Abstract: A developing cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, and includes a frame, a developer carrying member, a first portion to be engaged provided on one side of the frame, and a second portion to be engaged provided on the other side of the frame with respect to the direction crossing the axial direction of the developer carrying member. In addition, a cover member includes a first engaging portion engageable with the first portion to be engaged and a second engaging portion engageable with the second portion to be engaged for covering an exposed portion of the developer carrying member by being detachably mounted to the frame. The cover member is detachably mountable to the frame in a first state by engaging the first engaging portion with the first portion to be engaged and by engaging the second engaging portion with the second portion to be engaged.

Abstract: A cleaning unit usable with an image forming apparatus includes a cleaning blade, supported by a frame and including a free end contactable to an image bearing drum, for removing a developer from the drum; a first seal provided between the frame and the blade by injection molding into the frame adjacent to a longitudinal end portion of the blade, the first seal being effective to prevent developer leakage; and a second seal provided between the drum and the frame in contact with the free end of the blade adjacent to the longitudinal end portion, wherein the first seal includes a seal portion contacting the blade, and a seat supporting the second seal, the seat being deformable to move the second seal to urge the second seal to the free end of the blade when the drum is mounted to the frame.

Abstract: A developing cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus by passing through a mounting guide provided in the main assembly. The developing cartridge includes a frame; a developer carrying member for carrying a developer for developing an electrostatic latent image; a portion to be guided for being guided by the mounting guide when the developing cartridge passes through the mounting guide; an accommodating portion for accommodating the developer; a seal member for unsealably sealing an opening for permitting supply of the developer from the accommodating portion to the developer carrying member; and a grip member, provided at a longitudinal end portion of the seal member, including a fixed portion dismountably fixed on the frame and a grip portion to be gripped when the seal member is removed. The grip portion is disposed in a state in which the grip portion is bent relative to the fixed portion in a direction crossing a mounting direction of the developing cartridge.

Abstract: An image bearing member unit for use with an image forming apparatus, includes: an image bearing member including a supported portion onto which a lubricant is applied; a supporting member for rotatably supporting the supported portion; a frame for holding the supporting member; and a spacing maintaining portion provided on the frame or the image bearing member. The spacing maintaining portion is disposed outside the supported portion with respect to a radial direction of the image bearing member, and is disposed inside, with respect to a longitudinal direction of the image bearing member, a region where the supporting member supports the supported portion. When the supporting member is not mounted on the frame, the spacing maintaining portion maintains a spacing between the frame and the supported portion in contact with the image bearing member or the frame.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of cartridges, and a moving member to which the plurality of cartridges is detachably attached. Of a pair of cartridges attached to the moving member and adjacent to each other, one cartridge has a recessed portion recessed from a frame member thereof and extending in an attachment direction of the cartridge, and the other cartridge has a raised portion protruding from the frame member thereof and extending in the attachment direction. The raised portion provided on the other cartridge enters the recessed portion provided in the one cartridge when the pair of cartridges is attached to the moving member. Positions of the raised portion and the recessed portion overlap each other as viewed in an axial direction of the image bearing member.

Abstract: A developing cartridge detachably mountable to image forming apparatus includes a developer carrying member for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member; a protecting member, demountable in the axial direction of said developer carrying member from said frame; an accommodating portion accommodating the developer to be supplied to said developer carrying member; a sealing member sealing an opening for permitting the developer to be supplied from said accommodating portion to said developer carrying member; and a grip portion, provided at one longitudinal end of said sealing member, for being gripped when said sealing member is removed from said opening, said grip portion being movable between a first position on a movement locus of said protecting member when said protecting member is dismounted from said frame, and a second position outside the movement locus.

Abstract: A developing device is provided that includes a developing container, a developing roller, a developer supplying roller, a sheet member, a communication hole, and a filter member. The communication hole is provided so as to be connected to an enclosed space defined by an inner wall of the developing container defining a smaller one of spaces provided by dividing the developing container by a plane including a rotation axis of the developer supplying roller and a rotational axis of the developing roller, a phantom plane which is included in the plane and extends from a surface of the developer supplying roller to the inner wall of the developer container, the sheet member, a surface of the developing roller, and a surface of the developer supplying roller.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a drum cartridge with an image bearing drum and charger for charging a surface of the drum. The apparatus further includes a rotary supporting a plurality of developing devices each having a developer carrying member for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the drum, with the rotary being swingably mounted to the main assembly through a supporting member and being rotatable, relative to the supporting member, to bring the developing device to a developing position for developing the latent image. A locking member is provided for spacing between the developing device positioned in the developing position and the image bearing member, the locking member being demountably mounted between the drum cartridge and the rotary, and the locking member being effective to prevent an urging member from moving from a position urging the drum cartridge to the main assembly.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a drum cartridge with an image bearing member and charging device for charging a surface of the image bearing member. The apparatus further includes a rotary supporting a plurality of developing devices each having a developer carrying member for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member, with the rotary being swingably mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus through a supporting member and being rotatable, relative to the supporting member, to bring the developing device to a developing position for developing the electrostatic latent image. A spacer member is provided for spacing between the charging device and the surface of the image bearing member, the spacer member being mounted between the image bearing member and the charging device.

Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus. The process cartridge includes an image bearing member, a cleaning member for removing a developer from the image bearing member, a frame provided with an opening, and a developer accommodating portion for accommodating the developer which was removed by the cleaning member and passed through the opening. A sheet member is also provided, contacting the image bearing member, for preventing the developer from leaking out of the developer accommodating portion. A supporting portion is provided to the frame, for supporting the sheet member. A reinforcing portion, provided to the frame, connecting one end side portion of the frame located upstream of the opening with the other end side portion of the frame located downstream of the opening, with respect to a rotational direction of the image bearing member.

Abstract: There is provided a developing cartridge that prevents forced erroneous mounting of the developing cartridge by a user and capable of easily recognizing the erroneous mounting by the user, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. When an erroneous mounting is performed, the developing cartridge is returned to a mounting start side from the vicinity of a mounting end position. Therefore, the user can easily recognize the erroneous mounting. By using a pressure member for urging the developing cartridge to an image carrier for detection of the erroneous mounting, deformation or damage of a main assembly or the developing cartridge can be suppressed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing cartridge and rotatable member having a cartridge mounting portion with an engaging portion engageable with a portion of the cartridge. The cartridge includes a developing roller for developing a latent image formed on an image bearing member. The rotatable member is rotatable for moving the mounting portion between a mounting and demounting position for mounting and demounting the cartridge and another position. The engaging portion is movable between a regulating position, in which disengagement of the cartridge from the mounting portion is suppressed, and a permitting position in which the disengagement of the cartridge from the mounting portion is permitted. When the mounting portion is at the another position, the engaging portion is regulated at the regulating position. When the mounting portion is at the mounting and demounting position, the engaging portion is movable from the regulating position to the permitting position.

Abstract: A developing cartridge detachably mountable to image forming apparatus includes a developer carrying member for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member; a protecting member, demountable in the axial direction of said developer carrying member from said frame; an accommodating portion accommodating the developer to be supplied to said developer carrying member; a sealing member sealing an opening for permitting the developer to be supplied from said accommodating portion to said developer carrying member; and a grip portion, provided at one longitudinal end of said sealing member, for being gripped when said sealing member is removed from said opening, said grip portion being movable between a first position on a movement locus of said protecting member when said protecting member is dismounted from said frame, and a second position outside the movement locus.

Abstract: A developing cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus by passing through a mounting guide provided in the main assembly. The developing cartridge includes a frame; a developer carrying member for carrying a developer for developing an electrostatic latent image; a portion to be guided for being guided by the mounting guide when the developing cartridge passes through the mounting guide; an accommodating portion for accommodating the developer; a seal member for unsealably sealing an opening for permitting supply of the developer from the accommodating portion to the developer carrying member; and a grip member, provided at a longitudinal end portion of the seal member, including a fixed portion dismountably fixed on the frame and a grip portion to be gripped when the seal member is removed. The grip portion is disposed in a state in which the grip portion is bent relative to the fixed portion in a direction crossing a mounting direction of the developing cartridge.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, includes (i) a drum cartridge including an image bearing member and charging device for charging a surface of the image bearing member, the drum cartridge being demountably mounted to a main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus; a rotary supporting a plurality of developing device each having a developer carrying member for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member, the rotary being swingably mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus through a supporting member and being rotatable, relative to the supporting member, to bring the developing device to a developing position for developing the electrostatic latent image; (iii) a spacer member for spacing between the charging device and the surface of the image bearing member, the spacer member being mounted between the image bearing member and the charging device; and (iv) a locking member for spacing between th

Abstract: A developing cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes a frame; a developer carrying member, provided on the frame, for carrying a developer for developing an electrostatic image; a first portion to be engaged provided on one side of the frame with respect to a direction crossing an axial direction of the developer carrying member; a second portion to be engaged provided on the other side of the frame with respect to the direction crossing the axial direction of the developer carrying member; and a cover member, including a first engaging portion engaging with the first portion to be engaged and including a second engaging portion engaging with the second portion to be engaged, for covering an exposed portion of the developer carrying member by being detachably mounted to the frame.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, includes a drum cartridge including an image bearing drum and charger for charging a surface of the drum, the drum cartridge being demountably mounted to a main assembly of the apparatus; a rotary supporting a plurality of developing devices each having a developer carrying member for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the drum, the rotary being swingably mounted to the main assembly through a supporting member and being rotatable, relative to the supporting member, to bring the developing device to a developing position for developing the latent image; an urging member for urging the drum cartridge to the main assembly to position it in place; and a locking member for spacing between the developing device positioned in the developing position and the image bearing member, the locking member being demountably mounted between the drum cartridge and the rotary, and the locking member being is effective t

Abstract: A developing device is provided that includes a developing container, a developing roller, a developer supplying roller, a sheet member, a communication hole, and a filter member. The communication hole is provided so as to be connected to an enclosed space defined by an inner wall of the developing container defining a smaller one of spaces provided by dividing the developing container by a plane including a rotation axis of the developer supplying roller and a rotational axis of the developing roller, a phantom plane which is included in the plane and extends from a surface of the developer supplying roller to the inner wall of the developer container, the sheet member, a surface of the developing roller, and a surface of the developer supplying roller.

Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a cleaning member for removing a developer from the image bearing member; a frame provided with an opening; a developer accommodating portion for accommodating the developer which was removed by the cleaning member and has passed through the opening; a sheet member, contacting the image bearing member, for preventing the developer from leaking out of the developer accommodating portion; a supporting portion, provided to the frame, for supporting the sheet member; a reinforcing portion, provided to the frame, connecting a one end-side portion of the frame located upstream of the opening with the other end-side portion of the frame located downstream of the opening, with respect to a rotational direction of the image bearing member; and a space, provided downstream of the reinforcing portion with respect to a direction from the opening toward the developer accommodating portion, for permit

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing cartridge and rotatable member having a cartridge mounting portion with an engaging portion engageable with a portion of the cartridge. The cartridge includes a developing roller for developing a latent image formed on an image bearing member. The rotatable member is rotatable for moving the mounting portion between a mounting and demounting position for mounting and demounting the cartridge and another position. The engaging portion is movable between a regulating position, in which disengagement of the cartridge from the mounting portion is suppressed, and a permitting position in which the disengagement of the cartridge from the mounting portion is permitted. When the mounting portion is at the another position, the engaging portion is regulated at the regulating position. When the mounting portion is at the mounting and demounting position, the engaging portion is movable from the regulating position to the permitting position.