Patent ID: 7512361
Filing Date: 2009-03-31
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A process cartridge which is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material and which is transportable in a state of being mounted in the main assembly of the apparatus, said process cartridge comprising: an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a developing roller that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum with a developer in a state of being in contact to said electrophotographic photosensitive drum along a longitudinal direction thereof; a drum unit supporting said electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a developing unit supporting said developing roller, said developing unit being connected with said drum unit for rotation between a contact position where said developing roller is in contact with said electrophotographic photosensitive drum along the longitudinal direction and a separated position where said developing roller is separated from said electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a force receiving portion that receives, from the main assembly of the apparatus, a force for moving said developing unit from the contact position to the separated position, with said process cartridge mounted in the main assembly of the apparatus; a separation member that maintains said developing unit at a second separated position where said developing roller and said electrophotographic photosensitive drum are separated from each other, said separation member being mounted on said drum unit and said developing unit in a manner that said separation member permits mounting of said process cartridge to the main assembly of the apparatus with said separation member mounted thereon; and a detection portion, provided on said developing unit, usable by the main assembly of the apparatus to detect that said separation member is mounted, in the state of the process cartridge mounted in the main assembly of the apparatus.