Patent ID: 8165493
Filing Date: 2012-04-24
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising: a drum unit supporting an electrophotographic photosensitive member; a developing unit supporting a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive member with a developer, wherein said developing unit is movable relative to said drum unit between a contacting position in which said developing roller is contacted to said electrophotographic photosensitive member and a spaced position in which said developing roller is spaced from said electrophotographic photosensitive member; and a process cartridge positioning portion for positioning said process cartridge relative to the main assembly of the apparatus by entering of a main assembly positioning portion provided in the main assembly of the apparatus by mounting movement of said process cartridge to the main assembly of the apparatus; and a space maintaining member capable of entering and retracting relative to said process cartridge positioning portion, said space maintaining member holding said developing unit in the spaced position in a state that said space maintaining member is in said process cartridge positioning portion, wherein said space maintaining member retracts from said process cartridge positioning portion, to permit said developing unit to move from the spaced position to the contacting position, by contacting to the main assembly positioning portion by the mounting movement of said process cartridge to the main assembly of the apparatus.