Abstract: A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus has a main assembly, to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, for forming a color image on a recording material. The process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a process device actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum. The apparatus includes an opening provided in the main assembly of the apparatus, a movable member which is linearly movable between an inside and an outside of the opening in a direction crossing with a longitudinal direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum while carrying plurality of such process cartridges, an accommodating portion for accommodating the process cartridges and an urging member, provided above a movement path of the process cartridges, while being carried on the movable member, from the opening to the accommodating portion, for contacting the process cartridge passing therebelow to urge the process cartridge toward the movable member.

Abstract: The present invention includes two side-plates configured to be opposed to each other and to form a frame of a main body of the apparatus, a cartridge with an image bearing member, a moving member configured to support and move the cartridge, a connecting member configured to connect the two side-plates, and a positioning member configured to be held by the connecting member, wherein the moving member, which is movable between the two side-plates, the cartridge is attachable to and detachable from the moving member when the moving member is withdrawn to the outside of the main body of the apparatus, and the cartridge is positioned by the positioning member when the moving member is moved and the cartridge is contained in the main body of the apparatus.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus detachably mounts a process cartridge including an electrophotographic photosensitive drum. The apparatus includes a frame, a door, and a tray carrying the cartridge. The tray is movable among a first position inside the frame when the door is closed and the drum forms a latent image, a second position when the door is open and the tray protrudes from the frame to permit cartridge mounting and demounting, and a third position between the first and second positions where the tray is movable to the first position with closing of the door. Also, a regulating member moves between a regulating position regulating movement of the door from an opening position to a position where the tray is beyond the third position, and a permitting position permitting movement of the door from the opening to the closing position when the tray is at the third position.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus detachably mounts a process cartridge including an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and includes a frame having an opening; a door movable between closing and opening positions; a cartridge-carrying tray movable among a latent image formation position, a mounting and demounting position, and a movable position therebetween; and a regulating member movable between a regulating position for regulating movement of the door from the opening position to the position when the tray is beyond the movable position, and a permitting position for permitting movement of the door from the opening position to the closing position when the tray is at the movable position.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a process cartridge which is mounted on a pull-out type cartridge tray to enable front access. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an urging unit for urging and moving the cartridge tray toward a front of a main assembly of the apparatus and a clocking member for locking the cartridge tray in a proper position so that the cartridge tray is returned back to an outside position of the apparatus when the cartridge tray is pushed to the proper position.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of the apparatus of an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus including a main assembly urging member and a main assembly positioning portion, the cartridge includes a photosensitive drum; a portion-to-be-positioned for positioning the cartridge by engaging with the main assembly positioning portion when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus; a first portion-to-be-urged for being urged to a first urging portion of the main assembly urging member to urge the portion-to-be-positioned to the main assembly positioning portion when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus; a second portion-to-be-urged for being urged to a second urging portion of the main assembly urging member to urge the portion-to-be-positioned to the main assembly positioning portion when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus; a cartridge electrical contact, provided between the first portion-to-be-u

Abstract: A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus having a main assembly, to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, for forming a color image on a recording material, wherein the process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, the apparatus includes an opening provided in the main assembly of the apparatus; a movable member which is linearly movable between an inside and an outside of the opening in a direction crossing with a longitudinal direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum while carrying plurality of such process cartridges; an accommodating portion for accommodating the process cartridges; and an urging member, provided above a movement path of the process cartridges, while being carried on the movable member, from the opening to the accommodating portion, for contacting the process cartridge passing therebelow to urge the process cartridge toward the movable member.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus with which a process cartridge having an electrophotographic photosensitive member is usable, the apparatus includes a transfer member contactable to the photosensitive member to transfer a toner image from the photosensitive member thereonto; a tray for carrying the cartridge, the tray being movable between a contact position in which the photosensitive member is contacted to the transfer member in a state that tray carries the cartridge and a spaced position in which the photosensitive member is spaced from the transfer member in the state that tray carries the cartridge; a supporting member for supporting the tray for movement in a tangent line direction which is parallel with a tangent line between the photosensitive member and the transfer member as seen in an axial direction of the photosensitive member between a first position for positioning the tray at the contact position and a second position which is retracted from the first position away from the tra

Abstract: A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus usable with process cartridges detachably mountable to a main assembly of the apparatus, the cartridges each including an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and means actable on the drum, includes a movable member which is movable between an inside of the main assembly of the apparatus and an outside of the main assembly of the apparatus in a direction crossing with a longitudinal direction of the drum while carrying the cartridges; a main assembly electrical contact provided inside the main assembly along a movement path of the movable member; and an intermediary electrical contact including a first electrical contact portion which is disposed inside the movable member and which is electrically connectable to a cartridge electrical contact of the cartridge and a second electrical contact portion which is disposed outside the movable member and which is electrically connectable to a main assembly electrical contact provided in the main assembly, wherein

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge including an electrophotographic photosensitive drum is detachably mountable, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a main assembly frame having an opening; a main assembly door movable between a closing position for closing the opening and an opening position for opening the opening; a tray for carrying the cartridge, the tray is movable among a latent image formation position which is inside the main assembly frame and is taken when the main assembly door is at the closing position and in which a latent image can be formed on the drum, a mounting and demounting position which is taken when the main assembly door is at the opening position in which the tray is protruded out of the main assembly frame through opening to permit mounting and demounting of the cartridge thereto, and a movable position which is between the mounting and demounting position and the latent image formation position in which the tray is mova

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image bearing member carrying a toner image, and a movable second image bearing member carrying a toner image. The toner image on the first image bearing member is transferred to the second image bearing member at a first transfer portion, and the toner image on the second image bearing member is transferred to a transfer material at a second transfer portion. The apparatus also includes a charging member contacting the second image bearing member arranged on a downstream side of the second transfer portion and on an upstream side of the first transfer portion in a moving direction of the second image bearing member, and a mark portion having a thickness and being formed on the second image bearing member. A contact region between the charging member and the second image bearing member does not overlap with the mark portion in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the second image bearing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an openable and closable member openable and closable relative to the main body of the apparatus. A switch, which is held by a holding member, detects, the opened and closed states of the openable and closable member. The holding member is movable relative to the main body of the apparatus. The openable-and-closable member has an engagement portion to be engaged with the switch, and the engagement portion positions the holding member.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus and an image forming apparatus include a transfer roller which transfers a developer developing an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum to a sheet, a pair of registration rollers which nip the sheet into a conveying nip formed by a pair of rotary members and conveys the sheet to the transfer roller, and an upper transfer guide for leading the sheet from the pair of registration rollers to the transfer roller. In addition, a conveyance regulating member regulates a conveying direction of the sheet conveyed by the pair of registration rollers and brings the sheet into contact with the upper transfer guide.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an openable and closable member openable and closable relative to the main body of the apparatus, and a detecting device for detecting the opened and closed states of the openable and closable member, the openable and closable member having an engagement portion to be engaged with the detecting device, one of the detecting device and the engagement portion of the openable and closable member being movable relative to the other.

Abstract: To provide a sheet conveying apparatus and an image forming apparatus making stabilization of a sheet conveyance in printing an image to various sheets such as thick sheets of paper in particular, compatible with a high image quality. Each of the sheet conveying apparatus and the image forming apparatus includes: a transfer roller which transfers a developer developing an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum to a sheet; a pair of registration rollers which nip the sheet into a conveying nip formed by a pair of rotary members and conveys the sheet to the transfer roller, an upper transfer guide for leading the sheet from the pair of registration rollers to the transfer roller, and a conveyance regulating member which regulates a conveying direction of the sheet conveyed by the pair of registration rollers and brings the sheet into contact with the upper transfer guide.

Abstract: A device for attaching and detaching a mounting board unit with respect to a device body in a substantially vertical posture includes a controller base which has a detachable mounting board fixed thereto and a guide portion engaging a guide rail provided on the device body. The guide portion guides the controller base when the mounting board unit is attached to and detached from the device body. Mounting boards having different shapes can be mounted on the unit of the same construction, and even a mounting board on which a heavy device such as a hard disk is mounted can be easily attached to and detached from the device body in a vertically arranged condition.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a pressing unit for pressing a fixing unit so that the fixing unit is secured to the apparatus body by the pressing force of the pressing unit. A projection portion on the fixing unit and an insertion slit in the apparatus body also secure the fixing unit, and thus, screws for securing the fixing unit to the apparatus body can be omitted and the fixing unit can easily be attached/detached. A discharge cover is rotatably mounted to the apparatus body and the fixing unit is inserted through an opening portion created when the discharge cover is opened.