A cartridge for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a developing roller, a rotatable member for transmitting a rotational force to the developing roller, a coupling member, and a frame. The coupling member is capable of moving between a first coupling member position in which the coupling axis is substantially coaxial with the rotational axis of the rotatable member and a second coupling member position in which the coupling axis is not coaxial with the rotational axis of the rotatable member. When the frame is in a first frame position, the coupling member is in the first coupling member position and a rotational force receiving portion of the coupling member engages with a rotational force applying portion of the apparatus, and, when the frame is in the second frame position, the coupling member is in the second coupling member position and the rotational force receiving portion engages with the rotational force applying portion.

A developing cartridge mountable to a development rotary of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a coupling member for transmitting a rotational force from a main assembly engaging portion to a developing roller, the coupling member being engageable and disengageable relative to the engaging portion with rotation of the rotary, the coupling member being movable among a rotational force transmitting angular position, a pre-engagement angular position in which the coupling member is inclined relative to that in the transmitting angular position to engage with the engaging portion, and a disengaging angular position for disengaging therefrom; and an inclination regulating member movable between a regulating position for positioning the coupling member to the pre-engagement position and a retracted position, the inclination regulating member being movable from the retracted position to the regulating position by being abutted by a function member of the rotary.

A development cartridge for an image forming apparatus includes a photoconductive unit including a photoconductive drum, a developing unit including a developing roller having a rotation shaft and coupled to the photoconductive unit to be rotatable to a release position where the developing roller is separated from the photoconductive drum, and to a development position where the developing roller contacts the photoconductive drum, and a coupler located between and couplable to the rotation shaft of the developing roller and a rotational power transmission member. When the coupler is coupled to the rotational power transmission member, the coupler is selectively rotatable in a first rotation direction or a second rotation direction by a rotational force from the rotational power transmission member. When the coupler is rotated in the first rotation direction and then in the second rotation direction, transmission of the rotational force to the developing roller is partially interrupted.

A developing cartridge mountable to a development rotary of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a coupling member for transmitting a rotational force from a main assembly engaging portion to a developing roller, the coupling member being engageable and disengageable relative to the engaging portion with rotation of the rotary, the coupling member being movable among a rotational force transmitting angular position, a pre-engagement angular position in which the coupling member is inclined relative to that in the transmitting angular position to engage with the engaging portion, and a disengaging angular position for disengaging therefrom; and an inclination regulating member movable between a regulating position for positioning the coupling member to the pre-engagement position and a retracted position, the inclination regulating member being movable from the retracted position to the regulating position by being abutted by a function member of the rotary.

A developing device includes a rotatable developing member, a developing container, a first communication opening, a second communication opening, a first feeding screw including a first rotation shaft, first and second blade portions, a second feeding screw including a second rotation shaft, third and fourth blade portions, a developer discharge opening provided upstream of an upstream end of the second communication opening in a first direction, and a third communication opening provided upstream of the upstream end of the second communication opening in the first direction. In a second direction opposite to the first direction, the third communication opening overlaps with the second blade portion. In the first direction, the third communication opening overlaps with the fourth blade portion. In the first direction, a downstream end of the third communication opening is positioned downstream of a downstream end of the developer discharge opening.

An image forming apparatus cartridge includes a coupling member having an axis about which the coupling member is rotatable. The coupling member includes a first end portion operatively connected to a developer roller and a developer supplying roller and a second end portion for receiving a rotational force. The coupling member is movable between a first position in which the axis of the coupling member is substantially parallel to and offset from the axis of the developer roller, a second position in which the axis of the coupling member is inclined with respect to the position of the axis when the coupling member is in the first position, and a third position in which the axis of the coupling member is inclined with respect to the position of the axis when the coupling member is in the first position in a direction opposite to the direction the coupling member is inclined when in the second position.

A development bias to be applied onto a developing unit is reduced, in a case where it is determined that a remaining amount of toner is equal to or less than a threshold, in a mode in which a rotation speed of a developing unit is faster than a rotation speed of an image bearing member to increase an amount of toner to be supplied to the image bearing member.

A developing device usable with an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the apparatus including a driving shaft rotatable by a motor and having a rotating force applying portion, and a movable member, the developing device being mountable to the movable member, and the developing device being movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to an axial direction of the driving shaft in response to movement of the movable member in one direction with the developing device mounted to the movable member, the developing device includes i) a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, the developing roller being rotatable about an axis; and ii) a coupling member for transmitting a rotating force to the developing roller, the coupling member including, a rotating force receiving portion engageable with the rotating force applying portion to receive a rotating force from the driving shaft.

A developing device usable with an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the apparatus including a driving shaft rotatable by a motor and having a rotating force applying portion, and a movable member, the developing device being mountable to the movable member, and the developing device being movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to an axial direction of the driving shaft in response to movement of the movable member in one direction with the developing device mounted to the movable member, the developing device includes i) a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, the developing roller being rotatable about an axis; and ii) a coupling member for transmitting a rotating force to the developing roller, the coupling member including, a rotating force receiving portion engageable with the rotating force applying portion to receive a rotating force from the driving shaft, and a rotating force transmitting portion for transmitting the rotating force received through the rotating force receiving portion to the developing roller, the coupling member being capable of taking a rotational force transmitting angular position for transmitting the rotational force for rotating the developing roller to the developing roller, a pre-engagement angular position which is taken before the coupling member is engaged with the rotating force applying portion and in which the coupling member is inclined away from the rotational force transmitting angular position, and a disengaging angular position which is taken for the coupling member to disengage from the driving shaft and in which the coupling member is inclined away from the rotational force transmitting angular position in a direction opposite to the pre-engagement angular position; wherein in response to a movement of the developing device when the movable member moves in the one direction, the coupling member moves from the pre-engagement angular position to the rotational force transmitting angular position to be opposed to the driving shaft, and wherein when the movable member makes a further movement in the one direction from a position where the coupling member is opposed to the driving shaft, in response to the further movement, the coupling member is disengaged from the driving shaft by moving from the rotational force transmitting angular position to the disengaging angular position.

An image forming apparatus cartridge includes a developer roller having an axis L1 and a coupling member having an axis L2. The coupling member includes a first end portion operatively connected to the developer roller, a second end portion, and a connecting portion connecting the first end portion and the second end portion. The image forming apparatus cartridge also includes an urging member that biases the coupling member. The coupling member is movable between a first position in which the axis L2 of the coupling member is substantially parallel to and offset from the axis L1 of the developer roller, and a second position in which the axis L2 of the coupling member is fully inclined with respect to the axis L1 of the developing roller, and the urging member biases the coupling member to the second position.