Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body and a movable member configured to move with respect to the main body while supporting an image bearing member and a developer bearing member. The movable member is movable to a position located inside the main body, where the two bearing members is in an image formable state, and a position located outside the main body, where a cartridge including the developer bearing member is detachable from the movable member. The apparatus further includes an exposure device configured to expose the image bearing member via a light transmission member, and a cleaning member configured to clean a surface of the light transmission member opposed to the movable member. The cleaning member is provided on the movable member and is movable to a contact position for contacting the light transmission member and a noncontact position when the movable member moves.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a moving member configured to be moved with respect to a main body of the image forming apparatus while supporting an image bearing member and a developer bearing member and configured to move between an inner position in which the moving member is located inside the main body and an outer position in which the moving member is located outside the main body so that the developer bearing member is removable from the moving member; a transfer device provided in the main body opposite to the image bearing member when the moving member is located in the inner position, and configured to transfer a developer image formed on the image bearing member; and a biasing member provided on the moving member and configured to bias the image bearing member toward the transfer device when the moving member is located in the inner position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which a process cartridge is removably mountable to a main body of the image forming apparatus, including: a containing member configured to contain the process cartridge, movable between an outside position outside the main body and an inside position inside the main body, and provided with a guided portion to be guided from an outside; and a guiding portion provided in the main body and configured to guide the guided portion, wherein the guiding portion includes: a first guiding part configured to guide the guided portion when the containing member is moved from the outside position to the inside position by being inserted into the main body; and a second guiding part having a shape to return the guided portion toward the inside position when the containing member is further moved downstream of the inside position in an inserting direction of the containing member.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a cartridge, a movable member, including an attachment portion for attachment of the cartridge, configured to be movable relative to the apparatus main body in a state such that the cartridge is attached to the attachment portion, a protection member configured to protect the cartridge, an engagement member, provided in the cartridge, configured to be movable to an engagement position where an engagement state of the protection member with the cartridge is secured by the engagement member engaging with the protection member, and to a release position where engagement between the protection member and the engagement member is released and removal of the protection member from the cartridge is allowed, and a release member configured to move the engagement member from the engagement position to the release position by abutting the engagement member, when the cartridge is attached to the attachment portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developer carrying member, and a moving member movable between an inside position inside of a main body of the image forming apparatus and an outside position outside of the main body in a state of supporting the image bearing member and the developer carrying member. A protection member is provided on the moving member and protects a surface of the image bearing member. In addition, a holding mechanism holds the protection member at a first position at which the protection member protrudes above a portion of the image bearing member exposed at an exposing portion when the moving member is located at the outside position and holds the protection member at a second position at which the protection member is located below a transfer member when the moving member is located at the inside position.

Abstract: A cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus having a main assembly electric contact includes: a contact member for receiving pressure by the main assembly electric contact, wherein the contact member has a first surface as a contact portion for receiving the pressure by the main assembly electric contact and has a second surface bent from the first surface toward a side opposite from a side where the main assembly electric contact is provided; a holding member for holding the contact member; a portion to be limited provided at an end of the second surface; and a limiting portion, provided on the holding member, for limiting movement of the portion to be limited.

Abstract: A developer supply cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes: a developer accommodating portion; a shutter portion movable between a closed position and an open position; and a movable portion for moving the shutter portion. The movable portion is movable between a first position where the shutter portion is positioned in the closed position. The movable portion performs a preventing operation for preventing movement thereof to the first position by engagement thereof with an engaging portion, provided in the main assembly side, when the movable portion is positioned in the second position during movement of the developer supply cartridge to the main assembly.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a main body; a moving member movable while supporting an image forming portion having an image bearing member, between an inside position inside the main body and an outside position outside the main body so that at least a part of the image forming portion is removably mountable on the moving member as a cartridge; an exposure device configured to expose the image bearing member with light through an exposure opening provided in the moving member; a shielding member provided in the moving member to shield the exposure opening; and a holding mechanism configured to hold the shielding member in a shielding position for shielding the exposure opening while the moving member is moved, and to hold the shielding member in a non-shielding position for opening the exposure opening when the moving member is in the inside position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: an image bearing member; a developer carrying member; a moving member movable between an inside position and an outside position of a main body of the image forming apparatus while supporting the image bearing member and the developer carrying member, the moving member having a mounting portion on which a cartridge is removably mounted at the outside position; a protection member provided on the moving member to protect a surface of the image bearing member; and a holding mechanism configured to hold the protection member at an upper position vertically above the surface of the image bearing member when the moving member is moved between the inside position and the outside position, and to hold the protection member at a lower position vertically below the surface of the image bearing member at a time of an image formation at the inside position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a moving member configured to be moved with respect to a main body of the image forming apparatus while supporting an image bearing member and a developer bearing member and configured to move between an inner position in which the moving member is located inside the main body and an outer position in which the moving member is located outside the main body so that the developer bearing member is removable from the moving member; a transfer device provided in the main body opposite to the image bearing member when the moving member is located in the inner position, and configured to transfer a developer image formed on the image bearing member; and a biasing member provided on the moving member and configured to bias the image bearing member toward the transfer device when the moving member is located in the inner position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a plurality of image forming portions configured to form different color images; a first support member movable with respect to a main body of the image forming apparatus while supporting cartridges; and a second support member movable with respect to the main body independently of the first support member while supporting a cartridge other than the cartridges supported by the first support member, wherein the cartridges supported by the first and second support members are used in the different image forming portions, each of the first and second support members is movable between an inside position inside the main body and an outside position outside the main body, and each of the cartridges supported by the first and second support members is removably mountable in a state in which the corresponding support member is located in the outside position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which a process cartridge is removably mountable to a main body of the image forming apparatus, including: a containing member configured to contain the process cartridge, movable between an outside position outside the main body and an inside position inside the main body, and provided with a guided portion to be guided from an outside; and a guiding portion provided in the main body and configured to guide the guided portion, wherein the guiding portion includes: a first guiding part configured to guide the guided portion when the containing member is moved from the outside position to the inside position by being inserted into the main body; and a second guiding part having a shape to return the guided portion toward the inside position when the containing member is further moved downstream of the inside position in an inserting direction of the containing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body and a movable member configured to move with respect to the main body while supporting an image bearing member and a developer bearing member. The movable member is movable to a position located inside the main body, where the two bearing members is in an image formable state, and a position located outside the main body, where a cartridge including the developer bearing member is detachable from the movable member. The apparatus further includes an exposure device configured to expose the image bearing member via a light transmission member, and a cleaning member configured to clean a surface of the light transmission member opposed to the movable member. The cleaning member is provided on the movable member and is movable to a contact position for contacting the light transmission member and a noncontact position when the movable member moves.

Abstract: A cartridge includes: a rotatable member, including a metal shaft, supported movably in an axial direction of the metal shaft; an electroconductive member, supported movably in the axial direction in contact to an end surface of the metal shaft in one end side of the metal shaft, for constituting an electroconductive path for electrically connecting the metal shaft and a contact member provided in an image forming apparatus main assembly; an urging portion for urging the metal shaft via the electroconductive member in a direction from the one end side to another end side of the metal shaft; and an abutting portion for positioning the rotatable member by being abutted by the metal shaft. The electroconductive member includes a contact portion to the end surface of the metal shaft, at a portion other than a rotation center portion of the metal shaft at the end surface.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a cartridge, a movable member, including an attachment portion for attachment of the cartridge, configured to be movable relative to the apparatus main body in a state such that the cartridge is attached to the attachment portion, a protection member configured to protect the cartridge, an engagement member, provided in the cartridge, configured to be movable to an engagement position where an engagement state of the protection member with the cartridge is secured by the engagement member engaging with the protection member, and to a release position where engagement between the protection member and the engagement member is released and removal of the protection member from the cartridge is allowed, and a release member configured to move the engagement member from the engagement position to the release position by abutting the engagement member, when the cartridge is attached to the attachment portion.

Abstract: A cartridge detachably attachable to an image forming apparatus includes a developer storage chamber partitioned into a first storage portion and a second storage portion and configured to store a developer, a replenishment opening disposed in the second storage portion, through which the developer passes from inside the developer storage chamber to outside the developer storage chamber, and a conveyance member disposed in the second storage portion and configured to convey the developer in a predetermined conveying direction, the conveyance member including a first conveyance portion located on an upstream side of the replenishment opening to convey the developer in the conveying direction, and a second conveyance portion located on a downstream side of the replenishment opening to convey an amount of a developer smaller than that of the developer conveyed by the first conveyance portion in the conveying direction.

Abstract: A developer supply cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes: a developer accommodating portion; a shutter portion movable between a closed position and an open position; and a movable portion for moving the shutter portion. The movable portion is movable between a first position where the shutter portion is positioned in the closed position. The movable portion performs a preventing operation for preventing movement thereof to the first position by engagement thereof with an engaging portion, provided in the main assembly side, when the movable portion is positioned in the second position during movement of the developer supply cartridge to the main assembly.

Abstract: A process cartridge includes a drum, a rotatable roller including a first shaft end portion and a second shaft end portion, a bearing member for rotatably supporting ends of a shaft of the rotatable roller, an urging member for urging the rotatable roller via the bearing member in a drum contact direction, a cartridge frame for rotatably supporting the drum and for movably holding the rotatable roller via the bearing member, a movable guide member movable in an axial direction of the shaft of the rotatable roller and including a first contact portion, and a fixed guide member including a second contact portion. At least one of the first contact portion and the first shaft end portion, and at least one of the second contact portion and the second shaft end portion has an inclined surface inclined with respect to the axial direction of the rotatable roller.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes an image-bearing member on which an electrostatic image is to be formed; a first frame; a bearing member, detachably mountable to the first frame, for rotatably supporting the image-bearing member; a first hole provided in the bearing member; a first wall, provided on the first frame, in which a second hole is provided; a second frame for rotatably supporting a developer carrying member on which a developer for developing the electrostatic image is to be carried; a second wall, provided on the second frame, in which a third hole is provided; and a connecting member including a shaft portion penetrating through the first hole, the second hole and the third hole and tightly engaging in the second hole, and including a flange portion, provided at an end portion of the shaft portion, for preventing the bearing member from being detached from the first frame.

Abstract: A process cartridge includes a drum; a rotatable roller including a first shaft end portion and a second shaft end portion; a bearing member for rotatably supporting ends of a shaft of the rotatable roller; an urging member for urging the rotatable roller via the bearing member in a drum contact direction; a cartridge frame for rotatably supporting the drum and for movably holding the rotatable roller via the bearing member; a movable guide member movable in an axial direction of the shaft of the rotatable roller and including a first contact portion; and a fixed guide member including a second contact portion. At least one of the first contact portion and the first shaft end portion has an inclined surface inclined with respect to the axial direction of the rotatable roller, and at least one of the second contact portion and the second shaft end portion has an inclined surface inclined with respect to the axial direction of the rotatable roller.