Patent ID: 7761024

Claim:
A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus usable with process cartridges detachably mountable to a main assembly of said apparatus, the process cartridges each including an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and at least one process device actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, said color electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising: a movable member which is movable between an inside of the main assembly of said apparatus and an outside of the main assembly of said apparatus in a direction crossing a longitudinal direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum of one of the process cartridges while carrying the process cartridges; a main assembly electrical contact provided inside the main assembly of said apparatus along a movement path of said movable member; an intermediary electrical contact including a first electrical contact portion which is disposed inside said movable member and which is electrically connectable to a cartridge electrical contact of one of the process cartridges and a second electrical contact portion which is disposed outside said movable member and which is electrically connectable to said main assembly electrical contact provided inside the main assembly of said apparatus; and a recess provided between said movable member and said main assembly electrical contact to prevent said movable member from contacting said main assembly electrical contact when said movable member moves from the outside of the main assembly to the inside of the main assembly, said recess extending along the moving direction of said movable member at a position opposing said main assembly electrical contact on an outside of a side plate of said movable member, and said recess opening toward said main assembly electrical contact, wherein said first electrical contact portion is elastic and enters a cartridge accommodation space of said movable member, wherein said first electrical contact portion is flexed to contact the cartridge electrical contact by the process cartridge containing the cartridge electrical contact falling into the cartridge accommodation space, and wherein said second electrical contact portion is electrically connected to said main assembly electrical contact by said movable member being lowered after said movable member linearly moves to the inside of the main assembly of said apparatus.