The image forming apparatus of the present invention has an apparatus main body including a link mechanism that an opening and closing member contacts, and a regulating portion regulating the movement of a shutter, and when the opening and closing member is further pushed in a closing direction at the time when the shutter is located at a second position, the link mechanism allows to move the opening and closing member in the closing direction while keeping a position of the shutter maintains at the second position by the regulating portion.

An image forming apparatus including a main body casing, a drum cartridge and a developing cartridge. The main body casing has an opening and a slot extending in from the opening toward an inside of the main body casing along a first direction. The drum cartridge and the developing cartridge are arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction in a state where the drum cartridge and the developing cartridge are attached to the slot. The main body casing includes a drum guide groove configured to guide movement of the drum cartridge. The drum cartridge includes a drum protrusion configured to be engaged with the drum guide groove. A width of the drum guide groove in the second direction is decreased toward the inside of the main body casing from the opening.

An image forming apparatus includes: a housing; a drum cartridge as a first cartridge including a photosensitive drum; a second cartridge accommodating toner; and a drawer movable between an inside position where the drawer in its entirety is positioned inside the housing and an outside position where at least a part of the drawer is positioned outside the housing. The drum cartridge is attachable to and detachable from the drawer. The drawer includes: a side plate configured to receive the photosensitive drum; and a locking member supported by the side plate. The locking member is movable relative to the side plate between a locking position where the locking member locks the photosensitive drum to the side plate and an unlocking position where the locking member unlocks the photosensitive drum from the side plate in an attached state of the drum cartridge to the drawer.

An image forming apparatus includes a cartridge including a portion-to-be-engaged; a main assembly to which the cartridge is detachably mountable; and an operating portion configured to be operated when the cartridge is disengaged from the main assembly. The main assembly includes a cartridge disengagement restricting mechanism configured to restrict disengagement of the cartridge, the cartridge disengagement restricting mechanism comprises an engaging portion for engaging with the portion-to-be-engaged of the cartridge so as to restrict movement of the cartridge in a disengaging direction in which the cartridge is disengaged from the main assembly; a restricting portion movable between a first position where a releasing operation of the operating portion for releasing engagement between the portion-to-be-engaged and the engaging portion and a second position where the releasing operation is permitted; and an actuator configured to move the restricting portion between the first position and the second position.

A method for adapting a printer for operating with more colours, the printer including an inner framework and a dispenser assembly associable with said framework, includes the steps of application of at least one first quick release connector for electric cables at the dispenser assembly; and application of at least one corresponding second quick release connector at the inner framework of the printer.

When a developing device including a developer carrying member, a regulating blade, and a developing device frame including first and second ribs is seen in a cross section perpendicular to a rotational axis of the developer carrying member, the first and second ribs are provided at a predetermined gap in a direction from a position where the regulating blade is closest to the developer carrying member toward a rotation center of the developer carrying member. The first and second ribs have first and second supporting surfaces, respectively, each supporting the regulating blade and having a width of 3.0 mm or less. In a state that the regulating blade is supported by the first and second supporting surfaces, the regulating blade is fixed to the mounting portion in a region of the regulating blade corresponding to a maximum image region of an image bearing member.

A moving mechanism includes a moving object to be moved between a first position and a second position where the moving object takes a stationary orientation different from a stationary orientation for the first position; a first projection and a second projection provided at different positions, respectively, on the moving object; a member having a first guiding groove that guides the first projection when the moving object is moved between the first position and the second position; and a member having a second guiding groove that guides the second projection when the moving object is moved between the first position and the second position, the second guiding groove having a different shape from the first guiding groove.

In a developing apparatus, a housing has a first opening. A shutter is movable between an open position and a closed position. A locking member is movable between a lock position and a release position. The locking member is located between the housing and the shutter in a cartridge-attachment direction. The locking member is located at the lock position in a case where the toner cartridge is detached from the developing apparatus. The locking member is in contact with the toner cartridge, thereby moving from the lock position to the release position in a case where the toner cartridge is attached to the developing apparatus. A cover having a second opening that is in communication with the first opening in a state where the shutter is at the open position is located at an opposite side of the locking member with respect to the shutter in the cartridge-attachment direction.

A drawer unit includes: a drawer member allowed to shift toward a storage unit in an inserting direction, or shift from the storage unit in a drawing direction; a lock member rotatably supported by the drawer member; a first regulation member that engages with the lock member to regulate a shift of the drawer member when the drawer member is located at a first position; a second regulation member that engages with the lock member to regulate a shift of the drawer member when the drawer member is located at a second position; and an operation unit that receives a first operation that rotates the lock member in the drawing direction to allow engagement between the lock member and the first regulation member, and a second operation that rotates the lock member in the inserting direction to allow engagement between the lock member and the second regulation member.

An image forming apparatus includes a first housing that houses a first processing portion and a second housing that houses a second processing portion configured to receive a medium transported from the first processing portion. The image forming apparatus further includes a connecting member that connects the first housing and the second housing to each other such that a specified angular relationship may be established between the first processing portion and the second processing portion by orienting the first housing and the second housing in different directions.