Image forming apparatus detachably mounting a process cartridge having developing roller movable to contact and be spaced from a photosensitive drum

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

• (i) an opening;
• (ii) a door movable between a close position for closing said opening and an open position for opening said opening;
• (iii) a first force application member movable with movement of said door from the open position to the close position;
• (iv) a second force application member movable by a driving force from a driving source;
• (v) mounting means for detachably mounting a process cartridge, said process cartridge including:
• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a developing roller configured and positioned to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum,
• a drum frame supporting the electrophotographic photosensitive drum,
• a developing frame which supports the developing roller and which is movable relative to the drum frame such that the developing roller is movable between a contact position in which the developing roller is contacted to the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a spaced position in which the developing roller is spaced from the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and
• a force receiving device including a first force receiving portion configured and positioned to receive a force from the first force application member by movement of said door from the open position to the close position in the state that the process cartridge is mounted to a main assembly of said apparatus through said opening, and a second force receiving portion movable relative to said developing frame to an operative position from a retracted position retracted from the operative position by movement of the first force receiving portion by a force received from said first force application member, wherein the second force receiving portion takes the operative position for receiving a force from said second force application member to move the developing frame from the contact position to the spaced position, wherein said second force receiving portion takes the retracted position for permitting said process cartridge to enter said main assembly;
• and
• (vi) feeding means for feeding the recording material.

A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the main assembly including an opening, a first force application member, and a second force application member movable by a driving force from a driving source, said process cartridge comprising:

• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a developing roller configured and positioned to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a drum frame supporting said electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a developing frame which supports said developing roller and which is movable relative to said drum frame such that the developing roller is movable between a contact position in which said developing roller contacts said electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a spaced position in which said developing roller is spaced from said electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• and
• a force receiving device including a first force receiving portion configured and positioned to receive a force from the first force application member by movement of said first force application member in the state that said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus through the opening, and a second force receiving portion movable relative to said developing frame to an operative position from a retracted position retracted from the operative position by movement of said first force receiving portion by a force receiving from the first force application member, wherein said second force receiving portion takes the operative position for receiving a force from the second force application member to move said developing frame from the contact position to the spaced position, wherein said second force receiving portion takes the retracted position for permitting said process cartridge to enter said main assembly.

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

• (i) an opening;
• (ii) a first force application member;
• (iii) a second force application member movable by a driving force from a driving source;
• (iv) mounting means for detachably mounting a process cartridge, said process cartridge including,
• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum,
• a developing roller configured and positioned to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum,
• a drum frame supporting the electrophotographic photosensitive drum,
• a developing frame which supports the developing roller and which is movable relative to said drum frame such that the developing roller is movable between a contact position in which the developing roller is contacted to the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a spaced position in which the developing roller is spaced from the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and
• a force receiving device including a first force receiving portion configured and positioned to receive a force from the first force application member by movement of the first force application member in the state that the process cartridge is mounted to a main assembly of said apparatus through said opening, and a second force receiving portion movable relative to said developing frame to an operative position from a retracted position retracted from the operative position by movement of the first force receiving portion by a force received from said first force application member, wherein the second force receiving portion takes the operative position for receiving a force from said second force application member to move the developing frame from the contact position to the spaced position, wherein said second force receiving portion takes the retracted position for permitting said process cartridge to enter said main assembly.

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

• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a drum frame supporting said electrophotographic photosensitive drum
• a developing frame supporting said developing roller, said developing frame being rotatable about a rotation axis relative to said drum frame between a contact position in which said developing roller is in contact to said electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a spacing position in which said developing roller is spaced from said electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• and
• a force receiving device including a first force receiving portion for receiving a first external force and a second force receiving portion for receiving a second external force, wherein said second force receiving portion is moved relative to said developing frame to an operative position from a retracted position retracted from the operative position by said first force receiving portion receiving the first external force, wherein a distance between the rotation axis and the second force receiving portion is larger in the operative position than in the retracted position, wherein in the operative position, said second force receiving portion moves said developing frame from the contact position to the spacing position by receiving the second external force.

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

• (i) mounting means;
• (ii) a process cartridge detachably mounted to said mounting means, said process cartridge including,
• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum,
• a developing roller configured and positioned to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a drum frame supporting said electrophotographic photosensitive drum,
• a developing frame which supports said developing roller and which is movable relative to said drum frame such that the developing roller is movable between a contact position in which said developing roller contacts said electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a spaced position in which said developing roller is spaced from said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and
• a force receiving device including a first force receiving portion for receiving a first external force and a second force receiving portion for receiving a second external force, wherein said second force receiving portion is moved relative to said developing frame to an operative position from a retracted position retracted from the operative position by said first force receiving portion receiving the first external force, wherein a distance between the rotation axis and the second force receiving portion is larger in the operative position than in the retracted position, wherein in the operative position, said second force receiving portion moves said developing frame from the contact position to the spacing position by receiving the second external force;
• and
• (iii) feeding means for feeding the recording material.