Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a main assembly of the apparatus to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, the apparatus includes a movable member which movable from an outside toward an inside of the main assembly of the apparatus while supporting the process cartridge; an output contact provided in the main assembly of the apparatus; an intermediary electrical contact for supplying a bias voltage received by the output contact to the process cartridge, the intermediary electrical contact being disposed at a downstream side of the movable member with respect to a moving direction of the movable member from the outside toward the inside and being elastically flexed in the moving direction, wherein the process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, an input electrical contact which is at a leading end with respect to the moving direction in the state that process cartridge is suppo

Abstract: A process cartridge is capable of being carried on a movable guide, which is movable relative to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and which is provided in the main assembly. The movable guide is movable from a receiving position toward a mount position in interrelation with movement of the movable guide. The cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a process device actable on the drum, a cartridge frame, and first, second, and third positioning portions. The third positioning portion has a first rotation stopper surface for stopping rotation of the cartridge about the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion by abutting the movable guide.

Abstract: A cartridge is detachably mountable to an electrophotographic-image-forming-apparatus main assembly including light emitting and receiving portions. The cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developing member, a driving force receiving portion, first and second rotatably connected frames, the first supporting the drum and having a memory, and the second supporting the developing member and having a developer accommodating portion, a main-assembly-contactable electrical contact, first and second light guides whose respective entrance and exit are opposable to the emitting and receiving portions, respectively, first and second cartridge positioning portions engageable with first and second main assembly positioning portions, and a cartridge limiting portion abutting a main assembly regulating portion to limit rotation of the cartridge which otherwise occur about the cartridge positioning portions when the driving force receiving portion receives a driving force from the main assembly.

Abstract: A process cartridge which is capable of being carried on a movable guide provided in the main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and which is movable from a receiving position toward a mount position in interrelation with movement of the movable guide, includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; process means actable on the drum; a cartridge frame supporting the drum and the process means; a first portion to be carried, provided at one longitudinal end of the drum, for being supported by the movable guide; a second portion to be carried, provided at the other longitudinal end of the drum, for being supported by the movable guide; a first positioning portion to be positioned relative to a main assembly, the first positioning portion extending outwardly from the cartridge frame adjacent the other longitudinal end of the drum; a second positioning portion to be positioned relative to the main assembly, the second positioning portion extending outwardly from the cartridge frame ad

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the main assembly including an opening, a door movable between a close position for closing the opening and an open position for opening the opening, a first force application member movable with movement of the door from the open position to the closing position and a second force application member movable by a driving force from a driving source, the process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a drum unit containing the electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a developing unit which contains the developing roller and which is movable relative to the drum unit such that developing roller is movable between a contact position in which the developing roller is contacted to the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a spaced position in which the deve

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an apparatus, includes a drum, a developing member, a cartridge frame including a developer accommodating portion, a first light guide adjacent one end of the cartridge frame and a leading end with respect to a cartridge mounting direction and including a light entrance portion opposed to an emitting portion to receive detecting light when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly and guiding the detecting light to cross with a developer accommodating space in the developer accommodating container, a second light guide adjacent the one end and the leading end, and including a light exit portion and directing, the detecting light having passed through the developer accommodating space to the light receiving portion, and a memory member communicatable with the main assembly and adjacent the one end o and the leading and including a cartridge electrical contact.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an apparatus, includes a drum, a developing member, a cartridge frame including a developer accommodating portion, a first light guide adjacent one end of the cartridge frame and a leading end with respect to a cartridge mounting direction and including a light entrance portion opposed to an emitting portion to receive detecting light when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly and guiding the detecting light to cross with a developer accommodating space in the developer accommodating container, a second light guide adjacent the one end and the leading end, and including a light exit portion and directing, the detecting light having passed through the developer accommodating space to the light receiving portion, and a memory member communicatable with the main assembly and adjacent the one end o and the leading and including a cartridge electrical contact.

Abstract: A process cartridge remanufacturing method including the steps of: separating photosensitive drum and developing units; dismounting a first side cover member; a dismounting a first gear group from a first bearing member; dismounting a supporting member from the first bearing member; dismounting a second gear group from the first bearing member; dismounting the first bearing member; dismounting a developing roller; dismounting a developing blade; filling a developer into a developer accommodating portion; mounting the developing blade; mounting the developing roller; mounting the second gear group, mounting the supporting member; mounting the first gear group; mounting the first side cover member; and rotatably connecting the photosensitive drum and developing units.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a process device actable on the drum, a drum frame, first and second drum frame openings at a different longitudinal ends of the drum frame, first and second end regulating portions at different longitudinal ends of the drum frame, a drum shaft with a through hole, a drum end flange with an end flange opening for receiving the drum shaft, first and second openings provided opposite from each other at a periphery of the end flange opening, and a connecting member penetrating the first opening and the through hole and engaged with the second opening to connect the photosensitive drum with the drum shaft. The regulating portions regulate the position of the drum in its longitudinal direction and the connecting member connects the drum shaft with the drum.

Abstract: A process cartridge is capable of being carried on a movable guide, which is movable relative to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and which is provided in the main assembly. The movable guide is movable from a receiving position toward a mount position in interrelation with movement of the movable guide. The cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a process device actable on the drum, a cartridge frame, and first, second, and third positioning portions. The third positioning portion has a first rotation stopper surface for stopping rotation of the cartridge about the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion by abutting the movable guide.

Abstract: A process cartridge is capable of being carried on a movable guide, which is movable relative to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and which is provided in the main assembly. The movable guide is movable from a receiving position toward a mount position in interrelation with movement of the movable guide. The cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a process device actable on the drum, a cartridge frame, and first, second, and third positioning portions. The third positioning portion has a first rotation stopper surface for stopping rotation of the cartridge about the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion by abutting the movable guide.

Abstract: A plurality of process cartridges, each including an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and a process device actable on the photosensitive drum, are detachably mountable to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image of a recording medium. The image forming apparatus includes an opening and closing member; an intermediate transfer member or a recording medium bearing member provided in the opening and closing member such that the intermediate transfer member can face the process cartridges under a condition in which the opening and closing member is closed, and the intermediate transfer member can be separated from the process cartridges under a condition in which the opening and closing member is open; and a moving guide for holding the process cartridges.

Abstract: A drive transmission apparatus includes a first coupling portion having a polygonal shape; a second coupling portion having a hole portion which has a cross-sectional configuration larger than the first coupling portion, the hole portion being engageable with the first coupling portion; and a center shaft provided on the first coupling or the second coupling, the center shaft penetrating the other one of the first and second coupling.

Abstract: A plurality of process cartridges, each including an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and a process device actable on the photosensitive drum, are detachably mountable to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image of a recording medium. The image forming apparatus includes an opening and closing member; an intermediate transfer member or a recording medium bearing member provided in the opening and closing member such that the intermediate transfer member can face the process cartridges under a condition in which the opening and closing member is closed, and the intermediate transfer member can be separated from the process cartridges under a condition in which the opening and closing member is open; and a moving guide for holding the process cartridges.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a developing apparatus capable of reducing unevenness of density of an image in a longitudinal direction of a photosensitive member. For this purpose, in the present invention, a developing apparatus includes a developer bearing member, and a developer carrying screw placed adjacently to the developer bearing member in parallel with the developer bearing member, and an inclination angle of “a carrying surface facing in a developer carrying direction of a spiral blade of the developer carrying screw” to a shaft of the developer carrying screw is equal to or less than 60 degrees.

Abstract: A process cartridge including a flexible member capable of taking a protection position in which the flexible member protects an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a retraction position in which the flexible member retracts from the protection position, a support member having a support portion on which the flexible member is supported, provided pivotably on a cartridge frame and adapted to move the flexible member from the protection position to the retraction position, and a regulating member provided on the flexible member so as to regulate the positions of creases which occur on the flexible member in accordance with a pivotal movement of the support member, and which extend in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the member of an electrophotographic photosensitive member, the flexible member being folded on the creases and moved to the retraction position.

Abstract: A process cartridge which is capable of being carried on a movable guide provided in the main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and which is movable from a receiving position toward a mount position in interrelation with movement of the movable guide, includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; process means actable on the drum; a cartridge frame supporting the drum and the process means; a first portion to be carried, provided at one longitudinal end of the drum, for being supported by the movable guide; a second portion to be carried, provided at the other longitudinal end of the drum, for being supported by the movable guide; a first positioning portion to be positioned relative to a main assembly, the first positioning portion extending outwardly from the cartridge frame adjacent the one longitudinal end of the drum; a second positioning portion to be positioned relative to the main assembly, the second positioning portion extending outwardly from the cartridge frame adja

Abstract: The present invention relates to a developing apparatus for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum using a developing agent, including a developing agent carrier for supplying the developing agent to the photosensitive drum to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum, a layer thickness limiting member for limiting the layer thickness of the developing agent carried on a surface of the developing agent carrier, the layer thickness limiting member being disposed with a gap to the developing agent carrier, a sealing member for restricting the developing agent from leaking out of an end in a longitudinal direction of the developing agent carrier, and an elastic member arranged in contact with the developing agent carrier to prevent the gap between the developing agent carrier and the layer thickness limiting member from changing upon bending of the developing agent carrier.

Abstract: A process cartridge which is capable of being carried on a movable guide provided in the main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and which is movable from a receiving position toward a mount position in interrelation with movement of the movable guide, includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; process means actable on the drum; a cartridge frame supporting the drum and the process means; a first portion to be carried, provided at one longitudinal end of the drum, for being supported by the movable guide; a second portion to be carried, provided at the other longitudinal end of the drum, for being supported by the movable guide; a first positioning portion to be positioned relative to a main assembly, the first positioning portion extending outwardly from the cartridge frame adjacent the other longitudinal end of the drum; a second positioning portion to be positioned relative to the main assembly, the second positioning portion extending outwardly from the cartridge frame ad