Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, includes a photosensitive drum; a developing roller rotatable in the drum-rotating direction when the cartridge is mounted to the apparatus; first and second separation members disposed at one and the other end of the roller so as to provide a gap between the roller and the drum and contacting the drum surface adjacent one and the other end thereof; a charging roller, contacting and charging the drum, which is rotatable with a peripheral speed difference relative to the drum; and a cleaning member contacting the drum adjacent one end thereof, the cleaning member having an effective area outside a developing-roller developing zone and inside a charging-roller-and drum contact region and which is in a region where the first separation member contacts the drum.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, to which a unit is detachably mountable, wherein the electrophotographic image forming apparatus is transportable with the unit mounted thereto, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus including (i) a movable member; (ii) a main assembly electrical contact provided on the movable member; (iii) a mounting member for demountably mounting the unit; (iv) a unit mounted to the mounting member, wherein the unit has a unit electrical contact electrically contactable to the main assembly electrical contact in an image forming operation for forming the image on the recording material; and (v) a separating member for separating the main assembly electrical contact and the unit electrical contact from each other by contacting the movable member and the unit to provide a gap between the main assembly electrical contact and the unit electrical contact when the electrophotographic image forming apparatus is transported with

Abstract: The present invention provides a developing apparatus comprising a developer bearing member for bearing developer, a spacer provided on a surface at an end portion of the developer bearing member along a longitudinal direction, for maintaining a constant gap between the developer bearing member and an image bearing member for supplying the developer from the developer bearing member, a seal member for regulating leakage of the developer toward the end portion of the developer bearing member along the longitudinal direction, and a developer scraping member provided at a portion overlapping with the seal member along the longitudinal direction of the developer bearing member, contacting the developer bearing member, and wherein the developer bearing member contacts a surface of the spacer.

Abstract: In a toner seal member which is to be kept in contact with a rotating member to seal a toner, the toner seal member has a nonwoven-fabric sheet on a support layer formed of an elastic member, and the nonwoven-fabric sheet has a fiber diameter of from 2 &mgr;m to 10 &mgr;m. This toner seal member can prevent fine toner from leaking via a photosensitive drum surface and also prevent toner coarse powder from adhering to the photosensitive drum surface, and has sufficient toner sealing properties without damaging functions of the photosensitive drum and performances concerned with image formation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a developing apparatus comprising a developer bearing member for bearing developer, a spacer provided on a surface at an end portion of the developer bearing member along a longitudinal direction, for maintaining a constant gap between the developer bearing member and an image bearing member for supplying the developer from the developer bearing member, a seal member for regulating leakage of the developer toward the end portion of the developer bearing member along the longitudinal direction, and a developer scraping member provided at a portion overlapping with the seal member along the longitudinal direction of the developer bearing member, contacting the developer bearing member, and wherein the developer bearing member contacts a surface of the spacer.

Abstract: To provide a development apparatus capable of, by curbing wear between flange members and a magnet roller and easily keeping accuracy of a clearance t between an inner radius surface of a developing sleeve and a circumferential surface of the magnet roller, generating an even magnetic force around the developing sleeve and further providing a liquid lubricant so as to obtain an image with good quality.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, includes a photosensitive drum; a developing roller rotatable in the same direction as that of the drum when the cartridge is mounted to the apparatus; a first separation member disposed at one end of the roller so as to provide a gap between the roller and the drum, the first separation member being contacted to the surface of the drum adjacent one end thereof; a second separation member at the other end so as to provide a gap between the developing roller and a peripheral surface of the drum, the first separation member being contacted to the drum adjacent the other end thereof; a charging roller, contacted to the drum, for charging the drum, which is rotatable with a peripheral speed difference relative to the drum by a driving force received from the assembly; and a cleaning member contacted to the drum adjacent one end thereof, the cleaning member having an effective area which is outside a deve