Developing cartridge and image forming apparatus

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

• a movable member, which supports an image bearing member and includes a developing cartridge mounting portion, movable between an outside position in which said movable member is located outside a main assembly of said image forming apparatus and an inside position in which said movable member is located inside the main assembly of said image forming apparatus;
• and
• a developing cartridge detachably mountable to the developing cartridge mounting portion, said developing cartridge comprising:
• a developer carrying member for supplying a developer to an image bearing member to develop a latent image formed on the image bearing member;
• a protecting member provided movably between a closing position in which said protective member covers said developer carrying member and an opening position in which said protective member exposes said developer carrying member;
• a shifting member for shifting said developing cartridge, mounted to the developing cartridge mounting portion, between a operable position in which said developer carrying member operably opposes the image bearing member and a separation position in which said developer carrying member is moved away from the image bearing member with respect to the operable position;
• a grip portion provided movably between a first position and a second position;
• and
• an interrelating member for interrelating said developing cartridge with said grip portion, wherein in a state in which said developing cartridge is mounted to the developing cartridge mounting portion, said interrelating member shifts said developing cartridge from the separation position to the operable position by said shifting member while moving said protecting member from the closing position to the opening position in interrelation with movement of said grip portion from the first position to the second position, and shifts said developing cartridge from the operable position to the separation position by said shifting member while moving said protecting member from the opening position to the closing position in interrelation with movement of said grip portion from the second position to the first position.