A process cartridge detachably mountable to the main body of an image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, at least one process device for acting on the drum, a cartridge frame holding the drum and the process device and exposing a portion of the drum, a shutter member provided for movement between a position to protect and a position to permit exposure the of the drum, and a shutter opening and closing link mechanism for moving the shutter member in operative association with the opening and closing operation of an openable and closable door when the process cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion of the main body of the image forming apparatus.
A developing apparatus develops a latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with a developer in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus The device includes a developer accommodating portion and a developer stirring member stirring the developer in the developer accommodating portion. The developer stirring member includes a rotatable member rotatably provided in the developer accommodating portion, first and second stirring rotatable portions provided on the rotatable member, and first and second movable stirring portions movably provided on the first and second stirring rotatable portions, respectively. The radius of rotation of the first and second stirring rotatable portions are different from each other, and a part of a stirring region in which the first stirring rotatable portion and the first movable stirring portion stir the developer and a part of a stirring region in which the second stirring rotatable portion and the second movable stirring portion stirs the developer, overlap.
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developing roller, a drum unit for rotatably supporting the drum, first and second portions to be positioned relative to the main assembly, a rotatable developing unit, and first and second portions to be supported on first and second supporting portions to permit a rotation of the developing unit in the crossing direction when the process cartridge is set in the main assembly of the apparatus, and a driving force receiving member, rotatably supported on an outer surface of the second portion to be supported, for receiving a driving force for rotating the developing roller from a driving force transmission member provided in the main assembly when the process cartridge is set in the main assembly of the apparatus.
A plurality of process cartridges are detachably mountable to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus along a substantially vertical line. The cartridges each have an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, process means actable on the drum, and a drum shutter movable between first and second positions. The apparatus includes mounting portions for detachably mounting the cartridges, an opening for permitting passage of the cartridges into the apparatus, a covering member for covering the opening, and a pressing member for moving the shutter to the second position thereof when the covering member moves from an open position to a closed position. An angle of rotation of the shutter rotated from the first to the second position in the bottommost cartridge is larger than an angle of rotation of the shutter rotated from the first position to the second position in another one of said process cartridges.
A developer supply cartridge supplies developer into a process cartridge and is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge includes a drum, a developing roller, a receiving-side shutter opening and closing a developer receiving opening receiving the developer used by the roller, a receiving-side mover to move the shutter including an operator, and a regulator regulating movement of the mover when the operator is at an operating position. The developer supply cartridge includes a developer accommodator, developer supply opening supplying developer from the accommodator into the process cartridge through the developer receiving opening, a supplying-side shutter opening open and closing the developer supply opening, and a supplying-side mover to move the supplying-side shutter from a closed to an open position when the developer supply cartridge enters and the process cartridge is set in the main assembly, by engagement with the operator.
