Process cartridge, image forming apparatus usable therewith and image forming system

An image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said apparatus comprising:

• mounting means for mounting a process cartridge including a cartridge frame an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and process means actable on said photosensitive member;
• displaceable transfer means for transferring a toner image from said photosensitive member in the process cartridge onto a recording material;
• and
• feeding means for feeding the recording material,
• wherein a projection on the cartridge frame at a leading portion with respect to a movement direction of the process cartridge upon mounting thereof to said mounting means projects downwardly from said cartridge frame, and wherein the projection causes said transfer means to be retracted to prevent contact between the cartridge frame and said transfer means upon the mounting of the process cartridge to said mounting means.

A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, wherein the main assembly includes mounting means for detachably mounting said process cartridge and a displaceable transfer means for transferring a toner image from said process cartridge mounted to the main assembly onto a recording material, a first guiding member and a second guiding member, said process cartridge comprising:

• a cartridge frame;
• an electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• charging means for charging said photosensitive member;
• developing means for developing a latent image formed on said photosensitive member;
• cleaning means for cleaning said photosensitive member by removing residual toner from said photosensitive member;
• a projection projecting from said cartridge frame adjacent to a longitudinal end of said photosensitive member and adjacent to said cleaning means with respect to a movement direction of said process cartridge upon mounting thereof to the mounting means, said projection being projecting downwardly from said cartridge frame, wherein said projection causes the transfer means to be retracted to prevent contact between said cartridge frame and the transfer means upon the mounting of said process cartridge to the mounting means, wherein said projection is guided by the first guiding member when said process cartridge is mounted to the mounting means;
• and
• a cartridge guiding member projecting downwardly from said cartridge frame adjacent to the other longitudinal end of said photosensitive member, said cartridge guiding member guiding said process cartridge, said cartridge guiding member being guided by the second guiding member of the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to the mounting means,
• wherein said process cartridge is positioned such that said cleaning means is located at a leading side of said process cartridge and said developing means is located at a trailing side of said process cartridge, when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly.

An image forming apparatus having a main assembly to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said apparatus comprising:

• mounting means for mounting a process cartridge, including a cartridge frame an electrophotographic photosensitive member, charging means for charging said photosensitive member, developing means for developing a latent image formed on said photosensitive member, and cleaning means for cleaning said photosensitive member by removing residual toner from said photosensitive member;
• a displaceable transfer roller for transferring the toner image from said photosensitive member in said process cartridge onto a recording material,
• wherein a projection projects from said cartridge frame adjacent to a longitudinal end of said photosensitive member and adjacent to said cleaning means with respect to a movement direction of the process cartridge upon mounting thereof to the mounting means, the projection projecting downwardly from said cartridge frame, wherein the projection causes said transfer roller to be retracted to prevent contact between the cartridge frame and the transfer roller upon the mounting of the process cartridge to said mounting means, and a cartridge guiding member projecting downwardly from the cartridge frame adjacent the other longitudinal end of said photosensitive member;
• a first guiding member on the main assembly for guiding the projection when the process cartridge is mounted to said mounting means;
• a second guiding member on the main assembly for guiding the cartridge guiding member when said process cartridge is mounted to said mounting means;
• wherein the process cartridge is positioned with said cleaning means at a leading side and with said developing means at a trailing side, when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly;
• and
• feeding means for feeding the recording material.

A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, wherein the main assembly has a mounting member for detachably mounting said process cartridge, a displaceable transfer roller for transferring a toner image from said process cartridge mounted to the main assembly onto a recording material, a first guiding member, and a second guiding member, said process cartridge comprising:

• a top frame which takes an upper position when said process cartridge is mounted to the mounting member;
• a bottom frame which takes a bottom position when said process cartridge is mounted to the mounting member;
• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a charging roller contacted to said photosensitive drum for charging said photosensitive drum;
• a developing roller for developing a latent image formed on said photosensitive drum, said developing roller supplying toner to said photosensitive drum by rotation thereof;
• a cleaning blade contacted to said photosensitive drum for cleaning said photosensitive drum by removing residual toner from said photosensitive drum;
• a projection projecting from said bottom frame adjacent to a longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum and adjacent to said cleaning blade with respect to a movement direction of the process cartridge upon mounting thereof to the mounting member, said projection projecting downwardly from said bottom frame, wherein said projection causes the transfer roller to be retracted to prevent contact between said bottom frame and the transfer roller upon the mounting of said process cartridge to the mounting member, wherein said projection is guided by the first guiding member of the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to the mounting member;
• a cartridge guiding member projected downwardly from said top frame adjacent the other longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum, said cartridge guiding member guiding said process cartridge, said cartridge guiding member being guided by the second guiding member of the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to the mounting member,
• wherein said top frame is provided with said charging roller and said cartridge guiding member, and said bottom frame is provided with said photosensitive drum, said cleaning blade, said developing roller, and said projection, said top frame and said bottom frame being separably engaged, and
• wherein said process cartridge is moved in a direction transverse to said photosensitive drum with said cleaning blade provided at a leading side and with said developing roller provided at a trailing side, when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly, and when said process cartridge is mounted in place to the mounting member, said transfer roller being urged toward said photosensitive drum.

An image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said apparatus comprising:

• mounting means for mounting a process cartridge including a top frame which takes an upper position when the process cartridge is mounted to said mounting means and a bottom frame which takes a bottom position when the process cartridge is mounted to said mounting means;
• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a charging roller contacted to the photosensitive drum for charging the photosensitive drum;
• a developing roller for developing a latent image formed on said photosensitive drum, said developing roller supplying toner to said photosensitive drum by rotation thereof;
• a cleaning blade contacted to said photosensitive drum for cleaning said photosensitive drum by removing residual toner from said photosensitive drum;
• a displaceable transfer roller for transferring the toner image from said photosensitive drum in the process cartridge onto a recording material;
• a cartridge guiding member projecting downwardly from the top frame adjacent a longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum, said cartridge guiding member being guided by a second guiding member of the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to said mounting means;
• wherein the top frame is provided with said charging roller and said cartridge guiding member, and said bottom frame is provided with said photosensitive drum, cleaning blade and developing roller, and said top frame and said bottom frame being separably engaged;
• wherein said process cartridge is moved in a direction transverse with said photosensitive drum with said cleaning blade at a leading side and with said developing roller at a trailing side, when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly,
• a projection projecting from said bottom frame adjacent to the other longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum and adjacent to said cleaning blade with respect to a movement direction of the process cartridge upon mounting thereof to the mounting means, said projection projecting downwardly from said bottom frame, wherein the projection causes said transfer roller to be retracted to prevent contact between the bottom frame and said transfer roller upon the mounting of the process cartridge to the mounting means;
• wherein the projection is guided by a first guiding member when the process cartridge is mounted to the mounting means,
• said first guiding member for guiding the projection of the process cartridge;
• and
• said second guiding member for guiding the cartridge guiding member of the process cartridge;
• and
• feeding means for feeding the recording material,
• wherein, when said process cartridge is mounted in place to said mounting means, said transfer roller is urged to said photosensitive drum.