A process cartridge for use with a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the main assembly including a driving shaft, to be driven by a motor, having a rotational force applying portion, wherein the process cartridge is dismountable from the main assembly in a direction substantially perpendicular to an axial direction of the driving shaft, the process cartridge includes i) an electrophotographic photosensitive drum having a photosensitive layer at a peripheral surface thereof, the electrophotographic photosensitive drum being rotatable about an axis thereof; ii) process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum; iii) a coupling member engageable with the rotational force applying portion to receive a rotational force for rotating the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, the coupling member being capable of taking a rotational force transmitting angular position for transmitting the rotational force for rotating the electrophotographic photosensitive drum to the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a disengaging angular position in which the coupling member is inclined away from the axis of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum from the rotational force transmitting angular position, wherein when the process cartridge is dismounted from the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, the coupling member moves from the rotational force transmitting angular position to the disengaging angular position.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image developing apparatus and a process cartridge with which an image quality can be improved while reducing a number of parts and reducing an amount of remaining developer.

[SOLUTION] A process cartridge detachably mountable to an electrophotographic image forming operators includes a developing chamber including a developing roller and a developer supplying roller; a developer accommodating container accommodating the developer provided below the developing chamber with respect to gravity direction, wherein the developer is fed into the developing chamber while being stirred by a feeding member. The developer supplying roller rotates such that a surface thereof moves in the same direction as a surface of the developing roller at a position where the developer supplying roller contacts the developing roller. A surface speed of the developer supplying roller is higher than a surface speed of the developing roller. The developer supplying roller is rotationally driven by receiving a driving force at a position upstream of the developing roller.

An image forming apparatus including a photosensitive member, a developing cartridge that has a developing member, a developing frame, an end member attached to the developing frame, and a restricting portion restricting a swing movement of the end member, and an apparatus body to which the developing cartridge is attachable. The apparatus body includes a movement unit moving the developing cartridge from a first position to a second position, a positioning portion engaging with the end member when the developing cartridge is located at the second position, and a restriction releasing portion acting on the restricting portion with a movement of the developing cartridge from the first position to the second position and releasing restriction of the swing movement of the end member, the restriction releasing portion being provided at a part of the apparatus main body excluding the movement unit.

A developing cartridge including a casing, a developing roller, a developing roller gear, a gear cover, a first boss, and a pressure receiving surface. The developing roller is positioned closer to a first end portion of the casing than to a second end portion of the casing in a first direction. The first boss extends in a second direction and is movable together with the casing. The first boss is positioned away from the developing roller in the first direction by a first distance and also positioned away from the developing roller in a third direction. The pressure receiving surface is positioned further from the developing roller than the first boss is from the developing roller in the third direction. The pressure receiving surface is positioned away from the developing roller by the first distance or by a second distance shorter than the first distance.

An image-forming apparatus includes: a main body; a toner cartridge having a first opening; a process cartridge having a photosensitive drum and a second opening; a positioning part; a transfer unit; and an urging member. The toner cartridge and process cartridge are attachable to and detachable from the main body in an axial direction of the photosensitive drum. The positioning part and transfer unit are positioned above the process cartridge attached to the main body. The positioning part fixes the attached process cartridge in position relative to the main body. The urging member urges the attached process cartridge toward the positioning part and urges the process cartridge such that the toner can be supplied from the toner cartridge to the process cartridge through the first opening and the second opening when the toner cartridge and the process cartridge are attached to the main body.

Disclosed is a developing apparatus including: a developer bearing member that bears a developer; a developing frame body that rotatably supports the developer bearing member; a one-end side end member that supports one-end side in an axis direction of the developer bearing member of the developing frame body; and another-end side end member that supports the other-end side in the axis direction of the developer bearing member of the developing frame body. Each of the one-end side end member and the other-end side end member is independently movable with respect to the developing frame body.

An image forming apparatus includes a main body housing, a drawer, a drum cartridge, an exposure device, developing cartridge, a transfer roller, and a fixing device. The drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum and is attachable to and detachable from a first supporting position on the drawer. The developing cartridge is attachable to and detachable from a second supporting position on the drawer and includes a developing roller. The drawer includes a first guide. The drum cartridge includes a second guide. In a state where the drum cartridge is attached to the first supporting position on the drawer, the first guide of the drawer and the second guide of the drum cartridge forms a developing cartridge guide configured to guide the developing cartridge toward the second supporting position on the drawer.

An image forming unit insertable into an image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum and a drum case supporting the photosensitive drum. The drum case includes a guide configured to (i) at least partially engage with a solid head of the image forming apparatus when inserted into the image forming apparatus along a first direction and (ii) guide the solid head in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction when the solid head is selectively repositioned along the second direction toward the photosensitive drum.

A printer includes a main body; a development cartridge attachable to and detachable from the main body, the development cartridge comprising a developing portion in which a photoconductive drum and a developing roller are provided, a waste toner container to receive waste toner removed from the photoconductive drum, a toner container connected to the developing portion and to receive toner, and a toner refilling portion connected to the toner container and to refill toner through the toner refilling portion into the toner container; and a communicating portion provided in the main body to be connected to the toner refilling portion to provide an access the toner refilling portion from outside of the main body when the development cartridge is attached to the main body.

An image forming apparatus including a photosensitive member, a developing cartridge that has a developing member, a developing frame, an end member attached to the developing frame, and a restricting portion restricting a swing movement of the end member, and an apparatus body to which the developing cartridge is attachable. The apparatus body includes a movement unit moving the developing cartridge from a first position to a second position, a positioning portion engaging with the end member when the developing cartridge is located at the second position, and a restriction releasing portion acting on the restricting portion with a movement of the developing cartridge from the first position to the second position and releasing restriction of the swing movement of the end member, the restriction releasing portion being provided at a part of the apparatus main body excluding the movement unit.