Guide means and electrophotographic image forming apparatus

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge including an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least one process member acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member is removably mounted, and which forms an image on a recording medium, said image forming apparatus comprising:

• (a) a guide member for guiding the process cartridge when the process cartridge is removably mounted to a main body of said image forming apparatus, said guide member including a cartridge guide portion for guiding a positioning projection provided on the process cartridge when the process cartridge is mounted to said main body of said image forming apparatus, a shutter guide portion for guiding a shutter projection provided on a shutter member of the process cartridge, the shutter member covering a transfer opening of the process cartridge, to open the shutter member when the process cartridge is mounted to said main body of said image forming apparatus, and a regulating portion against which the shutter projection abuts when the process cartridge is inserted into said main body of said image forming apparatus in an erroneous state;
• (b) a fixing member for fixing a toner image transferred from the electrophotographic photosensitive member to the recording medium;
• and
• (c) a convey member for conveying the recording medium.

A guide member for guiding a process cartridge when the process cartridge is removably mounted to a main body of an image forming apparatus, wherein said guide member is attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus and wherein the process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least one process member acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, said guide member comprising:

• (a) a cartridge guide portion for guiding a positioning projection, provided on the process cartridge, when the process cartridge is mounted to the main body of the image forming apparatus, said cartridge guide portion having a positioning recess for positioning the positioning projection;
• (b) a shutter guide portion for guiding a shutter projection provided on a shutter member of the process cartridge, the shutter member covering a transfer opening of the process cartridge, to open the shutter member when the process cartridge is mounted to the main body of the image forming apparatus;
• (c) a regulating portion against which the shutter projection abuts when the process cartridge is inserted into the main body of the image forming apparatus in an erroneous state where a front portion and a rear portion of the process cartridge are reversed;
• and
• (d) a locking pawl member for attaching said guide member to the main body of the image forming apparatus.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge including an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least one process member acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member is removably mounted, and which forms an image on a recording medium, said image forming apparatus comprising:

• (a) a guide member for guiding the process cartridge when it is removably mounted to a main body of said image forming apparatus, said guide member including a cartridge guide portion for guiding a positioning projection provided on the process cartridge when the process cartridge is mounted to said main body of said image forming apparatus, said cartridge guide portion having a positioning recess for positioning the positioning projection, a shutter guide portion for guiding a shutter projection provided on a shutter member of the process cartridge, the shutter member covering a transfer opening of the process cartridge, to open the shutter member when the process cartridge is mounted to said main body of said image forming apparatus, a regulating portion against which the shutter projection abuts when the process cartridge is inserted into said main body of said image forming apparatus in an erroneous state where a front portion and a rear portion of the process cartridge are reversed, and a locking pawl member for attaching said guide member to said main body of said image forming apparatus;
• (b) fixing means for fixing a toner image transferred from the electrophotographic photosensitive member to the recording medium;
• and
• (c) convey means for conveying the recording medium.