Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member; developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member with a developer; a developer container for containing the developer, the developer container having an opening for supplying the developer to the developing means; a sealing member for sealing the opening of the developer container; a winding shaft for winding the sealing member, the sealing member being rotatably supported by the developer container; a driving device for applying a driving force to rotate the winding shaft; and drive control device for permitting and preventing transmission of the driving force to the winding shaft, wherein the driving control device permits the transmission in response to insertion of the process cartridge into the main assembly of the image forming apparatus and prevents transmission in response to a predetermine

Abstract: A cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, includes a developing member for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member; a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be used for developing an electrostatic latent image by said developing member; a cartridge locking portion for locking said cartridge with a main assembly locking portion provided in the main assembly of the apparatus to prevent said cartridge from disengaging from t main assembly of the apparatus when said cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus; and a releasing member for releasing said cartridge locking portion to release said cartridge from the main assembly locking portion when said cartridge is to be removed from the main assembly of the apparatus.

Abstract: The information storing medium has a substrate, a storing element, provided on the substrate, for storing information, a protecting portion, covering the storing element, for protecting the storing element, an electrical contact point that is provided beside the protecting portion on a side of the substrate, on which the storing element is provided, and is electrically connected to the storing element, and a sliding region that is provided on the electrical contact point. In the information storing medium, when the storing medium is mounted on the apparatus main body, the electrical contact point contacts a main body electrical contact point provided on the apparatus main body. Also, when the electrical contact point and the main body electrical contact point contact each other, the main body electrical contact point slides on the electrical contact point in the sliding region.

Abstract: A cartridge detachably mountable to the main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, includes a developing member for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photoconductive member; a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be used by said developing member for developing the electrostatic latent image; a locking portion for engagement with the locking portion of the main assembly of the apparatus to prevent said cartridge from dislodging from the main assembly of the apparatus after mounting of the cartridge; and a releasing portion for disengaging said locking portion of said cartridge from the locking portion of the main assembly of the apparatus when the cartridge is removed from the main assembly of the apparatus.

Abstract: A toner seal member to be used for sealing a developer container including a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer; and an opening for supplying the developer from the developer accommodating portion, the toner seal member being for sealing the opening, wherein the toner seal member unseals the opening by being automatically wound up, the toner seal member including a sealing portion for covering and sealing the opening; and a regulating portion for regulating an operation of a detecting member for detecting winding-up of the toner seal member to unseal the opening.

Abstract: A cartridge detachably mountable to the main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes a developing frame provided with an opening; a developer carrying member in the opening to carry developer; a developer containing portion for storing developer, the developer containing portion supplying developer to the developing frame through the developer supplying opening; a sealing member for removably sealing the developer supplying opening; and a driving source substantially exclusive for providing the force for opening the sealing member.

Abstract: A cartridge detachably mountable to a main body of an image forming apparatus, includes a developing frame, a developer carrying member provided in the developer frame and adapted to hold and carry developer, a developer containing container for containing the developer and for supplying the developer to the developer frame, a seal member for unsealably sealing an opening portion through which the developer is supplied from the developer containing container to the developing frame, a rotary member for supplying the developer toward the developer carrying member, a first drive transmitting device for effecting drive transmission between the developer carrying member and the rotary member, and a second drive transmitting device for transmitting the driving to the seal member to unseal the seal member.

Abstract: A method of reattaching a toner seal to a toner frame having a developer containing portion for containing a developer therein, a developer supplying opening for supplying the developer therethrough from the developer containing portion, in order to seal the developer supplying opening, which method includes (a) the detaching step of detaching the already taken-up toner seal from a take-up spool for taking up the toner seal, (b) the sticking step of sticking the toner seal on the toner frame so as to seal the developer supplying opening, (c) the folding-back step of folding back the toner seal from the end portion of the stuck portion of the toner seal, and (d) the attaching step of attaching the free end portion of the folded-back toner seal to the take-up spool for taking up the toner seal to unseal the developer supplying opening so that the operation of a detecting lever for detecting that a predetermined amount of the toner seal has been taken up to unseal the developer supplying opening may be restricte

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member; developing means for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member with a developer; a developer container for containing the developer, the developer container having an opening for supplying the developer to the developing means: a sealing member for sealing the opening of the developer container; a winding shaft for winding the sealing member, the sealing member being rotatably supported by the developer container; driving means for applying a driving force to rotate the winding shaft; and drive control means for permitting and preventing transmission of the driving force to the winding shaft, wherein the driving control means permits the transmission in response to insertion of the process cartridge into the main assembly of the image forming apparatus and prevents transmission in response to a predetermined numb

Abstract: A toner sealing member to be used for sealing a developer container including a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer; and an opening for supplying the developer from the developer accommodating portion, the toner seal member being for sealing the opening, wherein the toner seal member unseals the opening by being automatically wound up when the developer container, the toner seal member including a sealing portion for covering and sealing the opening; a regulating portion for regulation an operation of a detecting member for detecting winding-up of the toner seal member to unseal the opening.

Abstract: A method of reattaching a toner seal to a toner frame having a developer containing portion for containing a developer therein, a developer supplying opening for supplying the developer therethrough from the developer containing portion, in order to seal the developer supplying opening, which method includes (a) the detaching step of detaching the already taken-up toner seal from a take-up spool for taking up the toner seal, (b) the sticking step of sticking the toner seal on the toner frame so as to seal the developer supplying opening, (c) the folding-back step of folding back the toner seal from the end portion of the stuck portion of the toner seal, and (d) the attaching step of attaching the free end portion of the folded-back toner seal to the take-up spool for taking up the toner seal to unseal the developer supplying opening so that the operation of a detecting lever for detecting that a predetermined amount of the toner seal has been taken up to unseal the developer supplying opening may be restricte

Abstract: The present invention provides a cartridge detachably mountable to a main body of an image forming apparatus, comprising a developing frame, a developer carrying member provided in the developer frame and adapted to hold and carry developer, a developer containing container for containing the developer and for supplying the developer to the developer frame, a seal member for unsealably sealing an opening portion through which the developer is supplied from the developer containing container to the developing frame, a rotary member for supplying the developer toward the developer carrying member, a first drive transmitting device for effecting drive transmission between the developer carrying member and the rotary member, and a second drive transmitting device for transmitting the driving to the seal member to unseal the seal member, and wherein at least a part of the first drive transmitting device is provided at one end of the developer carrying member in a longitudinal direction thereof and the second drive

Abstract: A cartridge detachably mountable to the main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes a developing frame provided with an opening; a developer carrying member in the opening to carry developer; a developer containing portion for storing developer, the developer containing portion supplying developer to the developing frame through the developer supplying opening; a sealing member for removably sealing the developer supplying opening; and a driving source substantially exclusive for providing the force for opening the sealing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an original conveying apparatus, a scanning device for scanning an original image of the original on the original support glass plate, an image forming portion for forming an image on the basis of the original image read by the scanning device, a recording sheet supply portion for supplying a recording sheet to the image forming portion through a convey path, and a control device for controlling in such a manner that, when the image of each original is formed on N recording sheets, a subsequent original on the original stacking device starts to be supplied during a scanning of the image for a last N-th recording sheet, wherein the N is more than 1.

Abstract: A developing device is provided with a supporting device for removably and rotatably supporting a toner cartridge containing a toner therein and having a toner supplying opening portion and toner discharge device for discharging the toner in the toner cartridge through the opening portion, driving device for driving the toner discharge device, and cut-off device for cutting off the drive transmission of the driving device during the rotation of the toner cartridge.

Abstract: An image fixing apparatus includes a rotatable member for being heated by a heating source to fix an image on an image supporting member, first and second detecting elements responsive to temperature of the rotatable member, and wherein the first and second detecting elements are disposed on substantially the same circumferential line of the rotatable member.

Abstract: A driving mechanism for driving an electrophotographic photosensitive body operates through a torque limiter. The torque limiter is arranged on a support shaft for supporting the photosensitive body. A driving gear for driving a developing member is arranged coaxially with the torque limiter independently of the latter. This arrangement reduces the load applied to the torque limiter. In addition, the mechanism remains compact.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting a sheet includes a first transporting path provided with rollers for transporting the sheet to an image forming section, a second transporting path for conducting the sheet in a direction transverse to the first transporting path, and a control section for controlling the first and second transporting paths so that they can be connected and disconnected to each other.

Abstract: An original scanning apparatus comrpises a scanning unit for scanning an original. The scanning unit has a mirror and a light source for illuminating the original. A connecting member is electrically connected to the scanning unit. A guide member supports and guides one end of the scanning unit. The guide member fixes a position of the one end of the scanning unit in a vertical direction. At least a part of a driving element is disposed at the position overlapping with the guide member in the vertical direction, but not overlapping with the mirror of the scanning unit. The connecting member is provided at the side of the guide member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cassette loading device for an image forming apparatus including a sheet feeding portion within which a cassette for accommodating sheets is loaded, and a sheet feeding device arranged in the sheet feeding portion and adapted to feed the sheet from the cassette loaded within the sheet feeding portion. The cassette loading device has a guide for guiding the cassette to be loaded; a cassette shifting device rotatable along the guide means and having pins engageable with the cassette inserted into the sheet feeding portion; a driver for driving the cassette shifting device; vertical surfaces formed in the cassette and against which the pins are abutted to shift the cassette; and horizontal recesses formed in the cassette and adapted to direct the pins toward the vertical surfaces. The present invention further provides an image forming apparatus which includes an image forming apparatus for forming an image on the sheet being fed, and the above-mentioned cassette loading device.