a main assembly connector, provided in a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes storing member for storing information; a plurality of electrical contacts for separably connecting with a contact of the main assembly connector, when they are connected electrically with the main assembly connector; wherein the storing member is electrically connected with each of the electrical contacts with lead lines.

Abstract: A charging apparatus includes a charging roller, contactable to an object to be charged, for charging the object to be charged, the charging roller being provided with a rotation shaft, an electroconductive bearing for supporting the rotation shaft, a contact member for urging the bearing to press-contact the charging roller to the object to be charged, wherein a first electric energy supply path is established from the contact member to the rotation shaft through the bearing to supply electric energy from the contact member to the rotation shaft, a power supply contacted to a peripheral surface of the rotation shaft, wherein the contact member urges the power supply to press-contact the power supply to the peripheral surface of the rotation shaft, wherein a second electric energy supply path is established to supply electric energy from the contact member to the rotation shaft through the power supply member, and the power supply member is movable in a direction of urging of the contact member independently

Abstract: The present invention provides a developing apparatus comprising a developing container for containing magnetic developing agent, a developing agent bearing member provided an opening portion of the developing container and adapted to bear and convey the magnetic developing agent, a sheet member elastically biased against the developing agent bearing member along a longitudinal direction of the developing agent bearing member and adapted to close a gap between the developing agent bearing member and the developing container, a magnetic seal member provided at an end of the developing agent bearing member with a gap therebetween and adapted to form a magnetic seal, and an elastic member for urging the sheet member toward the developing agent bearing member.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein said main assembly includes a motor, a main assembly side gear for receiving driving force from said motor and a hole defined by twisted surfaces, said hole being substantially coaxial with said gear, said process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; process means actable on said photosensitive drum; a projection engageable with said twisted surfaces, said projection being provided at a longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum, wherein said projection is non-twisted, and when said main assembly side gear rotates with said hole and projection engaged with each other, rotational driving force is transmitted from said gear to said photosensitive drum through engagement between said hole and said projection; and a resilient member for urging said process cartridge in a longitudinal direction of said photosensitive drum when said process cartridge is mounted to the ma

Abstract: An assembling method of a process cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus includes providing a drum frame, supporting an photosensitive drum and having first and second engaging portions above the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, one adjacent each longitudinal end of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum; and providing a developing device frame supporting a developer, and having first and second compression springs above the developer, one adjacent each longitudinal end of the developer, and first and second projected portions projected in a direction crossing with a longitudinal direction of the developer, one adjacent each longitudinal end of the developer. The first and second projected portions are engaged with the first and second engaging portions, respectively.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein the main assembly includes a motor, a main assembly side gear for receiving driving force from the motor and a non-twisted recess which is substantially coaxial with the gear, the process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a process device actable on the photosensitive drum; and a non-twisted projection engageable with the recess, the projection being provided at a longitudinal end of the photosensitive drum, wherein when the main assembly side gear rotates with the recess and projection engaged with each other, rotational driving force is transmitted from the gear to the photosensitive drum through engagement between the recess and the projection.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable on the main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprises an electrophotographic photosensitive member, development means for developing the latent images formed by the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a toner retaining unit for retaining toner to be used for development by the development means.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a cartridge frame, an electrophotographic photosensitive member supported by the cartridge frame, a process device supported by the cartridge frame to act on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a shutter member for protecting a portion of the electrophotographic photosensitive member exposed from the cartridge frame. It further includes a first connection member to connect the cartridge frame and the shutter member. The first connection member is rotatable with respect to the cartridge frame and is detachably attached to the cartridge frame. Also provided is a second connection member to connect the cartridge frame and the shutter member. It is rotatable with respect to the cartridge frame and is attached to the cartridge frame while regulating an axial movement of the second connection member during rotation of the second connection member.