Process cartridge remanufacturing method, disassembling method and assembling method, positioning and connecting apparatus and process cartridge

A disassembling method for a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein said process cartridge includes,

• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum,
• a drum supporting frame rotatably supporting developing means for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum and said electrophotographic photosensitive drum,
• an exposure opening extended in the longitudinal direction of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum to permit light from exposure means provided in the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus to be incident on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum,
• a developer accommodating container for accommodating a developer to be supplied to said developing means,
• a developing device frame supporting said developing means, and
• covering members connected to said drum supporting frame and said developer container at ends of said drum supporting frame and said developer accommodating container with respect to a longitudinal direction of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum,
• an image transfer opening for transferring onto a recording material a visualized image provided by said developing means from an electrostatic latent image on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum,
• said disassembling method comprising:
• a step of cutting a portion between one longitudinal end portion of said exposure opening and one longitudinal end portion of said transfer opening adjacent said one longitudinal end portion of said exposure opening, along an outer wall of said process cartridge.

A positioning and connection apparatus for connecting frames provided by cutting said process cartridge which is detachably mountable to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus and which includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, process means actable on electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a frame covering said process means, said apparatus comprising:

• a pair of positioning members mounted on said frame prior to cutting said frame;
• a coupling member mounted to said pair of positioning members to connect said cut said frame;
• and
• positioning means for determining a relative position between said pair of positioning members and said coupling member.

A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:

• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum:
• process means actable on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• and
• a frame covering said process means,
• wherein said first frame portion and said second frame portion are connected to each other by at least one pair of positioning members extending between said first frame portion and said second frame portion and a coupling member positioned relative to siad positioning members.