Cartridge and electrophotographic image forming apparatus

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium and to a main assembly of which a cartridge is detachably mountable, said apparatus comprising:

• (i) a main assembly locking portion;
• (ii) a cartridge mounting portion configured and positioned to detachably mount the cartridge, the cartridge including:
• a developing member configured and positioned to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photoconductive member;
• a developer accommodating portion configured and positioned to accommodate a developer to be used by the developing member to develop the electrostatic latent image;
• a cartridge locking portion configured and positioned to engage said main assembly locking portion to prevent the cartridge from disengaging from the apparatus main assembly after mounting of the cartridge;
• an operating member configured and positioned to be operated by an operator when the cartridge is demounted from the main assembly of said apparatus;
• and
• a releasing portion configured and positioned to move the cartridge locking portion in interrelation with a movement of the operating member, which is moved when the operator operates the operating member, to disengage the cartridge from the main assembly of said apparatus, wherein locking between the cartridge locking portion and said main assembly locking portion is released by the movement of the cartridge locking portion;
• and
• (iii) conveying means for conveying the recording medium.

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

• a first grip portion configured and positioned to be gripped by a user when said cartridge is mounted to and demounted from the main assembly of the apparatus;
• a second grip portion configured and positioned to be gripped by the user when said cartridge is mounted to and demounted from the main assembly of the apparatus;
• a developing member configured and positioned to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• a developer accommodating portion configured to accommodate a developer to be used to develop the electrostatic latent image by said developing member;
• a first cartridge locking portion configured and positioned to lock with a main assembly locking portion of the main assembly of the apparatus to prevent said cartridge from disengaging from the main assembly of the apparatus when said cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus;
• a second cartridge locking portion configured and positioned to lock with the main assembly locking portion to prevent said cartridge from disengaging from the main assembly of the apparatus when said cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus;
• a first moving portion movable in interrelation with said first grip portion, said first moving portion having, at one end thereof, said first cartridge locking portion;
• a second moving portion movable in interrelation with said second grip portion, said second moving portion having, at one end thereof, said second cartridge locking portion;
• and
• an elastic member provided between said first grip portion and said second grip portion, said elastic member urging said first grip portion in a direction of locking of said first cartridge locking portion with the main assembly locking portion, and said elastic member urging said second grip portion in a direction of locking of said second cartridge locking portion with the main assembly locking portion,
• wherein when said first grip portion and said second grip portion are gripped by the user when said cartridge is dismounted from the main assembly of the apparatus, said first cartridge locking portion and said second cartridge locking portion are retracted from the main assembly locking portion, and
• wherein when a user releases said first grip portion and said second grip portion when said cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus, said first cartridge locking portion and said second cartridge locking portion are locked with the main assembly locking portion.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, said apparatus comprising:

• (i) a main assembly to which a cartridge is detachably mountable;
• (ii) a cartridge mounting portion configured and positioned to detachably mount the cartridge, the cartridge including a first grip portion configured and positioned to be gripped by a user when the cartridge is mounted to and demounted from said main assembly of said apparatus, a second grip portion configured and positioned to be gripped by the user when the cartridge is mounted to and demounted from said main assembly of said apparatus, a developing member configured and positioned to develop an electrostatic latent image formed an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a developer accommodating portion configured to accommodate the developer to be used for development of the electrostatic latent image by the developing member, a first cartridge locking portion configured and positioned to lock with a main assembly locking portion of said main assembly of said apparatus to prevent the cartridge from disengaging from said main assembly of said apparatus when the cartridge is mounted to said main assembly of said apparatus, a second cartridge locking portion configured and positioned to lock with the main assembly locking portion to prevent the cartridge from disengaging from said main assembly of said apparatus when the cartridge is mounted to said main assembly of said apparatus, a first moving portion movable in interrelation with the first grip portion, the first moving portion having, at one end thereof, the first cartridge locking portion, a second moving portion movable in interrelation with the second grip portion, the second moving portion having, at one end thereof, the second cartridge locking portion, an elastic member provided between the first grip portion and the second grip portion, the elastic member urging the first grip portion in a direction of locking of the first cartridge locking portion with the main assembly locking portion, and the elastic member urging the second grip portion in a direction of locking of the second cartridge locking portion with the main assembly locking portion, wherein when the first grip portion and the second grip portion are gripped by the user when said cartridge is dismounted from said main assembly of said apparatus, the first cartridge locking portion and the second cartridge locking portion are retracted from the main assembly locking portion, and wherein when the user releases a grip from the first grip portion and the second grip portion when the cartridge is mounted to said main assembly of said apparatus, the first cartridge locking portion and the second cartridge locking portion are locked with the main assembly locking portion;
• and
• (iii) feeding means for feeding the recording material.