Abstract: A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming a color image on a recording material, the apparatus includes an image forming unit rotatable relative to a main assembly of the color electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the image forming unit including a plurality of mounting portions for demountably mounting cartridges each provided with a developing member for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member drum with a developer, and a transfer member for transferring the developed image on the recording material, wherein the image forming unit is rotatable between a transfer position for transferring the developed image from the transfer member onto the recording material and a mounting and demounting position, different from the transfer position, for mounting and dismounting the cartridge relative to the mounting portion in a state in which cartridges containing different color developers are mounted to the mounting portion; and a gr

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, the apparatus includes a plurality of electrophotographic photosensitive drums; a cartridge which contains a developer and which is detachably mountable to a main assembly of the apparatus of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a cartridge mounting portion for mounting the cartridge; a plurality of cleaning members for removing the developers remaining on surfaces of the electrophotographic photosensitive drums; a removed-developer accommodating container for accommodating the developers removed by the cleaning members, the removed-developer accommodating container being detachably mountable to the main assembly of the apparatus in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, wherein the cartridges are disposed along a second direction, and the removed-developer accommodating container are adjacent to the cartridge

Abstract: A toner storage unit provided in an image forming apparatus that enables a user to replace the toner storage unit when the user opens the door of the image forming apparatus, moves a developing cartridge in a direction corresponding to removal of the developing cartridge, and places the developing cartridge in the toner storage unit replacement position where the toner storage unit can be removed and replaced.

Abstract: A cartridge includes: a first frame member which has an opening through which a developer accommodated therein is fed; a sealing member which seals the opening and which is pulled out to unseal the opening; a second frame member which sandwiches the sealing member with the first frame member; a welding portion which is formed on one of the first frame member and the second frame member and adapted to weld the first frame member and the second frame member at an area outside the opening; and a sandwiching portion which is formed on one of the first frame member and the second frame member and which is melted with the welding of the welding portion at an area outside the opening and inside the welding portion to sandwich the sealing member between the first frame member and the second frame member.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium includes an apparatus body having an endless belt incorporated therein configured to transfer toner images formed on a plurality of image bearing members to the recording medium, and a supporting member configured to support the plurality of image bearing members and to be slidable between inner and outer positions of the apparatus body along the arranged direction of the plurality of image bearing members, wherein when the supporting member slides between the inner and outer positions of the apparatus body while at least one of the plurality of image bearing members is in contact with the belt, a force is applied to the belt to rotate the belt along the moving direction of the supporting member.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a transfer member, includes a main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus which is provided with a transfer member for transferring a developer image onto the transfer member; a supporting member movable between an inside position which is for supporting an electrophotographic photosensitive member on which the developer image is to be formed and which is inside the main assembly, and an outside position which is outside the main assembly; and a contacting and spacing member movable between a first position for spacing the electrophotographic photosensitive member from the transfer member in the state that the supporting member is in the inside position, and a second position for contacting the electrophotographic photosensitive member to the transfer member, the contacting and spacing member being provided in the supporting member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a cartridge supporting member movable between an inside position in a state of carrying a first cartridge and a second cartridge, and a drawn position in which said first cartridge and said second cartridge are mountable and demountable relative to said cartridge supporting member. The supporting member includes a first mounting portion for a first cartridge, and a second mounting portion for a second cartridge which is disposed upstream of said first mounting portion with respect to a supporting member drawing direction. A first guide portion for the first cartridge, and a second guide portion for said second cartridge, wherein a downward movement distance of said second cartridge when the cartridge is demounted from said second mounting portion is larger than that of said first cartridge.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus including a door 10 openable with respect to a main assembly of the image forming apparatus, a drum cartridge 8 detachably mountable to the image forming apparatus main assembly, and detachably mountable developing cartridges 4k-4y provided above the drum cartridge 8, wherein the door 10 includes a positioning urging portion 26 contacting the developing cartridges in a state in which the door 10 is closed, the door 10 includes drum cartridge mounting and demounting guides 28R and 28L for regulating the drum cartridge 8 so as to pass along a non-interference path with the positioning urging portion 26 in contact to the drum cartridge 8 when the drum cartridge 8 is demounted from the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a cartridge including a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, the cartridge containing a developer for effecting development and including a force receiving portion, wherein the cartridge is mounted to a main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus; and an urging member for urging the cartridge; wherein by mounting the cartridge, the force receiving portion receives a force from the urging member to urge the developing roller to the electrophotographic photosensitive drum.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided for forming an image on a recording material. The apparatus includes a cartridge supporting member on which a plurality of cartridges is detachably mountable. The cartridge supporting member is movable between an inside position inside a main assembly of the image forming apparatus and an outside position outside the main assembly. A plurality of preventing members are provided movably in the main assembly, with each preventing member being movable between a first position in which each preventing member prevents movement of the cartridge supporting member from the outside position to the inside position by contacting the cartridge supporting member, and a second position, retracted from the first position, in which each preventing member permits the movement of the cartridge supporting member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided for forming an image on a recording material. The apparatus includes a plurality of cartridges, and a cartridge supporting member including a plurality of mounting portions in which the plurality of cartridges is detachably mountable. A plurality of preventing members are each provided movably in an associated cartridge, corresponding to the plurality of mounting portions. Each preventing member is movable between a first position in which each preventing member prevents movement of the cartridge supporting member from an outside position to an inside position by contacting the main assembly, and a second position, retracted from the first position, in which each preventing member permits the movement of the cartridge supporting member.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus, including: a plurality of electrophotographic photosensitive drums; a transfer unit for rotatably supporting a transfer member for transferring toner images formed on the drums onto the recording medium, the transfer unit being movable, with the transfer member being in contact with at least one of the drums, between a mounting position inside an apparatus main body for mounting the transfer unit to the main body and a removing position outside the main body for removing the transfer unit; and a rotative force generating unit for generating a rotative force for rotating the transfer member in association with the movement of the transfer unit when the transfer unit is moved from the mounting position to the removing position and when the transfer unit is moved from the removing position to the mounting position.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit including a transfer member for transferring a developed image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and a mounting portion for demountably mounting a cartridge, the image formation unit being movable, in a state that the cartridge is demountably mounted, between a transfer position for transferring the developed image, and a mounting and demounting position, different from the transfer position, and a regulating member for limiting movement of the cartridge mounted to the mounting portion, when the unit moves between the transfer position and the mounting and demounting position, the regulating member being movable between a regulating position for limiting the movement of the cartridge, and a permitting position for permitting mounting and demounting of the cartridge, and the regulating member being in a regulating position when the unit moves between the transfer position and the mounting and demounting position.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus is provided with guide portions to be used to mount a cartridge group including plural cartridges in the image forming apparatus. Some of the guide portions are used also to mount an alternative cartridge, which is configured to occupy two or more of plural mounting spaces, in the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: Provided is a configuration in which a scanner is mounted to a cartridge door via an elastic member, and the scanner is positioned relative to a frame that can be mounted to and demounted from an apparatus main body and that supports an intermediate transfer member and a photosensitive member using an urging force of the elastic member.

Abstract: A guide surface of an attachment guide for a cartridge attached to a position nearest to a scanner has, in the vicinity of an inlet of the attachment guide, a portion oriented so as to be away from a guide surface of a guide unit for another cartridge from the upstream toward the downstream side in the direction in which the cartridges are attached.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit including a transfer member for transferring a developed image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and a mounting portion for demountably mounting a cartridge, the image formation unit being movable, in a state that the cartridge is demountably mounted, between a transfer position for transferring the developed image, and a mounting and demounting position, different from the transfer position, and a regulating member for limiting movement of the cartridge mounted to the mounting portion, when the unit moves between the transfer position and the mounting and demounting position, the regulating member being movable between a regulating position for limiting the movement of the cartridge, and a permitting position for permitting mounting and demounting of the cartridge, and the regulating member being in a regulating position when the unit moves between the transfer position and the mounting and demounting position.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium includes a cartridge configured to store developer, a transfer member located opposite an electrophotographic photosensitive member and configured to transfer a developed image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member to the recording medium, a supporting member that is movable, while supporting the cartridge, between an image forming position where image formation is conducted inside an apparatus body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus and an attachment/detachment position which is spaced away from the image forming position and where attachment/detachment of the cartridge is feasible, and a waste developer container supported so as to be attachable/detachable with respect to the supporting member, having a cleaning member configured to remove the developer from a surface of the transfer member, and configured to store the developer removed by the cleaning member.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus, including: a plurality of electrophotographic photosensitive drums; a transfer unit for rotatably supporting a transfer member for transferring toner images formed on the drums onto the recording medium, the transfer unit being movable, with the transfer member being in contact with at least one of the drums, between a mounting position inside an apparatus main body for mounting the transfer unit to the main body and a removing position outside the main body for removing the transfer unit; and a rotative force generating unit for generating a rotative force for rotating the transfer member in association with the movement of the transfer unit when the transfer unit is moved from the mounting position to the removing position and when the transfer unit is moved from the removing position to the mounting position.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an opening provided in a main assembly of the apparatus; an openable member movable between a close position for closing the opening and an open position for opening it; a drawer member for supporting an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, the drawer member being movable in a direction crossing with an axis of the drum through the opening between an inside position inside the main assembly and an outside position outside the main assembly where the cartridge can be mounted and dismounted; a transfer unit movable about a rotation axis disposed downstream of the drum with respect to a mounting direction of the drawer member from the outside position to the inside position, between a contacting position contacting the drum and a spaced position spacing from the drum in a state that the drawer member is in the inside position; and an interrelating member interrelating the openable member and the transfer unit with each other, wherein the interrelating m