Patent ID: 7233752
Filing Date: 2007-06-19
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 for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a first end cover portion provided at one longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum; a second end cover portion provided at the other longitudinal end of said 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 apparatus when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the 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 apparatus when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus; a first portion to be positioned which is coaxial with said photosensitive drum and which is provided projected longitudinally outwardly of said 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 apparatus when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus; a second portion to be positioned which is coaxial with said photosensitive drum and which is provided projected longitudinally outwardly of said 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 apparatus when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus; a third portion to be positioned provided projected longitudinally outwardly of said photosensitive drum 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 apparatus, said third portion to be positioned being positioned by a third main assembly positioning portion provided in the main assembly of the apparatus when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus; and a driving force receiving portion provided 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 apparatus, engaging in the mounting direction with a main assembly driving force transmitting portion provided in the main assembly of the apparatus to receive a driving force for rotating said developing member from the main assembly driving force transmitting portion.