Abstract: A cartridge mountable to a printer, said printer including a coupling guide contactable to a coupling of the cartridge to guide the coupling member. A case of the cartridge is provided with a hole for exposing a free end portion of the coupling to an outside of the cartridge, and a retracted portion provided in downstream of the hole with respect to the mounting direction of the cartridge. When the cartridge is mounted to a main assembly of the printer, the coupling guide enters the retracted portion from which the coupling member has retracted.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material includes a mounting portion to which a cartridge is detachably mounted and a drive transmission member for transmitting a driving force by being engaged with a drive-transmitted member provided on the cartridge when the cartridge is mounted to the mounting portion. In addition, a protecting member is movable between a protecting position where the drive transmission member is prevented from being exposed toward the mounting portion and an open position where the protecting member is retracted from the protecting position to expose the drive transmission member to the mounting portion thereby to permit engagement of the drive transmission member with the drive-transmitted member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, includes: a mounting portion to which a cartridge is detachably mounted; a drive transmission member for transmitting a driving force by being engaged with a drive-transmitted member provided on the cartridge when the cartridge is mounted to the mounting portion; and a protecting member movable between a protecting position where the drive transmission member is prevented from being exposed toward the mounting portion and an open position where the protecting member is retracted from the protecting position to expose the drive transmission member to the mounting portion thereby to permit engagement of the drive transmission member with the drive-transmitted member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, to which a plurality of cartridges are detachably mountable, with the cartridges each having a cartridge side identification portion, includes an image forming unit configured to form an image, a plurality of mounting portions to which the cartridges are demountably mountable, and an identification urging mechanism provided in each of the mounting portions. The identification urging mechanism permits a cartridge to be mounted to the mounting portion when the cartridge is to be properly mounted to the mounting portion on the basis of correspondence with the cartridge side identification portion, and urges the cartridge in a direction opposite a direction in which the cartridge is mounted when the cartridge is improper for the mounting portion. The identification urging mechanism permits, even when the cartridge is improper for the mounting portion, the cartridge to enter to a mount position where the proper cartridge is mounted.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus to which a plurality of cartridges are detachably mountable, the cartridges each having a cartridge side identification portion, the image forming apparatus includes a plurality of mounting portions to which the cartridges are demountably mountable; and a identification urging means, provided in each of the mounting portions, for permitting a cartridge to be mounted to the mounting portion when the cartridge is properly to be mounted to the mounting portion on the basis of correspondence with the cartridge side identification portion, and for urging the cartridge in a direction opposite a direction in which the cartridge is mounted when the cartridge is improper for the mounting portion.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus main assembly forms an image on recording material. The cartridge is transportable with the apparatus while being set therein. The cartridge includes a frame, an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a process device actable on the drum, a shutter movable between an exposing and protecting positions for respectively opening an opening provided in the frame to expose the drum, and closing the opening to protect the drum, and a protecting member interposable between the drum and a transfer roller, provided in the main assembly, for transferring a toner image onto the recording material, upon transportation of the cartridge set in the main assembly together with the main assembly. The protecting member mounts on the frame to cover the shutter. The shutter is movable from the protecting to the exposing positions in interrelation with mounting the cartridge to the main assembly.

Abstract: A part is designed so that a plurality of parts each identical to the part are arranged in the same attitude in parallel with a part moving direction on a guide (40), and includes projections (10f5, 10f6) for pushing an abutment surface (10f7) provided on a preceding part placed on the guide, while maintaining the attitude of the preceding part, and an abutment surface (10f7) to be pushed by projections (10f5, 10f6) provided on a succeeding part placed on the guide. The projections and the abutment surface are provided in an area of the part, which area is selected to avoid an area required to have dimensional precision whereby it is possible to supply the part to an assembly process without causing damage to the area required to have dimensional precision.

Abstract: A charging apparatus having a charging device for contact charging a rotatable member. The charging device rotates upon reception of a drive force from a drive force transmitting device. The axis of rotation of the charging roller and the axis of rotation of the photoreceptor drum intersect each other. It is a characteristic of the invention that a force received by the charging device from the drive force transmitting device and a force generated between charging device and the rotatable member are oriented in the same direction. With this arrangement, the thrust position of the charging device when the charging device is driven is stabilized.

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 being transportable with the electrophotographic image forming apparatus while being set in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the process cartridge including a frame; an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; process means actable on the photosensitive drum; a protection shutter movable between an exposing position for opening an opening provided in the frame to expose the photosensitive drum, and a protecting position for closing the opening to protect the photosensitive drum; and a protecting member for interposing between the photosensitive drum and a transfer roller, provided in the main assembly, for transferring a toner image onto the recording material, upon transportation of the process cartridge set in the main assembly together with the main assembly, wherein the protecting member is mounted on the frame to

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 being transportable with the electrophotographic image forming apparatus while being set in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the process cartridge including a frame; an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; process means actable on the photosensitive drum; a protection shutter movable between an exposing position for opening an opening provided in the frame to expose the photosensitive drum, and a protecting position for closing the opening to protect the photosensitive drum; and a protecting member for interposing between the photosensitive drum and a transfer roller, provided in the main assembly, for transferring a toner image onto the recording material, upon transportation of the process cartridge set in the main assembly together with the main assembly, wherein the protecting member is mounted on the frame to

Abstract: A part is capable of being retained in a guide for retaining a plurality of such parts in such a manner so as to stack the parts in a direction in which gravity act on the parts and supplying parts to a predetermined position. The part has a plurality of abutment portions which come into abutment with an upper-side part in the guide and support the upper-side part, and a plurality of receiving portions with which a plurality of abutment portions provided on a lower-side part in the guide are brought into abutment. The center of gravity of the part is disposed inside a region surrounded by the plurality of abutment portions. Accordingly, it is possible to convey parts to an assembly line without causing damage to the regions of the parts that are required to have dimensional precision.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to the main body of an image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, at least one process device for acting on the drum, a cartridge frame holding the drum and the process device and exposing a portion of the drum, a shutter member provided for movement between a position to protect and a position to permit exposure the of the drum, and a shutter opening and closing link mechanism for moving the shutter member in operative association with the opening and closing operation of an openable and closable door when the process cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion of the main body of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A process cartridge, detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developing member for developing an image formed on the drum, first and second end cover portions provided at different ends of the drum, first and second cartridge-bottom-surface portions to be guided by first and second main assembly guide portions, first and second longitudinally-outwardly-drum-projecting portions to be positioned by first and second main assembly positioning portions, respectively, a downstream-projecting third portion to be positioned by a third main assembly positioning portion, and a driving force receiving portion, partly exposed through the first end cover portion between the first and third portions to be positioned, which engages, when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly, a main assembly driving force transmitting portion to receive a driving force for rotating the developing member from the main assembly dr

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably attachable to a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developing roller developing an electrostatic latent image on the drum, a movable drum shutter for protecting the drum, a first frame body rotatably supporting the drum, a second frame body swingably coupled to the first frame body and rotatably supporting the developing roller, an optical path provided between the first frame body and the second frame body for passing light from the main body to the drum, and supporting portions swingably supporting the drum shutter provided on one end and on the other end in the longitudinal direction of the first frame body, the supporting portions being disposed between the first frame body and the second frame body and on the outside of the optical path in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to the main body of an image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, at least one process device for acting on the drum, a cartridge frame holding the drum and the process device and exposing a portion of the drum, a shutter member provided for movement between a position to protect and a position to permit exposure the of the drum, and a shutter opening and closing link mechanism for moving the shutter member in operative association with the opening and closing operation of an openable and closable door when the process cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion of the main body of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A process cartridge, detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developing member for developing an image formed on the drum, first and second end cover portions provided at different ends of the drum, first and second cartridge-bottom-surface portions to be guided by first and second main assembly guide portions, first and second longitudinally-outwardly-drum-projecting portions to be positioned by first and second main assembly positioning portions, respectively, a downstream-projecting third portion to be positioned by a third main assembly positioning portion, and a driving force receiving portion, partly exposed through the first end cover portion between the first and third portions to be positioned, which engages, when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly, a main assembly driving force transmitting portion to receive a driving force for rotating the developing member from the main assembly dr

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the drum; a first frame supporting the drum; a second frame supporting the developing roller; a coupling member for coupling the first frame and the second frame such that developing roller and the drum contact each other or are spaced from each other; an urging member for urging the drum and the developing roller toward each other; a spacer member for maintaining the drum and the developing roller spaced from each other or the distance between centers of the drum and the developing roller to be larger than the distance therebetween during an image forming operation. The spacer member supports the first frame and second frame at least at longitudinally extending surfaces of the process cartridge, and is detachable from the process cartridge.