Process cartridge, electrophotographic image forming apparatus and connection method of connecting contacts

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

• a cartridge frame;
• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a charging roller, contacting to said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, for charging said electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a cleaning member for removing toner remaining on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a toner accommodating portion for accommodating toner removed from said electrophotographic photosensitive drum by said cleaning member;
• a memory element for storing an integrated charging time of said charging roller and an integrated number of rotations of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a positioning portion, coaxial with said electrophotographic photosensitive drum and projecting from said cartridge frame at each longitudinal end portion of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, for engagement with a positioning member provided in the main assembly to correctly position said process cartridge when said process cartridge is mounted to a mounting position of the main assembly;
• a grounding contact, provided coaxially with said electrophotographic photosensitive drum at one longitudinal end side of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, for electrically grounding said electrophotographic photosensitive drum to the main assembly, when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly;
• a connector including a plurality of connecting contacts, arranged along a line substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum at one longitudinal end side of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, for electrical connection with the main assembly to transmit to the main assembly information stored in said memory element when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly, wherein a connecting contact of the plurality of connecting contacts which is closest to said electrophotographic photosensitive drum is a contact for electrically grounding a substrate of said memory element, said grounding contact being projected outwardly beyond the other contact, wherein said connector is disposed on an outside of said toner accommodating portion at a longitudinal end side of said toner accommodating portion, and when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly, said connector takes a lower position while facing downward;
• and
• wherein said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly by rotating it downwardly about said positioning portion;
• wherein when said process cartridge is rotated downwardly, said grounding contact is brought into contact with a corresponding contact of the main assembly sooner than another contact of said connector is brought into contact with a corresponding contact of the main assembly.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, comprising:

• a. a mounting portion for detachably mounting a process cartridge, which includes:
• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a memory element for storing information on said process cartridge;
• a connector including a plurality of connecting contacts, arranged along a line substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, for electrical connection with a main assembly to transmit to the main assembly information stored in said memory element when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly, wherein a connecting contact of the plurality of connecting contacts which is closest to said electrophotographic photosensitive drum is a contact for electrically grounding a substrate of said memory element;
• said apparatus further comprising:
• b. main assembly connecting contacts for electrical connection with said connecting contacts of said connector;
• c. developing means for developing a latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum of said process cartridge mounted to said mounting portion;
• and
• d. transporting means for transporting the recording material.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus having a main assembly for forming an image on a recording material, to which a process cartridge is detachably mountably mountable, comprising:

• a. a mounting member for detachably mounting a process cartridge, which includes:
• a cartridge frame;
• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a charging roller, contacting to said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, for charging said electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a cleaning member for removing toner remaining on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a toner accommodating portion for accommodating toner removed from said electrophotographic photosensitive drum by said cleaning member;
• a memory element for storing an integrated charging time of said charging roller and an integrated number of rotations of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a positioning portion, coaxial with said electrophotographic photosensitive drum and projecting from said cartridge frame at each longitudinal end portion of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, for engagement with a positioning member provided in the main assembly to correctly position said process cartridge when said process cartridge is mounted to a mounting position of the main assembly;
• a grounding contact, provided coaxially with said electrophotographic photosensitive drum at one longitudinal end side of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, for electrically grounding said electrophotographic photosensitive drum to the main assembly, when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly;
• a connector including a plurality of connecting contacts, arranged along a line substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum at one longitudinal end side of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, for electrical connection with the main assembly to transmit to the main assembly information stored in said memory element when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly, wherein a connecting contact of the plurality of connecting contacts which is closest to said electrophotographic photosensitive drum is a contact for electrically grounding a substrate of said memory element, said grounding contact for grounding a substrate being projected outwardly beyond the other contact, wherein said connector is disposed on an outside of said toner accommodating portion at a longitudinal end side of said toner accommodating portion, and when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly, said connector takes a lower position while facing downward;
• and
• wherein said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly by rotating it downwardly about said positioning portion;
• wherein when said process cartridge is rotated downwardly, said grounding contact is brought into contact with a corresponding contact of the main assembly sooner than another contact of said connector is brought into contact with a corresponding contact of the main assembly;
• said apparatus further comprising:
• b. a main assembly grounding contact for electrical connection with a grounding contact of said process cartridge mounted to said mounting position;
• c. a main assembly connecting contact for electrical connection with another one of the connecting contacts of said connector of said process cartridge mounted to said mounting position;
• d. a developing member for developing a latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum of said process cartridge mounted to said mounting position;
• and
• e. a transporting member for transporting the recording material.

A connection method for connection between a connecting contact of a process cartridge and main assembly connecting contacts of a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said process cartridge including:

• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a memory element for storing information on said process cartridge;
• and
• a connector including a plurality of connecting contacts, arranged along a line substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, for electrical connection with the main assembly to transmit to the main assembly information stored in said memory element when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly, wherein a connecting contact of the plurality of connecting contacts which is closest to said electrophotographic photosensitive drum is a contact for electrically grounding a substrate of said memory element;
• wherein the connecting contacts of said connector and corresponding main assembly connecting contacts are electrically contacted by downwardly rotating said process cartridge substantially about an axis of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum.