Abstract: A developing device frame unit supporting a regulating member regulating the layer thickness of developer on a developer carrier. The unit includes a frame having a seal forming portion, first and second, first and second end seals contactable to the carrier surface to prevent carrier-axial-direction leaking of the developer, and a blade sealer sealing between the regulating member and the frame to prevent developer leaking when the regulating member is mounted. The blade sealer is an elastomer resin material which is injection-molded with a metal mold and in the seal forming portion where the end seals are provided. The blade sealer connects the end seals with each other, and a protrusion provided by a squeezed-out portion of the resin material is provided by injecting, into a space defined by the metal mold, the seal forming portion, and the end seal seals, a resin material volume larger than a volume of the space.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein the apparatus includes a supporting member, a movable member for moving the supporting member in a horizontal direction and upward and downward directions, an operating member for moving the movable member, and a regulating portion, the process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; process means actable on the drum; a portion to be supported for being supported by the supporting member when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus; and a portion-to-be-regulated for being regulated by being contacted by the regulating portion to regulate movement of the process cartridge in the horizontal direction, when the supporting member is moved, by movement of the movable member by operation of the operating member and in the horizontal direction and the upward direction while supporting the process cartridge, wherein when the supporting member is m

Abstract: A cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of the image forming apparatus, wherein the main assembly including an opening, an urging portion, a positioning portion and a regulating portion, the cartridge includes a portion to be urged by the urging portion so as to be moved in a crossing direction which crosses an inserting direction in which the cartridge is inserted, after the cartridge is inserted into the main assembly of the apparatus through the opening; a portion to be positioned by contacting to the positioning portion by the cartridge being moved by the urging portion in the crossing direction to position the cartridge relative to the main assembly of the apparatus; and a portion to be regulated by the regulating portion so as to prevent the cartridge from moving toward an outside through the opening in a state that portion to be positioned is in contact to the positioning portion, wherein the portion to be regulated is provided at a rear end of the cartridge and is brought, by movement of t

Abstract: A developing device frame unit supporting a regulating member regulating the layer thickness of developer on a developer carrier. The unit includes a frame having a seal forming portion, first and second end seals contactable to the carrier surface to prevent carrier-axial-direction leaking of the developer, and a blade sealer sealing between the regulating member and the frame to prevent developer leaking when the regulating member is mounted. The blade sealer is an elastomer resin material which is injection-molded with a metal mold and in the seal forming portion where the end seals are provided. The blade sealer connects the end seals with each other, and a protrusion provided by a squeezed-out portion of the resin material is provided by injecting, into a space defined by the metal mold, the seal forming portion, and the end seals, a resin material volume larger than a volume of the space.

Abstract: A developer supplying cartridge including a supply developer containing portion, a developer supplying port for supplying the developer in the supply developer containing portion to the developing device via a supplied port of the developing device, and a supplying port shutter unit that opens and closes the developer supplying port and that includes a housing member covering the developer supplying port, a cylindrical member which is rotatably disposed in the housing member, and provided with a through-hole corresponding to the developer supplying port, and which assumes, by its rotation, a developer supply allowing position where the developer supplying port and the through-hole communicate with each other and a developer supply stopping position where the developer supplying port is closed, and a scraping member which is abutted on an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical member to scrape off the developer adhering to the outer circumferential surface.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, the process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a drum shaft for being rotated by a driving force supplied from the main assembly of the apparatus and for transmitting a rotating force to the electrophotographic photosensitive drum; and a notification member, movably provided on the drum shaft, for notifying, when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus, that process cartridge has reached at least a state that process cartridge has been used for image formation, wherein when the main assembly of the apparatus detects that process cartridge has reached the state, the drum shaft is rotated in a direction opposite to a rotational direction for the image formation to make the notification.

Abstract: A material for an optical element is accommodated between a first mold and a second mold, and is pressurized by relatively moving the first mold and the second mold while the material is heated to a predetermined temperature, thereby molding the optical element having a predetermined shape. This method determines, as a molding-reference distance, a distance between the first mold and the second mold of when a molding pressure which is generated between the first mold and the second mold applied to the material reaches a predetermined pressure, and moves either one of the first mold and the second mold from the molding-reference distance by a predetermined distance, thereby finishing molding of the optical element. Therefore, it is possible to reduce errors in the shapes of the final molding space easily and surely.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge and a developer cartridge are independently attachable. The cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developing roller, a first developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer used by the roller, a developer receiving port for receiving the developer from the developer cartridge into the first developer accommodating portion when the process cartridge is mounted to the apparatus, a cleaning member for removing the developer from the drum, first and second removed developer accommodating portions for accommodating the developer removed from the drum by the cleaning member, and a developer feeder device for feeding the developer from the first to the second portions. When the process and developer cartridges are mounted to each other, the developer cartridge is disposed above the first developer accommodating portion and at a side of the second removed developer accommodating portion.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, the process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a drum shaft for being rotated by a driving force supplied from the main assembly of the apparatus and for transmitting a rotating force to the electrophotographic photosensitive drum; and a notification member, movably provided on the drum shaft, for notifying, when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus, that process cartridge has reached at least a state that process cartridge has been used for image formation, wherein when the main assembly of the apparatus detects that process cartridge has reached the state, the drum shaft is rotated in a direction opposite to a rotational direction for the image formation to make the notification.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge and a developer cartridge for supplying a developer to the process cartridge independently from each other, includes i) the process cartridge including, an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a developing roller for developing a latent image formed on the drum; a first developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be used by the developing roller; a developer receiving port for receiving the developer from the developer cartridge into the first developer accommodating portion when the process cartridge is mounted to the apparatus, wherein the developer receiving port faces upwardly when the process cartridge is mounted to the apparatus; a cleaning member for removing the developer from the drum; a first removed developer accommodating portion for accommodating the developer removed from the drum by the cleaning member; a second removed developer accommodating portion for accommodating the developer fed from the

Abstract: A material for an optical element is accommodated between a first mold and a second mold, and is pressurized by relatively moving the first mold and the second mold while the material is heated to a predetermined temperature, thereby molding the optical element having a predetermined shape. This method determines, as a molding-reference distance, a distance between the first mold and the second mold of when a molding pressure which is generated between the first mold and the second mold applied to the material reaches a predetermined pressure, and moves either one of the first mold and the second mold from the molding-reference distance by a predetermined distance, thereby finishing molding of the optical element. Therefore, it is possible to reduce errors in the shapes of the final molding space easily and surely.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, includes a first frame; a second frame coupled with the first frame for rotation about a shaft; an electrophotographic photosensitive drum provided in the first frame; a developing member, provided in the second frame, for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum with a developer; a developing member, provided in the second frame, for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum with a developer; an elastic member for applying an elastic force between the first frame and the second frame to urge the developing member to the photosensitive drum; a force receiving portion, provided downstream of the shaft with respect to a mounting direction in which the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, for receiving a force from the main assembly of the image forming apparatus to keep the developing member

Abstract: A developing apparatus includes a developer container. An agitating member agitates developer contained in the developer container. A drive transmitting member transmits power to the agitating member by engaging a rotary shaft of the agitating member. A bearing is adapted to rotatably hold the drive transmitting member to the developer container. The bearing includes a notched portion having a rotation regulating and positioning function to prevent the bearing from being dislodged from the developer container.

Abstract: An optical guide to be used for detecting the remaining amount of developer contained in a developer containing portion includes a blocking portion for blocking an opening formed in the developer containing portion when the optical guide is fitted to the developer containing portion, an optical guide portion for guiding light, which is formed on a side to be positioned on the outside of the developer containing portion with respect to the blocking portion when the optical guide is fitted to the developer containing portion, an outside inclining surface inclining toward the side, on which the optical guide portion is formed, with respect to the blocking portion, the outside inclining surface being formed at an end portion of the optical guide portion on the blocking portion side in a lengthwise direction of the optical guide portion, and an inside inclining surface portion inclining toward a direction intersecting the lengthwise direction of the optical guide portion, the inside inclining surface portion being

Abstract: The present invention relates to a developing apparatus in which a developer bearing body is provided at its longitudinal part with a roughness formed surface, and a leakage preventing member contacts with the developer bearing body outside of the roughness formed surface in a longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, includes a first frame; a second frame coupled with the first frame for rotation about a shaft; an electrophotographic photosensitive drum provided in the first frame; a developing member, provided in the second frame, for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum with a developer; a developing member, provided in the second frame, for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum with a developer; an elastic member for applying an elastic force between the first frame and the second frame to urge the developing member to the photosensitive drum; a force receiving portion, provided downstream of the shaft with respect to a mounting direction in which the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, for receiving a force from the main assembly of the image forming apparatus to keep the developing member