Patent ID: 7027754
Filing Date: 2006-04-11
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, comprising: an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a developing member configured and positioned to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a first end cover portion provided at one longitudinal end of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a second end cover portion provided at the other longitudinal end of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a first portion to be guided provided on a bottom surface of said process cartridge so as to be guided by a first main assembly guide portion provided in the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus; a second portion to be guided provided on a bottom surface of said process cartridge so as to be guided by a second main assembly guide portion provided in the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus; a first portion to be positioned which is coaxial with said electrophotographic photosensitive drum and which is provided to project longitudinally outwardly of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum from said first end cover portion, said first portion to be positioned being positioned by a first main assembly positioning portion provided in the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus; a second portion to be positioned which is coaxial with said electrophotographic photosensitive drum and which is provided to project longitudinally outwardly of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum from said second end cover portion, said second portion to be positioned being positioned by a second main assembly positioning portion provided in the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus; a third portion to be positioned provided to project parallel to the lengthwise direction of said process cartridge from said first end cover portion at a position downstream of said first portion to be positioned with respect to a mounting direction in which said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said third portion to be positioned being positioned by a third main assembly positioning portion provided in the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus; and a driving force receiving portion provided to be partly exposed through said first end cover portion between said first portion to be positioned and said third portion to be positioned with respect to the mounting direction, said driving force receiving portion, when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, engaging in the mounting direction with a main assembly driving force transmitting portion provided in the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus to receive a driving force for rotating said developing member from the main assembly driving force transmitting portion.