Patent ID: 6493527
Filing Date: 2002-12-10
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, comprising:an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a drum gear provided at one longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum; a developing roller for developing with toner an electrostatic latent image formed on said photosensitive drum; a developing roller gear, provided at one longitudinal end of said developing roller, for meshing engagement with the drum gear to transmit a driving force for rotating said developing roller from said drum gear; a cleaner container supporting said photosensitive drum; a toner developing container supporting said developing roller; a coupling member for rotatably connecting said cleaner container and said toner developing container with each other; an urging member for urging said cleaner container and said toner developing container coupled by said coupling member in the direction of engagement of said drum gear and said developing roller gear with each other; and a tape stuck continuously on a surface of said cleaner container and a surface of said toner developing container to maintain, against an urging force provided by said urging member, a state in which said drum gear and said developing roller gear are disengaged from each other or in which a back clearance between said drum gear and said developing roller gear is larger than that during an image forming operation.