A process cartridge includes a frame and a photosensitive drum supported by the frame, with the photosensitive drum being rotatable about an axis thereof. A coupling is operatively connected to the photosensitive drum such that a driving force can be transferred from the coupling to the photosensitive drum. A developing roller is supported by the frame, with the developing roller being rotatable about an axis thereof. A gear is positioned at a side of the process cartridge, with the gear being rotatable about an axis thereof. The gear has a plurality of teeth, with at least some of the teeth being exposed teeth that are uncovered by the frame and exposed to outside of the process cartridge, and with a tip of at least one of the exposed teeth facing the axis of the photosensitive drum. As measured in the axial direction of the photosensitive drum, the teeth of the gear are shorter than the projection of the coupling.

A process unit includes a photosensitive drum rotatable about a rotational axis extending in a first direction. A development unit includes a development roller configured to supply toner to the photosensitive drum. A scanner unit is configured to expose the photosensitive drum. A reception portion is configured to receive toner from a toner container for supplying toner into the development unit. The scanner unit and the photosensitive drum overlap each other as viewed from a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and a gravitational direction. The scanner unit is arranged at a center in the first direction in an apparatus main body. The reception portion is arranged on a same side as the scanner unit with respect to the photosensitive drum in the second direction. The reception portion is closer to an end of the apparatus main body in the first direction than the scanner unit is.

A first guide guides a first cartridge when the first cartridge is mounted onto a main casing. A second guide guides a second cartridge when the second cartridge is mounted onto the main casing. The first and second guides are located in the main casing. A third guide is located at an upstream side of the first guide in a first mounting direction that is a direction in which the first cartridge is guided by the first guide when the first cartridge is mounted onto the main casing. The third guide guides the first cartridge toward the first guide when the first cartridge is mounted onto the main casing. The third guide moves relative to the second guide between a first protruding position at which the third guide protrudes to outside the main casing and a first accommodated position at which the third guide is accommodated in the main casing.

An image-forming apparatus includes an apparatus body and a process cartridge attachable to and detachable from the apparatus body. The apparatus body includes a sheet-feed roller and a body wall. The process cartridge includes: a photosensitive drum; a drum frame; a developing roller; a cleaner; a conveying pipe and a waste-toner container for storing waste toner removed from the photosensitive drum by the cleaner and conveyed by the conveying pipe. The waste-toner container is detachably mountable on the drum frame. The waste-toner container mounted on the drum frame is positioned opposite to the photosensitive drum with respect to the developing roller. The body wall of the apparatus body and a container wall of the waste-toner container constitute a part of a sheet-conveying guide for guiding conveyance of a sheet from the sheet-feed roller toward the photosensitive drum when the process cartridge is attached to the apparatus body.

A terminal contact structure includes a first terminal provided on a removable body; a second terminal provided on an apparatus body in which the removable body is inserted, the second terminal not being in contact with the first terminal when the removable body is in a removable state, the second terminal being in contact with the first terminal when the removable body is in a fixed state; and a guide member provided on the apparatus body and having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface guiding the first terminal in an insertion direction in which the removable body is inserted, the second surface guiding the second terminal in a contact direction in which the second terminal comes into contact with the first terminal, the contact direction being a crossing direction that crosses the insertion direction.

To provide a structure for the process cartridge for receiving input of driving force from outside thereof.

The main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a driving output member provided with an output gear portion and an output coupling portion. The process cartridge that can be mounted to and dismounted from the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, an input coupling portion provided at the end of the photosensitive member and capable of coupling with the output coupling portion, and an input gear portion capable of meshing with the output gear portion.

There is provided an image forming apparatus including: a casing having a drum guide and a developing guide, a drum cartridge having a photosensitive drum and a handle, and a developing cartridge having a developing roller. The developing guide is longer than the drum guide. With the drum cartridge being installed in the casing and with the developing cartridge being removed from the casing, the handle locates at the first position. Further, with the drum cartridge and the developing cartridge being installed in the casing, being pressed by the developing cartridge, the handle locates at the second position farther away from an opening than the first position.

A process cartridge including a drum cartridge, a developing cartridge, and a waste toner container, is provided. The drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum including a photosensitive layer and a rotation axis extending in an axial direction, a drum cleaner arranged to contact the photosensitive drum, a cleaner frame configured to accommodate the drum cleaner therein, and a waste toner conveyer tube connected with the cleaner frame. The developing cartridge is movable to be attached to and detached from the drum cartridge and includes a developer roller. The waste toner container is movable to be attached to and detached from the drum cartridge. When the developing cartridge and the waste toner container are attached to the drum cartridge, the waste toner container is connected with the waste toner conveyer tube and is located on an opposite side of the developing cartridge to the photosensitive drum.

An image forming apparatus includes an elastic member applying an urging force to a drum cartridge toward an upstream side of a mounting direction of the drum cartridge against a mounting operation thereof, and an engaging portion engaging with the drum cartridge receiving the urging force to restrict movement of the drum cartridge from a mounted position toward the upstream side in the mounting direction. The drum cartridge includes a release member for releasing engagement between the drum cartridge and an engaging portion, wherein the drum cartridge is moved to a predetermined position in an upstream side of the mounting position with respect to the mounting direction by receiving the urging force upon release of the engagement between the drum cartridge and the engaging portion, and the drum cartridge positioned at a predetermined position contacts a rotatable member subjected to a closing operation to restrict rotation of the rotating member.

A charging device includes a charging member that charges a member to be charged and a cleaning member that is disposed in contact with a surface of the charging member and that cleans the surface of the charging member. The cleaning member includes a core and two foamed elastic layers disposed adjacent to each other in an axial direction around an outer peripheral surface of the core from one end to another end of the core in a substantially double-helical pattern. The two foamed elastic layers are a first foamed elastic layer having an average skeleton size D1 smaller than an average spacing Sm between irregularities in the surface of the charging member and a second foamed elastic layer having an average skeleton size D2 larger than or equal to the average spacing Sm between the irregularities in the surface of the charging member.