The present disclosure provides a process cartridge, a process cartridge group and an image-forming apparatus. The process cartridge includes a driving portion, configured to receive a driving force from a driving apparatus in the image-forming apparatus; an image-forming structural part, configured to be connected to the driving portion; and an information identification part, including a plurality of electrical contacts electrically connected to the image-forming apparatus. When the process cartridge is installed in the image-forming apparatus, a minimum distance between any electrical contact of the information identification part and a side plate of the image-forming apparatus adjacent to the driving portion is H, and a value of the distance H is determined corresponding to attribute information of the process cartridge and/or an installation position of the process cartridge in the image-forming apparatus.

A cartridge unit includes: a first unit which includes a first supporting portion and a second supporting portion; and a second unit which includes a first supported portion, a second supported portion, and a storage member, the storage member including a memory contact, and a contact arrangement surface on which the memory contact is disposed. The second unit rotates from a first position to a second position in a state in which the first supported portion is supported by the first supporting portion and the second supported portion is supported by the second supporting portion to be positioned with respect to the first unit. A normal direction of the contact arrangement surface faces toward a direction in which the memory contact is exposed. The normal direction faces toward a direction opposite to a direction in which the second unit is directed from the first position to the second position.

An image forming apparatus includes a toner container housing, an image forming device, a tuning fork, a vibration generator, a communication circuit, and a terminal. The toner container housing houses a toner bottle storing toner. The toner bottle includes an electrode on a surface of the toner bottle. The image forming device receives the toner in the toner bottle to form a toner image. The vibration generator vibrates the tuning fork. The communication circuit is electrically connected to the tuning fork. The terminal is coupled to the tuning fork and is contactable with the electrode to electrically connect the communication circuit and the electrode of the toner bottle in the toner container housing via the tuning fork. The vibration generator vibrates the tuning fork to vibrate the terminal contacting the electrode.

An image forming apparatus includes: a process cartridge including a process frame, a photoconductor drum rotatable about a first direction, a developing roller movable between a contact position contacting the photoconductor drum and a separated position separated from the photoconductor drum, and a separation holding mechanism including a lever and an elastic member configured to urge the lever from a fourth position toward a third position and allowing the developing roller to move to the contact position in response to the lever at the fourth position receiving an external force; and a moving mechanism movable in a second direction. The moving mechanism includes a contact part contacting the lever in response to movement of the moving mechanism, a pressing part pressing the process frame toward a drawer in response to the movement, and an urging member configured to urge the pressing part toward the drawer.

A printing apparatus includes a replaceable component, an attachment case configured to hold the replaceable component removably installed thereto, and a controller. The replaceable component includes a chamber configured to store a consumable material used for printing, and a memory configured to store consumable initial-state information regarding an initial state of the consumable material. The controller is configured to retrieve the consumable initial-state information from the memory of the replaceable component installed in the attachment case, and to perform consumable processing related to the consumable material based on the retrieved consumable initial-state information.

A consumable can be attached to and removed from an image forming apparatus. An image forming unit forms an image on a sheet using the consumable. A controller controls the image forming unit using an image forming condition read out from a storage medium provided in the consumable. The storage medium includes a first storage area configured to store a first image forming condition applied to the image forming unit before the consumable is remanufactured, and a second storage area configured to store a second image forming condition that is written and applied to the image forming unit when the consumable is remanufactured.

The developing cartridge includes a housing, a developing roller, a memory, a holder, and a cover, the developing roller rotates about a developing axis extending in a first direction, and the holder holds the electrical contact surface. The housing has a first boss extending in the first direction toward the cover, and a screw for attaching the cover to the housing is fastened to the first boss. The holder has a hole extending in the first direction, and the first boss is inserted into the hole. Thus, the first boss has a function of receiving a screw for attaching the cover to the housing and a function of holding the holder. This can reduce the number of parts of the developing cartridge.

An image forming apparatus includes a developing cartridge, a main memory and a controller. The controller is configured to perform determining whether the developing cartridge is reached a lifetime on a basis of: at least one of s developing maximum printable number of sheets which corresponds to developing identification information, a maximum developing roller rotation number which corresponds to the developing identification information, and a maximum dot count which corresponds to the developing identification information; and at least one of a developing cumulative number of printed sheets, a cumulative developing roller rotation number and a cumulative dot count.

An image forming apparatus includes: a main casing; a main memory; and a controller. A cartridge is detachably attachable to the main casing. The cartridge includes a cartridge memory storing therein identification information identifying the cartridge. The main memory is configured to store therein history information including history identification information. The history identification information is identification information for a previous subscription cartridge previously attached to the main casing. The controller is configured to perform: in response to a cartridge being attached to the main casing, (a) reading identification information from a cartridge memory of the attached cartridge as current identification information; (b) determining whether the current identification information read in (a) matches the history identification information included in the history information stored in the main memory; and in response to determining in (b) that the current identification information matches the history identification information, (c) permitting use of the attached cartridge.

An image forming apparatus includes a main housing, a drawer, and a cartridge. The drawer is movable between an inside position inside the main housing and an outside position outside the main housing. The cartridge is installable into and removable from the drawer. The cartridge includes a photosensitive drum configured to rotate about a drum axis. The drawer comprises a lock member movable between a lock position in which the drawer is locked to the main housing, and an unlock position in which the drawer is unlocked from the main housing. The cartridge installed in the drawer is rotatable about the drum axis between a first position and a second position. The lock member is positioned in the lock position when the cartridge is positioned in the first position, and positioned in the unlock position when the cartridge is positioned in the second position.