Handle and positioning stop assembly for a replaceable unit of an electrophotographic image forming device

A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device, comprising:

• a housing having a photoconductive drum rotatably mounted thereon, the photoconductive drum having a rotational axis;
• a guide channel on an exterior of the housing that extends along a bottom side of the housing parallel to the rotational axis of the photoconductive drum and is positioned to guide insertion of the housing into the image forming device;
• a positioning stop on the housing translatable up and down perpendicular to the rotational axis of the photoconductive drum between a latching position and an unlatching position, the positioning stop translates downward from the unlatching position of the positioning stop toward the latching position of the positioning stop and upward from the latching position of the positioning stop toward the unlatching position of the positioning stop, in the latching position the positioning stop obstructs at least a top portion of the guide channel to limit the travel of the replaceable unit in the image forming device parallel to the rotational axis of the photoconductive drum;
• and
• a release handle on the housing operatively connected to the positioning stop to move the positioning stop from the latching position of the positioning stop to the unlatching position of the positioning stop.

An electrophotographic image forming device, comprising:

• a housing;
• a replaceable unit installable into and removable from the housing, the replaceable unit is latchable to and unlatchable from an operating position of the replaceable unit in an interior area of the housing;
• a positioning stop movable between a latching position of the positioning stop and an unlatching position of the positioning stop, the positioning stop is positioned to latch the replaceable unit to the housing when the positioning stop is in the latching position and the replaceable unit is in the operating position in the interior area of the housing;
• a release handle on the replaceable unit, the release handle is operatively connected to the positioning stop when the replaceable unit is in the operating position in the interior area of the housing to move the positioning stop from the latching position of the positioning stop to the unlatching position of the positioning stop when the release handle moves from a latching position of the release handle to an unlatching position of the release handle to permit removal of the replaceable unit from the housing, the release handle is positioned in the latching position of the release handle when the replaceable unit is in the operating position in the interior area of the housing and the positioning stop is in the latching position of the positioning stop;
• and
• an access door on the housing that is movable between an open position and a closed position permitting access to the interior area of the housing and allowing installation and removal of the replaceable unit into and from the housing, the access door includes an interference feature on an inner side thereof,
• wherein when the replaceable unit is positioned in the interior area of the housing and the release handle is in the unlatching position of the release handle and the access door moves from the open position toward the closed position, the interference feature contacts the release handle prior to the access door reaching the closed position,
• wherein when the replaceable unit is positioned in the interior area of the housing and the release handle is in the latching position of the release handle and the access door moves from the open position toward the closed position, the interference feature clears the release handle permitting the access door to reach the closed position.