The present invention relates to a rotational force driving assembly and a process cartridge used for being engaged with a rotational force driving head inside an electrophotographic image forming device. The rotational force driving assembly can comprise a hub, a rotational force receiving component, a side plate, and an axis offset adjusting mechanism. When the axis offset adjusting mechanism is not subjected to external force, the axis offset adjusting mechanism enables the axis of the rotational force receiving component to be parallel and offset to the axis of the hub. When the axis offset adjusting mechanism is subjected to external force, the rotational force receiving component extends out to be engaged with the rotational force driving head.

An image forming apparatus, having a photosensitive drum, a developing roller movable between a contacting position, in which the developing roller contacts the photosensitive drum, and a separated position, in which the developing roller is separated from the photosensitive drum, a moving mechanism to move the developing roller between the contacting position and the separated position, a fuser including a heating member and a pressing member to nip a sheet at a position between the heating member and the pressing member, a nipping-force adjuster to switch a nipping force in the fuser between a first nipping force and a second nipping force being greater than the first nipping force, a motor, and a driving-force transmitter to transmit a driving force from the motor to the developing roller, is provided. The driving-force transmitter transmits the driving force further to the moving mechanism and the nipping-force adjuster.

A drive device that drives a detachable unit detachably attached to an image forming apparatus includes a drive coupling, a rotary shaft, a relay member, a contact member, and a compression spring. The drive coupling contacts and separate from a driven coupling of the detachable unit along with movement of the detachable unit. The relay member transmits rotation force of the rotary shaft to the drive coupling to rotate together. The compression spring has an axial end contacting the contact member disposed away from the driven coupling from the relay member and another axial end contacting the relay member. The drive coupling includes an outer circumferential restrictor restricts radial movement of the compression spring. The relay member includes an inner circumferential restrictor restricts radial movement of the compression spring.

A transmitting assembly of a toner cartridge is provided. The transmitting assembly comprises a gear member, a tubular member disposed at the gear member and having an axial hole, an axial member provided with a shaft portion inserting into the axial hole and a head portion, an elastic member applying force on the axial member away from the gear member, two engaging claws provided with body portions disposed at the head portion and claw portions located at the body portions, and a torsional member connected with the engaging claws and applying force turning the engaging claws outward. The claw portions are located at two sides of the axial member, and abutting ends of the body potions are located at a center of the head portion. Accordingly, the transmitting assembly can be engaged with and separated from a driving member of an electronic image forming apparatus with ease and smoothness.

A toner conveying device that conveys toner. The toner conveying device includes a housing, a toner guide portion, and at least two vibration motors. The housing has, in its inside, a toner conveyance path. The toner guide portion is provided in the housing and includes an opening through which toner flows in or out, and a guide passage communicating between the opening and the toner conveyance path. The at least two vibration motors apply vibrations to the toner guide portion. The vibration motors are started at different timings, and driven and controlled by drive signals in which a first pulse and a second pulse of different pulse widths alternately continue.

A process cartridge comprises an electrophotographic photosensitive drum having a photosensitive layer at a peripheral surface thereof, and process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum. The process cartridge also includes a coupling member 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.

A rotating force transmitting part for an electrophotographic photosensitive drum for a main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a driving shaft, to be driven by a motor, having the rotating force applying portion, and wherein the electrophotographic photosensitive drum is dismountable from the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus in a direction substantial perpendicular with an axial direction of the driving shaft, the rotating force transmitting part includes a coupling member engageable with the rotational force applying portion to receive a rotational force for rotating the electrophotographic photosensitive drum in the state in which electrophotographic photosensitive drum is mounted to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein 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.

The present invention provides a cartridge which is dismountable from the main assembly without deteriorating usability performance in a predetermined direction substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of an image bearing member, the main assembly being not provided with the mechanism for moving the main assembly side engaging portion in the rotational axis direction in response to the opening and closing operation of the main assembly cover of the main assembly.

With the movement of the cartridge in such a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis of the image bearing member in the dismounting of the cartridge from the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the coupling member movable in a direction parallel with the rotational axis of the image bearing member enters a inside of a recess of the main assembly side engaging portion provided in the main assembly of the apparatus to receive a rotational force from the main assembly side engaging portion.

An interface drive coupler for a replaceable unit of an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a first component and a second component coaxial with the first component along a rotational axis of the interface drive coupler. A force receiving portion is positioned on the first component and a force transmitting portion is positioned on the second component. One of the first component and the second component includes a male connector and the other of the first component and the second component includes a female connector that matably receives the male connector. Each of the male connector and the female connector includes a helical thread that extends circumferentially around the rotational axis of the interface drive coupler and that is angled in an operative rotational direction of the interface drive coupler in a direction from the force receiving portion toward the force transmitting portion.

Movement and/or urging of a developer carrying member is carried out with high precision.

A cartridge that is mountable to an apparatus main assembly of an image forming apparatus, the cartridge includes a developing roller; a frame supporting the developing roller; a movable part movably supported by the frame and movable to a first position and to a second position relative to the frame; and an elastic part provided between the frame and the movable part to urge the movable part. The movable part includes a first force receiving part that receives force from the apparatus main assembly, in a direction of moving from the first position to the second position, and a second force receiving part that receives force from the apparatus main assembly, in a direction of moving from the second position to the first position. When the movable part receives force from the apparatus main assembly at the first force receiving part and is at the second position, the movable part receives urging force from the elastic part in a direction of moving the movable part from the second position to the first position.